Morning Brief: World Food Program office attacked in Pakistan

Mon, 10/05/2009 - 8:02am

Top Story: A suicide bomber struck the office of the World Food Program in Islamabad, Pakistan today, killing at least five people. The attacker was reportedly dressed as a security guard but questions still remain about how he evaded security. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. 

U.N. offices in Pakistan have been closed as a precaution. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the attack a "heinous crime committed against those who have been working tirelessly to assist the poor and vulnerable."

Today's blast comes as the Pakistani military is planning a major offensive against Taliban strongholds in South Waziristan. The country's interior minister, Rehman Malik, said it was an indicationg that terrorist groups are growing desparate in response to government offensive. "They are injured snakes," he said. 

Nobels: Three U.S. researchers won the Nobel Prize in medicine for a key discovery on how cells age.


Europe

Asia

  • Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao kicked off a three day visit to North Korea with a meeting with Kim Jong Il. 
  • Authorities have called off the search for survivors of last week's earthquake in Sumatra. 
  • China accused rich nations of trying to kill of the Kyoto climate change protocols. 

Middle East

  • The United Arab Emirates passed a law regulating the development of a nuclear power program. 
  • IAEA inspectors will visit Iran's newly revealed nuclear enrichment plant near Qom on Oct. 25. 
  • Protesters clashed with Israeli police at Jerusalem's sacred sites.  

Africa

  • Two senior Nigerian rebel leaders accepted a government amnesty offer. 
  • South Africa's former police chief -- also the former president of Interpol -- pleaded not guilty to accepting bribes. 
  • The Pope warned that materialism and extremism were endangering Africa's future at a meeting of African bishops. 

Americas

FAROOQ NAEEM/AFP/Getty Images
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