Pakistan: UN Secretary-General Hails Successful Elections In Pakistan

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated the Government and people of Pakistan on the successful conduct of national and provincial elections, hailing the polls, for which millions of voters turned out, as a major democratic step. More>>

United States: Monsanto Wins U.S. Supreme Court Case Over GM Soybean

Agricultural biotechnology company Monsanto won a patent infringement claim in the U.S. Supreme Court on 13 May 2013 against an Indiana farmer who planted genetically modified soybean seeds in violation of his agreement with Missouri-based multinational. More>>

Egypt: Risks Drifting Further Away From Human Rights Ideals

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Thursday urged the Egyptian Government to take steps to ensure that the current version of a draft law on civil society organizations is laid open to careful examination by Egyptian and international human rights experts, and, based on their advice, is brought into line with international standards, before it is adopted by the Shura Council. More>>

Save the Children: DR Congo World’s Toughest Place To Be A Mother

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the toughest place in the world to be a mother – while Finland is the best – according to Save the Children’s State of the World’s Mothers report for 2013. More>>

UN: Call For Calm After Reported Israeli Air Strikes In Syria
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is gravely concerned about reports of air strikes in Syria by the Israeli Air Force, according to a statement from his spokesperson, which stressed that the United Nations does not have details of the reported incidents nor is in a position to independently verify that they took place. More>>

West Papua: Papuans Mourn 50 Years Of Indonesian Occupation
For many people around the world the first day in May is a time a celebration, a day to remember how ordinary people won the right to the eight hour working day. But in West Papua May Day is a day of national mourning. Fifty years ago on 1 May 1963 the United Nations abandoned West Papua. More>>

United States: Guantánamo: “Indefinite Detention – Will It Ever End?"
“The United States must respect and guarantee the life, health and personal integrity of detainees at the Guantánamo Naval Base, particularly in the context of the current hunger strike,” today said a group of international experts on human rights, arbitrary detention, torture, counter- terrorism and health. More>>

Greece:Bailout Conditions Are Undermining Human Rights

The prospects of a significant number of Greeks securing an adequate standard of living in line with international human rights standards have been compromised by bailout conditions imposed by Greece’s international lenders, United Nations Independent Expert on foreign debt and human rights, Cephas Lumina, warned. More>>

Fiji: Fiji Youth for Democracy hands over Petition, rejecting 2013 Government Constitution Draft

The Fiji Youth for Democracy collected a total of 165 signatures from a diverse group of young people in Fiji and presented it to the Prime Minister’s office at 1pm today, Tuesday 30th April. More>>

Fiji: Fiji Youth for Democracy hands over Petition, rejecting 2013 Government Constitution Draft

The Fiji Youth for Democracy collected a total of 165 signatures from a diverse group of young people in Fiji and presented it to the Prime Minister’s office at 1pm today, Tuesday 30th April. More>>
Oxfam: Overtaken By Need: Syria's Escalating Humanitarian Crisis
The world risks failing the people of Syria as the scale of suffering increases and the humanitarian fall-out from the crisis worsens by the day, warned aid agency Oxfam today.
With nearly seven million people in need of humanitarian help inside Syria, the organisation is calling on the UN Security Council to help improve humanitarian access...More>>

West Papua: 'Autonomy Plus' To Tackle Issues Plaguing Papua
Papua has been wracked by violence in recent weeks, with accounts from police and Papuan activists often at odds.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called for increased autonomy for Papua province to address the host of development and security problems there, an official said on Monday. More>>

Palestine: Three Palestinian children aged 10 arrested after being attacked by settler children – Swedish activist also arrested for intervening
Israeli military today arrested three Palestinian boys, aged around 10, in Hebron after they were attacked by several children from illegal settlements in the centre of the city. One Swedish activist was also arrested after intervening in the arrests of the children. More>>

PAKISTAN: Why Is General Kiyani Dictating Islamic Ideology?
Just twenty days before the general elections the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani, has come out with a policy statement which gives the political views of the Army. The statement was delivered with the express intention of getting elections results in favour of the fundamentalists, Jihadis and their supporting parties. More>>

Australian High Commission: Connect With The Australian High Commission On Facebook
The Australian High Commission is pleased to launch its official Facebook page, called Australia in Solomon Islands.Australian High Commissioner Matt Anderson said “It’s now easier than ever to stay in touch with us: just find us on Facebook and hit ‘like’!“Facebook is now the best place to go for up-to-date information on the partnership between Solomon Islands and Australia”, Mr Anderson said. More>>

