Home > Programs
> FSRN
> Fri., Dec. 16, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
Thanks to FSRN.org
for making the daily programs available to Pacifica.org
Today's lead stories:
Senate Filibusters on Patriot Act Reauthorization Bill
Iraqi Search for Normalcy After Elections
Uganda's Museveni to Seek New Term after 19 Years in Office
Prospects for Trade Agreement Diminishing for Caribbean countries
Iran's International Sanctions and World Trade
Fight Continues in Argentina for Worker-Controlled Workplace
FSRN Headlines
EU PRESSURE ON DEVELOPING NATIONS
At the ongoing World Trade Organisation talks in Hong Kong,
a group of developing nations known as the G90 countries,
continue to resist pressure from the European Union to open
up their service sectors. From London, Naomi Fowler reports.
ARGENTINA AND BRAZIL TO PAY DOWN IMF DEBT
Argentine president, Nestor Kirshner, announced yesterday
evening that his government will completely pay off its $10
billion debt to the International Monetary Fund before the
end of the year. In a speech to announce the decision, Kirshner
said that by using reserves from the Central Bank to pay off
the debt ahead of schedule, Argentina will save nearly one
billion dollars in interest. A previous debt payment plan
would have required Argentina to carry out a number of unpopular
measures like raising fees for public services, raising interest
rates, and lowering exchange rates. Kirshner said that paying
off the debt would allow future governments of Argentina the
freedom to make sovereign decisions about the national economy.
Earlier this week, the government of Brazil also announced
plans to pay off the remaining part of its IMF debt in one,
15 billion dollar payment. In response the Kirshner's announcement,
Brazil's Minister of Foreign Affairs told a press gathering
in Hong Kong (quote) "I think it's excellent that our
countries have been able, through their own policies, to reduce
the dependency on international institutions".
EARLY ELECTIONS IN BOLIVIA
In other news from South America, Bolivians will head to the
polls this weekend to vote in early presidential elections.
FSRN's Diletta Varlese is in La Paz.
HAMAS GAINS IN WEST BANK ELECTIONS
As ballots from Palestinian local elections are counted, the
ruling Fatah party appears to be losing ground. Manar Jibrin
reports from Biet Sahour.
PARTIAL TRANSIT STRIKE IN NYC
Workers from the country's largest public transit system have
called for a selective strike. Rebecca Myles reports from
New York City.
[top]
Senate Filibusters on Patriot Act Reauthorization
Bill (4:05)
The US Senate upheld a filibuster against the Patriot Act
Reauthorization bill that seeks to extend many of the most
controversial provisions in the Act for another 4 years. The
provisions, which include sneak and peak, and roving wiretaps,
expire in about two weeks at the end of the year. And, as
Mitch Jeserich reports from Washington, some lawmakers say
their vote was swayed by a New York Times article this morning
indicating that President Bush authorized the National Security
Agency to eavesdrop on US citizens.
[top]
Iraqi Search for Normalcy After Elections
(1:44)
A series of explosions have been detonated near the Interior
Ministry in Baghdad's Green Zone today, and while voting in
Iraq's parliamentary elections has now ended, a car curfew
continues in Baghdad in an attempt to quash possible bombings.
As many Iraqis try to return to a sense of normalcy and security,
FSRN's Salam Talib spoke to the Iraqi Journalist Kalil Al
Mosawy in Baghdad.
[top]
Uganda's Museveni to Seek New Term after 19
Years in Office (3:06)
Nominations have ended in Uganda for the presidential candidates
who will stand against incumbent President Yoweri Museveni.
Museveni, had been serving his last term in office but the
constitution was amended to allow him to stand for another
term in the 2006 presidential elections. Jailed opposition
leader Col Kiza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change
will be one of Museveni's challenges. Joshua Kyalimpa reports
from Kampala.
[top]
Prospects for Trade Agreement Diminishing for Caribbean
countries (4:03)
Mass protests continue outside the WTO Ministerial in Hong
Kong, as EU's trade chief warned that negotiations may,
once again, come to a standstill. Economically developing
nations continue to demand their share of open markets, and
for the US and EU TO stop subsidizing their farmers. Trade
Ministers are also becoMING critical of trade-for-aid schemes.
Arvin Boolell is a Trade Minister for Mauritius. [AUDIO CUT]
Nations represented by The Caribbean Community and Common
Market, or CARICOM, are stating that handouts are not the
solutions they're seeking at the World Trade Organization
negotiations currently underway in Hong Kong. Ian Forrest
takes a look at the situation facing CARICOM.
[top]
Iran's International Sanctions and World Trade (2:47)
The World Trade Organization welcomed the South Pacific
Island nation of Tonga as its 150th member this week. Tonga's
has one of the world's smallest economies, with a GDP of $244-million.
In comparison, Iran has a GDP of $517-billion, but it needs
the US to remove sanctions against it, before talks can even
begin on Iran's ascension into the WTO. FSRN's Iranian affairs
correspondent, Saeedeh Jamshidi reports.
[top]
Fight Continues in Argentina for Worker-Controlled
Workplace (2:57)
In Buenos Aires, workers from the BAUEN hotel and hundreds
of their supporters marched to the city legislature yesterday
to demand the city's mayor annul a law to return the hotel,
which has been worker-controlled since 2003, to the former
management. Meanwhile, rock groups are planning to perform
at a mega-concert tonight in defense of the BAUEN cooperative,
and other recuperated factories and workplaces throughout
in Argentina. FSRN's Marie Trigona has more from Buenos Aires.
[top]
|
Listen
to the show 
Help
stream
download
