Tensions have risen in Myanmar following mass protests, with security forces opening fire on protesters at a power plant and armored vehicles rolling into major cities. Soldiers were deployed to power plants in the northern state of Kachin on Sunday, leading to a confrontation with demonstrators, some of whom said they believed the army intended to cut off the electricity.
Separatist parties won enough seats on Sunday in Catalonia’s regional parliament to strengthen their majority, although a strong showing for the local branch of Spain’s ruling Socialists pointed to a dialogue, rather than breakup, with Madrid. With over 99% of ballots counted, separatists won 50.9% of the vote, surpassing the 50% threshold for the first time. The final outcome is unlikely to lead to any repeat of the declaration of independence from Spain that took place in 2017.
American and Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed what could be the oldest known beer factory at one of the most prominent archaeological sites of ancient Egypt, a top antiquities official said Saturday. He said the factory apparently dates back to the region of King Narmer, who is widely known for his unification of ancient Egypt at the beginning of the First Dynastic Period (3150 B.C.- 2613 B.C.).
Indian police have charged a 22-year-old climate activist with sedition over accusations she edited and circulated a document tweeted by climate activist Greta Thunberg relating to India’s ongoing farmer protests. Swedish climate activist Thunberg tweeted her backing this month for the farmers, who have been demonstrating since December against agricultural reforms they say will harm their livelihood but benefit large corporations.
Fifty-one billion and zero – the two numbers Bill Gates says you need to know about climate. Solving climate change would be “the most amazing thing humanity has ever done”, says the billionaire founder of Microsoft. By comparison, ending the pandemic is “very, very easy”, he claims. Mr Gates’s new book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, is a guide to tackling global warming.