Hey, this is Sham, your very own news curator.
In issue #347, I am preparing you for this week's Africa's Climate Summit and all the big concerns/demands of the continent in regard to climate change, a huge legal win for transgender rights by a trans student in India and the complicated relationship status between the Panama Canal (I finally understand how it works) and global trade. Plus, a Moroccan podcast by a queer activist on masculinity, the trailers to Netflix's first African animation series and a Yemeni movie about abortion, what Gabon has to do with Michael Jackson and James Brown, a lot of good news, and so much more.
If you like this newsletter, yay! These lengthy emails take me hours and hours to write, research and make fun-to-read. You can support my work if you become a paid subscriber or buy me coffee. Or, just forward it to a friend.
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Estimated reading time: 10 min
You have access to all of my sources by clicking on what's underlined.
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All eyes on Africa's Climate Summit in Kenya this week
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What's happening
This week, African and global leaders will attend the African Climate Summit from September 4 to 6 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Why this matters
Africa produces the smallest amount of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases worldwide and has lots of clean energy potential. However, despite this, Africa is experiencing the worst effects of climate change; think droughts, rising temperatures, and rivers and lakes drying up. Plus, 600 million people in Africa don't have access to clean, modern energy.
Tell me more
This summit, led by President Ruto, aims to deal with the growing impact of climate change, especially in Africa. It's a chance for African countries to come together and make plans before the big global climate meeting, COP28, in December. African governments are expected to sign a "Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change" with commitments for renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and forest conservation, as per official website.
Good to know: The president of COP28, Sultan Al Jaber, will attend, even though he's in charge of a big oil and gas company (ADNOC) in the United Arab Emirates. People are watching him to see if he can balance his job with taking action on climate change. Last month, the company said that it's now targeting net-zero by 2045 compared with 2050 earlier.
What are some of the biggest concerns in Africa?
There are many. Africa needs more money to adapt to climate change, but it's not getting enough, many Africans lack access to electricity, the continent's cities are growing fast, but they need to be eco-friendly, Africa has valuable minerals needed for clean energy, and keeping these resources in Africa and using them responsibly is one big concern, plus there are lots of talks about the need for protecting biodiversity and landscapes.
Dig deeper: "Pushing for fossil fuels will continue to allow Global North countries to exploit our continent’s resources and threaten our future," write Aneesa Khan, Salome Nduta and Samuel Mondlane in an opinion article for Al Jazeera.
Why Kenya?
Kenya is a "pioneer in climate and renewable energy", as per Germanwatch. The country already generates more than 90 percent of its electricity from green sources. 'In 2030, we'll hit 100 percent, promise. And everyone in Kenya will have access to energy. Just follow our lead.' Last Thursday, leading electric motorcycle manufacturers also set up bases in the country, like Uber's Electric Boda taxi service in Nairobi and pan-African EV startup Spiro deploying electric motorcycles and installing thousands of battery charging and swapping stations.
Zoom out: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) last week was like, 'yeah, this summit is not just important for climate change. Without efficient and sustained climate action, up to 105 million people could become internal migrants by 2023 in Africa alone.'
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A trans student in India won their legal case against the country's 'best law school' after being denied admission
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What happened
33-year-old Mugil Anbu Vasantha, a trans student in India, has won their legal case against the National Law School of India University, also known as NLSIU or 'India's best law school.'
Why this matters
For over 4,000 years, India has acknowledged individuals who do not identify strictly as male or female, referring to them as 'hijras.' According to the 2011 census data, nearly half a million Indians identified as hijras. In India, despite legal progress and visibility in the country's pop culture, transgender people still face debates. Even though the law recognizes them as a 'third gender,' they still deal with rejection and discrimination.
Tell me more
India's constitution has a rule that sets aside (reserves) spots in things like schools and jobs for minority groups who might struggle to get these opportunities. In 2014, the Supreme Court in India recognized transgender people as a minority and said they should also get these special spots. In the case of Vasantha, NLSIU said no to their admission because there wasn't a special quota for transgender students and argued that they were just following what other similar schools did. 'Meh, wrong. They were discriminated against based on their gender,' said the state of Karnataka's High Court.
