Recent protests against China's strict zero-COVID policy took a lot of people by surprise. But they might have worked. The Chinese government is now taking steps to ease the rules around the pandemic lockdowns that sparked so much public frustration. And, Sudan's military government has come to an agreement with the main pro-democracy group to ease the country back into civilian-led rule. Also, the construction of 133 new radio telescopes in South Africa has begun. They are part of a project called Square Kilometer Array, which seeks to observe outer space phenomena in greater detail and in greater breadth. Plus, a new drought-resistant wheat strain has been developed. 

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