US basketball star Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia extended - state media

Russian media is reporting that American basketball star Brittney Griner will remain in prison for at least two more months.

Griner was arrested in February on allegations of drug smuggling.

Toni Waterman has more from Texas.

IN: The report from…
OUT: SOC
DUR: 48s
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0317BrittneyGriner-tw.mp3

Irish PM tests positive for Covid in DC

Ireland's Prime Minister Micheál Martin has tested positive for Covid-19 on a visit to Washington DC, as the White House prepares to host St Patrick's Day celebrations.

The Taoiseach was due to hold talks with President Joe Biden on Thursday and take part in the traditional shamrock handover ceremony in the Oval Office. Those engagements will now be virtual. 

From Washington, Benji Hyer reports. 

IN: Micheál Martin

OUT: SOC

DUR: 37 secs 

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0317ireland-bh-generic.mp3 

UGANDA AUTHOR IN DETENTION OVER OFFENSSIVE COMMUNICATION

LEAD

Another Ugandan writer and human rights activist is being held under detention on charges of offensive communication. The arrest of Norman Tumuhimbise comes one month after Ugandan writer Kakwenza Rukirabashaija fled into exile after he was detained for a month on charges of insulting President Yoweri Museveni and his son. Leon Solomon reports

 

LINK: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0317ugandanauthordetained-ls-gen.mp3

 

IN: According to local Police, the author; Norman Tumuhimbise was involved in offensive communication.

 

OUT: SOC

 

DUR: 53sec

--

Buhari Apologises To Nigerians Over Fuel Scarcity, Power Outage

President Muhammadu Buhari has apologized to Nigerians for the inconvenience caused by prolonged scarcity of petroleum products and power outage experienced across the country.

 

Since February, Nigeria has been experiencing petrol shortages which led to long queues at filling stations, following the importation of off-spec petrol into the country. This was further worsened by the collapse of the national electricity grid, leading to a three-day power outage.

 

Correspondent Ajeck Mangut has more

TAKE RADIO

INTRO: The President in...

OUTRO: SOC

DUR: 1:01

www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0317BuhariApologisesToNigeriansOverFuelScarcityPowerOutage-AM-Generic.mp3

DRC OVERWHELMED HOSPITAL

INTRO:

A hospital in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo is overwhelmed by the number of victims of armed conflict following an increase in attacks against civilians.

Authorities at the General Referral hospital in Beni say the arrival of hundreds of patients with machete and gunshot wounds has strained their operations. Chris Ocamringa has more from the DRC capital Kinshasa.

IN: DRC OVERWHELMED HOSPITAL

OUT: SOC

DUR: 00:56 secs

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0317DRCoverwhelmedhospital-co-generic.mp3

UK: RELEASE OF DETAINED BRITONS NOT LINKED TO IRANIAN OIL SUPPLIES

Two British-Iranian nationals have arrived back in the UK after being detained for years in Iran.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were released after months of negotiations and the payment of a near £400m debt to Tehran by London.

They were detained in 2016 and 2017 respectively on charges they denied of plotting to overthrow the government and spying.

Foreign office minister James Cleverly says it's not linked to attempts to improve relations with Iran so its oil supplies can help ease spiking energy prices.

IN: 'That is...
OUT: ...incarcerated.'
DUR: 27 seconds

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0317nazanin-cleverly1.mp3

Russia investigates three over military disinformation

Russian prosecutors have opened the first criminal cases against people spreading what they call disinformation about the country's military. A new law was signed by President Putin earlier this month, exposing dissenting voices to up to 15 years in prison. Restricted by these same laws, Julia Chapman reports from Moscow.

IN: Journalists and...
OUT: SOC
DUR: 0:44

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0317Russiadisinformation-jc.mp3

Hardline groups seeks wider ban on hijab in classroom in India

INTRO:

Some hardline Hindu groups in India are calling for restrictions on wearing the hijab  in classrooms to be widened to more parts of the country after a court in south India this week upheld a ban on a traditional Islamic headscarf in one state.

The debate over wearing the hijab in classrooms sparked protests earlier this year.  

Rebecca Bundhun reports from Mumbai

IN: "Some Hindu groups are demanding…"
OUT: SOC
DUR: 32 secs

GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0317IndiaHijab-rb-generic.mp3

Inquiry begins into allegations of Australian casino corruption

An inquiry has been told allegations made against the Star Entertainment Group have so far stopped it from opening its Sydney casino.

The opening day of a Royal Commission style inquiry has been told the allegations against Star are very similar to those made against Crown Resorts Limited, which operates two other Australian casinos.

Shaun Bindley reports.

IN: Council Assisting Naomi Sharp...

OUT: SOC

DURL 39 secs

GENERIC: http://fsnradionews.com/feeds/0317star-sb-gen.mp3

COURTESY AIR NEWS MEDIA - AUSTRALIA

Japan rocked by 7.4 magnitude earthquake

Japan has been rocked by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake off its northeast coast, leaving 4 dead and injuring at least 100. Authorities are rushing to restore power and transportation networks… but there are warnings that further quakes could strike.

Phoebe Amoroso reports from Tokyo.

IN: The quake hit...

