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- Peacekeepers are abducted in Darfur
Four members of the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur have been abducted but the kidnappers have yet to make any demands, UN officials say. The four South Africans, serving as part of UNAMID's police force, are the latest in a string of abductions involving expatriates over the past year. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/Reuters (4/14)       - Nepotism investigation rattles UN's DR Congo mission
A preliminary investigation into the activities of Alan Doss, the top official in the United Nations peacekeeping mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo, found evidence to back a charge of nepotism, according to the UN Office of Internal Oversight's initial findings. Doss, accused of improper efforts to secure a UN post for his daughter, is grappling with an order from the DR Congo government to phase out the UN mission. ForeignPolicy.com/Turtle Bay blog (4/14)   | - China grapples with earthquake aftermath
Chinese authorities are struggling to mount a sweeping rescue mission in the remote area shaken by a series of earthquakes Wednesday morning as the death toll continues to rise. More than 600 people are confirmed dead, with tens of thousands more injured or left homeless. Chinese soldiers and paramilitary forces have rushed in to help with rescue efforts, but survivors are expressing worry over a dearth of food, shelter and digging supplies. Los Angeles Times (4/14) , The Washington Post (4/15) , CNN (4/15) - U.S. helps push whaling compromise
American officials are pushing a compromise plan to limit controversial whale hunting by Japan, Norway and Iceland that continues despite a worldwide moratorium on commercial whaling. Under the proposal the International Whaling Commission would endorse a limited hunt for the next 10 years, if the three countries agree to increased monitoring of their hunts. The New York Times (free registration) (4/14) - Bolivia hosts star-studded conference on climate
Scientists, world leaders and Hollywood celebrities are convening in the tiny Bolivian town of Cochabamba for unofficial climate talks geared toward uniting people from the poorest countries. Bolivian President Evo Morales says that the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth -- an assembly of grass-roots groups and representatives for more than 100 countries -- seeks to encourage the world's poorest countries to vote in a referendum on the direction that an ambitious climate-change treaty should take. James Cameron, Noam Chomsky and Naomi Klein are among the prominent figures in attendance. The Guardian (London) (4/13) - ICT can shape a better future for Africa
Increased application of Information and Communications Technology to marry sustainable agriculture practices and renewable energy can help drive Africa's economic development. Affordable access to technology at the village level can not only improve families' economic situation, proponents argue, but trigger a series of broader improvements in the environment, health care and other development priorities. AllAfrica Global Media/East African (4/12) - Oxfam: Dramatic rise in rapes in DR Congo
An Oxfam study finds that rape has risen in the Democratic Republic of Congo -- most alarmingly rapes committed by civilians. While DR Congo and Rwandan militias and DR Congo army soldiers have raped tens of thousands of women, the number of rapes committed by civilians has climbed from 1% of all rapes in 2004 to 38% in 2008. Sexual slavery is reported as a condition affecting 12% of women surveyed. Some 9,000 people were raped in 2009 as Congolese and Rwandan military forces pursued Rwandan militias in Congo. The Guardian (London) (4/15) - Turkey opposes new sanctions against Iran
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Turkey would lend its voice to fellow UN Security Council member countries Brazil and Lebanon in opposition to any proposal to introduce new sanctions against Iran. Veto-wielding UN Security Council member state China has voiced opposition to the prospect of sanctions against Iran but has agreed to discuss the possibility with the U.S. and other Western countries. Davutoglu did not say that Turkey would vote against a sanctions proposal if it came up for a vote before the UN Security Council. The Washington Post (4/14) - U.S. withdrawal from Afghan base is marked by attrition
In a tacit admission that occupying the outpost had been a mistake in the first place, U.S. forces under Gen. Stanley McChrystal abandoned Korangal Outpost in Kunar Province -- an area that has come to be known as the "Valley of Death." The site of many significant and ultimately inconclusive battles between U.S. forces and Taliban extremists, the base has seen the deaths of 40 U.S. troops and many more Afghans. U.S. troops under Capt. Mark Moretti struck a deal with Afghan elders in the valley to leave army barracks, a crane and fuel in exchange for assurance that they would exit in peace. The Washington Post (4/15) , The New York Times (free registration) (4/14) - Allawi warns that political maneuvering in Iraq could provoke sectarian conflict
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said that sectarian war could be a result if his political bloc -- which won the greatest number of seats in Iraq's parliamentary elections in March -- was excluded from the ruling government coalition. Allawi said that the U.S. and UN must step forward into the leadership vacuum as Allawi's Iraqiya bloc jockeys with other political groups to form a coalition government. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law bloc could re-take power if Maliki joins a coalition with the Iraqi National Alliance, the mostly Shi'ite bloc. The Washington Post (4/15) - 3 blasts kill 9 in Myanmar
As Rangoon residents celebrated the New Year water festival, three explosions throughout the city injured dozens of people and killed at least nine. Myanmar state media reported that terrorists were responsible for the attacks, and Myanmar officials usually blame ethnic dissidents fighting for independence for unrest. BBC (4/15) - ElBaradei considers coalition building for Egypt reform
 Mohammed ElBaradei's push for democratic reform in Egypt is unlikely to succeed without support from the political party with the broadest grass-roots support. While an alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood would give ElBaradei's efforts increased strength to battle government response, a partnership is likely to unsettle secular supporters. TIME (4/14)
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