UN News: More People Must Know About Vital UN Work
United Nations staff members are on the frontlines in such vital endeavours as providing life-saving aid to victims of conflict, vaccinating millions of children and leading the fight to end extreme poverty and violence against women – and their story must be told to the global audience, the Organization’s communications chief said today.More>>

UN News: Ban Reiterates Need For Political Solution To Syria Conflict
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Nabil Elaraby, today met with their special representative Lakhdar Brahimi to discuss ways to help the Syrian parties begin a political process which could help end the violence while protecting all people and communities in the shattered country.More>>

UFree: Palestinian Prisoners' Solidarity Month Continues
UFree Network to defend the rights of Palestinian prisoners along with Yousef AlSedeeq for prisoners' protection institute launched a number of activities to support Palestinian prisoners. The events come as part of “April, the Solidarity Month” announced by UFree Network earlier this month. According to UFree, a number of events have been staged early in April like pickets in protest of Masyara Abu Hamdiya’s death who was murdered by Israel due to lack of medical care.More>>

APEC: APEC Provides Boost To World Economy, Says Gita
Surabaya, Indonesia, 20 Apr 2013 - APEC member economies are in a position to provide an added boost to the world economy and the multilateral trading system. This is vital to sustaining the gradual recovery that appears to be currently underway, said Gita Wirjawan, Indonesia’s Trade Minister when he opened the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting on Saturday in Surabaya.More>>

Solomon Islands Govt: Solomon Islands Keen To Bolster Relationship With Britain
Solomon Islands is keen to bolster its relationship with Great Britain after 35 years of Independence. Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo made the announcement during a meeting with Britain’s Minister of State Mr Hugo Swire in Honiara Friday last week saying the Government is considering opening a High Commission Office in London.

During the meeting Prime Minister Lilo assured Britain of the government’s commitment to rejuvenate its relationship with London.
“To revitalize the relationship with the Britain, my Government, is considering the possibility of opening a high commission in London and to stay closer to the Commonwealth,” Mr Lilo said.More>>

Connie Lawn Audio: Obama Responds To Boston Marathon Explosions
Veteran White House correspondent Connie Lawn reports on President Obama's speech following the explosion at the Bsoton Marathon, and other initial reactions. More>>

AND:

• Connie Lawn - Boston bombing statistics - Boston Terror - Boston Injuries - Boston Sadness
• More - Scoop's WORLD NEWS Section

Pacific.Scoop: Bainimarama Talks Policy To Al Jazeera Amid Talk Of ‘Constitutional Coup’

Fijians are weighing up a controversial new draft constitution aimed at restoring democracy in the South Pacific nation for next year. But there are concerns that the document could be used by the current military ruler Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama to maintain his hold on power. More>>

Asia-Pacific Journalism: At Pacific.Scoop

• Jane Jeffries - Political dilemmas face Fiji regime over ‘flawed’ draft Constitution
• Karen MacKenzie - Photographer John Miller, a ‘sympathetic observer’ for NZ’s turbulent times
• Finian Scott - Pacific media associations slow to face up to digital era ‘reality’
• Jamie Small - Sale of New Caledonia’s daily newspaper stirs free press strike, debate
• Holly Ryan - Media critics see new report as hopeful for ‘dysfunctional’ national bodies
• Greg Asciutto - Moves to tackle sexual exploitation of young girls in NZ, Fiji and PNG
• Michael Sergel - Divisive debate stalls controversial Philippines reproductive health law
• Khing Chadwick - Jailed former MP writing tell-all book exposing his experience of ‘injustice’

1925-2013: PM Pays Tribute To Lady Thatcher

Prime Minister John Key has paid tribute to former British Prime Minister Lady Margaret Thatcher, who has passed away aged 87. “This is an enormously sad time for her family. My thoughts are with them, and the people of Britain, at this time.” More>>

ALSO:

• Labour - Shearer: Labour pays respect to Margaret Thatcher
• NZ Govt - Collins: Baroness Thatcher mourned
• Out-Link - Margaret Thatcher – some online reading - Politics - The Internaut - The Listener

