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> Fri., Feb. 24, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Philippines on a State of Emergency
Immigration Debate Heats Up As Bush Extends the TPS Program
for Central-American Immigrants
Congressman Calls to Bring Troops Home
Justice Found in Anti-Muslim Violence in India
Groups Says EPA Ignoring Health Risks for New Orleans Residents
African Americans Debate Black History Month
FSRN Headlines
SHELL ORDERED TO PAY IN NIGERIA
A Nigerian court has ordered Shell Petroleum to pay 1.5 billion
dollars to local communities in the Niger Delta region as
compensation for years of environmental pollution. Sam Olukoya
reports from Lagos.
The court judgement is another setback for the oil giant,
Shell, which early this week, shut down half of its operations
in Nigeria following attacks on its facilities and the kidnapping
of nine of its foreign employees. Payment of compensation
for environmental damage is one of the demands of the local
militants holding the oil workers. Nigeria's National Assembly
had previously passed a resolution compelling Shell to pay
the 1.5 billion for ecological damage. The case went to court
when Shell refused to pay. If Shell does not comply with today's
court verdict, negotiations to secure the release of the hostages
could become even more difficult. For Free Speech Radio News,
this is Sam Olukoya in Lagos.
ECUADOR LIFTS STATE OF EMERGENCY
In Ecuador, the government-imposed State of Emergency has
been lifted in the Amazon province of Napo. This comes after
troops were sent to the region to deal with protests against
foreign and state-owned oil interests. Earlier in the week,
protesters had occupied a pumping station that supplies the
country's most important privately-owned pipeline. They were
calling for greater investment in the region. The government
has now reportedly agreed to spend some $100 million on infrastructure
projects and social spending programs.
ARGENTINE WATER CUSTOMERS VS. SUEZ
Residents in Argentina's central province of Cordoba rallied
yesterday to protest a 200 percent increase in water rates.
The hike was passed in December to subsidize debt from the
French company that controls Cordoba's water utilities. Marie
Trigona has more from Buenos Aires.
Throughout the week, local organizations, environmentalists,
and residents organized road blockades in protest of the 200
percent rate increase and privatization of water. Suez, the
French group controlling Cordoba's water utility, threatened
to pull out of Argentina last year because of a government-mandated
freeze on water rates. The provincial government agreed to
forgive the company's 19 million-dollar debt as an incentive
for the company make long overdue investments in infrastructure.
Local resident groups are pushing for the government to annul
the Suez-Aguas Cordoba contract and have proposed that users
and employees form a public cooperative to manage water services.
Hundreds of residents participating in the march say they
will boycott Suez by not paying their water bills. Suez will
soon install over 15,000 water meters to control and restrict
water consumption. The company has said that users who do
not pay their water bill will have their service cut.
ENVIRO-ARREST IN ARIZONA
An outspoken Arizona environmental activist is in federal
custody after a court hearing yesterday. Evan Davis reports
from Arizona.
Environmental activist, Rod Coronodo, was arraigned yesterday
in a federal court in Tucson, Arizona after federal agents
arrested him on Wednesday. During yesterday's court appearance,
Coronado was charged with felony "distribution of information
relating to a destructive device" for allegedly giving
instructions on how to create an incendiary device during
a speech he gave in San Diego in 2003. A San Diego area housing
development that was under construction was destroyed by arson
less than 24 hours before Coronodo's speech there, but Coronodo
is not being charged with setting the blaze, which Earth Liberation
Front took credit for at the time. Coronodo is being held
in detention in Tucson and is expected to be transferred on
Monday to a Federal court in San Diego.
STRIKE AT SIKORSKY
3,600 Teamsters Union members are on strike against Connecticut-based
Sikorsky Aircraft, which makes helicopters for civilian and
military use. The strike began Monday over the failure to
agree on health care coverage. Melinda Tuhus reports from
the picket line.
On a warm day for February, dozens of strikers circled the
main entrance to the plant. The feeling was relaxed and horn-honking
in support from passing vehicles was raucous and constant.
The average employee is 48 years old with 25 years seniority,
and health care is a big concern. Joe Racan, a union official
and 21-year employee, explains a trade-off with other benefits
the workers are willing to make. "They understand that
health care is in a national crisis, and we don't mind paying
a little bit more. Just divert a little money from our raises
or our signing bonus towards that to keep it status quo. We're
not asking for anything more." The company says health
care costs have risen 45 percent during the last three years.
It wants to institute a 20-percent worker co-pay on health
insurance, but the workers have rejected that, saying the
company doesn't need to impose those costs to stay competitive.
No talks are currently scheduled. For FSRN, I'm Melinda Tuhus
in Stratford, Connecticut.
[top]
Philippines on a State of Emergency
feature:(1:30), reporter interview (3:11)
Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a
state of emergency today, amid massive anti-government demonstrations,
and an alleged coup plot. FSRN’s Girlie Linao reports
from Manila.
[top]
Immigration Debate Heats Up As Bush Extends the TPS
Program for Central-American Immigrants (3:09)
President Bush met with Salvadoran President Elias Antonio
Saca at the White House this afternoon, where the two leaders
discussed the Central American Free Trade Agreement, although
the main topic of discussion was immigration. President Saca
is pushing for a comprehensive immigration reform program
that would assign legal status to Salvadoran immigrants already
in the United States. President Bush offered a bit of immigration
relief by announcing that he would extend a temporary program,
allowing some Salvadoran and other Central American immigrants
to stay in the US with temporary status for another year.
But as Washington Editor Leigh Ann Caldwell reports, some
members of Congress are vowing to defeat that extension.
[top]
Congressman Calls to Bring Troops Home (2:18)
US Ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, has warned sectarian
violence is a threat to the future of Iraq, following the
bombing of the Samara shrine this week. As the country remains
tense with the continued presence of US and coalition troops,
a U.S. Congressman, who is previous supporter of the war and
sits on the House Appropriations Committee, has called for
troops to return. FSRN’s Rebecca Myles files this story.
[top]
Justice Found in Anti-Muslim Violence in India
(4:29)
Human rights activists have hailed a judgment handed down
today in a case related to the 2002 sectarian violence in
the Western Indian state of Gujarat as a triumph of truth
and justice. 9 of 21 defendants charged by a lower court under
directions from India's Supreme Court were sentenced to life
in prison. The decision has stirred new optimism for the Muslims
who had lost all hope in the investigations and the trials
run by the Gujarat government. FSRN’s Binu Alex reports
from Vadodara, India.
[top]
Groups Says EPA Ignoring Health Risks for New Orleans
Residents (1:56)
A national environmental group has charged that the Environmental
Protection Agency is not doing enough to warn residents returning
to New Orleans of health risks. The report released yesterday
by the National Resources Defense Council, is the latest in
a series of charges by the NRDC and other groups that the
EPA is ignoring its own guidelines in dealing with the contamination
caused by post-Katrina flooding. Christian Roselund has more
from the Crescent City.
[top]
African Americans Debate Black History Month
(3:41)
As Black History Month comes to a close, some people take
this time to reflect, remember, and rejoin the history and
achievements of African Americans – even as recent comments
made by actor Morgan Freeman, have stirred up debate on whether
Black History Month is necessary. Selina Musuta reports on
that discussion from Washington, DC - hometown of Black History
Month founder, Dr. Carter G. Woodson.
[top]
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