Media killings spark protests in Mexico

On May 15, parliamentary elections will take place nationwide in Lebanon. The Lebanese diaspora, estimated to be double the size of the domestic population, already cast their ballots last week. Around 60 percent of people across 58 countries turned out, slightly more than in 2018. We bring you a special edition of Middle East Matters on Lebanon's first elections since the mass protests of 2019.

Pro-choice demonstrators are rallying across the US in opposition to the Supreme Court's draft opinion that could scrap the right to abortion. Protesters say it is only the beginning of their fight against the decision.

After a White supremacist killed 10 Black residents of Buffalo, New York, various op-ed pieces in major American newspapers show that both Republicans and Democrats are accused of exploiting racial violence for political gain. We also take a look at Democratic candidate John Fetterman's landslide victory in a Senate primary election in Pennsylvania. We end with a public service announcement on the dangers of popping champagne (or prosecco) after shaking the bottle!

In 2020, Thai youth sparked the largest wave of anti-government protests since the 2014 military coup. But human rights activists say persecutions and systematic harassment have weakened the pro-democracy movement.

Egyptian influencers, especially women, have become the target of a crackdown by authorities. At least a dozen women have been prosecuted since 2020 for ''attacking family values''. Two of them, Haneen Hossam and Mawada al-Adham, were sentenced to three and six years in jail on charges of "attacking society's values" and "inciting human trafficking". Like many TikTokers, they made videos of themselves dancing and lip-synching to music. For more on the crackdown, we speak to Souleimene Benghazi, an Egypt and Tunisia campaigner at Amnesty International.

Following the second-deadliest school shooting in US history, protesters faced off with gun enthusiasts at an NRA convention in Texas this weekend. But both sides doubt that reforms will happen.

Vaping and e-cigarettes have been banned from sale in Mexico, with expanded restrictions on smoking and vaping on the way.

A new bill, if approved, is expected to bring further restrictions on online freedom of expression and media freedom in Turkey.

Anti-Rwanda protests hit Congolese cities, accusing Kigali of backing the M23 rebel group. Two Rwandan soldiers have however been released in peace talks mediated by Angola. Also, hundreds of Sudanese protesters have demanded the dismissal of the United Nations mission chief, who is working to resolve a political crisis sparked by last year's military coup. And Pritzker Prize winner Diebedo Francis Kéré is given a hero's welcome on a trip back to Ouagadougou.

Police have been accused of failing to keep tabs on a racist killer during one of Germany's worst-ever far-right shootings. Police say they had to proceed cautiously.

Hundreds of students in Beijing have called for freedom of movement amid concerns over tightening COVID restrictions on campuses. Videos circulated online showing students tearing down a metal wall.

Hundreds of students in Beijing have called for freedom of movement amid concerns over tightening COVID restrictions on campuses. Videos circulated online showing students tearing down a metal wall.