Friday, May 12, 2017

CORBYN: I AM NOT A PACIFIST

UK opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn says he isn't a pacifist, but would only sanction military action as a 'last resort'.

The Labour Party leader is responding to claims from the governing Conservatives that he would be a national security risk as Prime Minister.

In a major foreign policy speech, Mr Corbyn has said military action should always be internationally sanctioned.

And he insists the UK should re-examine its relationship with the United States.

Jeremy Corbyn says UK defence policy should change.

IN: "The best…
OUT: …recent time."
DUR: 26 seconds

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0512corbyn-corbyn1.mp3

Indian IT firms cutting thousands of jobs

India's major IT companies are are reportedly collectively cutting thousands of jobs in the country as they strive to reduce costs.

This comes as Indian IT firms face uncertainty amid United States president Donald Trump's crackdown on visas such companies use to send workers to the US.

Our correspondent in Mumbai, Rebecca Bundhun, reports.

IN: "Indian IT giants…"
OUT: SOC
DUR: 32 secs

Danish Imam sparks outrage over call to murder Jewish people

A video of an Muslim imam in Copenhagen calling for the murder of Jewish people has sparked outrage in Denmark.

The thirty minute long sermon at the Al-Faruq Mosque has circulated on social media platforms like Facebook and youtube. 

Our Europe correspondent Jack Parrock reports.

IN: "Jewish community ..."
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DUR: 39 secs

Russia's Vladimir Putin will open 'One Belt One Road' summit in China

LEAD:


Russian media reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin will, along with China's President and the UN Secretary General, open the upcoming 'One belt one road' summit in Bejing.  The summit kicks off on 14 May and will be attended by representatives of more than 100 countries, including the United States.  Julia Lyubova reports from Moscow.


IN: Russian daily Kommersant..


OUT: SOC

DUR: 35'

Greece's Lenders Meeting on Sidelines of G7

Eurozone and International Monetary Fund officials will debate debt relief for Greece as they gather Friday for the G7 finance ministers meeting in Italy. 

The IMF things Athens needs debt relief to regain a sustainable economy—but Eurozone leaders don't agree.

Our Europe Correspondent Kevin Ozebek has more from Brussels. 

IN: While Greece…
OUT: SOC
DUR: 43 secs











Merkel’s CDU party pulls ahead in polls for key state election

Germany chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU party has pulled slightly ahead in several polls ahead of Sunday's elections in Germany's most populous state.

The race is seen as a key test of Merkel's chances of winning another term as chancellor in September elections.

Ira Spitzer has more from Berlin.

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DUR: :37


As China's influence on Sri Lanka grows, Indian PM Modi travels to Colombo

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Sri Lanka for a two day visit. In the backdrop of increased Chinese influence on the island nation, India has stepped up efforts to enhance diplomatic ties with Sri Lanka.

China has been aggressively investing in Sri Lanka over the last few years, a move India is keen to counter.

Our India correspondent Neha Poonia reports.

IN: 'On a day when....'
OUT: SOC
Dur: 38 secs


NYT: Fired FBI Director Believes Fateful Dinner Conversation With Trump Sealed His Fate

James Comey, whom US President Donald Trump fired as head of the FBI earlier this week, believes that a conversation over dinner back in January may have sealed his fate - that's according to reporting in the New York Times newspaper.

The paper says Mr. Comey told two associates that during a White House dinner in January, Mr. Trump asked the FBI Director to pledge his loyalty, a request Mr. Comey declined. The White House denies the account.

Here's our US correspondent Lorna Shaddick.

IN: The dinner at...
OUT: SOC
DUR: 54 seconds
POT: 29, 47 seconds

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Meanwhile President Trump has given his first interview since firing FBI Director Comey, to Lester Holt of NBC News.

