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Tuesday, April 6, 2021

IMF upgrades forecast for 2021 global growth to a record 6%

WASHINGTON (AP) — The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and vast sums of government aid will accelerate global economic growth to a record high this year in a powerful rebound from the pandemic recession, the International Monetary Fund says in its latest forecasts.

Thee 190-country lending agency said Tuesday that it expects the world economy to expand 6% for 2021, up from the 5.5% it had forecast in January. It would be the fastest expansion for the global economy in IMF records dating to 1980.

In 2022, the IMF predicts, international economic growth will decelerate to a still strong 4.4%, up from its January forecast of 4.2%. The agency’s economists now estimate that the global economy shrank 3.3% in 2020 after the devastating recession that followed the coronavirus’ eruption across the world early last spring.

That is the worst annual figure in the IMF’s database, though not as severe as the 3.5% drop it had estimated three months ago. Without heavy government aid that helped sustain companies and consumers during COVID-19 lockdowns, IMF forecasters say, last year’s downturn could have been three times worse.

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Monday, April 5, 2021

Forecasting Biden’s Foreign Policy in Southeast Asia

The day before John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961, he met with an outgoing President Eisenhower. According to the Pentagon Papers, “Eisenhower said with considerable emotion that Laos was the key to the entire area of Southeast Asia, that we should make every effort to persuade member nations of SEATO … to defend the freedom of Laos. President-elect Kennedy … asked if the situation seemed to be approaching a climax. Eisenhower stated that the entire proceeding was extremely confused.”

If, two months ago, a similar briefing had been given to a President-elect Biden by an outgoing President Trump, the details 60 years on would have been different, but the tone, tenor, and message strikingly similar. The main difference would have been a shift in focus from Laos—and by extension, Indochina—in 1961 to Thailand on the mainland and to the Philippines in maritime Southeast Asia.

That is, a shift from countries six decades ago whose governments the U.S. was propping up to those today with which it has increasingly uncertain relations. And, of course, two weeks after that recent imaginary briefing, Myanmar would have been added to the list overnight.

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Saturday, March 6, 2021

Myanmar military conducts violent night raids

Myanmar’s military overnight Saturday conducted violent raids throughout the country's largest city of Yangon amid ongoing protests following last month’s military-led coup.

Reuters reported that local residents said the military late Saturday and into the early hours of Sunday local time stormed and fired several shots into crowds of demonstrators in several districts throughout the city.

New Zealand: New tsunami warning after third earthquake hits

A magnitude 8 earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of New Zealand early on Friday, the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) said, triggering tsunami warnings.

TSUNAMI WARNING: Areas that need to evacuate are indicated on this map. Evacuate these areas even if you did not feel the earthquake. DO NOT WAIT. A damaging tsunami is possible. More info at https://t.co/ccVFYQQoBr pic.twitter.com/bnEgZy8ikF
— National Emergency Management Agency (@NZcivildefence) March 4, 2021

The powerful quake, which hit just before 9 a.m. local time (2000 GMT Thursday) off the Kermadec Islands (1,000 km/621 miles northeast of New Zealand), followed earlier 7.4 and 7.2-magnitude quakes.

YouTube pulls Myanmar military channels as UN prepares to meet on crisis

YouTube has removed five channels run by Myanmar's military for violating its guidelines.

The video service announced the move on Friday, as demonstrators defied growing violence by security forces and staged more anti-coup protests ahead of a special UN Security Council meeting on the country's political crisis.

YouTube said it was watching for any further content that might violate its rules.

National People's Congress: China plans 'green transformation' of economy

The National People's Congress, China's annual parliamentary event, opens Friday in Beijing. For the second straight year, it will be a mostly virtual event because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Although the NPC is China's main legislature, the Communist Party ensures that important decisions are made long before any proposals reach the body.

The party sometimes uses the NPC to reveal major policy and personnel changes.

Old Delhi retains touristic charm despite adversity

Narrow lanes in New Delhi's old town embody the history of the Indian capital, with street food, bazaars and architecture that have captured the imagination of people from around the world.

Man attacks eight with axe before being shot by police

Swedish police said a man assaulted at least eight people in a southern town yesterday and that the case was being investigated as ”attempted murder”.

Police said a man in his 20s attacked people in the small town of Vetlanda, about 190 kilometres southeast of Goteborg, Sweden’s second largest city.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy jailed for corruption and ‘influence peddling’

A Paris court has found French former President Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of corruption and influence-peddling and sentenced him to one year in prison and a two-year suspended sentence.

The 66-year-old politician, who was president from 2007 to 2012, was convicted for having tried to illegally obtain information from a senior magistrate in 2014 about a legal action in which he was involved.

