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> Wed., Sept. 22, 2004
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Democrats Unveil Republican-esque Pledge
Iraqi’s React to Hostage Crisis
Airlines to Hand Over Private Passenger Lists to Government?
Nigeria to Raise Petroleum Prices
Sri Lankan Peace Process to Restart?
FSRN Headlines
UN General Assembly Continues -- Susan Wood
World leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly
are condemning the unilateral use of force and calling for
the UN to play a greater role in resolving political conflicts.
Susan Wood has more from the UN.
White House Proposes Cuts to Housing Assistance -- Leigh
Ann Caldwell
The Bush administration has proposed a decrease in the value
of vouchers for subsidized housing for the poor in some areas
of the country. FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell reports from New
York City.
Air Quality Unsafe for Kids -- Erika McDonald
Air pollution from power plants is making it dangerous for
children in large cities to enjoy summer days outdoors, according
to an Environmental Defense study released yesterday. From
Houston, Erika McDonald reports.
Israel's General Strike Ends
Israel's labor unions ended a general strike today. The two-day
action grounded international air traffic, closed financial
markets and shut down halted public services in a dispute
over unpaid wages. The move came after a labor court ordered
some 400,000 public sector workers back to work and told the
government to pay months of back salaries.
Mazen al-Najjar Deported -- Mitch Perry
A former professor at the University of South Florida who
was deported 2 years ago after being detained by the government
for years on the basis of secret evidence has now been indicted.
Mitch Perry reports from Tampa
[top]
Democrats Unveil Republican-esque Pledge
(4:15)
Today Democrats in the House of Representatives unveiled
a pledge to US voters called the New Partnership for America's
Future, which relies on 6 principles, the top two being prosperity
and national security. House Republicans applauded the Democrats
new pledge, saying that imitation is the highest form of flattery.
Mitch Jeserich reports from Capitol Hill.
[top]
Iraqi’s React to Hostage Crisis (3:52)
After the second beheading in two days of a US contract
worker in Iraq, the government today announced that it is
going to free an Iraqi woman prisoner, a weapons specialist
held by the US who the Americans call Dr Germ. The move comes
as hostage takers demanded the release of all Iraqi women
from detention. Meanwhile a third foreigner, Kenneth Bigley
of Britain is also threatened with execution. FSRN Host Deepa
Fernandes asked computer analyst Salam Talib in Baghdad to
tell us how Iraqi’s are reacting to the news of the
kidnapping.
[top]
Airlines to Hand Over Private Passenger Lists to
Government? (3:54)
The Transportation Security Authority has announced its
latest program to pre-screen passengers on US flights. Testing
will begin on the database technology by utilizing previously
private passenger information from airline carriers, if airlines
will hand over the information. Jenny Johnson reports.
[top]
Nigeria to Raise Petroleum Prices (3:36)
As Nigeria’s high court is hearing a case calling
to question the government’s legislative move to outlaw
picketing and criminalize strikes by workers, another move
was announced that will hit hard Nigeria’s poor. While
this African nation is the world's sixth largest oil producer,
the government says that it plans to increase the domestic
prices of petroleum products. Workers are the strongest opponents
of the Nigerian government. They are at the forefront of a
campaign aimed at stopping the government from increasing
fuel prices in line with the demands of international financial
institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary
fund, IMF. Both institutions want the government to remove
local fuel subsidies so that Nigeria will have more money
to pay back huge debts owed western countries. Sam Olukoya
reports from Lagos.
[top]
Sri Lankan Peace Process to Restart? (3:11)
Sri Lanka today strongly supported India's candidature for
a permanent seat on the expanded UN Security Council, saying
New Delhi along with Brazil, Germany and Japan fulfill the
objective criteria for taking its place on the powerful body.
This signals strong relations between Sri Lanka and the new
Indian Congress government that many say could play a role
in the Sri Lankan peace process which has been at a standstill
for months. Meanwhile, the traditional mediator in the Sri
Lanka conflict, Norway, has been at the receiving end of angry
demonstrations outside the Norwegian Embassy this week when
a coffin with the dead body of a Tamil politician was placed
outside the Embassy. The demonstrators from the ruling EPDP
party demanded that Norway should do something in order to
re-start the stalled peace process. The Norwegian-brokered
peace negotiations between the Colombo Central Government
and the LTTE guerillas in the
[top]
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