PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Gunmen ambushed and shot dead six Pakistani women aid workers and a male doctor on Tuesday, police said, and the charity they worked for said it suspected the attacks were linked to recent murders of polio vaccination workers.
Their vehicle was raked with gunfire as they returned home from work at a children's community center run by Pakistani charity Ujala, or Light, said district police officerAbdur Rashid Khan. Their driver was seriously wounded in the attack.
The shooting in Swabi district, about 75 km (45 miles) northwest of the capital of Islamabad, was the first attack on aid workers in the area.
The victims worked at the center for aid agency Support With Working Solutions, whose head Javed Akhtar said they had told their other 160 staff to suspend work following the killings.
The organization is involved in health education in underdeveloped parts of the country, Akhtar said. It had run a school and dispensary in Swabi and helped vaccinate children against polio, a disease that can cripple or kill within hours of infection.
He suspected the shootings might be linked to a string of attacks on polio vaccinators last month.
"This seemed to be part of the campaign against the polio drive by certain anti-polio elements," he said.
Two weeks ago, gunmen killed nine health workers taking part in a national polio vaccination drive in a series of attacks. Most of the victims were young women earning about $2 a day.
The Taliban said they did not carry out those attacks although its leaders have repeatedly denounced the vaccination program as a plot to sterilize people or spy on Muslims.
Aid workers have frequently been kidnapped or killed in Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 180 million that is struggling to contain a Taliban insurgency and plagued by endemic corruption and violent crime.
(Additional reporting by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Louise Ireland and Giles Elgood)
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TO ENTER: The overall Promotion begins January 1st 2013 and ends January 31st 2013, 11:59 PM PST (?Promotion Period?). To be automatically entered for your chance to win, create a new financial goal using Mint.com. You must first have a Mint account (free for everyone). Just login to Mint.com and go to the ?Goals? tab to set your goal and qualify.?Intuit is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, inaccurate or misdirected entries or entries not received for any reason.? Limit one (1) entry per person/email address for the duration of the overall Promotion Period.?Entries using macro, script or other forms of automatic entry will be disqualified.?All entries become the property of Intuit and will not be acknowledged or returned. No entries may be submitted on behalf of another person.?
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FILE - This July 19, 2002 file photo shows the Johnson & Johnson corporate headquarters in New Brunswick, N.J. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday, Dec. 31, 2012 approved a Johnson & Johnson tuberculosis drug that is the first new medicine to fight the deadly infection in more than four decades. (AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer, File)
FILE - This July 19, 2002 file photo shows the Johnson & Johnson corporate headquarters in New Brunswick, N.J. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday, Dec. 31, 2012 approved a Johnson & Johnson tuberculosis drug that is the first new medicine to fight the deadly infection in more than four decades. (AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a Johnson & Johnson tuberculosis drug that is the first new medicine to fight the deadly infection in more than four decades.
The agency approved J&J's pill, Sirturo, for use with older drugs to fight a hard-to-treat strain of tuberculosis that has not responded to other medications. However, the agency cautioned that the drug carries risks of potentially deadly heart problems and should be prescribed carefully by doctors.
Roughly one-third of the world's population is estimated to be infected with the bacteria causing tuberculosis. The disease is rare in the U.S., but kills about 1.4 million people a year worldwide. Of those, about 150,000 succumb to the increasingly common drug-resistant forms of the disease. About 60 percent of all cases are concentrated in China, India, Russia and Eastern Europe.
Sirturo, known chemically as bedaquiline, is the first medicine specifically designed for treating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. That's a form of the disease that cannot be treated with at least two of the four primary antibiotics used for tuberculosis.
The standard drugs used to fight the disease were developed in the 1950s and 1960s.
"The antibiotics used to treat it have been around for at least 40 years and so the bacterium has become more and more resistant to what we have," said Chrispin Kambili, global medical affairs leader for J&J's Janssen division.
The drug carries a boxed warning indicating that it can interfere with the heart's electrical activity, potentially leading to fatal heart rhythms.
"Sirturo provides much-needed treatment for patients who have don't have other therapeutic options available," said Edward Cox, director of the FDA's antibacterial drugs office. "However, because the drug also carries some significant risks, doctors should make sure they use it appropriately and only in patients who don't have other treatment options."
Nine patients taking Sirturo died in company testing compared with two patients taking a placebo. Five of the deaths in the Sirturo group seemed to be related to tuberculosis, but no explanation was apparent for the remaining four.
Despite the deaths, the FDA approved the drug under its accelerated approval program, which allows the agency to clear innovative drugs based on promising preliminary results.
Last week, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen criticized that approach, noting the drug's outstanding safety issues.
"The fact that bedaquiline is part of a new class of drug means that an increased level of scrutiny should be required for its approval," the group states. "But the FDA had not yet answered concerns related to unexplained increases in toxicity and death in patients getting the drug."
The FDA said it approved the drug based on two mid-stage studies enrolling 440 patients taking Sirturo. Both studies were designed to measure how long it takes patients to be free of tuberculosis.
Results from the first trial showed most patients taking Sirturo plus older drugs were cured after 83 days, compared with 125 days for those taking a placebo plus older drugs. The second study showed most Sirturo patients were cured after 57 days.
Brazil's Wunderman agency created a very cool commercial for Pantene shampoo.
The spot features a time lapse video of an artist creating an image of supermodel Gisele Bundchen entirely out of salt. It's quite amazing how accurate the picture is.