The White House had been claimig that Mr Trump acted on the recommendations of the Deputy Attorney General in firing Mr. Comey, but the President said in fact he had always been thinking of sacking the FBI chief, whose character he criticised:

IN: He's a showboat...
OUT: ...to fire Comey
SOC: 30 seconds

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0511trump1.mp3

Interviewer Lester Holt also asked Mr Trump about his assertion that James Comey had told him he personally wasn't under investigation as part of the inquiry into collusion with Russia: 

IN: Let me ask...
OUT: ...during phone calls
DUR: 33 seconds

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0511trump2.mp3

Mr. Trump went on to deny that there was any kind of cooperation between his campaign and Russia in the 2016 election, but said he did want to know if Moscow had interfered in any way:

IN: This was set...
OUT: ...know about it
DUR: 19 seconds 

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0511trump3.mp3

President Trump said he had no connections with Russia but repeated that an investigation into possible Russian meddling in the election is necessary: 

IN: I have no... 
OUT: ...never ever happen
DUR: 28 seconds 

http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0511trump4.mp3


China Resists Inclusion On U.S. Intellectual Property Watch List

China is concerned that the US is keeping it on an intellectual
property watch list. In a press briefing Thursday, Chinese Commerce
Ministry spokesman Sun Jiwen said China is willing to strengthen
communication on IP issues with the US, and asked American officials
to re-evaluate his country's efforts in a fair and objective manner.

Patrice Howard reports from Los Angeles.

IN China's commerce
OUT SOC
DUR 35 sec

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Thursday, May 11, 2017

New US Trade Representative faces tough job renegotiating international deals

The United States has appointed a new international trade representative to implement President Donald Trump's often controversial trade policies.

The US Senate has confirmed Robert Lightizer into the high-profile job.

Mr Lightizer  is a trade lawyer who also served under President Reagan, and as our Washington correspondent John Clarke reports, he faces a tough job in renegotiating long-standing international trade agreements.

IN: "Donald Trump was elected...
OUT: SOC
DUR: 41"




Democrats demand answers from US Deputy AG

The Democrats are demanding answers about what U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein knew about the firing of James Comey, with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer inviting him for an all-members briefing.

Mr. Rosenstein startled many by heading to the U.S. Senate for talks after the Washington Post reported, he'd threatened to quit over his role in the sacking of the FBI director.

Our U.S. correspondent Priscilla Huff reports:

IN: "First the...
OUT:  SOC
DUR: 51
POT: 39


***

Pres. Trump alone decided to fire Comey - White House

The White House insists it was the president's decision alone to fire James Comey as FBI director.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has been to Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers, after threatening to quit over the Trump Administration's attempts to pin the decision on him.

The acting FBI director has testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee, James Comey was widely respected and had broad support at the agency.

Following President Trump's interview with NBC News, deputy spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders tried to further clarify.

IN: "It's very simple...
OUT: ...rest of us."
DUR: 13


Sarah Huckabee Sanders told MSNBC, a 24 hour news channel, that the Deputy US Attorney General had made a strong recommendation and the president followed it quickly and decisively.

Now, (contradicting herself) she says there was no attempt to pin the recommendation to fire James Comey on Rod Rosenstein the Deputy U.S. Attorney General.

IN: "I don't....
OUT: ...what took place."
DUR: 25


Deputy spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted reading out the White House timeline on the events leading to the sacking of James Comey as FBI Director.

IN: "But, I'm....
OUT: ...to the president."
DUR: 37


The memo from the Deputy U.S. Attorney General only says strongly that James Comey made mistakes during the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, but it is only Attorney General Jeff Sessions letter that recommends his firing.

***

Russian blogger sentenced for playing Pokemon Go in church

LEAD:


A court in Russia gave a suspended jailed term of three and a half years to a Russian blogger who played the Pokemon Go video game inside a Russian Orthodox church last year.  Ruslan Sokolovsky was found guilty of inciting religious hatred after posting a video of him playing the game on YouTube. Julia Lyubova reports from Moscow.


IN: Ruslan Sokolovsky filmed..


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DUR: 43'


Trump insists he himself is not under investigation over Russia collusion

U.S. President Donald Trump says he had already made up his mind to fire former FBI chief James Comey, before any reccommendation by the Justice department.

In an interview with NBC News' Lester Holt, Trump also sought to draw a line between himself and his campaign- insisting he himself was not under investigation over allegations of colluding with Russia.

