(FORA.tv, May 10, 2011) Patri Friedman, executive director and chairman of the Seasteading Institute, argues that government is an institution greatly in need of improvement, but one in which innovation is nearly impossible. He proposes building start-up countries at sea as the solution. "What we need," explains Friedman, "is a new physical frontier, a blank canvas for experiments."

(Euronews: 0744 PT, May 3, 2011) Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will head a majority government for the first time after his Conservative Party won Monday's parliamentary elections. The Conservatives picked up nearly 40 percent of the vote, taking 167 seats in Canada's parliament.

Harper, who had previously headed two minority governments in his five years as PM, says he can secure Canada's economic recovery and wipe out its budget deficit. The 52-year-old says this can be achieved by slashing public spending and cutting taxes.

(Democracy Now! 0758 PT, May 3, 2011) Democracy Now! interviews Stephen Lewis, long-time member of the National Democratic Party, about the results of the Canadian elections. The Conservative party, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, was elected to a majority in the Canadian parliament, ending five years of minority government.

(Mosaic Video Alert: April 22, 2011) Massive anti-government demonstrations took place in Oman and Saudi Arabia today. In Oman’s southern port city of Salalah, thousands of demonstrators demanded better wages and jobs, saying the government’s promised reforms are not enough. In Saudi Arabia’s eastern city of Qatif, hundreds protested in solidarity with anti-government protesters in Bahrain, despite the ban on protests. They condemned the burning and destruction of Bahraini mosques by Saudi and Bahraini troops. Press TV reports:

(Al Jazeera English: 0305 PST, March 31, 2011) Yemen's president has made a new offer to end the country's political crisis after talks with opposition parties stalled on Saturday. The proposal suggests that Ali Abdullah Saleh stay in his position, but hand over some of his power to a caretaker government. But it's not enough for tens of thousands of protesters in Sanaa. Our correspondent, who we are not naming for safety reasons, filed this report.

(Euronews: 0143 PST, March 30, 2011) Dummies substituted for politicians in Belgium on the day the country ties Iraq for the record time without a new government: 289 days. Many of them throwing shoes at the dummies, some 10,000 Belgians were protesting a failure by their federal government and the regional government of Flanders to agree on rights for health care workers.

One protester said: "It's high time they do something about this. We want a salary increase and more staff, otherwise we can't work properly."

(Democracy Now! 0821 PST, March 28, 2011) As many as 500,000 protesters marched in London on Saturday to protest Britain's deepest cuts to public spending since World War II. The protests come after UK officials estimated corporate taxes would be reduced even as it tackles a $235-billion deficit and plans to cut more than 300,000 public sector jobs.

Democracy Now! interviews British journalist Johann Hari who writes for The Independent of London and Allison Kilkenny of Citizen Radio in New York.

Spending Cuts Demo: Police and Protesters Clash in London

(Channel 4 News: 1408 PST, March 26, 2011) As hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated against government spending cuts in London on Saturday, clashes broke out between police and protesters.

(Associated Press: 0851 PST, March 18, 2011) Facing the prospect of an air assault by countries enforcing a United Nations no-fly zone, Libya says it is stopping military operations against rebels. Also in the country, missing New York Times journalists are found.

Libyan Foreign Minister Announces Ceasefire

(France 24: 0739 PST, March 18, 2011) Libyan foreign minister Moussa Koussa makes a televised statement announcing an immediate ceasefire by government forces, but reports of fighting continue.

(Euronews: 0710 PST, March 18, 2011) Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi shelled the rebel-held town of Misurata on Friday morning, according to opposition troops holed up in the coastal city.

It came after last night's resolution authorising military action against Libyan forces but before Libya's foreign minister declared that Libya would respect the resolution and had declared a ceasefire.

The attack is believed to have started at around 7am CET and involved tanks and heavy artillery. Amateur video showed buildings in the city going up in smoke.

(Al Jazeera English: 0950 PST, March 17, 2011) Fierce clashes have been reported from the cities of Ajdabiyah and Misurata, and air strikes by government forces in the opposition stronghold of Benghazi, as the crisis in Libya continues.

Opposition fighters say they fear that pro-Gaddafi forces will encircle the towns they control on the country's east coast, even as government forces launch a renewed offensive against them. Al Jazeera's Nazanine Sadri reports.

(Mosaic Video Alert: March 16, 2011) The BBC reports on violent clashes between anti-government protestors and security forces in the western Yemeni city of Hodeidah. Forces tried to disperse the crowd by using live ammunition, rubber bullets, and tear gas. Demonstrations and rallies are also being held in a number of the country's provinces such as Sana'a, Aden, and Ta'iz to demand that Ali Abdullah Saleh step down. Reports from the eastern provinces of al-Jawf and Ma'rib indicate that the ruling party is planning to organize its supporters to carry out similar protests in several provinces. This will be done in an attempt to counter the regime's opponents and show support for Saleh's decision to stay in power until the end of his mandate in 2013.