Zoom out: India is currently debating a new penal code with not-so-supportive sections of LGBTQ+ rights.
Related: Diwash Gahatraj for Fair Planet met Ziya and Zahad, a transgender couple in India who are making waves in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. They wanted to change their child's birth certificate to have 'parent' instead of 'father' or 'mother'. But the officials said no. So, they took the matter to court. This is a first-of-its-kind case in the country, and can set a strong precedent for other future parents. The next hearing in their case is scheduled for September of this year.
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Climate change is disrupting the rhythms of global shipping at the Panama Canal
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What happened
The Panama Canal is facing a big problem. The canal is an 80-kilometer artificial waterway across the Isthmus of Panama, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for up to 14,000 ships each year.
Why this matters
The Panama Canal is like a lifeline for global trade. It sees hundreds of billions worth of stuff pass through it every year. If it continues to struggle because of climate change (which is very likely; check the El Niño forecasts for 2024), it could have a big impact on how goods get around the world. This is yet another test for global supply chains.
Tell me more
The Panama Canal relies on a loooot of fresh water from nearby lakes like Lago Gatún to move ships up and down. But this year, there's not enough rain, and the lakes have less water as they are drying up because the region's dry season was extended by a few months this year. This means fewer ships (130 instead of 160 a day) can go through, plus some ships can't carry as much cargo (up to 40 percent less) to avoid getting stuck in the low water, leading to delays and higher prices for things we buy. The waiting time's so long that one ship paid US$2.4 million to skip the line.
Tell me more about how the Panama Canal works
Sure. It sounds confusing at first but Matt Rivers in this ABC News interview, however, explains it so well, "You can enter the canal from either the Atlantic or the Pacific, and we took a boat out on to the Pacific the other day and there are just ship after ship after ship stuck waiting. And the reason why has to do with the way this canal is structured. So, basically, the way this works is that as you enter one side, a series of locks, so think of them as like water elevators – they have to move ships either up or down as they make it to the other side. In order to do that, the canal sucks water in from nearby lakes. These are freshwater sources. So basically, it's rainfall that comes down, feeds the rivers, the rivers feed down into the canal. Each ship that goes through the canal uses about 55 million gallons of water, most of which then gets flushed out to sea as the ship makes its way through the canal." If that wasn't simple enough, just watch this GIF on X (X... ugh, still feels like I'm linking you to a p0rn site).
Did you know that at least 5,609 (official estimation) people died building the Panama Canal? There are some estimates that say the number was much, much higher. Thousands of workers, mainly from the Caribbean, were killed or permanently injured during the canal's construction. The U.S. government, which was responsible for the project, tried to downplay the suffering with positive messages and some charity. Workers faced dangerous conditions, low pay, and discrimination. Some got artificial limbs if they were lucky, but many didn't. Yes, the "the greatest infrastructure project the world had ever seen" came at a high price in terms of human lives and suffering. Sadly, former U.S. Donald Trump has an alternative account of what happened.
What are they doing to solve this problem?
They're trying to save the water by storing and reusing it. They're even thinking about taking water from other rivers and making more reservoirs. But they have to be careful because the lakes also provide drinking water for nearby Panama City. A partnership between Panama Canal specialists and the United States Corps of Engineers are reviewing alternative solutions to enable the Panama Canal to maintain operations for at least the next 50 years.
Is global warming the reason for the drought?
The canal's boss, Ricaurte Vasquez Morales, says yes, they're feeling the effects of climate change. Climate change has been making things hotter and drier for a longer time in the tropics. Antonio Dominguez from Maersk, a biiiiig shipping company, is worried that this drought could slow down shipping and make things more expensive. He says climate change is now affecting global trade, and something needs to be done. Duh.
