Violence against civilians in Myanmar escalates

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The deadly crackdown on protesters in Myanmar has resulted in another bloody day on top of weeks of violence as demonstrators take to the streets to oppose a military coup. Security authorities in the South Asian country on Sunday targeted the funeral of a student only a day after killing more than 100 people including children.

A UN human rights expert accused the ruling junta of committing “mass murder” in an increasingly volatile situation, according to The Associated Press.

Myanmar has come under international scrutiny because of the ongoing and seemingly indiscriminate killing of civilians that demonstrators call “fallen stars.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was “horrified” and called for an end to the violence that began after a Feb. 1 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government. More than 400 people have been killed since the coup.

What The World is following

Dozens of people in Mozambique were killed in an attack on the northern town of Palma, according to government officials. The region is of strategic importance for its oil wealth and has been the site of a three-year rebel insurgency. The latest violence has exacerbated a humanitarian crisis in the province, which has left 2,600 dead and displaced hundreds of thousands.

And, the massive container ship, Ever Given, has been successfully unstuck from the sandy back of the Suez Canal on Monday. Officials from the canal service provider working on freeing the ship said a flotilla of tugboats — aided by high tide — were able to refloat the skyscraper-sized vessel. The Ever Given had been blocking one of the world’s most important shipping lanes for nearly a week, causing markets to fluctuate and raising security concerns for the growing lineup of ships forced to wait.

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Iranian American composer Sahba Aminikia on music as an ‘organic response’ to pain

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That’s why music exists, Aminikia said, adding, “It’s a natural, organic response that our body has to this pain. The music that speaks to the soul comes from the soul. And the soul that is full of pain, it would always sound better. And we know that deep down as musicians.”

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Bright Spot

One of the world’s most revered concert venues, the Royal Albert Hall, turns 150 years old on Monday. Famous for being home to  classical music’s annual The Prom series, the hall has also played host top rock acts like Led Zeppelin but also suffragette rallies. Happy Birthday Royal Albert Hall!

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