Headlines for Monday, July 27, 2009

North Korea Says it's Open to New Dialogue on Nukes
The North Korean Foreign Ministry has suggested that North Korea may be willing to re-enter talks with the United States about its nuclear program.   The statement, broadcast on state TV, said that "There is a specific and reserved form of dialogue that can address the current situation," apparently referring to one-on-one talks with the US.   But a senior US official said today that North Koreas offer fails to meet the US’ conditions for resuming talks, because Pyongyang won’t commit to stopping the pursuit of nuclear weapons, and wont agree to re-enter 6-party talks with China, Russia, South Korea, and Japan, which have been on hold since April.

Gaza Judge Orders Lawyers to Wear Traditional Islamic Dress
The chief Supreme Court justice in the Gaza strip has ordered that lawyers must wear traditional Islamic dress when in court, meaning that female attorneys have to wear headscarves and a long dark cloak under their robes.  The President of Gaza’s bar association has condemned the decision, which is set to take effect September 1st, and says the bar’s members will not abide by the dress code.

Hamas bars Fatah officials from traveling to West Bank
Meanwhile, the ruling Hamas party in Gaza announced it will not allow hundreds of Fatah members and Members of Parliament into the West Bank to attend a Fatah election conference in Bethlehem. FSRN's Rami Almeghari has more.

Over the past year, as both parties have been negotiating an Egyptian-mediated national unity deal, Hamas has demanded the release of dozens of Hamas prisoners from the Palestinian authority’s jails in the west bank. The PA argues there are no political prisoners, only those being held on security or criminal grounds.  Now, Hamas says that unless its prisoners are released by the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority it will block Fatah MPs and members from leaving Gaza to travel to the West Bank.  Denying access of Fatah leaders into the West Bank, would prevent them from attending upcoming election conference for the Fatah party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and would cast a shadow on the current round of national unity talks in Cairo between Fatah and Hamas.  Radwan Alakhras is a Gazan member of parliament, currently based in the West Bank.

There have already been severe travel restrictions imposed on Gaza for the last 2 years by the Israeli government, which began after Hamas wrestled control over the coastal territory, amidst factional fighting with Fatah.  Rami Almeghari. Free Speech Radio News. Gaza

More than 150 killed in Islamist Attacks in Nigeria
Scores of people have been killed in Northern Nigeria as police are battling Islamist groups calling for Sharia law to be imposed. Sam Olukoya reports from Lagos.

Media reports say more than a hundred people have been killed. The dead are mainly those shot by the Islamists and Islamists shot by the Police.  The violence started in the town of Bauchi on Sunday after police attacked the Islamists hideout, following reports that they were planning an armed insurrection.  By Monday the violence had spread to three other towns in Northern Nigeria, where the Islamists burnt down churches, a police station, and several public buildings.  Two Islamist groups, the Taliban and Boko Haram, are responsible for the violence. The two groups, which are opposed to western education, want the introduction of Islamic law across Nigeria.  The violence is the latest in a chain of religious crises to hit Nigeria, and the relationship between Christians and Moslems is becoming increasingly fragile. Sam Olukoya FSRN Lagos.

Toronto Strike May be Nearing an End
A 36 day-long strike in Toronto may be nearing an end, as the union representing more than six thousand garbage workers says they have reached a deal with the city government. Over the last month, Toronto has set up temporary garbage dumps throughout the city as garbage collection stopped.  The ability of workers to bank unused sick days and cash them out at retirement is a central issue in the labor dispute. There are still eighteen thousand other office workers on strike, currently in contract negotiations.

Strikes paralyze South Africa
Some 150,000 municipal workers in South Africa’s major cities went on strike today, demanding better salaries and working conditions. Davison Makanga reports.

South Africa has been rocked by wage protests since the start of the second quarter in April this year, including doctors, pharmaceutical and construction workers.  Employers are citing the global economic recession as the reason why the can not meet workers demands.  In Cape Town, police shot and injured eight workers with rubber bullets after the protest in that city turned violent.  In Johannesburg, South Africa’s business capital, commuters were left stranded today as municipal workers marched through the streets to handover a memorandum of grievances to local government authority body.  South African Local Government Association Chairperson Amos Masondo addressed the striking workers.

Meanwhile, trade union leaders say they will report back to their members a new offer of A 13 percent pay increase from the South African Local Government Association. The workers are demanding a raise of 15 percent.  Davison Makanga, FSRN, Cape Town South Africa.


Iraqi Jobs Program Suspended Due to Charges of Fraud
The US Agency for International Development, or US AID, has suspended a $644 million dollar jobs program in Iraq, because of two reviews indicating a portion of the money was ending up in the hands of insurgents and going to fund jobs that didn’t exist.

The government hired the Virginia-based International Relief and Development to run the public works job creation program. Former employees told USA Today that documents were faked and projects that didn’t exist were included in progress reports.