At least 200000 Egyptians have signed up on Facebook to back Mohamed ElBaradei, the former UN nuclear boss, who has said he wants to shatter 30 years of political stasis in Egypt by running for president. Despite a surge in online support for political alternatives to President Hosni Mubarak, 82, who has been in power since 1981, even ardent supporters acknowledge that online activism in Egypt cannot deliver change without action on the streets. ‘Crucial step’ Yusuf AbdelRahman, representing ElBaradei’s Facebook group, said the petition had 54870 online signatures so far but added that 15000 Facebook members have volunteered to go on the streets of Cairo and other cities to collect more signatures. “[This] is a crucial step considering that three decades of state repression has left many afraid of taking action. Others accept repressive measures as a fact of life,” he said. The speed supporters signed up to Facebook after ElBaradei returned to Egyptin February, adding tens of thousands in a few days, reflects pent-up frustration before parliament and presidential elections this year and next, analysts say. But they say the challenge is galvanizing the masses in a country where opposition parties are weak, where police crush even modest protests and where the banned Muslim Brotherhood, the biggest opposition group, has shunned action on the streets. Even modest protests in Egypt draw an overwhelming, and often violent, police response. But heavy-handed security has also …
Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has welcomed the news of Cuba’s possible release of 52 political prisoners a day after the country’s Catholic Church made the announcement. The Cuban government has not made an official statement on the reported move but jailed Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas, who demanded the release of dozens of political prisoners, ended his 135-day hunger strike on Thursday following the church’s announcement. And Spain, which brokered the reported release agreement, is now asking the European Union to rethink its position on Cuba. Human rights activists, however, are questioning whether there has been any improvement in the communist state’s rights record. Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo reports. (July 09, 2010)
Bangladesh has been paralysed by a dawn to dusk general strike – as pressure grows for an early election. Opposition parties accuse the government of failing to deliver on a series of promises. Dozens of activists have been arrested during protests in the capital, Dhaka. Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque has more.
A leading candidate for governor of a Mexican state has been gunned down in an ambush while campaigning in the northern state of Tamau-lipas. Felipe Calderon, the Mexican president, blamed drug gangs for Monday’s killing of Rodolfo Torre, saying it was evidence that gangs were trying to infiltrate the election process. Some 25000 people have been killed since Calderon came into office in 2006 and launched a crackdown on drug gangs and related violence. Al Jazeera’s Mariana Sanchez reports from the town of Nuevo Laredo in Tamau-lipas. (June 29, 2010)
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Nepal’s government could collapse if an agreement is not reached to extend a Friday deadline on a new constitution. Efforts to rescue the country’s peace plan are already under way, but if the parties fail to reach a consensus, the interim parliament as well as all laws and the functions of state, will simply cease to exist. Al Jazeera’s Hamish Macdonald reports from Kathmandu. (May 27, 2010)
The former Philippine first lady was known for her vast collection of shoes accumulated while her husband, Ferdinand Marcos, was in power. Since Marcos was ousted in the 1986 “people power” revolution, Imelda has faced several charges of embezzlement, corruption and tax evasion. But the 80-year-old is still influential in parts of the Philippines, and she is bidding for a congressional seat in this year’s election. Al Jazeera’s Veronica Pedrosa goes on a museum tour about the former first lady, conducted by Carlos Celdran. (May 9, 2010)
As Pakistan’s security forces battle Taliban fighters in the northwest and explosions tear through its cities, many are asking if the country is paying the price for the policies of its powerful spy agency – the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Is the ISI safeguarding Pakistani interests in a volatile region, or destabilising the subcontinent by pushing its own agenda?
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Tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators in Thailand remain in Bangkok vowing to continue their protests. The leaders of the so-called red shirts say they expect another effort to shift them after clashes last Saturday which left 23 people dead. Government officials say they are open to talks and have no plans to clear the demonstrators. But as Al Jazeera’s Tony Birtley reports from Bangkok, the military is preparing for another showdown. (Apr 16, 2010)
Jean-Max Bellerive, Haiti’s prime minister, says his government is in danger of collapsing, as gangs and political opponents capitalise on its inability to deal with the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake. His comments come amid concern that armed gangs could try to take advantage of the situation to re-take control of areas now patrolled by UN peacekeepers. But the presence of foreign soldiers is seen as an insult to many who remain deeply loyal to Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haiti’s former president, whose second term ended when he was ousted in a coup in 2004. Al Jazeera’s Sebastian Walker reports from the capital, Port-au-Prince, where he met one of Aristide’s supporters who says he is ready to use weapons to bring back the former president. 20 Feb 10
The US supreme court has issued a landmark ruling that will change the way US election campaigns are financed. By a 5 to 4 vote, the court lifted long-standing limits on corporate spending in political campaigns, opening the door for private entities to flood the political marketplace with corporate money. Al Jazeera’s John Terrett explains why it is likely to have an immediate effect on the upcoming Congressional elections in November.
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