The interview- among several the president has given to U.S. media over the past few days- represents a bid to manage the crisis engulfing the Trump administration.

Nina-Maria Potts reports:

IN:  " U.S. President....
OUT: SOC
DUR: 55 seconds

Advocate Gen'l of European Court: Treat Uber as Taxi Company, Not an App

Bi-partisan Senate commitment to continue investigating Trump-Russia connections

The US Senate Intelligence committee has vowed to continue investigating alleged Russian links with the Trump campaign after the sacking of the FBI head Jim Comey.

Following hearings in Washington, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Republican Senator Richard Burr, told reporters that most in the FBI supported Mr Comey, and that it was clear Russia wanted to interfere in elections in the US and other countries.

The committee has subpoenaed papers from former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn over his links with Russia, and Senator Burr said the committee would do whatever was needed to get to the bottom of the matter.

IN: "The investigation...
OUT: is necessary"
DUR: 32"


President Trump has defended the sacking, telling US network NBC that Mr Comey was a "grandstander" who left the FBI in turmoil. 

The vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Democrat Mark Warner, says it's typical of Mr Trump to denigrate public officials who don't agree with him.

IN: "I'm offended...
OUT: ....leader's integrity"
DUR: 24"


Senator Warner says it is very hard to buy the President's reasons on why James Comey was sacked as FBI Director.

IN: "The timing...
OUT: ...this investigation."
DUR: 36

CLIP: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0511hearing-warner1.mp3

***

Pres. Trump insists he's not under investigation

U.S. President Donald Trump is insisting to NBC News he is not under investigation by the FBI.

He's also saying that he had already made the decision to fire James Comey because the former FBI Director was a show-boater and the agency was in turmoil.

The acting FBI Director told the Senate Intelligence Committee, James Comey was widely respected and had broad support at Americas's top law enforcement agency.

Donald Trump told Lester Holt of NBC News that James Comey told him once at dinner and twice over the phone that he's not being investigated.

IN: "If it's....
OUT: ....under investigation."
DUR: 26


***

Somalian President says the country can be a success story

The newly installed President of Somalia has called for the international community to take what he called bold and courageous steps to be more involved with his country, as it  continues to reform while also dealing with a severe drought. 

The call by Mohamed Famaajo came as heads of state from East Africa joined the UN chief António Guterres and others  to agree a path to future cooperation. 

The international community also pledged to stay mobilized to avert a famine in Somalia as the country deals with a drought that has badly effected crops. 

 In the longer term the delegates welcomed Somalia's moves to streamline the various security forces in the country to work together to fight al-Shabaab militants.   This agreement form the centre of a pact for international countries to help beef up Somalia's own forces. 

At the closing press conference, President Famaajo said Somalia could be a success story. 


IN: "If the…"

OUT:….troubled world." 

DUR: 12 secs


CLIP: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0511somaliaends-Famaajo.mp3 


British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the security agreement would pave the way for a withdrawal of  United Nations forces as Somalia became self-sufficient. 


IN: "The agreement…"

OUT:….thereafter." 

DUR: 26 secs


CLIP: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0511somaliaends-johnson.mp3 



Australia man detained in US for overstaying visa now freed

An Australian man who was detained in the US for overstaying his visa by 90 minutes, has been freed. 


Baxter Reid was held for two weeks at a federal detention center in Buffalo, New York, before a judge released him Wednesday.


Our New York correspondent Liling Tan, reports. 


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938 LIVE: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0511Ausmanreleased-lt-938.mp3 

Pres. Trump says he was going to fire Comey

U.S. President Donald Trump is now changing his story, saying he was going to fire James Comey as FBI Director, regardless of what the recommendations were from the U.S. Deputy Attorney General.

The number two at the U.S. Justice Department has threatened to quit over being put in the middle.

The FBI Director normally serves a 10 year term, independent of the presidency, which is a four year term.

Lestor Holt of NBC News asked President Trump what his plan was:

IN: "Did you...
OUT:...was going to fire Comey." 
DUR: 34


***