Newscast for Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Senate moves forward on Obama trade agenda
The Senate put a face to President Obama’s trade agenda: it’s confirmed Ron Kirk to be US Trade Representative, and a Senate panel held a confirmation hearing for Gary Locke to be Commerce Secretary. This as Obama’s administration enters its first trade dispute with Mexico over Mexican trucks on US highways. Washington Editor Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

First Nation Canadians call for action over murdered indigenous women
Indigenous women leaders in Canada are calling for an emergency strategy in light of hundreds of missing and murdered indigenous women whose cases remain unsolved. FSRN’s Aaron Lakoff has more from Montreal.

Locals  struggle for water rights in Chile
Water rights in Chile have been wholly privatized, meaning not just water treatment or distribution, but the rights of water in rivers, canals and even snow mountains. This water has been given away to big corporations. Communities in many parts of Chile sometimes take on large business interests who deny farmers access to water sources, and a new movement is building in response to corporate-built dams that will generate hydro power at the expense of community needs and the environment. FSRN's Jorge Garretón reports from Santiago.

Zimbabwe’s tough road ahead for power sharing government
Hopes for a power sharing government between political rivals in Zimbabwe are diminishing: the invasions of white-owned commercial farms, the detention of opposition activists and anti-Western taunts by President  Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party continue; as Davison Makanga reports from neighboring South Africa, analysts are skeptical of the new government’s ability to move forward.

Reporter's Notebook: Northern Ireland
A string of violent attacks by Republican Army dissidents against British Army personnel and policemen in Northern Ireland in the past two weeks has proven to be the biggest test of the decade-long peace that has held in the province. Yesterday was St Patrick's Day, an inherently political affair in Northern Ireland. FSRN's Don Duncan was there and files this reporter’s notebook.