ONS: 30 April 2012

by TRG Alerts Admin on April 30, 2012

KEY STORYLINES

AFRICA: AQIM offered to free Stephen Malcolm if cleric Abu Qatada is allowed to choose his extradition country.
AMERICAS: In Colombia a French reporter is missing after a FARC attack.
ASIA: Pakistan condemned a US drone strike that killed three suspected militants.
EUROPE: German Chancellor Angela Merkel plans to boycott Euro 2012 if Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko is kept in jail.
MIDDLE EAST: In Idlib, Syria, two suspected suicide bombs exploded near a military compound.
TECHNOLOGY: Wrapp launched its social gifting endeavor.

TOP STORY

Suu Kyi’s party will be sworn in on 02MAY, and will swear an oath to protect the constitution.
UN to provide technical support for the first census in three decades.
UNSG Ban Ki-moon praised the transition to democracy, and urged Western nations to lift sanctions.
Ban Ki-moon addressed parliament after meeting with President Thein Sein.
President Thein Sein ordered a shakeup of negotiating teams to jumpstart peace talks with rebel groups.
Ban Ki-moon also called for an end to the bloodshed.
Coverage: (AP, Reuters-1, Reuters-2, Reuters-3,Bloomberg)

AFRICA

Region: Sudan declared a state of emergency in areas of unrest bordering S. Sudan. This action provides local authorities with greater policing power. (AP)
Region: Ugandan army said Sudan is backing Joseph Kony’s LRA (BBC)
Egypt: The head of the military council plans a cabinet shuffle. (Reuters)
Ethiopia: Gunmen killed a Pakistani and four Ethiopians in the western city of Gambella. (AFP)
Libya: Former PM Shokri Ghanem was found dead in the Danube River in Vienna. (Reuters, AP)
Libya: The ruling NTC indicated the interim government will remain in power until the June elections. (Reuters)
Mali: AQIM offered to free Stephen Malcolm if cleric Abu Qatada is allowed to choose his extradition country. (BBC, Reuters)
Uganda: US Special Forces support in the hunt for Kony was highlighted six months after Obama deployed the mission. (Washington Post, AP, WSJ, NYT, Reuters)

AMERICAS

Colombia: A French reporter, who is missing after a FARC attack, was reportedly struck in the arm by a bullet before his disappearance. (AP)
Peru: A police office that was missing for three weeks after a Shining Path ambush was found alive. (AP)
United States: John Brennan, chief counter-terrorism adviser to President Obama, said while al-Qaida has been significantly weakened, a high state of vigilance is still necessary in the air-travel industry. (UPI)

ASIA

Afghanistan: The Interior Ministry indicated 14 militants were killed and 16 others detained in the 24 hours leading up to Monday morning. (Xinhua)
China: Escaped rights activist Chen Guangcheng is reportedly at the US embassy, but is not seeking asylum. His presence is expected to complicate upcoming Sino-American talks. (AFP)
Japan: Before meeting with President Obama today, PM Noda indicated Japan would boost its defenses in Asia in line with the US strategy to focus on the Asia-Pacific. (UPI)
Korea, South: The coastguard arrested nine Chinese fishermen for illegal fishing after a scuffle.(AFP)
Nepal: A bomb exploded in a southern market killing four. (AP)
Pakistan: A US drone strike killed three suspected militants. It was condemned this morning by Pakistan. (AP)
Pakistan: A British aid worker was kidnapped and beheaded. (Reuters, AFP)

EUROPE

Region: Italy and Germany plan to coordinate their approval of EU fiscal pacts in the coming months. (AFP)
Region: German Chancellor Angela Merkel plans to boycott Euro 2012 if Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko is kept in jail. (Guardian)
Romania: PM designate Victor Ponta is to meet with the IMF today before announcing his cabinet tomorrow. (AP)
Russia: Announced it was 62 percent of the way towards eliminating its chemical weapons stockpile by 2015. (RIA Novosti)

MIDDLE EAST

Iran: American officials and outside analysts indicate the chance of conflict is decreasing. (NYT)
Israel: PM Netanyahu signaled he soon might call early elections, a move that would impact the MEPP and Iran deliberations. (AP)
Syria: Norwegian Major General Robert Mood, a chief UN negotiator, flew to the Damascus airport with the backing of UNSG Ban Ki-moon. (AFP)
Syria: RPGs were fired at the Central Bank building in Damascus. (Reuters)
Syria: Two suspected suicide bombers exploded near a military compound in the northwestern city of Idlib, killing at least eight people, and causing heavy damage. (AP)
Yemen: Former president Saleh plans to temporarily leave to allow recently elected President Hadi to rule unhindered by his predecessor. (Reuters)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

Social Gifting: Retailers are working with a Swedish company named Wrapp to have social media users gift their friends free $5-$15 gift cards to be acquired and used at retail stores. (All Things D)

WORLD

TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (01MAY)

Global: International Worker’s Day/Labor Day/May Day celebrated.
Asia: USNS Mercy embarks on a goodwill mission to Southeast Asia.
Europe: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia joined the EU – 2004.
Canada: Operation Nunalivut 2012 ends its security and sovereignty operation in the High Arctic.
Cuba: Anniversary of Fidel Castro declaring Cuba a socialist state – 1961.
Kazakhstan: People’s Unity Day celebrated.
United States: Anniversary of President George W. Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” declaration for the Iraq War – 2003.