Brazilian Covid Variant
Brazil is struggling hugely with their second wave of the virus, which is overwhelming hospitals and resources, with record numbers of daily deaths. The new variant in particular is making it hard to control, and in addition to this, the example set by President Bolsonaro has discouraged people from following mask mandates. Bolsonaro has said on multiple occasions that the virus is being overdramatised by scientists, claiming people need to stop “whining” and “being sissies”. The data doesn’t seem to agree with him, as the nation broke its own record 3 times for deaths per day. Health care workers are attempting to reason with the President to control gatherings in particular, which they believe are the main cause of concern.
Victim abducted in Clapham
The search for Sarah Everard has been going on since March 3rd, and has been unsuccessful so far, with few leads to go on. It seems that the victim was abducted from Clapham on her way to her home in Brixton, and was last seen at 9.30 pm that evening. The most recent discovery in the ongoing case was the finding of human remains during a search near Ashford, around the Kent woodlands. The identity of these remains have not yet been confirmed, but a prime suspect has been arrested this week- an officer for the police force who was off duty at the time of Ms Everards’s disappearance, and another person has been arrested in suspicion of assisting the offender. The MET Police have made it clear they are pushing to find the perpetrator(s), and have assigned hundreds of officers to assist.
China approves plan to control Hong Kong elections
This week, a resolution called “the patriots governing Hong Kong” was passed by the Chinese government which will reduce democratic representation and allow a pro-Beijing panel to intervene in elections and elect candidates that subscribe to their agenda. Though this comes as a shock from abroad, for Chinese citizens it was fairly predictable given that the government has taken several measures to tighten Beijing’s control on Hong Kong, for example including the passing of a national security law and a crackdown on people who advocate for the opposition.
Prince William speaks out for the royal family
Following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s infamous interview led by Oprah Winfrey, public discussion regarding deep-rooted racism towards in the British monarchy this week has been ignited. Although there is a tendency for royals to stay away from the press and make informal statements, Prince William said on Thursday that the royals are ‘very much not a racist family’, despite the Queen’s statement saying the race issue would be dealt with privately. When questioned about his relationship with brother Prince Harry, he added, ‘No, I haven’t spoken to him yet but I will do.’.
Social media account calls out sexual assault in London
Influential Instagram account Everyone’s Invited has grown into an influential social media movement this week, sparking conversations about rape culture. The founders, a group of young adults studying at university, asked men and women to anonymously share their stories of sexual harassment and rape, creating a safe space for survivors while educating others about the scale of the sexual assault problem in the UK in particular. The stories are reposted on the social media page as well as a separate website, with the name of the perpetrator school and a description of what happened. A shocking level of assault stories have revealed themselves from majority private schools here in London. Schools most accused include St Pauls’ Boys School, Latymer Upper, Marlborough, and Eton. We are yet to hear from the schools themselves about these allegations.
Pope Francis visits Iraq
Last week, Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church, visited Iraq for four days to meet religious leaders and officials of all faiths in a historical step towards religious unity. The journey included Najaf, to meet Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani, leader of the Shia community, as well as Ur in Kurdistan, and Mosul to attend four churches that had been sadly destroyed by ISIS. The visit was seen by many as a symbol of interfaith cooperation and as an offer of support from the Christian community to the Iraqi minorities suffering across the nation.
