Home > Programs
> FSRN
> Thur., Apr. 28, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
Thanks to FSRN.org
for making the daily programs available to Pacifica.org
Today's lead stories:
30 Years Anniversary of the End of the Vietnam War
US International Trade Commission to Re-Consider Tariffs on
Imported Shrimp
Budget Resolution May Gain Final Approval Today
Continuing Violence in Thailand's Mostly Muslim Southern Region
India Rejects HIV Infection Claims
Lawmakers Ready to Re-Consider Lifting Travel Ban to Cuba
Vendors Fighting to Keep 80-year-old Open-Air Market in the
Bronx
FSRN Headlines
The Bush administration is moving ahead with plans to sell
to the state of Israel 100 of the notorious “bunker
buster” weapons that use depleted uranium. Eun-young
Chough reports from D.C.
Italians are rejecting a US report that absolves the soldiers
who killed an Italian intelligence officer while he was escorting
a former hostage home. Diletta Varlesce has more from Brescia.
Mexico’s Attorney General is resigning after political
wrangling over whether he should pursue corruption charges
against the leading presidential candidate. Shannon Young
reports from Oaxaca.
Students around the nation are demanding that service workers
on their campuses receive living wages and better working
conditions. Selina Musuta reports on the most recent struggle
at Howard University.
Police in Port-au-Prince claim they fired upon a crowd of
protestors only after someone shot at them first. All reports
confirm that five protestors died, but there is no corroborating
evidence to support the police assertion. Demonstrators were
demanding the return of President Jean Bertrand Aristide who
was ousted in a US coup d’etat last year under accusations
of corruption. This month US officials admitted to ignoring
an embargo and providing weapons to Haitian security forces.
They justified the action by saying police need to control
violence with more armaments. Presidential elections are scheduled
take place in November of this year.
[top]
30 Years Anniversary of the End of the Vietnam War
BOGADO: Today marks 30 years to the day of the end of the
Vietnam War. Up to 5 million Vietnamese lost their lives,
and nearly 60,000 American troops died in combat. Two years
after a peace agreement between North Vietnam and US-backed
South Vietnam, the northern half of South Vietnam fell to
North Vietnamese forces in early April 1975. Less than one
month later, the war ended with South Vietnam's surrender.
Ron Ridenour served as a soldier in the war and was responsible
for documenting the massacre at Mai Lai. Ridenour was interviewed
by Jackie Chignon at Pacifica Station WPFW on July 25, 1977
after returning to Mai Lai that same year.
RIDENOUR: My own feelings in returning were mixed, we met
2 women who were survivors of the massacre. There were only
8 survivors left, there were 24 families which were totally
annihilated and 506 people, according to the Vietnamese authorities
there died in Mai Lai that day. And it was a very mixed kind
of experience. Going back is a very difficult thing for me,
as it would be, I think, for most Americans, especially people
who have been soldiers in Vietnam who were veterans as I was.
And people who were involved in the massacre were personal
friends of mine, and it was a difficult experience."
BOGADO: Again, that was Vietnam Vet Ron Ridenour, speaking
to Jackie Chignon about his return to Mai Lai.
[top]
US International Trade Commission to Re-Consider
Tariffs on Imported Shrimp
The U.S. International Trade Commission, or ITC, promised
Monday to review a Tariff on imported shrimp coming from India
and Thailand, saying that the recent tsunami in the region
prompted the review. Gulf coast shrimpers in the US who fought
for the tariffs, are up in arms over the review. FSRN's Mark
Antokas has more.
[top]
Budget Resolution May Gain Final Approval Today
A House and Senate Conference committee has agreed to a
budget resolution that will open up Alaska's Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. The budget resolution, which
Congress may give final approval to tonight, would also slash
billions from health care programs for the poor while prolonging
tax cuts for the investor class. Mitch Jeserich has this update
from Capitol Hill.
[top]
Continuing Violence in Thailand's Mostly Muslim Southern
Region
Thailand's southern region has been in a state of unrest
for more than 15 months. At least 600 people have been killed
in the region so far. The Thai government says a growing Muslim
insurgency is to blame for the violence. To prevent future
attacks, Thai officials sent more than 20,000 troops into
the southern-most provinces, where Muslims are the majority
on the mostly Buddhist island-country. Security is tenser
this week because today marks the anniversary of the deaths
of more than 100 Thai-Muslim youth and at least 5 Thai police
officers. FSRN correspondent Doualy Xaykaothao has more from
Thailand's southern region.
[top]
India Rejects HIV Infection Claims
Last week, the Indian government dismissed a claim by Richard
Feachem of the Global Fund to Fight Aids that the country
now has the most HIV-positive people in the world. The National
Aids Control Organization, the Indian body that monitors the
epidemic is not clear what data is authentic and what is not.
FSRN Correspondent Binu Alex has more on the ways in which
AIDS is becoming a playground for global players especially
in India and on the African continent.
[top]
Lawmakers Ready to Re-Consider Lifting Travel Ban
to Cuba
Hundreds of Cuban-Americans from across the country gathered
in the Nation's Capitol this week to lobby Congress to lift
the travel restrictions to Cuba, arguing that the separation
is hurting their families. Lawmakers from both sides are ready
to re-introduce legislation that aims to end these restrictions.
FSRN's Dolores M. Bernal has more.
[top]
Vendors Fighting to Keep 80-year-old Open-Air Market
in the Bronx
An 80-year-old open air market in the Bronx, New York which
employs hundreds of people, mostly immigrants, is supposed
to close its doors on Saturday to make way for a multi-level
indoor mall and box store. But the vendors are fighting, in
court, to keep the market open. FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell
has the story.
[top]
|
Listen
to the show 
Help
stream
download