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Sudan: 104 private and public higher learning institutions in Sudan have been destroyed since the war between rival generals erupted on April 15, according to the ministry of higher education and scientific research. (University World News Africa Edition) Speaking of, in the same week when that research came out, at least 25 civilians were killed in weekend attacks on Khartoum. (The Guardian)
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Japan: Immigration authorities banned a Japanese language school in Fukuoka from accepting new foreign enrollees after a Vietnamese student who wanted to quit was locked in a room and monitored to prevent his escape. (The Asahi Shimbun)
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Saudi Arabia: A retired teacher in Saudi Arabia was recently sentenced to death for his tweets criticizing the country's leadership to his handful of followers, according to rights advocates and his family. It's the harshest verdict yet for online critics. (AP)
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South Africa: At least 73 people were killed by a fire in a government building that had been taken over by gangs who rented it out to squatters in Johannesburg, South Africa. Now, the country is thinking out loud about the lack of affordable housing for many people. (CNBC)
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Taiwan: Typhoon Haikui moved across Taiwan on Sunday, plunging thousands of households into darkness after the first big storm to hit the island directly in four years made landfall. More than 7,000 people were evacuated from high-risk areas and authorities reported that more than 40 people were injured in the storm. (Taiwan News)
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Tajikistan: The death toll from torrential rains in Tajikistan increased to 21, as flooding, landslides, and mudflows affect towns near Dushanbe. (AFP via Barron's)
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Norway: The Nobel Foundation on Saturday withdrew its invitation for representatives of Russia, Belarus and Iran to attend this year's Nobel Prize award ceremonies. However, the ceremony in Norway will still invite all ambassadors, even from countries with authoritarian governments or involved in wars, to promote the message of peace. Last year, the Nobel Peace Prize 2022 was awarded to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties. (Nobel Foundation)
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Brazil: Former president Jair Bolsonaro might go to prison over a jewelry scandal. (Folha)
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Australia: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the Australian Indigenous Voice referendum will be held on October 14. (ABC News)
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Mongolia: Pope Francis arrived in Mongolia, marking the first papal visit to the country, which has a small Catholic population. (NCR)
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Singapore: Former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam was elected as the 9th president of Singapore with over 70 percent of the valid votes. (Reuters)
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India: India launched its first space mission to study the sun on Saturday, less than two weeks after a successful uncrewed landing near the south polar region of the moon. (The Hindu)
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Mexico: Mexico's opposition coalition last Wednesday named Xochitl Galvez, an outspoken senator with Indigenous roots who hopes to be the country's first female president, as its candidate for next year's election. Galvez's nomination is making it more likely that we'll have a presidential battle between two women. The other contender is Claudia Sheinbaum, a former mayor of Mexico City and the favorite from the ruling party for the June 2024 elections. (RFI)
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Chile: The government of Chile will launch a national search for over 1,000 people who went missing decades ago during Gen. Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship. (Chile Today)
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Ukraine: The beaches in Odesa have finally reopened. (NPR)
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Thailand: King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand has reduced the sentence of Thaksin Shinawatra from eight years down to one, just over a week after the former prime minister returned from more than 15 years in self-imposed exile. (The Guardian)
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Spain: Spain has elected the first openly transgender senator, Carla Antonelli. (The Pink News)
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Greece: Greek firefighters rescued a group of 25 migrants trapped in a forest in the Evros region as flames from a wildfire approached. (AP) In the same week, the country's Coast Guard rescued more than 150 people, including several children, who were heading in small boats from Turkey to the nearby eastern Aegean Sea islands. (AP)
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Colombia: Former Colombian National Army General Mario Montoya Uribe and eight other military officers were charged for their role in the "false positives" scandal. Montoya was accused of carrying out extrajudicial executions of 130 people. "False positives" is a dark part of Colombia's history. It involved soldiers offering jobs to young people and then taking them to other places and killing them. (La Prensa Latina)
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Watch... the trailer for "Al Murhaqoon (The Burdened)", a Yemeni movie about a middle-class family suffering the economic consequences of the civil war that broke out in March 2015 and, well, abortion. The film is directed by Amr Gamal, who shares screenwriting credits with Mazen Refaat, and stars Khaled Hamdan, Abeer Mohammed, Samah Alamrani, and Awsam Abdulrahman. I've looked everywhere for the movie online but I cannot seem to find where it is currently streaming. If you find it, please let me know. Whoever's selling a story from Yemen that is not news on the civil war, I'm buying. Why? In an interview, the film director says, "Making films in a country like ours requires a miracle, and we still need many of them. But we want to tell our untold stories." That's why.
