POLARIZATION IN TIMES OF DISPOSSESSION APRIL 02 - 04, 2021 HONG KONG COURT CONVICTS SURVIVING WAR AND VOL: 4- ISSUE 241 VICTIMHOOD: WOMEN AND . DEMOCRACY LEADERS OVER 30 PROTEST MARCH TAMIL NATIONALISM HOT TOPICS PAGE 05 COMMENTARY PAGE 08 CRITICAL EYE PAGE 11 Registered in the Department of Posts of Sri Lanka under No: QD/130/News/2021 UN Security Council ‘strongly’ condemns Myanmar violence, civilian deaths UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council on Thursday (April 1) "strongly condemned" the deaths of hundreds of civil- ians in Myanmar, in a unanimous statement watered down by China after two days of tough negotiations. "Members of the Security Council expressed deep concern at the rapidly deteriorating situation and strongly condemned the use of violence against peaceful protestors and the deaths of hundreds of civilians, including women and children," read the statement, initiated by former colonial power Britain. In earlier versions of the text, obtained by AFP, Western na- tions wanted to include a "readiness to consider further steps" - a reference to the possibility of international sanctions. But China, considered Myanmar's most important ally, blocked the language, diplomats said. Beijing also insisted on softening a reference to the "killing" of hundreds of civilians and changing it to civilian "deaths". Russia, diplomats said, also blocked the text several times because Moscow wanted a sentence condemning the death of security forces members in demonstrations. Still, despite the lengthy negotiations, getting the Security Council to speak with one voice sent a "very important signal," one ambassador said on condition of anonymity. Since the February 1 coup, the Security Council has issued three unanimous statements on Myanmar. But Beijing, which has never recognized the existence of a coup, reduced the scope of the negotiated texts each time. Moreover, the Security Coun- cil's positions have had little effect on the military so far. On Wednesday (March 31), the UN's special envoy on Myanmar called for strong actions against the junta and warned of a pos- sible "bloodbath" and the risk of civil war. -AFP - Louisa GOULIAMAKI / AFP Sao Paulo exhumes old graves A woman walks on a hill overlooking system under major strain. Civil groups of up to three people for 8,093 deaths since the start of the the ancient Acropolis in Athens protection deputy minister Nikos exercise or outdoor activities.The pandemic. More than 700 people to make space for surging on Thursday (April 1), a day after Hardalias said all retail outlets announcement came as Greece are in intensive care. A firm backer Greece said it would reopen except department stores and recorded 76 coronavirus-related of European vaccine passports, COVID-19 burials most shops and relax leisure malls would reopen from Monday deaths and over 3,600 new Greece is hoping to kickstart its restrictions despite persistently (5) and travel by car will also be infections over the last 24 hours. tourism season from mid-May SAO PAULO -Brazil’s biggest city on Thursday (April 1) sped up efforts to empty old graves, making room for a soaring num- high COVID-19 deaths and permitted for short distances Greece has registered more than onwards to claw back some badly ber of COVID-19 deaths as Sao Paulo city hall registered record infections that have put its health during weekends, for families or 260,000 coronavirus cases and needed revenue daily burials this week. Gravediggers in the Vila Nova Cachoeirinha cemetery in the city’s northern reaches worked in white hazmat suits to open the tombs of people buried years ago, bagging decomposed re- mains for removal to another location. Relocating remains is standard in cemetery operations, said Pandemic sharpens inequalities, could the municipal secretary responsible for funeral services, in a statement. But it has taken on new urgency as Brazil suffers its worse coronavirus wave since the pandemic began over a year ago. Brazil’s Health Ministry reported 3,769 new COVID-19 fuel unrest, IMF warns deaths on Thursday, narrowly missing a daily record for a third straight day. Bolivia announced on Thursday that it would shut WASHINGTON - The coronavirus pan- on children and youth, especially those good jobs. They suggested countries could its borders to Brazil, citing concerns over a new variant of the demic has worsened long-standing in- from poorer households.” rely more on property and inheritance tax- disease detected in its larger neighbour. equalities around the world, which left Increasing reliance on digital work and es, increase the tax rate for the wealthiest A day earlier, Brazilian biomedical institute Butantan said unaddressed could undermine econom- schooling worsen the impact, making it earners, and eliminate loopholes as well as that it had detected a new variant that shared similarities with ic stability and lead to unrest, the IMF harder for