Newly released deputy chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood Khairat al-Shater attends a pro-democracy rally at Tahrir Square in Cairo in this March 4, 2011 file photo
Eying the Presidency – The Daily News Egypt assesses the implications of the surprising nomination of the Muslim Brotherhood’s key financier and long-time chief whip Khairat Al-Shater for the upcoming presidential elections – reversing an earlier pledge not to field a candidate. Meanwhile Al Jazeera English profiles the man described in some Arab media as the Muslim Brotherhood’s “hawk” or “enforcer.”
Save the Date – Thirty years after the start of Falklands War there is still debate about the sovereignty of the South Atlantic islands. In a statement marking the anniversary, British Prime Minster David Cameron noted it is the choice of the people of the Falklands not government who determines the future, the BBC reports. NPR interviews Argentines on both sides of the issue.
Trouble Down South – Thailand’s the Nation newspaper analyses the implications of Saturday’s wave of bombings in the country’s insurgency-wracked southern provinces that killed at least four and injured more than 300 people. “The overall picture in the South is one of the government on the defensive and separatists on the offensive, executing well-planned and successful operations,” it writes.
Online Crackdown – The South China Morning Post reports on Beijing’s clampdown on micro-blogging accounts following last month’s false rumors of a coup. “The crackdown revealed a state of anxiety among the authorities. State propaganda mouthpieces ramped up the rhetoric on Saturday with warnings about how microblogs could be converted into cheap tools to instigate public disorder” it says.
Victory Party – The long-term effect of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Sunday’s parliamentary elections remains to be seen, but the immediate impact was evident from the elation in the streets. Foreign Policy’s Democracy Lab suggests 16 ideas for Burma. TIME’s Hannah Beech details election day.
Working Poor – The New York Times enters the world of Paris’ working poor, with strong welfare programs proving unprepared to handle the growing numbers unable to cover basic living expenses on low-wage jobs. Conditions are worse in Greece and Spain, but even more prosperous nations such as France are seeing the number of working poor rise. “Europe’s long-running euro crisis may be cooling. But the economic distress it has left in its wake is pushing a rising tide of workers into precarious straits in France and across the European Union,” it writes.