Headlines for Thursday, January 29, 2009

• Iraq Bans Blackwater
• Indian Muslims March on New Delhi
• Opposition Party Radio Back on the Air in Madagascar
• EU Looks to US to Join Carbon Trading Economy
• CIA Chief in Algeria Returns Home Facing Rape Charges
• Obama Signs Lily Ledbetter Pay Act

Iraq Bans Blackwater
The Iraqi government announced today it would not grant US security firm Blackwater a license to operate in the country.  Officials cite the firm's use of excessive force in the 2007 killing of 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad.  Blackwater is the primary security provider for US diplomats in the country.

Indian Muslims March on New Delhi
Thousands of Indian Muslims today held a demonstration in protest against alleged harassment and torture by the police. India has the second largest Muslim population in the world, but the community accuses police of discrimination.  Bismillah Geelani reports

Nearly 5,000 Muslims converged in New Delhi to protest what they call atrocities by law enforcement agencies. The protest began as a march in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh yesterday led by Muslim clerics.  Hundreds of protesters took a to Delhi, where many others joined them for a daylong sit-in near the Parliament.  Two Muslim youth from Uttar Pradesh have been killed, and dozens of others arrested in recent months.  Protesters are demanding a judicial enquiry into the incidents.  Mohammad Arshad Farooqi is one of the organizers    

But the police claim the Muslim youth are involved in several bombings that killed more than 300 people in 2008.  The protesters in New Delhi said if the government did not order an Inquiry within 15 days, they will launch a nation wide action.  For FSRN, this is Bismillah Geelani from New Delhi

Opposition Party Radio Back on the Air in Madagascar
The president of Madagascar announced today he would allow a radio station owned by a rival politician back on the air.  The closure of the station on Monday sparked violent protests that left over 40 people dead and several major buildings on fire.  The owner of the radio station, Mayor Andry Rajoelina, accuses the president of mishandling government spending and threatening democracy.  Another rally is expected on Saturday.

EU Looks to US to Join Carbon Trading Economy
The European Union pledged billions of dollars in aid yesterday to unindustrialized countries to entice them to sign on to a global climate treaty.  Today the EU is looking for partners to establish a transatlantic carbon-trading system – their primary target is the United States.  From London, Naomi Fowler reports:

The joint carbon-trading scheme is based on the system that's been operating in the EU since 2005. The scheme works by allocating a certain number of emission permits for free to polluters; those who want to exceed that limit then have to buy permits on the open market. The plan is that if the US joins, some of the resulting profits could be used to help developing countries adapt to climate change.  The trading program could also be extended to other industrialized and developing countries. The Commission wants a truly global carbon market by 2020.  But the EU scheme has been discredited because it has given out far too many permits to companies.  It's also been criticized by some who believe it favors wealthier countries that can afford to purchase more emissions credits.  This is Naomi Fowler in London for Free Speech Radio News.

CIA Chief in Algeria Returns Home Facing Rape Charges
The Justice Department has launched a formal investigation into a former CIA chief in Algeria, looking into accusations that Andrew Warren drugged and raped two women there.  Executing a search warrant of the officer's residence, investigators found prescription drugs and several videotapes of the officer having sex with different women, some of whom appeared to have been only semi-conscious.

Obama Signs Lily Ledbetter Pay Act
This morning, President Barack Obama signed the first legislation of his White House tenure.  The Lily Ledbetter Pay Act overturns a Supreme Court ruling, and protect workers rights - in particular women's rights.

For FSRN, Rebecca Myles has more.

The Lily Ledbetter Pay Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month, and the U.S. Senate by a 61-36 margin last Thursday.  The Act reverses the 2007 Supreme Court ruling that forbade workers from suing for pay discrimination after the first six month of employment.  Advocates and activists have called the law's passage a clear victory for American women.  Beverly Neufeld is with New York's Pay Equity Coalition.  

Also passed by the House of Representatives was the Pay Check Fairness Act, which would protect workers who share information about paychecks from retaliation.   It is anticipated the Senate will forward the Act for vote in the next month.  For Free Speech Radio News, I am Rebecca Myles reporting.