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1. WikiLeaks Releases Gitmo Files

On Sunday April 24, 2011 WikiLeaks began publishing 779 secret files from the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison camp. The details for every detainee will be released daily over the coming month. In its latest release of classified US documents, WikiLeaks is shining the light of truth on a notorious icon of the Bush administration's "War on Terror" -- the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, which opened on January 11, 2002, and remains open under President Obama, despite his promise to close the much-criticized facility within a year of taking office. Crucially, the files also contain detailed explanations of the supposed intelligence used to justify the prisoners' detention. For many readers, these will be the most fascinating sections of the documents, as they seem to offer an extraordinary insight into the workings of US intelligence, but although many of the documents appear to promise proof of prisoners' association with al-Qaeda or other t errorist organizations, extreme caution is required.
Information Release, WikiLeaks
Related Links:
* New York Times, NPR Collude with US Government on Gitmo Files Coverage
kgosztola, WL Central
* Will WikiLeaks vs. NYT, The Guardian & Daniel Domscheit-Berg Drama Overshadow Contents of Gitmo Files?
kgosztola, WL Central
* WikiLeaks: Guantanamo Bay terrorist secrets revealed
Christopher Hope, Robert Winnett, Holly Watt & Heidi Blake, Daily Telegraph

2. Drug watchdog halts pneumococcal vaccines after adverse reactions

The drug regulator has told GPs to stop giving patients a second dose of a vaccine that protects against pneumococcal disease, after more than 80 Australians suffered severe reactions, including severe swelling and abscesses. The Therapeutic Goods Administration said it was investigating what could have caused 178 reports of reactions to the Merck Sharp and Dohme Pneumovax 23 vaccine, which is meant to protect against a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection that can cause meningitis and death and is mainly given to adults. The latest scare follows an earlier incident with the same vaccine in March, when the TGA ordered a recall of one specific batch after a cluster of seven patients reported similar reactions. Merck Sharp and Dohme said the company was not involved in the TGA's alert and could not "elaborate on the reasons" for the warning.
Adam Cresswell, The Australian

3. State indemnified drug firm behind swine flu brain damage vaccine

The State indemnified British drug company GlaxoSmithKline from liability from any side effects associated with the swine flu vaccine Pandemrix, which has been linked with the disabling sleeping disorder narcolepsy. The indemnity clause, signed as part of an advance-purchase agreement, means that any legal actions that might be taken by people alleging a link between narcolepsy and Pandemrix will have to be lodged against the State. Last month, the HSE confirmed to the Sunday Independent that they were removing all stocks of Pandemrix from GPs' surgeries. And last week EU drugs regulators ordered changes to the product label for Pandemrix to highlight the potential risk of narcolepsy in children or adolescents.
Jerome Reilly, Independent.ie
Related Links:
* EMA Reluctantly Slaps Narcolepsy Brain Damage Label On Flu Vaccine
Press Release, European Medicines Agency
* Parents Of Baby Girl Swine Flu Vaccine Victim Suing State Government
Billy Rule, Perth Now
* Kids harmed by flu jab must be compensated, says WA Opposition
Perth Now
* Swine Flu Vaccine Narcolepsy Victims Abandoned By Government & GlaxoSmithKline
Helsinki Times

4. Did Britain's NHS legally sell flu drugs to Bulgaria? Health Minister In Court

Former Health Minister, Bozhidar Nanev, is the first Minister
from the GERB cabinet to be tried in a court of law.
Bulgaria's former Health Minister, Bozhidar Nanev, appeared Tuesday for the second court session in his trial on charges he concluded deals unfavorable for the State. After the session, Nanev stated for the media he did not purchase the anti-viral flu medication from the UK National Health Services because the law did not allow such move. The magistrates agreed with the defense council request to ask the Health Ministry and the Executive Agency for Medications to submit information if the UK National Health Services have a license to sell anti-flu medication. The damages for the Ministry are calculated at BGN 2 454 319.20, which is the difference between the price offered by the British National Health Services through the British Embassy in Sofia and the price negotiated by the Ministry with "Roche Bulgaria." Nanev is the first Minister from the GERB cabinet to be tried in a court of law.
Crime, Novinite.com