OUT:  SOC
DUR: 47 secs

CLIP: http://fsnradionews.com/feeds/0317-japan-struck-by-powerful-quake.mp3

Hong Kong faces coffin shortage amid COVID-19 outbreak

Hong Kong is receiving an emergency delivery of coffins from the Chinese mainland, as authorities continue to battle the spread of COVID-19. Almost a million new cases have been recorded in the latest outbreak.

Richard Kimber reports from Hong Kong.

IN: Hong Kong’s

OUT: Richard Kimber, Hong Kong

DUR: 0.43

LINK: 

http://fsnradionews.com/feeds/220317HKCoffins.mp3

Netflix to rebroadcast Zelenskyy series in the US

Netflix has announced it is bringing back a Ukrainian comedy series starring the country's president Vlodomyr Zelenskyy for US audiences.

The show, which stars Zelenskyy as a teacher who becomes Ukraine's president, helped propel him to his country's highest office.

Ira Spitzer has more from San Francisco.

IN: Vlodomyr Zelenskyy has...

OUT: SOC.

DUR: 34

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0316netflix-is-generic.mp3 

Biden calls Putin "war criminal"

For the first time US President Joe Biden has called the Russian
President a "war criminal" over his invasion of Ukraine.

It comes as the President pledged an extra $800 million dollars of
military aid to the embattled country.

Nick Harper reports from Washington.

IN: "For the...."
OUT: SOC
DUR: 36 seconds

http://fsnradionews.com/feeds/0316biden-nh.mp3

Psaki: Biden "speaking from the heart" when describing Putin as a "war criminal"

White House press secretary Jen Psaki says President Biden was "speaking from the heart" when he described President Putin as a war criminal.

IN:  "The President…."

OUT:  "…a direct question"

DUR:  22 seconds

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0316psaki-self1.mp3

Biden accuses Putin of war crimes, and Zelensky says WW3 may already have begun

President Biden says Vladimir Putin is a war criminal.

He used the phrase for the first time today after a White House event that was not specifically about Ukraine, although earlier in the day he had sidestepped the question even after accusing the Russian President of bombing Ukrainian maternity hospitals and residential apartment blocks.

IN:  "Er, I think…."

OUT:  "…war criminal"

OUT:  FADES AT 2 seconds

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0316biden-warcriminal.mp3

The President has announced an additional 800 million dollars in lethal weaponry for the Ukrainians...including drones….and more Javelin anti-tank missiles.

President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the US Congress today and repeated his call for a no-fly zone over his country.

He cited the examples of Peal Harbor and 9/11…and said should the American people should understand what terror is like when it's launched from the skies.

In an interview with NBC News, the Ukrainian leader suggested that World War Three may already have begun.

IN:  UKRAINAN

OUT:  "…how it would end"

DUR:  29 seconds

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0316zelensky-nbcww3.mp3

In the Black Sea port of Mariupol fears are growing for civilians who may have been sheltering in the basement of a theater that Russian forces shelled today.

More than a thousand people are feared to have been inside the building including scores of children.

President Vladimir Putin struck a defiant tone today, insisting Russia's military action in Ukraine is going according to plan.

Reporter Stuart Smith in Moscow Bureau is now operating within the Kremlin's reporting restrictions relating to the war.

IN:  "He talked…"

OUT:  "…trying to achieve"

DUR:  21 seconds

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0316stuart-self2.mp3

British-American aid worker freed from Iran after 6 years

Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe's 6 year nightmare in Iran is over.

The British American aid worker was allowed to fly out of Tehran today and head home to the UK after the British government confirmed it had paid a 400 million dollar historical debt the Iranians claimed they were owed.

Former British foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt conceded the matter should have been resolved long ago.

IN: "I have to say…."

OUT:  "…in due course"

DUR:  18 seconds

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0316ratcliffe-hunt.mp3

Biden calls Putin a "war criminal"

President Biden has said for the first time that he thinks Vladimir Putin is a "war criminal".

He was speaking after the shelling of a theater in the Black Sea port of Mariupol where it's believed more than a thousand civilians may have been sheltering.

The Kremlin has responded to the President's language with fury.

Our Washington Correspondent Simon Marks reports.

IN:  "They are…."

OUT:  "...and the Russian leader"

DUR:  26 seconds

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0316warcrimes-marks.mp3

US markets rise following Fed interest rate announcement

US markets closed up on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve announced
the first interest rate increase in the US for three years.

Investors also reacted to news of a potential peace deal between
Ukraine and Russia.

Sarah Walton reports

IN: "After some volatile...
OUT: SOC
DUR: 1'03"

Generic: http://fsnradionews.com/feeds/0316-markets-sw-generic.mp3

US Federal Reserve increased interest rates by 0.25%

The Federal Reserve has announced the first interest rate increase in
the US for three years.

It comes as the country faces inflation that's rising at the fastest
rate for nearly forty years.

Sarah Walton reports

IN: "Following a two...
OUT: SOC
DUR: 38 seconds

Generic: http://fsnradionews.com/feeds/0316-interestrates-sw-generic.mp3

Putin says military operation is still going "according to plan"

In Moscow today, President Vladimir Putin insisted the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine is proceeding according to plan.

Reporter Stuart Smith is there, working within the Kremlin's reporting restrictions on the conflict.

IN:  "He addressed…."

OUT:  "…of Russia"

DUR:  24 seconds

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0316stuart-self1.mp3

(TAG)  In fact, Ukraine has never sought to acquire a nuclear weapon since its independence from the USSR.