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> Fri., June. 17, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Iraqis Weary of Exit Strategy
Iranians Head to the Polls for Presidential Election
EU Meets for First Time Since France and the Netherlands Reject
Constitution
How Debt Cancellation May Affect Local Ugandans
Indonesia and the United States Sign Debt Rescheduling Agreement
House Committee Passes $100 Million Cut to Corporation for
Public Broadcasting
FSRN Headlines
There were violent clashes in Kyrgyzstan today, after demonstrators
stormed and occupied the government headquarters there. 1000
police took back the building, using teargas and clubs to
dislodge the demonstrators, injuring 39, 12 of whom were hospitalized.
The protesters say they’re supporters of would-be presidential
candidate Urmat Baryktabasov, who was denied a spot on the
ballot in next month's presidential election because electoral
officials say he has become a citizen of neighboring Kazakhstan.
Baryktabasov is widely identified with former president Askar
Akayev, who fled the country during a coup in March. Acting
president Kurmanbek Bakiyev is overwhelmingly favored to win
the presidency next month, but election officials say the
riots could complicate the election, which is scheduled for
July 10.
In Brazil, a high-ranking member of the President’s
left-wing workers’ party has resigned over a growing
bribery scandal. Natalia Viana reports from Sao Paolo:
By an overwhelming majority, the House of Representatives
has passed a measure requiring the United Nations to undergo
what the bill calls major reforms or have the US annual contribution
to the UN of 500 million dollars cut by half. The White House
opposes the measure and its fate in the Senate is still unknown.
Iraqi solidarity activists are training their sights on the
war reparations that Iraq is still paying to Kuwait. Haider
Rizve has more from the United Nations. We’ll have more
on Iraq later in the newscast.
Public approval of President Bush has continued its downward
slide. A poll released today by the New York Times and CBS
News indicates issues like Iraq and Social Security are making
Bush increasingly unpopular. Benjamin Freedland has more from
the nation's capital:
Myanmar’s pro-democracy opposition leader, Aung San
Su Khi [Aang Saan Soo Chee] turns 60 this weekend. Supporters
will be marking the date with protests in 12 countries demanding
that she be released from house arrest. And they’ll
be bolstered by a statement from the Nobel Prize Committee,
which has taken the unprecedented step asking the Myanmar
government to release Su Khi, who has won the nobel Peace
prize.
[top]
Iraqis Weary of Exit Strategy (3:48)
There were two separate attempts in Congress yesterday to
force the Bush Administration to address withdrawing US Forces
from Iraq. Neither attempt seems to have been successful,
but it illustrates a growing discontent in Congress regarding
the war. But as the debate over pull-out from Iraq heats up
in DC, the Iraqi people themselves are taking a more cautious
wait-and-see approach. Eric Klein has more.
[top]
Iranians Head to the Polls for Presidential Election
(3:36)
Iranians headed to the polls today for a Presidential election.
Out of the 7 candidates – who were cleared from a list
of over 1,000 by the powerful General Council, it is unlikely
that any one will get the 50% needed to win. A runoff is expected
between former higher education minister Mostafa Moin, and
moderate cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafjani. We’re joined
the line with Free Speech Radio News correspondent Saeedeh
Jamshidi, in Tehran.
[top]
EU Meets for First Time Since France and the Netherlands
Reject Constitution (3:49)
EU leaders have been meeting in Brussels the past two days
for the first time after France and the Netherlands rejected
the draft of the EU constitution. Confrontational budget talks
among the European Union’s 25 national leaders deadlocked
and hopes faded for reaching an agreement on how much each
member should pay into EU coffers and how the money should
be spent. A number of EU leaders demanded that ratification
of the constitution should continue while many countries postponed
their ratification process until better times. Raphael Krafft
reports from Paris
[top]
How Debt Cancellation May Affect Local Ugandans
(3:17)
The G-8 agreed to a $40 billion debt cancellation last week
for the world’s poorest nations, including Uganda. But
many wonder what the debt write off means for impoverished
local communities. Joshua Kyalimpa reports from Kampala.
[top]
Indonesia and the United States Sign Debt Rescheduling
Agreement (2:32)
The US and Indonesia signed an agreement yesterday to reschedule
the payment of $212 million in debts, in order to free up
funds for the rebuilding of the tsunami-ravaged areas of Aceh
and North Sumatra. The amount is part of debts owed by Indonesia
to members of the Paris Club, which groups 19 creditors. Indonesia
is one of highest indebted countries – out of a $272
billion debt, about $48 billion is owed to the Paris Club
alone. And some are wondering if debt rescheduling give positive
impact to reconstruction in tsunami hit area? From Jakarta
FSRN’s Meggy Margiyono has story.
[top]
House Committee Passes $100 Million Cut to Corporation
for Public Broadcasting (3:58)
The Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee says he
is confident the Senate will restore some of the funding to
the Corporation for Public Broadcasting above the 100 million
dollar cut that a House committee passed last night. However,
if the House's version of the bill were to be adopted, it
would result in a significant loss in the budgets for most
public radio and television stations. The cut is part of a
spending bill that also contains significant reductions in
the No Child Left Behind program. Mitch Jeserich reports from
Capitol Hill.
[top]
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