Listen to... "Machi Rojola," a popular French-language podcast in Morocco rethinking masculinity. Producer Soufiane Hennani is a queer activist himself; he has a Ph.D. in oncology and molecular biology. The name of the podcast is a popular expression in Moroccan Arabic that translates roughly as "it's not masculine"—a phrase often used to suggest someone is "not a man," with all the implied stereotypes about manhood and masculinity. The podcast, as Hennani has said in this interview, aims to "reclaim this expression and advocate a plural and inclusive masculinity, instead of an exclusive and toxic one."
Read... the article: "When the (pop) music stopped in Gabon" by Yinka Adegoke for Semafor. You've probably heard the news of the latest coup in Gabon in Africa, right? Here's a fun background story that I hope makes the news last a little longer in your head. So, I've recently found out that the overthrown Bongo family of Gabon has a deep love for music and a history of using their country's oil wealth to bring Western pop stars to Gabon. They not only bought the attention of these pop stars but also hired them to collaborate on their music; think James Brown or Michael Jackson. This lavish spending on music stars continued for decades, even as the country's citizens lived in challenging conditions. However, the recent overthrow of President Ali Bongo, who succeeded his father in ruling Gabon, has put an end to this era. Ali Bongo was known for his love of music and was an accomplished pianist, but his extravagant spending on music stars raised ethical and moral questions, especially considering the country's high poverty rate. Gabon's future in the music industry remains uncertain after the coup. However, African social media has one last meme, ehm, song for Ali Bongo, inspired by his video plea for help from the international community into a TikTok meme called "Make Noise."
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Watch the trailer of "Supa Team 4", Netflix's first African animation series that premiered on July 20. Imagine a futuristic city in Africa called Lusaka, where a retired secret agent selects four ordinary teenage girls for a unique mission: saving the world, but with limited funds. These girls become the Supa Team 4, transforming into undercover superheroes who fight supervillains and embrace their destiny. The series was inspired by Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema's own experiences growing up in Lusaka. It's even been translated into isiZulu for South African viewers. In a world where African stereotypes often prevail in mainstream entertainment, this show challenges those notions.
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You know how some news sites sometimes make mistakes in their articles? They sometimes get the year wrong, spell a name wrong, and other big and small stuff.
Last week marked 26 years since the greatest retraction in news history. On an issue marked September 9, 1997, the National Enquirer carried the headline: 'Di Goes Sex Mad.'
This X user has the receipts:
"We apologize for the Princess Diana page one headline 'Di goes sex mad' which is still on sale at some locations. It is currently being replaced with a special 72-page tribute issue: 'Farewell to the Princess we all loved. Diana – Her Final Hours.'"
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That's it from me. If I were to write a non-fiction book about news coverage inequality, what should be the title in your opinion?
For the maps, say thanks to Wikimedia Commons.
Map 1: John Doe / CC-BY-SA-3.0
Map 2: John Doe / CC-BY-SA-3.0
Map 3: John Doe / CC-BY-SA-4.0
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Hey, I'm Sham, the person behind this newsletter. Since 2014, I email a bunch of strangers once a week, curating news headlines from Asia, Africa and Latin America. I work under the assumption that, here in the West (I live in Berlin, Germany), we don't read or know much about the global majority, aka the rest of the world.
My goal is to help you burst your Western-centric bubble.
If you want to know more about me, visit my website or follow me on Twitter or Instagram.
Questions or feedback? Just reply to this email. I intend to write back.
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