Politics

Malaysia will investigate claims of police brutality following the death of a demonstrator in a mass street protest for electoral reform, a senior minister said Monday. Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon and arrested more than 1,600 people to end a rally to demand electoral changes on Saturday, drawing intense criticism from human rights groups.

Protests continue in Tahrir Square six months after Mubarak resigned on the famous Day of Departure and while much of the world’s media is looking elsewhere for news. More demands are raised by protesters, yet the family atmosphere in Tahrir Square is causing difficulties for the military who fear using tear gas in such an environment.

On the same day as Germany assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council on July 1, some 300 current and former policy makers and experts from 43 countries launched the 59th Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs on ‘European Contributions to Nuclear Disarmament and Conflict Resolution’ with a special day-long symposium focusing on NATO-Russia relationship.

The Israeli parliament is set to vote on a bill that will impose sanctions on people or organizations that call for a boycott of Israel or its settlements. The Israeli parliament’s legal advisor, Eyal Inon, was set to make a statement against the bill on Monday, saying the new law will damage freedom of expression.

Nearly 17,000 workers at Chile´s National Copper Corporation, went on strike on Monday to protest about the privatization of the mining company. The strikers planned a national rally in Plaza de la Ciudadania outside the presidential palace, where copper miners, the teachers’ union and student federations will demand the re-nationalization of the copper mining industry.

The Argentine ambassador to the United Nations, Jorge Argüello, confirmed Argentina’s readiness to “negotiate” with the United Kingdom. This comes after Cristina Fernández de Kirschner described Britain’s rejection of dialogue as a “gesture of mediocrity and stupidity.” Argüello pointed out that the British government “is remaining without arguments” in the dispute.

Peace activists won a major victory on Monday, June 20, when the US Conference of Mayors voted to adopt two resolutions that call for a drawdown of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and the abolition of nuclear weapons. Both resolutions also demand the reprioritization of defense spending, including the $126 billion spent each year in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While headlines in global media focus upon candidates for the presidency and new parties jostling for electoral advantage, the dynamics of change in Egypt are being shaped at the grass-roots. After six months of political tumult familiar problems dominate the lives of most Egyptians. What is the price of bread? Are jobs available – and what do they pay?

Last week it was announced that Rupert Murdoch would be allowed to own all of BSkyB, a large provider of TV and video. Now a series of reports of criminal and indecent journalism on the part of the “News of the World”, part of Murdoch’s newspaper group are coming out. Avaaz is campaigning to flood the BSkyB public consultation and stop the deal.

Demonstrators take to the street tomorrow in Malaysia calling for reforms of the electoral system to make elections clean and fair. The rally, organised by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) is supported by the three largest opposition parties in the country but deemed illegal by the government.