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> Wed., Mar. 1, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Congressional Hearing on Education Cuts
Tribal Nations Legislative Summit Ends
Bush Visits India Today
Former French Colonies Still Feeling Effects of Colonialism
Border Policing
FSRN Headlines
KOSOVO'S PRIME MINISTER RESIGNS
Kosovo's Prime Minister resigned today - one week after the
first round of talks were completed in Vienna to determine
the political and legal status of the United Nations administered
province. It has been nearly 7 years since the end of civil
fighting between independence-minded Albanian guerrillas and
Serbian security forces in the former Yugoslavia. Jackson
Allers reports from Kosovo's capital, Pristina.
Kosovo Prime Minister, Bajram Kosumi, handed his resignation
to Kosovo President Fatmir Seidiu this afternoon, amidst criticism
from Western countries like the United States, who said he
did not do enough to meet democratic standards set by the
United Nations in the lead up to the current negotiations
on Kosovo's final status. Kosumi succeeded former Prime Minister,
Ramush Haradinaj, who was indicted on war crimes charges by
the UN tribunal at The Hague one year ago. UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan criticized Kosumi in January for not doing more
to integrate the more than 100,000 Serbs in Kosovo who remained
after the end of fighting in 1999. Kosovo Serbs and other
minorities have faced a growing litany of hardships as Kosovo's
economy is sputtering and the unemployment rate is said to
be at about 50%. The former senior commander in the Kosovo
Liberation Army, Agim Ceku, is said to be the top candidate
for replacing Kosumi. Reporting for FSRN, this is Jackson
Allers.
FATAL INCIDENTS IN THE WEST BANK AND GAZA STRIP
The ongoing cycle of violence in the Palestinian Occupied
Territories has claimed two lives today. Manar Jibrin has
the latest.
Abu Waleed Al Dahdouh, a top leader of the armed wing of
the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, was killed today when his car exploded.
Witnesses say an Israeli war jet fired a missile at his vehicle,
but Israel denies involvement. In the West Bank, an Israeli
settler is dead after he was shot in the head at the gas station
where he worked. Al-Aqsa Martyrs' brigades claimed responsibility.
Early this morning, a large Israeli force of at least six
military vehicles invaded the West Bank village of Beit Fajjar
(near Bethlehem) and declared the village a closed military
zone. The soldiers conducted house to house searches and arrested
twelve Palestinian youths. The Israeli army has been carrying
out arrest campaigns among Palestinian civilians claiming
that the arrestees are wanted members of armed resistance
groups. Many of these arrest attempts end with assassinations.
For FSRN from IMEMC.Org in Palestine this is Manar Jibrin.
STAND-OFF AT AFGHAN JAIL OVER
Unrest in an Afghan prison ended today with the transfer of
some 1300 prisoners to a different area of the same prison.
Six inmates are dead after a 4-day riot that began when prison
authorities attempted to mandate the use of uniforms. Prisoners
were demanding better living conditions and calling for a
review of their convictions. The prison, located outside of
Kabul, gained infamy as a torture center during the era of
communist rule in the 1980s.
CANADA INCREASES PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN
George W. Bush began his tour of South Asia today with a surprise
visit to Afghanistan. This, as Canada plans to increase its
presence in the occupied country...even though polls show
that the majority of Canadians are against sending troops.
Kasim Tirmizey reports from Montreal.
2200 new Canadian troops arrived in Kandhar in February and
a Canadian general took command of the multinational coalition
in southern Afghanistan yesterday. This, increased participation
in the occupation of the war-torn country comes as a new opinion
poll shows that 62% of Canadians are opposed to sending troops
to Afghanistan. And 73% of Canadians would like a parliamentary
vote on whether the mission should be renewed. Defence Minister
Gordon O'Connor has rejected such measures as unnecessary.
The recently deployed troops will be in Afghanistan for up
to one year. Reporting for Free Speech Radio News in Montreal,
I'm Kasim Tirmizey.
