Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Daily News Brief for Tuesday, May fourth: *) India’s Covid cases soar past 20 million India's total Covid caseload has soared past 20 million as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the country's hospitals. In the past 24 hours, India added over 357,000 cases while the deaths rose by more than 3,400 to over 222,000 (two hundred and twenty two thousand). Many believe the true numbers to be much higher. India’s ferocious new wave has been blamed on government failure and new virus variants. *) Biden quadruples Trump refugee cap after delay backlash US President Joe Biden has formally raised the nation's cap on refugee admissions to 62,500 this year after facing bipartisan blowback for his delay. The change follows backlash from allies over Biden's earlier decision to keep his predecessor Donald Trump’s cap of 15,000 refugees. The programme is only for refugees selected by US security and intelligence agencies from United Nations camps around the world. *) Fresh protests called against Colombia tax reform Protesters in Colombia have called for a new mass rally after 19 people died and more than 800 were wounded in five days of protests against tax reform. The office of Colombia's human rights ombudsman said 846 people were injured in the protests that began across the country late last month. Authorities have detained over 400 people, and the government has deployed the military in the worst-affected cities. *) Several dead in Myanmar parcel bomb blasts Blasts from at least one parcel bomb in Myanmar have killed five people, including an ousted lawmaker and three police officers opposing military rule. Since the country’s coup, Myanmar has seen an increasing number of explosions, some of which targeted government offices or military facilities. The latest blasts were in a village in the southern central part of Myanmar in Western Bago. And finally ... *) Mexico apologises to indigenous Maya for centuries of abuse The Mexican government has offered an official apology to the indigenous Mayan