• Israel Warns of Gaza Invasion
• Suspected Sri Lankan Rebel Blows Himself Up in House Raid
• Afghan Journalist Declared "Unlawful Enemy Combatant"
• Debt Forgiveness Package for Small Indian Farmers
• US Tops China as World's Largest Jailer

Israel Warns of Gaza Invasion
The Israeli deputy-defense minister today warned of a "holocaust" in Gaza in response to homemade rocket fire. Israeli tanks have been deployed to the border with Northern Gaza in an apparent preparation for a broader invasion into the coastal enclave. Rami Al-Meghari has more.

Israeli military actions have killed more than 30 Palestinians in the past 24 hours - among them, seven children. The Israeli attacks on Gaza have been constant since Palestinian homemade rocket fire killed an Israeli man on Thursday. Om Mohammad lost her 6 month old baby yesterday in an Israeli airstrike targeting the Hamas-run Interior Department building near her home. (clip) "I had just laid him down on the bed, and suddenly I fell down onto the other part of the bed and blacked out with rubble on top of me". Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak today warned of an imminent invasion into Gaza, but gave no concrete timetable. Homemade rocket fire has killed 13 Israelis total since 2001. In the past 3 months alone, the Israeli army has killed more than 200 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip - one of the most densely-populated areas of the world. Gaza's residents do not have the option of leaving the area ahead of forewarned military action due to the sealing of all it's borders. For Free Speech Radio News, I'm Rami Al-Meghari in Gaza.

Suspected Sri Lankan Rebel Blows Himself Up in House Raid
In Sri Lanka, a suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber killed himself and injured seven others this morning while police were conducting a house search in the capital city, Colombo. Ponniah Manikavasagam has the story.

The explosion occurred as police prepared to search a house based on a tip off. Police have been engaged in flushing out suspected Tamil Tiger rebels to prevent mounting bomb attacks in Colombo. The rebels are seeking to carve out an independent state for minority ethnic Tamils. The government officially scrapped the 2002 truce with the Tamil Tigers in January as both sides have mounted multiple attacks since 2006. Analysts say the government is gaining the upper hand in the latest phase of a civil conflict that has raged for over 2 decades. But the rebels have carried out several bombings in and around the city during the recent months. The Nordic truce monitors left the country with the cancellation of the ceasefire and violence has been on the rise ever since. For Free Speech Radio News, I am Ponniah Manikavasagam in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka.

Afghan Journalist Declared "Unlawful Enemy Combatant"
An Afghan journalist working for a Canadian television network has been designated an "unlawful enemy combatant" by the US military. Zack Baddorf has more in Kabul.

Jawed Ahmad has been in military custody for about four months now but still has not been charged with any crimes. The US military says there's "credible information" about the CTV News reporter to keep him detained. But they won't give details. Major Chris Belcher said Ahmad was "in no way targeted because of his work as a journalist." Ahmad's brother has said the military accuses the journalist of having contact with local Taliban militants. Reporters Without Borders says allegations should be based on actual evidence and not just suspicion. The media watchdog group said they "fear" the US military is "confusing journalistic work with spying for the Taliban." CTV's president said their network is "deeply concerned" and wants its journalist to get "his due process." Ahman is being held at a US military base near Kabul. I'm Zack Baddorf for Free Speech Radio News in Kabul.

Debt Forgiveness Package for Small Indian Farmers
The government of India has announced a $ 15 billion package to provide debt waivers to small farmers. Bismillah Geelani has more.

Indian Farmers are celebrating the announcement of the loan waivers that passed with the national budget this morning. The $15 billion package will likely benefit about 40 million farmers. The budget completely waives loans for farmers with less than 5 acres of land. The more affluent will have a one-time loan settlement option. The finance minister said agriculture loans from commercial banks, regional rural banks and cooperative credit institutions would be covered under the debt waiver program. The government's Left allies hailed the package, but added that a large number of farmers indebted to private moneylenders would not benefit. While the analysts are busy debating the economic merits of the budget, its political logic ahead of Parliamentary elections is clear. For FSRN, this is Bismillah Geelani from New Delhi.

US Tops China as World's Largest Jailer
A new report by the Pew Center has found the United States to be the world's largest jailer - holding 1.6 million prisoners nationwide. That means one out of every 100 adults in the US is behind bars. An analysis of Justice Department figures shows the incarceration rate for Latino men to be 1 of 36. African American men under the age of 35 are at the highest risk of incarceration with one out of nine held by the prison system.