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> Fri., Mar. 14, 2003
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
A Way to Halt War?
Marches Planned This Weekend - Dems Start to Dissent
Women's Role on Indian Society
Asbestos Insulation Case Examined
The Battle Over Cypress Continues
A Way to Halt War?
The Bush Administration has suffered a setback in its efforts
to win a second United Nations Resolution authorizing war
with Iraq. A majority of Security Council members made it
clear they wouldn't support the measure, forcing postponement
of a vote President Bush insisted would be held this week.
At an emergency sumit this weekend, the Administration and
its closest Allies will decide whether to pursue diplomatic
negotiations or withdraw the resolution and launch an attack
within days. But as Susan Wood reports from the UN, there
may still be a way to halt the drive towards war.
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Marches Planned This Weekend - Dems Start to Dissent
Frustrated with their failure to gain support in the UN
for an invasion of Iraq, and facing overwhelming condemnation
from the world public, President Bush and UK Prime Minister
Tony Blair today changed the subject. But leaders gave speeches
calling for a two state solution in Israeli – Palestine.
But both governments continue to threaten the use of force
in Iraq. In the US, even the mainstream Democrats have begun
to dissent, as anti-war marches are planned in cities worldwide
this weekend. Josh Chaffin reports form DC.
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Women's Role on Indian Society
At least 10 people died, eight of them women when a bomb
blew apart the segregated women's first class car and a general
compartment car while in the station at Mumbai, commonly referred
to as Bombay, yesterday. Thursday was also the tenth anniversary
of the serial bomb blasts which targeted financial centers
in Bombay—attacks blamed on Muslims as a retaliation
for the destruction of a 16th century mosque by Hindus- resulting
in the death of some 257 people. With these latest deaths
and violence, Indian women had little to celebrate last weekend
on International Women's day - despite the laws and the campaigns
and a vibrant women's movement, India is a dangerous place
for women – all the statistics bear this out: the All-India
sex ratio that was 972 females per 1000 males in 1901 dropped
to 933 by 2001, plummeting to as low as 830 in some states.
The National Crimes Records Bureau said the growth rate of
crimes against women would exceed the population growth by
2010. India's pernicious dowry system, once known as an exclusive
Hindu and upper caste phenomenon and blamed for much of the
violence against women, has now become truly universal, cutting
across caste, class, ethnic and religious barriers. Sputnik
Kilambi reports form India.
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Asbestos Insulation Case Examined
In a 5 to 4 decision Monday, the US Supreme Court said Asbestos
workers can collect monetary damages based on the fear that
they'll get asbestos-related cancer, Even if they don’t
yet have the disease. Dissenting Justices argued that awarding
the damages might dry up funds for those hwo can get sick
later: up to 40 years after exposure. In coming weeks, Congress
will once again try to write liability relief legislation
for companies that make asbestos. This comes after revelations
that a planned E.P.A. emergency declaration about asbestos
insulation in U.S. homes was nixed by the White House last
year. The warning concerned a particularly deadly form of
asbestos mined in Libby, Montana that's in an estimated 15-35
million homes nationwide. Leigh Robartes has more.
[top]
The Battle Over Cypress Continues
The new Turkish Prime minister Tayyip Erdogan will have
his hands full in the coming days, not only with Iraq, but
with the recent collapse of UN brokered peace negotiations
between Turkish and Greek Cypriots. The Turks rejected a plan
to unify the island proposed by UN Secretary General Kofi
Annan. Even so, the European Union says it intends to move
forward to admit the island nation of Cypress.
Cypress was a former British colony which gained its political
independence in 1960 in the London and Zurich agreements.
Greece and Turkey also signed the agreements, but violence
between the two people erupted resulting in the death of countless
Cypriots. The Turkish Army was deployed during the civil unrest
and established the Turkish Republic of Northern Cypress twenty
years ago. The Greek Cypriot government is internationally
recognized, only Turkey officially acknowledges the Turkish
republic of Northern Cypress. Ezgi Siritas has more on the
failed unification talks.
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