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- UNHCR blasts abuses in Syria
Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, says she is shocked by the "outright disregard for basic human rights" in Syria, where security forces loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad are said to have killed at least 15 people in the latest crackdown on anti-government protests. Pillay is stepping up pressure on Syria to permit access to a UN fact-finding mission. Al-Jazeera/Agence France-Presse (5/31), Google/Agence France-Presse (5/30)       - Council to have first say on Palestinian state
The president of the UN General Assembly said that members will not be able to vote next fall on a resolution recognizing a Palestinian state without first receiving a recommendation from the world body's powerful Security Council. The protocol, reportedly supported by the UN Charter, also lends support to the position of U.S. President Barack Obama, who opposes the Palestinian bid -- which reportedly already has garnered more than the two-thirds majority at the General Assembly. CBS News (5/28) - AIDS at 30 -- treatable and expensive
Thirty years after the HIV/AIDS epidemic exploded across the globe, the one-time death sentence is now a manageable chronic illness, but questions persist over the future of treatment and who will fund it. Last year, HIV/AIDS measures cost the world $16 billion dollars -- a figure that is projected to increase to $35 billion a year by 2031. The Washington Post (5/30) - North Waziristan battle could yield humanitarian crisis
The Pakistani military is expected to launch attacks on al-Qaida and Taliban safe havens in the Afghan border regions of North Waziristan, possibly generating the exodus of some 365,000 people. Over the past two weeks, aid agencies active in the country have been told, quietly, to prepare. Reuters (5/30) - Germany to end nuclear power use
Germany will close all the country's nuclear facilities by 2022 and cease to use nuclear energy, Environment Minister Norbert Rottgen announced. The decision follows mass protests across Germany in the wake of Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. Germany hopes to power itself through renewable energy sources. BBC (5/30), Der Spiegel (Germany) (English online version) (5/30) - Figueres: More action is needed to combat climate change
Efforts to control greenhouse-gas emissions have not produced enough results, but world governments must not lose momentum on trying to address climate change, says Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. While national governments have struggled to formulate consensus on broader action, cities including Johannesburg and Los Angeles have moved ahead with measures -- such as tree planting and insulating buildings -- to combat climate change and promote efficiency. The Guardian (London) (5/31), Bloomberg (5/31) - Japan seeks nuclear safety assurances as typhoon nears
A typhoon expected to lash Japan could sweep into the air and sea radioactive material from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which was crippled by an earthquake and tsunami in March, authorities said. The country is refusing to allow two nuclear reactors in the south to restart until officials can ensure their safety in the event of a natural disaster. BBC (5/28), Reuters (5/30) - UN peacekeepers are attacked in Lebanon
The bombing Friday of a UN logistics convoy traveling in southern Lebanon comes during a period of heightened tensions over the formation of a new government, as well as the popular unrest sweeping through neighboring Syria. The attack -- for which no one has yet claimed responsibility -- injured six Italian peacekeepers who were traveling outside their area of responsibility. The Washington Post (5/27) - AU's Libya cease-fire proposal finds limited support
An African Union proposal to stop the fighting in Libya has garnered support from Moammar Gadhafi, indicating he is willing to consider beginning talks with rebels, but the embattled leader insists he will remain in power. Rebels and their supporters say no peace can be achieved without an exit strategy for Gadhafi. Los Angeles Times (5/31)
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