Check out the unique portrait here:
SEE ALSO:? AD OF THE DAY: Everything Important That Happened In 2012 ? In Under 3 Minutes
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Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie speaks to members of the media during a news conference at the team's NFL football training facility, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, in Philadelphia. Andy Reid's worst coaching season with the Eagles ended Monday after 14 years when he was fired by Lurie, who said it was time "to move in a new direction." (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie speaks to members of the media during a news conference at the team's NFL football training facility, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, in Philadelphia. Andy Reid's worst coaching season with the Eagles ended Monday after 14 years when he was fired by Lurie, who said it was time "to move in a new direction." (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid watches his team warm up before an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012 in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid walks on the field before an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie speaks to members of the media at a news conference at the team's NFL football training facility, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, in Philadelphia. Andy Reid's worst coaching season with the Eagles ended Monday after 14 years when he was fired by Lurie, who said it was time "to move in a new direction." (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid, right, shakes hands with New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin after an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants won 42-7. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? Andy Reid's worst coaching season with the Philadelphia Eagles ended Monday after 14 years when he was fired by owner Jeffrey Lurie, who said it was time "to move in a new direction."
The dismissal came one day after Reid and the Eagles were humiliated 42-7 by the New York Giants and ended their season at 4-12.
"When you have a season like that, it's embarrassing. It's personally crushing to me and it's terrible," Lurie said at a news conference at the team's training facility.
He called Reid "not only an outstanding coach, but an outstanding person."
"He didn't share himself with the press because he wanted to protect his players and the way he coaches," Lurie said. "Having worked with him 14 years, he's a gem of a person. This man was amazing to work with, smart and dedicated himself."
Reid met with his players afterward and was sent off with a standing ovation.
"Not only an outstanding coach, but an outstanding person," Lurie said. "He didn't share himself with the press because he wanted to protect his players and the way he coaches. Having worked with him 14 years, he's a gem of a person. This man was amazing to work with, smart and dedicated himself."
"It's unfortunate. I feel we personally let him down," wide receiver Jeremy Maclin said. "It's a sad day."
Added rookie quarterback Nick Foles: "It's up to the players to make the plays."
Reid took over a 3-13 team in 1999, drafted Donovan McNabb with the No. 2 overall pick and quickly turned the franchise into a title contender.
He is the winningest coach in club history and led them to a run of four straight NFC championship games, a streak that ended with a Super Bowl trip after the 2004 season ? and a loss, 24-21, to the New England Patriots. The Eagles were seeking their first NFL title since 1960.
Reid cemented Philadelphia as a destination football town and led the team to an unmatched level of success. But the team hasn't won a playoff game since 2008 and after last season's 8-8 finish, Lurie said he was looking for improvement this year.
Instead, it was worse.
"I look forward to the day when everyone welcomes him back into the Eagles Hall of Fame because that's inevitable," Lurie said.
Reid grew up in Southern California and may welcome a return home. He already has said he wants to coach next season.
Reid is due to make $6 million in 2013 in the final year of his contract. He is the franchise leader in wins (140) and winning percentage (.578) and led the Eagles to six division titles and five NFC championship games.
Aside from team troubles, the year was a painful one for Reid. He endured a devastating loss weeks before the season opener when his oldest son, Garrett, died at training camp after a long battle with drug addiction.
In October, Reid fired close friend and longtime assistant Juan Castillo, who was in his second season as defensive coordinator after coaching the offensive line for 13 years. He later fired defensive-line coach Jim Washburn.
Still to be determined is whether Michael Vick stays with the team.
In 2009, Reid and Lurie gave Vick a second chance in the NFL after the former star quarterback spent 18 months in federal prison related to a dogfighting operation. Vick took over as the starter in 2010, had a remarkable season and led the Eagles to the NFC East title. But like rest of the team, Vick regressed the last two seasons.
After beating the defending Super Bowl champion Giants on Sept. 30, the Eagles lost eight straight games ? their worst losing streak in 42 years.
Lurie said he has a "defined" list of candidates to replace Reid, but hasn't spoken to any coaches or set up interviews yet. General manager Howie Roseman and president Don Smolenski will assist him in the process.
"It's better to find the right leader than to make a fast decision," Lurie said. "There's no guarantee I'll make a great decision, but I'm confident I will."
PhiladelpiaEagles.com posted video of Lurie and Reid addressing team employees, who gave Reid a big ovation. Lurie handed him a game ball.
Many employees gathered in a crowded auditorium to hear Lurie's news conference.
"I have a hard time standing before people without a few boos involved. But I'm taking it, I'm taking it all in," Reid said. "These have been the greatest 14 years of my life."
He added: "Sometimes change is good. ... I know the next guy that comes in will be phenomenal. The ultimate goal is a Super Bowl. Everybody in this room, I wish you a big ring on the finger in the near future.
"Hail to the Eagles, baby."
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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston contributed to this report.
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Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) ? Egyptian security officials say a former sergeant in the Israeli army has been ordered detained for 15 days for investigation into his illegal entry from Israel into the Sinai Peninsula.
The authorities say the 24 year-old unarmed Israeli has been in custody since Friday. They announced the arrest Monday.
The officials said Tuesday he is under investigation in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh for allegedly trying to reach the Gaza Strip through Sinai. They have identified him as Andrew Yaacoub Cheteko.
Known in Israel as Andre Pshenichnikov, the Jewish immigrant from Tajikistan made headlines last year when he announced he wanted to move to a West Bank refugee camp in solidarity with Palestinians there.
The security officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
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