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- U.S. warns Iran ahead of UN nuke conference
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has responded to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's plans to attend the Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference starting May 3 at the United Nations with a warning. "If he believes that by coming he can somehow divert attention from this very important global effort or cause confusion that might possibly throw into doubt what Iran has been up to ... then I don't believe he will have a particularly receptive audience," Clinton said. Reuters (4/29)       - Free education no guarantee for Indian girls
Indian authorities have made education for all children between 6 and 14 free and mandatory, but tradition and poverty may keep most Indian girls out of school. Indian laws do not prevent parents from removing their children from school for agricultural or domestic work, nor does it characterize either as child labor. A recent government survey showed 42% of girls drop out of school on the instructions of parents who need them to look after siblings and the family house. TIME (4/29)  | - Oil spill threatens U.S. Gulf Coast
Oil from a massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico -- considered to be one of the largest oil spills in history -- began to wash ashore along the U.S. Gulf Coast, threatening sensitive ecosystems along fragile barrier marshes. The U.S. Coast Guard and BP are working to stop the spread of the vast oil slick, which is leaking at an estimated 5,000 barrels per day. The White House announced that all new drilling in the Gulf would be put on hold and that BP would be made responsible for the entire bill for the cleanup efforts. The Independent (London) (4/30) , The Guardian (London) (4/30) - Belgian lawmakers pass ban on face veils
In a rare show of unity, the lower house of Belgium's parliament voted overwhelmingly Thursday in favor of a ban on face veils in public places. Domestic political issues and concerns in the upper legislature of the law's wording may ultimately delay passage of the ban. France, Italy and the Netherlands are considering similar pieces of legislation. Google/The Associated Press (4/29) , The Washington Post (4/30) - Saudi society re-examines separation of the sexes
Discussion on the virtues of severe restrictions aimed at preventing the mixing of men and women in Saudi Arabia are increasingly under debate. Advocates of greater freedom have found some powerful allies recently, including several members of the royal family and the head of the religious police. The Economist (4/29) - Hezbollah cagey on Scud purchase
While affirming that Hezbollah possesses the tactical capacity to strike targets deep inside Israeli borders, Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah would neither confirm nor deny that Hezbollah militants possess long-range Scud missiles. Leaders in Lebanon and Syria denied the alleged sale of Scud missiles from Syria to Hezbollah. The U.S. has not confirmed any intelligence with regard to the Israeli accusation, but U.S. authorities have expressed concern about Hezbollah's growing stock of rockets and missiles. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Syria's sale of sophisticated weapons to Hezbollah and militants and Gaza could provoke new conflict in the Middle East. Google/The Associated Press (4/30) - Greece swallows bitter medicine in form of austerity measures
Greece acceded to European and International Monetary Fund pressure to adopt new austerity measures that will yield about $30 billion in order to make progress toward finalizing loans to stabilize the Greek economy -- and the fate of the euro itself. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said that the austerity measures were necessary to ensure Greece's survival, despite fierce opposition from unions and political opposition parties to reject the measures -- which involve raising taxes and cutting public sector wages. One public sector union called for a 24-hour work stoppage to protest the austerity measures. The Wall Street Journal (4/30) , Reuters (4/30) - Pakistan concedes on U.S. push against militants in tribal region
In a significant change in the mood in Pakistan, officials are reconsidering long-standing pressure from the U.S. to combat Taliban and other militant groups in North Waziristan -- a strategy that some feel is now in Pakistan's best interests. The U.S.-Pakistani consensus on militant groups operating out of the tribal wilds near Afghanistan speaks to improved relations between the U.S. and Pakistan, but it also represents recognition of a shift in the priorities of the militants. While Pakistan has traditionally left alone those groups based within its sovereign territory but focusing their attacks on Afghanistan -- or India, in the case of Lashkar-e-Taiba -- the same groups are targeting the Punjab region and elsewhere within Pakistan. The New York Times (free registration) (4/29) , The Guardian (London) (4/29)
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