Headlines for Friday, October 9, 2009

Suicide Bombing in Peshawar kills 50
A suicide bombing in a busy market in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province has killed 50 people an injured more than 100.  The attack brings into question the government’s claim of weakening the Taliban. FSRN's Nathan Moore reads for our reporter in Peshawar, Gabe Matthews.

The bomb went off in the busy Khyber Bazaar in Peshawar an area where political parties often gather for political rallies.   Senior Provincial minister Basheer Bilour immediately condemned the attack as unjustifiable, pointing out that the Taliban claim they are opposing America, but are killing innocent Pakistanis.  Analyst Mahmood Shah, a Retired general, says he believes the Pakistani army is capable of winning the war against extremists, but conditions being considering in a US aid package will make it more difficult.

“Terrorism or Al-Qaeda has to be our Number one priority, which our leadership has not yet realized. We should not let the United States distract us from this issue.  The US must not impose conditions on aid as proposed in the Kerry-Lugar act; we need unconditional aid to help the army to get rid of terrorism.  These proposed conditions are hypocritical, because in the past the US government has supported the dictators without any condition.”

Meanwhile, Pakistani authorities say a suspect has been arrested in Monday’s bombing of the UN world Food Programs office in Islamabad.  This is Nathan Moore reading for Gabe Mathews in Peshawar.

Sri Lankan government increases military budget
Amidst international pressure for an early resettlement of some 300,000 civilians displaced by war, the Sri Lankan parliament has approved an additional 20% budget increase for the country’s military for the remainder of this year.  FSRN’s Ponniah Manikavasagam has the story.

The Sri Lankan government says that despite the end of the war in May, its security forces still need strengthening.  The new allocation of 300 million dollars is on top of the record 1.6 billion dollars already given to the military earlier this year.  The extra revenue will be used to fund the armed forces’ fuel and medical supplies, and to compensate for those soldiers who were injured and died in the war.  The military plans to recruit tens of thousands of new troops to be deployed in areas that were previously under rebel control.  Officials say this is to prevent any insurgence of the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels.  None of the funds will be used to assist the hundreds of thousands of displaced people who are currently interned in government run camps.  Earlier this week, Amnesty International warned that the displaced are facing a humanitarian disaster, as the camps lack basic medical or sanitation services, and monsoon rains have brought raw sewage streaming through many peoples tents.  Ponniah Manikavasagam, FSRN, Sri Lanka.

House broadens investigation in Congressman Rangel’s finances
The House ethics committee will expand its investigation into New York Congress member Charlie Rangel’s finances.  The committee was already investigating Rangel for renting several apartments below market value, a possible violation of a ban against receiving gifts.  But the investigation will now include Rangel’s financial disclosure statements, in which the Congress member revealed he has more than half a million dollars in assets that he failed to report on his tax returns for several years.  Earlier this week, Republicans failed in an effort to have Rangel removed from his post as chair of the House Ways and Means Committee pending the outcome of the investigation.

Lawsuit against mandatory H1N1 vaccine
A lawsuit is expected to be filed in Washington D.C. today to halt mandatory swine flu vaccines for New York State health workers, on the grounds that the FDA unlawfully approved 4 H1N1 vaccines. Kellia Ramares has the story.

The lawsuit, to be filed on behalf of Dr. Gary Null, PhD and other licensed New York State health care workers, alleges that the paper trail of clinical trials, published studies and peer review that normally accompanies FDA approval of a drug is missing for the vaccines...  And that to date, the FDA has produced absolutely no scientific evidence documenting safety tests for any of these swine flu vaccines.  Approving the vaccines without safety testing is a violation of federal law.  The New York State Department of Health has made both the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 vaccine mandatory as a condition of employment for health care workers who have patient contact.  Health care workers in the state are protesting the mandate, which is currently being considered in several other states. According to the head of the Massachusetts immunization program, safety tests should be largely completed this month. Kellia Ramares, FSRN.

Senate Judiciary Committee extends portions of Patriot Act
The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a bill that will extend some controversial sections of the USA Patriot Act.  It would continue to authorize FBI activities like roving wiretaps of phones, and seizing business records for national security purposes.  It would also extend section 215, which gives authorities access to people’s activity at libraries.  And it will still assist surveillance of so called ‘lone wolf’ terrorism suspects without any connection to an established terrorist group.  These parts of the counterterrorism legislation enacted after September 11 were to have expired at the end of the year, but by 11 votes to 8, the committee sent to the Senate floor a bill that would extend them until 2013.