Hong Kong protesters come out as 47 pro-democracy figures appear in court

Hong Kong (CNN)Hundreds of protesters risked arrest to demonstrate outside a Hong Kong court, where 47 pro-democracy activists appeared Monday charged with subversion under the national security law, as authorities step up their crackdown against opposition voices.

The protest was the largest seen in the city for months, with those gathered chanting the banned slogan, "Liberate Hong Kong! Revolution of our time!" and carrying placards demanding the release of those rounded up under the sweeping legislation.

Aung San Suu Kyi hit with another charge as defiant protesters return to Myanmar streets

Myanmar's ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was hit with another charge Monday, as protesters returned to the streets in a show of defiance following the deadliest day since the military seized power in a coup in early February.

Suu Kyi appeared in a court hearing via video conference where she was charged under Myanmar's colonial-era penal code prohibiting publishing information that may "cause fear or alarm," her lawyer said according to Reuters.

Three names mysteriously removed from Khashoggi intelligence report after initial publication

Shortly after the US intelligence community published its long-awaited report on Friday afternoon on the Saudis who were responsible for the death of Jamal Khashoggi, it was taken down without explanation and replaced with another version that removed the names of three men it had initially said were complicit.

The quiet switch by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence went largely unnoticed as the outcry grew that the Biden administration was failing to punish the prince in any way, despite having just declared in no uncertain terms that MBS was responsible.

Indians are telling their 18 million-strong diaspora to keep out of their affairs

When American author Meena Harris tweeted criticism of the Indian state's clampdown on farmers protesting agricultural reforms, nationalist counter-protesters responded by burning her portrait. Hundreds of Indians barraged her with abuse on Twitter, telling her to stay out of their country's affairs.

Harris -- who is the niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris and is also of Indian descent -- rejected the idea that the 18 million people who make up the Indian diaspora had no place in expressing opinions on the country. In the US alone, 4.8 million people are either Indian migrants or report Indian heritage.

Myanmar police fire into air to disperse protests as Suu Kyi's lawyer says access denied

(Reuters) - Police dispersed protesters in Myanmar’s two biggest cities on Friday, firing stun grenades, rubber bullets and guns into the air, witnesses said, as the challenge to the army’s bid to re-impose its rule showed no sign of slackening.

At least one person was wounded in the protests in the main city of Yangon, a witness said, and several people were hurt in the second city of Mandalay.

Police were not immediately available for comment.

The Southeast Asian country has been in crisis since the army seized power on Feb. 1 and detained government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her party leadership after the military complained of fraud in a November election her party won. The election commission said the vote was fair.

U.S. aims to return to U.N. rights body, shield Israel

GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. President Joseph Biden's new administration said on Wednesday it would continue its international re-engagement by seeking election to the U.N. Human Rights Council where it will press to eliminate a "disproportionate focus" on ally Israel.

Under former President Donald Trump's more isolationist approach, Washington quit the council in 2018 but the Biden government has already returned as an observer.

"I'm pleased to announce the United States will seek election to the Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term," Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the council by video.

"We humbly ask for the support of all U.N. member states in our bid to return to a seat in this body."

Elections for three-year membership on the 47-member council are due at the U.N. General Assembly in October.

Hundreds of coffins fall into ocean after cemetery landslide in Italy

A landslide on the Italian coast near Genoa caused the collapse of a cemetery yesterday, leading to hundreds of coffins falling into the sea.

The Camogli cemetery, built more than 100 years ago, is situated along an area of rocky seaside cliffs. Francesco Olivari, the mayor of Camogli, called the collapse an "unimaginable catastrophe."

Canada’s Transport Minister Approves Air Transat’s Take-Over by Air Canada

In a long-awaited decision, on February 11, 2021, Canada’s newly appointed Transport Minister approved Air Canada’s acquisition of rival Air Transat on public interest grounds. The approval comes after an 18-month assessment into whether the combination of Canada’s largest and third-largest carriers should be allowed to proceed.

Myanmar blocks Facebook as resistance grows to military coup

Myanmar's new military government has blocked access to Facebook in the nation. The move comes amid growing calls for civil disobedience to protest the ousting of the elected government and its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Facebook users

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Friday, January 15, 2021

North Korea shows off new submarine-launched missiles after rare party congress

North Korea displayed what appeared to be a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) at a military parade, state media reported, capping more than a week of political meetings with a show of military might.

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UNICEF values diversity. Except at the top.

The infamous Berlin Conference of 1884 is often remembered as where European powers divided up Africa amongst themselves. Actually, the “Scramble for Africa” began much earlier. The 1884 conference, writes Patrick Gathara in Al Jazeera, played a different but important role

Marissa DuBois in Slow Motion Full Fashion Week 2023, Fashion Channel Vlog,