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- Iran seeks forum at UN conference
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for renewed disarmament commitments in advance of a conference on nuclear nonproliferation that may serve as a forum for countries to voice nuclear tensions. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has asked to travel to New York to serve as the delegate for Iran to address the conference even as the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany discuss opening new sanctions against Iran. Ban said that Iran will need to prove to the international community that its nuclear program is indeed peaceful in order to make significant progress at the nuclear nonproliferation conference. The New York Times (free registration) (4/28) , The Washington Post (4/28)        | - Food crisis displaces masses in Niger
Food shortages in Niger have forced hungry country-dwellers to beg for sustenance in the capital, Niamey. Some 7.8 million West Africans will face food shortages in the coming year, and some say aid organizations are not yet doing enough. AlertNet.org/Reuters (4/29) - Haiti's strapped health care systems can't meet rehab needs
A lack of rehabilitation clinics, physiotherapists and assisted-living facilities in Haiti has medical aid workers concerned for the future of the estimated 4,000 to 6,000 Haitians who lost limbs or were rendered paralyzed by the Jan. 12 earthquake. Haiti is home to only about a dozen physiotherapists and has no facilities with medical personnel trained to treat spinal cord injuries. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (4/29) - U.S. to burn oil slick as threat grows in scope
The U.S. Coast Guard revealed that five times as much oil is being spilled by an oil well that exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico, prompting authorities to consider dramatic actions to prevent a broad ecological disaster. The Coast Guard is attempting to burn the oil slick, the first time authorities have attempted a controlled burn off the U.S. shore. BBC (4/29) , The Independent (London) (4/29) , Financial Times (tiered subscription model) (4/29) - How mobile helped the Haitian quake response
The innovative use of technology to bring together information from individuals and groups in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake is gaining favor among international aid organizations as a model for future natural and man-made disasters. Cell phones and the Internet were used to raise funds for Haiti, identify areas where survivors were trapped under rubble and coordinate relief supply distribution. "It is revolutionizing humanitarian work. It has a wide reach and low cost. Everyone I talk to is focused on mobile," said Adele Waugaman, senior director of technology at the UN Foundation. Financial Times (tiered subscription model) (4/28) - Social media becomes crucial avenue for information in a disaster
While the mainstream media focused on the sensational aspects of Iceland's volcanic ash cloud, Twitter, Facebook and blogs offered more useful information: updates about the conditions, connections to carpools or couches to crash on, and airline updates. The lesson, writes Muhammad Ayish, "is the importance of social networks in responding to humanitarian emergencies and other crises. It is high time that governments and non-governmental aid organizations recognize their value and employ them to the greatest extent possible." The National (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) (4/28)  | - Rights activists were killed in Mexico attack
Two human-rights activists -- one Mexican, the other from Finland -- were gunned down Tuesday in the Mexican state of Oaxaca as their convoy attempted to bring food to the town of San Juan Copala, where local indigenous people are trying to establish a self-governing community, to the irritation of their neighbors. Two local journalists traveling with the convoy are also reportedly missing. The Washington Post/Reuters (4/28) - India looks to increase women's political power
India is grappling with a proposed quota system to reserve one-third of all seats in federal and state government bodies for women that critics fears would give higher caste women an unfair advantage. But more than a million Indian women have been elected into local councils since a constitutional amendment setting quotas came into force in 1993 where they administer public services and mediate disputes. Supporters of the larger effort argue their presence helps battle discrimination and inequality. The New York Times (free registration) (4/27)  | - India-Pakistan meeting called productive
A meeting today between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has laid the groundwork for a resumption of more regular bilateral contacts and a process to restore trust between the South Asian neighbors, Indian Foreign Minister Nirupama Rao says. The two have been at odds diplomatically since a brazen 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai. Reuters (4/29) - Eurozone contagion is threatening weaker economies
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has been stalling on addressing the Greek debt crisis in hopes of waiting until after elections in May, said that Germany would take action to support the euro. Critics have said that the delay has made the crisis more severe, with the overall cost of the crisis rising to $180 billion -- and Germany's share of that amounting to as much as $32 billion. Authorities will need to address an emerging threat of a contagion that will undermine the eurozone's weaker economies, such as Spain, in succession. The New York Times (free registration) (4/28) , The Independent (London) (4/29) - Afghans' views on government, foreign forces remain steady
Instability has leveled off leaving the Afghan government with popular support in about one quarter of the country's urban centers and areas where action to rout the Taliban is necessary, the U.S. Defense Department said in a report Wednesday. U.S. and NATO forces also enjoy support from only just over a quarter of the Afghan population, the report said, according to recent polling of Afghan civilians. The Washington Post (4/29) - Seoul threatens retribution for naval sinking
South Korea is investigating the sinking of a ship near its sea border with North Korea, and has promised "stern countermeasures" should the North be found responsible for the deaths of at least 40 sailors. "We'll never forgive whoever inflicted this great pain on us," navy chief of staff Kim Sung-chan said. "We will track them down to the end and we will, by all means, make them pay for this." The New York Times (free registration) (4/29)
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