 Hello and welcome to the International Daily Roundup by People's Dispatch, where we bring you major news developments from around the world. Our headlines? Port workers in Canada launch indefinite general strike. Avo Morales announces regional integration platform for social movements, CIPRI report reveals global military spending rose despite COVID-19 pandemic, and in our video section we take a look at the renewed protests, demanding the release of Mumi Abu Jamal in the US. In our first story, we go to Canada where port workers have launched an indefinite strike in the Quebec province. Workers are protesting the recent announced changes in work shifts and prolonged contract negotiations. 1,150 workers, organised by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, staged a walkout with the Port of Montreal on April 26th. CUP workers at first launched an overtime strike on April 13th. This was after the Maritime Employees Association suspended minimum pay guarantees over a decline in cargo traffic. Dock workers at the Port of Montreal have also been without an employment contract since December 2018. As long-standing issues had resulted in a 19-day strike held in August last year, workers had also launched weekend strikes starting April 17th and 18th, after no resolution was reached in the negotiations for a new contract. The strike on April 26th was launched on the same day as the new work shifts were set to be imposed. Those new shifts would be 7 hours long, as opposed to the previous shifts that lasted 5 hours and 20 minutes. Following a 72-hour strike notice issued by the workers on Friday, the federal government announced it would introduce a back-to-work legislation to forcibly end the strike. Minister Philomena Tassie made the announcement on April 25th. As reported by CT News Montreal, Tassie by timetabled the bill as early as April 28th. The decision has been condemned by the Port workers, trade unions and certain opposition groups. The Port of Montreal is the second-largest in Canada, with around 19,000 people employed directly and indirectly. CUP workers have stated that a strike will not impact essential services and shipments related to pandemic relief. In our next story, former Bolivian President Evo Morales has announced a creation of a regional integration platform known as Runasur. It will serve as a unity platform for indigenous communities and social movements across Latin America. The platform was formally announced on April 26th, following meetings with the Technical Commission in Cochabamba in Bolivia. The commission is composed of representatives from Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina and Bolivia. Members of unions and social movements are also present as observers. Morales stated on Monday that Runasur was aimed at fighting for true liberation and creating a plurinational America. The platform will be anti-capitalist, anti-colonial, sovereign and anti-imperial. Responsibilities and decision-making roles will rotate and decisions will be based on the consensus. Delegates also call for an end to the technological monopolization of health. The members of the Technical Commission will be now responsible for reaching out to social movements in eight other South American countries. Runasur will serve as a collective platform for mobilizations across sectors, as well as all regions. It is headquartered in Bolivia and will now convene for a meeting with 12 American countries. Our next story is about defense spending and global military expenditure grew to $1,981 billion in 2020. The increase was recorded despite a contraction of the global GDP by over 4.4%. In fact, 2020 witnessed a 2.6% increase in defense expenditure as compared to 2019. These findings are part of a new report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute or CIPRI on April 26th. As per the report, five countries accounted for 62% of the global expenditure. These were the US, China, India, Russia and the UK. The US was once again the largest contributor to defense expenditure with a record increase of over 4.4%. Its military budget was around $778 billion in 2020 alone. This is 39% of the total global military expenditure. Europe as a whole recorded an increase of 4% compared to 2019. Chinese defense expenditure also grew to $252 billion. Latin America and the West Asia recorded a decline while Asia and Oceania saw a 2.5% increase. The rise in defense expenditure, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, has drawn widespread condemnation. The UK government has been criticized for increasing its defense spending while the country was among the worst hit. India has also increased its defense expenditure last year to $72.9 billion. The country is now facing a brutal second wave of COVID-19 and a healthcare system faces severe shortages. In our final story, we go to the US where demonstrations were held this weekend for the release of Moomi Abu Jamal, a former member of the Black Panthers. He has been a prominent activist and journalist. Abu Jamal is currently serving a life sentence over allegations that he killed a police officer in 1981. Our activists have consistently pointed to police and judicial misconduct and irregularities in his conviction. Right's group Amnesty International also stated that his trial did not meet international standards. April 24th marked Abu Jamal's 67th birthday. Here is a video feature on the mobilizations held in solidarity with him. It is incredibly important for us to unite to free Moomi Abu Jamal. He has been in prison for over 40 years for a crime he did not commit for his outspoken defense of black people, of people who are struggling against the US government, against gentrification and he was framed and he was set up at a time when the Philadelphia Police Department and government was rampant with KKK members and white council members. But now it is a very even more critical time for Moomiah because he is 67 years old and he has incredible health problems that were developed inside. And it's important that you all know that Moomiah is innocent and that we will rally around his freedom with him having his heart surgery and then with his chain shackles on his hospital bed. What I think is we're going to have a continued struggle even though the murderer of Brother Floyd was you know found guilty. The whole world was watching what were they going to do but that one correct decision does not obliterate or erase the entire Jim Crow lynching mass incarceration. That's all your time for today. We'll be back tomorrow with more news from around the world. Until then keep watching People's Dispatch.