ONGOING SECURITY SITUATION IN THE NIGER DELTA
As we go to air, Reuters is reporting that militants in the
Niger Delta region have released six foreign oil workers.
Three workers; two Americans and a Briton, continue to be
held hostage. To deal with the ongoing security situation
in the Niger Delta region, Nigeria is turning to China to
protect oil installations. Sam Olukoya reports from Lagos.
Nigeria's Vice President Atiku Abubakar told the Financial
Times of London that Nigeria has to source military equipment
elsewhere because talks with the US over security plans for
the Niger Delta region did not appear to be moving as fast
as the situation is unfolding. The patrol boats the US supplied
to Nigeria for use in the Niger Delta, have proved inadequate.
Armed attacks by militant youths in the last weeks have forced
Nigeria to reduce oil exports by 20 percent. China, with its
growing oil demand, has shown interest in the Niger Delta
and is now stepping in as a key supplier of arms to protect
oil installations in the region. Nigeria is the world's sixth
largest oil exporter. The US plans to increase its oil imports
from Nigeria. China's military involvement in the region may
clash with America's interest. For Free Speech Radio News,
this is Sam Olukoya in Lagos.
SUBWAY WORKERS STRIKE IN SOUTH KOREA
Subway workers in Seoul today began the largest rail strike
in Korean history. Dante Toza reports.
After a breakdown in negotiations with the administrators
of the public rail system, 16,000 subway workers walked off
the job at 1 o'clock this morning. The Korean government declared
the strike illegal and has threatened to prosecute the workers
who participate. The unions are demanding better working conditions,
pay raises, a halt in employing temporary workers with no
job security and benefits and the rehiring of 67 works who
were fired for organizing a so-called illegal strike last
year. The trains are currently operating at 16%. The workers
say the strike will go on indefinitely or until the demands
are met. For Free Speech Radio News, this is Dante Toza reporting
from Seoul.
[top]
CONGRESSIONAL HEARING ON EDUCATION CUTS
(4:06)
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings says she backs the
education budget proposed by the President. The budget seeks
to cut education funding by more than $3-billion, and targets
low-income education programs for de-funding. Those opposed
to the drastic cuts to education are calling it scandalous.
Leigh Ann Caldwell reports from Capitol Hill.
[top]
TRIBAL NATIONS LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT ENDS (4:01)
The National Congress of American Indians concludes its
annual Tribal Nations Legislative Summit today. For three
days, Native American tribal leaders across the United States
gathered in Washington DC seeking solutions to Indian countrys
challenges, including poor health care conditions and rampant
methamphetamine abuse. Yanmei Xie has the story.
[top]
BUSH VISITS INDIA TODAY (4:27)
President Bush kicked off his first India visit today. The
three-day visit to the former Socialist country that recently
privatized its economy, moved closer diplomatically to the
US, and changed it Cold War foreign policy of non-alignment
is viewed as highly strategic. Bush's delegation includes
a 170 member team including politicians, an army think tank,
and Chief Executives of multinational corporations. While
Indo-US lobbyists are hailing the partnership, some are wondering
about Bushs interest in the region. Vinod K. Jose has more
from New Delhi.
[top]
FORMER FRENCH COLONIES STILL FEELING EFFECTS OF COLONIALISM
(3:45)
In colonial times, France guaranteed the CFA franc used
by many of its West and Central African colonies. Years later,
the CFA franc remains the currency used by a dozen African
countries, while the French franc, the currency to which it
was pegged, has disappeared with the arrival of the Euro.
In 1960, most African states gained independence yet, unlike
some other European colonizing powers, France is still present
in its former colonies, exploiting old cultural ties for technical,
economic and financial gains. From Senegal, Ndiaga Seck has
more.
[top]
BORDER POLICING (3:17)
Law enforcement agencies from 3 Mexican states are meeting
with their counter parts in New Mexico this week, in an effort
to better coordinate their criminal investigations across
borders. The collaborations include workshops and tours of
New Mexicos forensic laboratories. FSRN's Leslie Clark has
more from Albuquerque.
[top]
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