Newscast for Monday, March 16, 2009

El Salvador’s former rebels take presidency, urge unity
El Salvador’s Marxist guerrilla movement turned political party has claimed victory at the polls. With about 90 percent of the votes counted, preliminary official results indicate a two percent lead by the FMLN’s Mauricio Funes – who will take the presidency after a 20 year reign by the far-right ARENA party. The Untied States sought to crush the FMLN during El Salvador’s 12 year civil war, which claimed the lives of some 70,000 people. But despite his party’s revolutionary past, Funes campaigned on the need for change and reconciliation, and wants to maintain positive diplomatic relations with the U.S. Aura Bogado speaks to Joaquin Chavez, Fellow at the Department of History at NYU who is in San Salvador.

Red Cross document reveals details on Bush era torture
New details are emerging on the Bush administration’s use of torture. A leaked Red Cross document describes incidents of torture in graphic detail. The organization’s use of the word “torture” implies that the Red Cross believes that the interrogation practices violated international law. Meanwhile, President Obama made another move to distance himself from Bush-era terror policies – but critics say it may just be cosmetic. Tanya Snyder reports.

AIG bonuses raise the ire of state and federal officials
AIG’s decision to award massive bonuses may result in a subpoena: New York’s Attorney General says the insurance giant’s CEO must make public the names of those getting bonuses, or risk a subpoena for the information. AIG has received $170 billion in bailout funds, and the company’s decision to award bonuses has also garnered President Obama’s attention. He’s urging Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to block the move.

Obama administration moves to heal small businesses get loans
President Obama and the Treasury Department also released plans today to assist small businesses in getting loans.  In an effort to reduce fees and gain access, Treasury Secretary Geithner put pressure on banks to make money available. FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

Migrant domestic workers organizing in Lebanon
After a two-year combined effort by human rights groups and migrant workers, the Lebanese Ministries of Labor and Social Justice promised to enact a unified contact for migrant domestic workers  - a community that numbers more than 200,000 in Lebanon, and are still legally considered servants, rather than employees. Simba Russeau reports.

India’s flood survivors seek to return home
A devastating flood hit the northern Indian state of Bihar last August, displacing millions of people. Six months on, most of the displaced have not yet been able to return to their homes. Hundreds of miles away in New Delhi, many of them are now on a hunger strike demanding immediate rehabilitation. Bismillah Geelani has the story.