5. Vaccine Trial Deaths In Developing Countries

About 14,000 girls, aged between 10 and 14 years in the Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh were vaccinated with the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine as part of a study on the efficacy of the vaccine against cervical cancer last year. These girls were mostly tribal children whose parents were agricultural labourers. The public outcry following the death of six of the girls led to the government suspending the study. It was later found that there were several violations of existing protocols. The parents of the girls, who were staying in hostels , were never informed. Instead , consent was taken from the wardens. As of today, the bulk of clinical trials, over 83 per cent, are located in developed countries. But the gradual shift to the developing world has sparked international concern over outsourcing of trials to countries without adequate regulatory mechanisms to protect the trial subjects.
Rema Nagarajan, The Times Of India

6. Doctors Denying Vaccine Risks: An American Tragedy

WASHINGTON -- The nonprofit educational organization, the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), is calling on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) leadership to stop bullying parents and do more to urge pediatricians to become compassionate partners with parents in preventing vaccine reactions, injuries and deaths. NVIC is responding to an April 13, 2011 letter that AAP President O, Marion Burton, M.D. wrote to CBS pressuring the network to remove a 15-second message on the CBS Jumbotron in Times Square encouraging informed vaccine decision-making. “It is inappropriate for a wealthy trade organization representing pediatricians, that gets a lot of money from vaccine manufacturers, to be attacking a small charity representing families with vaccine injured children,” said NVIC Co-founder & President Barbara Loe Fisher. “NVIC has a 30 year record of working responsibly inside and outside of government to improve t he safety of vaccines and vaccine policies. The AAP, which encourages pediatricians to follow the advice of vaccine patent holder Dr. Paul Offit, should be spending less time denying vaccine risks and more time encouraging pediatricians to educate parents about how to identify and prevent vaccine reactions so fewer children become vaccine damaged.”
Press Release, NVIC, Business Wire

7. LEAKED: The mess behind the UK Census 2011

I’ve been leaked an intriguing account of the chaos behind the scenes by one of the census enforcers whose job it is to go from door to door persuading those who haven’t filled it in to do so. For anyone who believes in competent Government data management - or anyone who is a taxpayer – it does not make comfortable reading. On the training we learnt all sorts of absolutely useless things none of which I have used. Our original staff meeting was a bit of a disaster. All of our collectors were there for a number of hours. The computer system is a disaster. It crashes regularly. Reading the papers I was aware of the Lockheed Martin connection and the possibility of boycotts. We are supposed to say on the door that Lockheed Martin do lots of good things like supporting our troops in Afghanistan. It strikes me as a monumentally stupid response – the kind of people who are boycotting the census for this reason will only be strengthened in their view that it is immoral because people who refuse to do the census because of arms manufacturer being involved aren’t going to be placated by saying it helps the war in Afghanistan! This is the key point. The Census deals in two valuable commodities – personal data and taxpayers’ money. From this account, it doesn’t seem like either are in safe hands.
Mark Wallace, Crash Bang Wallace, politics with a punch...

8. UniLeaks - Keeping Education Honest

UniLeaks provides a place to post information on public interest on matters relating to higher education. UniLeaks will accept restricted or censored material of political, ethical, diplomatic or historical significance which is in some way connected to higher education, an agency or government body working in partnership with an institution, e.g., a University. Our drop box is easy to use but as yet provides no encryption – so if you’re not using a secure network we can’t be assured it’s not going to be intercepted. We advise you to use the TOR Network.
Information Release, UniLeaks

9. Secret GMC Doctors Courts Move A Disaster For Patients

Plans to hold General Medical Council hearings behind closed doors have been condemned as a "sad day for press freedom" and a "disaster" for patients. Under new proposals, hearings in which there is no dispute over the facts of the case would be settled behind closed doors between doctors and the GMC. The plans have come under attack from both the Society of Editors and the Newspaper Society. Society of Editors executive director Bob Satchwell warned:“At a time when greater openness is becoming accepted as beneficial to all concerned any retreat behind closed doors would be a serious and potentially damaging retrograde step. In all walks of life secrecy breeds suspicion and indeed contempt. Openness creates confidence and respect."
Andrew Pugh, Press Gazette
Related Links:
* Incompetent doctors could have secret GMC hearings
Daily Mail

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