Newscast for Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Meningitis outbreak reveals lack of oversight of some US drug pharmacies

According to new information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today, the outbreak of fungal meningitis has spread. At least 11 people have died, another 119 are infected and as many as 13,000 people across the country are at risk of getting the rare disease from tainted medication. A federal investigation has linked the outbreak to the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachusetts that manufactured the steroid injection used to cure back pain. Now, members of Congress and consumer advocates are demanding more regulation and oversight for the industry. In Washington, FSRN’s Alice Ollstein reports.

In Syria, accounts of torture persist as tensions rise along border with Turkey

In Syria, clashes continued in cities across the country, and along the border with Turkey as tension increased in the region. Turkey said it deployed fighter jets to an airbase near the border and reported shelling from Syria. Turkey has returned fire into Syria. Speaking in Brussels today, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that Turkey has a right to defend itself within international law and that NATO is prepared to act.

“We have all necessary plans in place to protect and defend Turkey if necessary. We hope it won’t be necessary. We hope that all parties will show restraint and avoid an escalation of the crisis.”

Some of the most intense fighting is taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, where forces are locked in a battle for the city. For more, we’re joined from Beirut, Lebanon by Sebastian, a photojournalist who recently returned from inside Syria, where he was reporting on the situation in Aleppo. We’re using only his first name for safety reasons.

Florida amendment would limit privacy rights for abortion

In Florida, voters will find eleven amendments to the state’s constitution on the November ballot. One of them would overrule parts of Florida’s privacy law and eliminate some rights for women.  While Amendment Six reads as a push to outlaw public funding for abortions, opponents say it has some less obvious ramifications and is another step by conservatives toward outlawing abortions in the state. FSRN’s Janelle Irwin reports.

Israeli courts offer mixed rulings for families of those killed during 2009 military offensive

Following Israel’s military offensive into Gaza in 2009, known as Operation Cast Lead, the families of hundreds of Palestinians killed in the assault began a long legal process seeking recognition and compensation. Recently, two Israeli court decisions offered mixed results. In the case of one family who lost 22 members, the court said that the deaths were unintended results of the “mistakes of war,” and that Israel is not responsible. But another Israeli court approved a settlement that compensates a different Gaza family for two members killed during a humanitarian break in the fighting. FSRN's Rami Almeghari has more.