https://sputniknews.com/latam/202103211082407278-heavy-explosion-rocks-pdvsa-gas-plant-in-el-tejero-venezuela—reports/

According to the authorities, the explosion was denounced as a terrorist attack. There are currently no reported casualties, including among workers or the residents of the nearby areas.

A huge explosion occurred at the PDSVA gas plant pipeline in the Venezuelan state of Monagas' city of El Tejero, local media reported Saturday.

According to the videos shared online, the detonation occurred during the day, throwing a pillar of fire high into the sky.

The plant that was allegedly attacked is a part of the production compressing gas and injecting it at high pressure into wells in the El Tejero, La Leona, and La Urica regions.

Maduro has repeatedly accused the US of organizing attacks on communications, energy, and oil and gas facilities in Venezuela. According to the president, western sanctions introduced against Venezuela and targeting the country's state-run oil and gas company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and its subsidiaries are an attempt to seize its foreign assets and prevent the firm from completing transactions.

https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/bill-gates-is-the-new-george-soros

In the pandemic age, one billionaire has emerged as a better villain for the extremist right

As of my writing, in the past 24 hours, there has been little mention of billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros on the QAnon board greatawakening.win — just acknowledgement of the news that military leaders in Myanmar suspect that a foundation linked to him gave money to forces opposing their February coup. (A takeover which, for the record, Q believers supported and envied.) The pro-Trump board patriots.win has been similarly uninspired by Soros conspiracy theories of late, with attempted threads about him almost entirely ignored.

However, another billionaire continues to enjoy the spotlight on both forums, and throughout the far-right echo chamber, as he has since the coronavirus pandemic first erupted: Bill Gates.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40075900/chinas-jan-feb-copper-tin-ore-imports-from-myanmar-fall-amid-unrest

China's imports of copper metal and tin ore from Myanmar both fell more than 25% year-on-year in the first two months of 2021, customs data showed on Saturday, shedding some light on trade flows amid a state of emergency in the Southeast Asian country.

Myanmar accounts for more than 95% of China's imports of tin concentrate, used by smelters to make refined tin, although the International Tin Association said supply was largely "isolated" from the coup, with only around 20% possibly affected.

Imports in January and February totalled 16,986 tonnes, Chinese customs data showed, down 26.5% from a year earlier.

China's imports of copper cathodes, used to make rods and tubes, from Myanmar totalled 8,350 tonnes in January and February, down 25.5% year-on-year.

February imports were down 55.4% at 4,998 tonnes.

The picture for rare earths was mixed, with zero imports of mixed rare earth carbonate in January-February but rare earth oxide imports up 25.7% year-on-year at 3,546 tonnes.

China is the world's top producer of the group of minerals used in consumer electronics and military equipment. It relies on Myanmar for about half its heavy rare earth feedstock.