Region

15 months after Mubarak ’s ouster, this week Egyptians headed to the ballot box to choose a new President in the country’s first multi-candidate Presidential election. Unlike previous polls when election results had invariably been foregone conclusions, the outcome of this historic vote is uncertain with analysts and voters unable to speculate who the likely winner may be.

Americans do it, Spaniards do it, Mexicans do it, Israelis do it, even liberal Canadians do it, let’s do it, let’s criminalise peaceful protest.
As many countries hurriedly pass new legislation – or simply apply “antiterrorist” laws – to forbid nonviolent action, this can only strengthen the resolve of the protesters to stick to it.

Bill 78 is an affront to basic freedoms that goes far beyond what is permissible under provincial, national, international human rights laws. What began as protests led by student groups over a proposed hike in tuition fees have expanded in size and focus in recent weeks, with more than 2,000 arrests being made. On 23 May close to 700 protesters were arrested in several cities.

The federal government will support the private bill C-309 aiming at prohibiting wearing mask during a demonstration, said Sunday the Canadian Minister for Justice, Rob Nicholson. Accoring to the minister the dissimulation of the identity would be criminal. To take part in a riot while carrying a mask or dissimulate its identity would be criminal in Canada.

Reports Without Borders strongly condemns the arrest by Israeli troops on 17 May in the West Bank of Baha Khairi Attalah Mousa, the director of the Palestinian Prisoner Channel, a satellite television station for Palestinian prisoners. The soldiers also seized broadcasting equipment, computers, video cameras and documents.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers is strongly condemning Quebec’s Bill 78, the law tabled in Quebec to end the 14-week student strike, for violating fundamental freedoms of association, assembly, and expression. Already, the bill has received strong criticism from the Quebec Bar Association, student groups, labour organizations, and civil liberties groups.

I strongly believe that the time is right for Turkey and Israel to mend their critically important bilateral relationship which has suffered a precipitous decline since 2010. With the Middle East in turmoil as a result of the Arab Spring, the perilously unfolding crisis in Syria, the concerns around the Iranian nuclear program…. (read more)….

World leaders are convening at Camp David in Maryland for the G8 Summit. Leading nonprofits such as Save the Children and Oxfam are urging G8 leaders to live up to a 2009 pledge of $22 billion towards food security in developing nations of which only a quarter has been met. Activists are also urging G8 leaders to build on their previous commitments to urgently tackle hunger.

Spanish teachers foretold a large participation in the general strike next Tuesday, to protest budget cuts in education decreed by the government of Mariano Rajoy.
After calling a million workers to support the protest, leaders of the 5 largest unions in the sector said that the strike will be an unprecedented success the aggression of the Popular Party (PP) to public school.

A large-scale march was staged by inhabitants of the northern city of Calama, mining capital of Chile, who demand the allocation of more resources to copper mining cities.
The “March for Dignity” went toward the city hall, there they presented a setter addressed to regional and national authorities, rejecting a funding project announced by authorities for mining municipalities