Teen Suicide Bomber Kills Dozens Of Soldiers In Pakistan

Good morning.

It's Day 17 of the anti-government protests in Egypt, and we reported earlier that many of the demonstrators are worried that the government may soon use force in a bid to break them.

We also passed on word earlier about a huge natural gas explosion in Allentown, Pa. The blast leveled two homes and the resulting fire destroyed six more houses. Authorities say six people are missing. Hundreds were evacuated from the area.

Pakistan, GOP "Turmoil," Rep. Lee

— Suicide Bombing In Pakistan: In Peshawar, Pakistani Army sources tell NPR's Julie McCarthy, "the bomber walked past [a] parade grounds ... where soldiers of the Punjab regiment were conducting physical training and blew himself up." It's believed the bomber was a teenager, wearing a school uniform. At least 31 troops were killed and more than 40 others were wounded.

— India-Pakistan Talks: "India and Pakistan announced Thursday they would resume wide-ranging peace talks that were frozen after the 2008 terrorist attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai, which were blamed on Pakistan-based militants," the Associated Press reports.

— "Turmoil" In GOP Ranks? "Under pressure to make deeper spending cuts and blindsided by embarrassing floor defeats, House Republican leaders are quickly discovering the limits of control over their ideologically driven and independent-minded new majority," The New York Times writes.

— Sexy Photo Ends Lawmaker's "Potentially Limitless" Career: The Buffalo News this morning follows up on the resignation of Rep. Chris Lee (R-NY), who stepped down yesterday just hours after Gawker.com posted "a shirtless picture of him that the married congressman had sent to a Maryland woman on Craigslist." As the Newswrites, "Lee's resignation brought an astonishingly rapid end to a two-year, two-month congressional career that at one point seemed potentially limitless. Only a year ago, the Almanac of American Politics named Lee a 'rising star,' and last month, he began service on the prestigious Ways and Means Committee."

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