South-East Asia: No Easter In Laos, Vietnam, For Disappeared, Persecuted Christians
The Lao Human Rights Council (LHRC), Hmong Advance, Inc. (HAI), the United League for Democracy in Laos (ULDL), the Laos Institute for Democracy (LIFD), the Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA) and a coalition of Lao and Hmong non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are issuing an international appeal for “disappeared” and persecuted Christian, and dissident religious believers, in Laos and Vietnam on Easter Sunday. More>>
United States: "April Days" To Protest Drone Killing And Surveillance
A nationwide, month-long campaign of counter-drone teach-ins, rallies and protest, called "April Days of Action" by its organizers, will challenge the escalated use of drones for targeted assassination by the Obama Administration as well as domestic surveillance by police agencies around the United States. More>>

Bangladesh: UN Appeals To All Sides To Stop Ongoing Violence
A group of United Nations independent human rights experts today called on all parties in Bangladesh “to cease violence immediately and return to peaceful demonstrations,” after worrying levels of violence have been reported following large-scale protests across the country since 5 February 2013. More>>

World: Global Economy Is Improving But Europe Lags Behind
Global economic activity is picking up, but the continuing crisis in the euro area is delaying a meaningful recovery, the OECD said in its latest Interim Economic Assessment.

The Assessment, presented in Paris by Chief Economist Pier Carlo Padoan, says that the G7 economies are expected to grow at an annualised 2.4 per cent rate...More>>

Global Post: Morocco Police Attack Sahrawis During UN Visit
Global Post, World, International Law, World - Africa, Activism, Humanitarianism, Police and Crime, General Politics, Race Relations, World News, Scoop More>>

University of Sydney: Evaluating For-Profit Poverty Projects In India
The University of Sydney Business School is studying the commercial and moral implications of projects in India which aim to turn poverty alleviation for the nation’s poorest people into profit making ventures. Microfinance projects which charge relatively high interest rates have in recent years targeted thousands of people at the bottom of India’s socioeconomic ladder.More>>
Forest Peoples Programme: Land Reforms In Liberia Must Protect Communities' Rights
Instances of conflict between communities and large-scale agricultural concessions have recently brought the issues of land and human rights into focus in Liberia, and throughout Africa. Rural communities in Grand Cape Mount, north-western Liberia, have been at the sharp end of a dispute with Malaysian oil palm giant Sime Darby, that received national and international attention. More>>

Fiji Women's Forum: Fiji Women’s Forum Disappointed With State Constitution
The Fiji Women’s Forum (FWF) notes the announcement by the State that there will be no Constituent Assembly (CA) – a critical component in the constitution-making process. The CA is intended to allow open debate on constitutional content.
On Thursday March 21, 2013, along with this decision, the State also released their draft constitution; and gave the public nine working days within which they can submit comments on the State draft. It is unclear how submissions will be incorporated, given the very short time-frame.More>>

Survival International: UN Demands ‘immediate Suspension’ Of Amazon Gas Plans
The United Nations has demanded an immediate halt to the expansion of a major gas project in the Peruvian Amazon, over concerns that it poses a grave risk to the lives of uncontacted Indians living nearby. More>>

ITF: Global "families' Day" Shows Support For DHL Turkey Workers

Union members and supporters will hold a global DHL Families’ Day tomorrow to back the families of workers at logistics giant DHL in Turkey who have faced dismissal and aggression by the company. Key events will be held in London and Istanbul, with support actions around the world. In London a family demonstration will be held from 12:00 onwards outside the German embassy at 23 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PZ. More>>

Peter Tatchell Foundation: Gay US Veteran Who Fought Military Ban Still On Trial

This Thursday, 28 March, at 9am in the US District Court, Washington DC, gay Army Lieutenant Dan Choi, Arabic Linguist, West Point Graduate and Iraq War Veteran, stands trial for past protests against the since repealed anti-gay military policy "Don't Ask Don't Tell" (DADT). In 2010 Choi was dismissed from the US Army National Guard after coming out as gay on the Rachel Maddow TV show. He was then billed by the US Defense Department for $2,500 for failing to fulfil his military contract. Chio is refusing to pay.More>>

FCO: William Hague And Angelina Jolie Visit Eastern DRC

The British Foreign Secretary William Hague and UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie are joining forces again this week to highlight the terrible human cost of warzone rape, and to call for Governments worldwide to address this neglected and growing problem.
On a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda they will meet survivors of rape and sexual violence and the local organisations and UN bodies supporting them. They will also meet political leaders to discuss the need for a lasting solution to the conflict.More>>