Must-Reads From Around the World: April 25, 2012

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Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

President Barack Obama takes to the stage to deliver remarks at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) annual policy conference in Washington, March 4, 2012.

Preventing Atrocities Overseas – Scrutinizing the mandate of President Barack Obama’s newly created Atrocities Prevention Board, tasked with developing strategies to prevent mass killings abroad, the Christian Science Monitor wonders if it will lead to more Libya-style action. The Atlantic applauds the body’s intentions, but explores the potential risks of greater global intervention. “No one wants more mass atrocities,” the author Trevor Thrall writes, “but many do question the extent to which preventing them is actually a core national-security interest or moral responsibility of the United States.”

Home Schooled in Afghanistan – In a tale of despair and hope, the Washington Post reveals that while Taliban insurgents have stepped up their efforts to close down girls’ schools in many parts of eastern Afghanistan, their edicts and threats have given birth to a thriving network of “underground schools,” run secretly by Afghans themselves, for the education of girls.

Sudan vs. South Sudan – As violence between the rival Sudans intensifies, the war rhetoric has also been dialed up a notch. According to the New York Times, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir claims Sudan has “declared war” on his country. In an effort to broker peace, the African Union has asked both nations to stop all attacks and pull out of the disputed area of Abyei, near Heglig, within two weeks, the BBC reports.

Rupert The Bearer Of Blame– As media mogul Rupert Murdoch takes to the witness box at the Leveson Inquiry Wednesday into the relationship between press, police and politicians, the Independent strays from the common view that he will follow his son in seeking revenge against Britain’s politicians, as outlined by the Daily Mail, instead painting the 81-year-old as “massively diminished,” who will be made a “human punchline” at the inquiry, the unconscious aim of which is about “systematically and exhaustively humiliating Rupert Murdoch and his minions.”

French-Jewish Challenges – Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz analyses the impact the French presidential election result could have on the nation’s relationship with its Jewish community and with Israel, weighing up Nicolas Sarkozy’s “strong links” with French Jews and “deep sympathy” for Israel, with the “anti-Zionism” of French socialists, which it labels as “the new anti-Semitism.”

Victimless Politics – In light of Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney celebrating a win across five primaries, the New York Daily News advises him against “playing the victim,” and instead suggests he uses President Barack Obama’s “tactic” of “playing the aggressor.” Tips on how to campaign against Obama suggest Romney should “intimidate” the press, “spare no one,” “scold” authority, and “enlist the electorate.”