It makes sense that Daniel Ortega is a Scorpio.

Let's talk about what happened last week:

• A status update from Myanmar
• Nicaragua's 'dictatorship' and what it means for the people
• Bitcoin is now a legal tender in the Central African Republic
• Plus: some good news (because we all need it) from so many places like Malawi, Egypt, Cuba, Palestine, Panama and Japan and even from space.

what happened last week

We need to talk about what's happening in Myanmar
There is still a civil war in Myanmar.

Why this matters:
The war in Myanmar has been brutal. Since February 1, 2021, at least 1,800 civilians have been killed by the military. And, tens of thousands have been arrested, charged or jailed. There is little to no attention by the international community for this civil war.

Refresher:
More than a year ago, the military in Myanmar took control and arrested the then-political leadership, including Aung San Suu Kyi. The new leader is now Min Aung Hlaing. We still don't know why this happened. The military keeps saying, 'well, there was election corruption' with no actual proof. A lot of people in Myanmar have been protesting against this coup since the beginning.

What happened to the former leadership?
They're on secret military trials for various reasons. Plus, they (and their lawyers) have not been seen or allowed to speak in public since last year.

What are the charges?
For example, Aung San Suu Kyi has already been sentenced to 11 years in prison after being convicted of "illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, violating coronavirus restrictions, sedition," and two big corruption charges.

What about the population?
It's super difficult. Political activism here is a luxury only few can afford. For rest of world, Nu Nu Lusan and Emily Fishbein wrote about the many internet blackouts in the country. The Myanmar military shuts down the internet quite regularly, especially in places where it has its most haters. Sometimes it turns it back on, sometimes entire regions, like the Sagaing region, are cut off from it "indefinitely".

Why?
"In many of the same townships where the military has blocked the internet, it has also burned houses, launched airstrikes, and raided villages, displacing tens of thousands of people. The blackouts have disrupted the flow of news and communications that can be vital for people when they are trying to flee to safety, hindered humanitarian organizations' attempts to respond to crises, and hampered efforts to document human rights abuses and hold the military accountable," write Lusan and Fishbein. Plus, "But information restrictions have made it hard for food, water, and medicine to reach the places it's needed." People wanting to help rely on human messengers as a last resort to spread the news and to deliver humanitarian relief. On World Press Freedom Day on May 3, Al Jazeera English spoke to a Burmese journalist (he wanted to be anonymous) who said that most journalists in the country have fled to neighbouring countries/regions to be able to continue their reporting.

• Fun fact: The 'Myanmar revolution' has an official anthem. It is called "Kabar Makyay Bu" (We Won't Be Satisfied till the End of the World) and was written (a long time ago) by composer Naing Myanmar. It's very "Dust In the Wind" by Kansas-y. Lwin Mar Htun wrote a feature on the songwriter Naing Myanmar for The Irrawaddy.

What now?
Last week, Malaysia was like, 'all Southeast Asian nations should also engage with the NUG from now on.' NUG is short for National Unity Government and is a group of people that have one thing in common: The military removed them from power last year, and they want to bring 'Sexy Back,' as JT would say. It includes elected politicians, members of Myanmar's different ethnic groups as well as anti-coup leaders. The military in Myanmar called Malaysia "irresponsible and reckless" last week. To them, the NUG is a "terrorist group". 'We don't care, we'll double our humanitarian aid even. You need it,' Malaysia said.

Cool of Malaysia. But isn't this a bit late?
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, short ASEAN (Malaysia and eight other nations are members) tried to resolve this in April last year, two months after the military seized control. No luck, however. The military has ignored their calls to end the violence. It probably feels confident because China, a couple of weeks ago, was like 'we'll support the Myanmar military no matter what <3'.

Zoom out:
Let's also not forget that before February 2021, the entire world was talking about the Rohingya. The Myanmar government at the time and still is also facing genocide accusations at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. About 900,000 Rohingya are currently living in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh, most of whom fled Myanmar since August 2017 to escape the military's crimes against humanity and genocide.

Diversify your Twitter feed and follow Wai Wai Nu. She is a Rohingya organizer with a lot of timely tweets on what's happening in Myanmar. Listen to this interview with her for Strength And Solidarity podcast where she reflects on the roots of Burmese protest and determination.

And good news:
She has kindly agreed to an interview with me for whlw. I'm collecting questions: What would you like to ask her?

We are looking at a 'dictatorship' in Nicaragua
The (first) numbers are out: At least 81,000 people from Nicaragua have emigrated to United States in the first quarter of 2022, according to US Customs figures.

Why this matters:
News on migration,...