low-skilled workers to find jobs. “modernizing corporate income taxation.” one first seen in South Africa, which appears more resistant to warned on Thursday (April 1). “Against this backdrop, societies may Governments also could consider “tem- existing vaccines. The South African variant is more contagious, Poorest families have been hit particu- experience rising polarization, erosion of porary COVID-19 recovery contributions” as is an earlier variant discovered in Brazil. larly hard, and the damage to education trust in government, or social unrest,” the for high-income households, they said. Countries around the region have expressed concern that could last for years, the International IMF said. Using these funds for key social pro- Brazil is a breeding ground for new variants, as cases surge and Monetary Fund said in a report released The report - released a day after US grams can have “a powerful effect” at a Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro refuses to support masks ahead of next week’s Spring meetings. President Joe Biden proposed raising time when “up to six million children in and lockdowns. The findings show that the warnings corporate taxes to pay for a massive in- emerging market and developing econo- Brazil’s outbreak is the second-deadliest in the world after the fund economists sounded last year have frastructure and jobs program - called for mies could drop out of school in 2021, with United States, averaging about 3,100 deaths and 74,000 new come to pass. raising some taxes and improving tax col- lifelong adverse consequences.” cases per day over the past week - a rate that has climbed stead- “COVID-19 has exposed and exacer- lection to provide revenue for an improved “If governments increased spending on ily since February. bated pre-existing inequalities in incomes social safety net. education by one percent of GDP, for ex- Sao Paulo has also resorted to late-night burials to keep up and access to basic public services, such as Authors David Amaglobeli, Vitor Gas- ample, they could reduce the gap in en- with demand, with cemeteries authorized to stay open to 10:00 health care and vaccination, both within par, and Paolo Mauro in a blog post called rollment rates between the richest and the p.m. and across countries,” the report said. for governments to “give everyone a fair poorest families by almost one-third,” the -Agencies “Disruptions to education threaten so- shot at prosperity,” by improving access authors said. cial mobility by leaving long-lasting effects to health care, vaccinations, education and -AFP 36 feared dead in Taiwan train Quote for Today derailment Trending News Wise men speak because they have TAIPEI - Dozens of people are believed to have died in a train something to say; Fools because they have derailment in eastern Taiwan on Friday (2), railway police said. EU: Member nations fall out over how Myanmar: The ousted civilian leader to say something. In their latest rescue operation update, police said 36 passen- to divide up 10 million extra doses of Aung San Suu Kyi has been accused of gers were classified as "out of hospital cardiac arrest" - a term coronavirus vaccine with Austria, Slove- breaking a colonial-era official secrets -Unknown for someone showing no signs of life. nia and the Czech Republic refusing to law, her lawyer says, as Britain ramps Word for Today The statement said 72 people were still trapped inside train help five struggling countries. up sanctions against the junta and the carriages while 61 passengers had been sent to hospital. Brabble [brab-uhl] -verb (used without The eight-car train had been travelling from the Taipei area to UN Security Council condemns the object)- to argue stubbornly about trifles; Japan: The government announces deaths of hundreds of civilians. the eastern coastal city of Taitung when it came off the rails in a Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will wrangle tunnel just north of Hualien, causing several carriages to hit the hold face-to-face talks with Joe Biden Mozambique: More than a week af- walls of the tunnel, the government-run Central News Agency Today in History reported, citing the fire department. in Washington on April 16, as the first ter jihadists staged a deadly raid on Photos circulating online showed passengers evacuating from foreign leader hosted by the US presi- the northern town of Palma, survivors 1792 - The US dollar is introduced with the the train as fire department and medical workers tried to access dent. stream into the port of Pemba, capital of passing of the Coinage Act establishing the gas-rich Cabo Delgado province. United States Mint the carriages inside the stone tunnel Iran: World powers China, France, The Taroko Express train is one of the fastest in Taiwan and typically travels at around 80 mph. The agency said the train Germany, Russia, and the United King- Cuba: Authorities erects a giant con- Today is..