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> Thur., June. 2, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Violence and Insecurity Continue in Haiti
Human Rights Advocates Demand More from Bush on Darfur
Mass Protests and Strikes in Panama over Pension Reforms
Tony Blair Faces Opposition over National ID Card Plan
Activists in Albuquerque Demand Officials Prepare Emergency
Preparedness Plan
Kashmiri Leaders Make Historic Trip to Pakistan
FSRN Headlines
Demonstrators demanding the re-nationalization of hydrocarbons
in Bolivia continue to protest today. Linda Farthing has more
from La Paz.
The Israeli government has released 400 imprisoned Palestinians
as promised. Manar Jibreen reports from the International
Middle East Media Center.
Reportedly on the brink of a major economic collapse, Zimbabwe’s
President Robert Mugabe says he welcomes food aid from the
United Nations but refuses to formally ask for it. Haider
Rizvi reports from the U.N.
European Union leaders are considering tossing the proposed
constitution after another nation votes “no.”
The Netherlands rejection of the document is now added to
the one by the French. In both nations, people said they voted
against the EU constitution because they were concerned that
a new, cohesive EU would subsume their individual cultures.
Today, EU Commissioners in Brussels announced they would discuss
at a mid June summit whether to write a new constitution.
DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS THE FOLLOWING HEADLINES ARE OFFERED
SEPARATLY FROM THE NEWCAST:
Scam artists who claim they want to help are pouncing on
families just barely able to afford their own home. Peter
Larkin reports from D.C. (1:02)
A Brazilian government agency has determined that the nation
ranks second to last in the world in equitable distribution
of wealth. Natalia
Viana has the story from Sao Paulo. (1:16)
[top]
Violence and Insecurity Continue in Haiti (4:23)
More than 15 months after US officials escorted Aristide
into exile amid an armed revolt, frustration in Haiti is mounting
with the U.S.-backed interim government, which has managed
to alienate both Aristide supporters and those who fought
for his ouster. Meanwhile, one year after arriving in Haiti,
the United Nations Mission for Haitian Stabilization, a peacekeeping
force called MINUSTAH for its French acronym, that now numbers
more than 7,400 soldiers and police is still woefully short
of fulfilling nearly every aspect of its mandate, from disarming
the nation's myriad armed groups to readying the nation for
elections. Reed Lindsay reports from Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
[top]
Human Rights Advocates Demand More from Bush on Darfur
(3:57)
Human rights activists say President Bush's pledge to provide
technical support to an African Union monitoring group in
Darfur does not go far enough to stop the killings there.
Their critiques came after George Bush met with South African
President Thabo Mbeki on Wednesday, where Bush for the first
time in almost 6 months publicly talked of Darfur and Sudan.
Mitch Jeserich has more from Washington.
[top]
Mass Protests and Strikes in Panama over Pension
Reforms (1:53)
Tensions remain in Panama, as construction workers and teachers
continue a nation-wide strike over Social Security reform.
The country's parliament approved vast changes to the current
pension system on Tuesday. The new bill requires workers to
pay higher contributions and increases the retirement eligibility
age by 5 years. Thousands of residents crowded Panama City
streets last week to protest President Martin Torrijos's proposal
before it went to the Parliament. Demonstrators were met by
riot clad police- 17 workers remain in jail from the protest
last Friday. Torrijo defends his reforms, citing that he did
not take the option to privatize social security outright.
Meanwhile, the reforms have been hailed by foreign investors.
Joining us to talk about the situation in Panama is independent
journalist Anelio Merry López.
[top]
Tony Blair Faces Opposition over National ID Card
Plan (3:37)
Suggested lead: In Britain, Tony Blair is facing a possible
Parliamentary rebellion over his attempt to force through
a national ID card plan for British citizens. Critics say
they have no confidence in the state to use citizen's data
wisely or that the state can even make the system work. From
London, Naomi Fowler has more, beginning with Blair's address
urging Parliament to approve the National ID plan.
[top]
Activists in Albuquerque Demand Officials Prepare
Emergency Preparedness Plan (3:46)
Albuquerque, New Mexico, has the notorious distinction of
storing more nuclear weapons than any other city in the United
States. But the city government has yet to work with Kirtland
Air Force Base to institute an emergency preparedness plan
addressing any kind of nuclear release from the weapons at
the base. As Leslie Clark reports, activists in Albuquerque
are building a strategy to force local officials to join experts
from the base to create such a plan.
[top]
Kashmiri Leaders Make Historic Trip to Pakistan
(3:19)
Two months after the launch of the first trans-Kashmir bus,
it is separatist leaders from Indian administered Kashmir
who are now making their trip along this route. The Kashmiri
leaders were invited by Pakistan last month to travel to Pakistan
and Pakistan administered Kashmir. In the past, India has
denied most Hurriyat leaders permission to visit Pakistan.
This time However India allowed the trip -and a group of moderate
leaders made the journey. FSRN's Shanawaz Kahn reports.
[top]
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