Hey, this is Sham, your very own news curator.
In issue #349, I do not wish virgo man Narendra Modi 'Happy Birthday' but 'Happy new year' to people in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Instead, I focus on Libya, a lesbian couple in Hong Kong and Indigenous women in Brazil. This issue is dedicated to climate justice, rainbow families and fair global healthcare.
Last Thursday, after almost a decade, I decided to roll out a VIP Membership for this newsletter, starting October 16. I explain everything here. In short: If you want to continue receiving this email from me every Monday, the way it looks now, read this. If it sounds good, you can become a VIP Member here. If you're a Patreon subscriber, you didn't get that email; you're already my VIP (cheesy, right?).
Gratitude and love,
Sham
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Estimated reading time: 10 min
You have access to all of my sources by clicking on what's underlined.
For Maps 1, 2 and 3, say thanks to Wikimedia Commons.
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What's happening in Libya?
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What's happening
On September 10, heavy rains, caused by Storm Daniel, swept through Libya's northeastern region, causing flash floods, the collapse of two dams near the city of Derna and overflowing rivers in five provinces.
Why this matters
At the time of writing (Sunday), the Red Cross had confirmed 11,000 deaths, with the mayor of Derna saying the toll could be 20,000 in the city alone. Plus, around 38,000 people have been made homeless.
Tell me more
The UN's stepping in to help out the Libyan government with a quick three-month plan. Some of the cities that got the worst of it include Derna, Battah, Soussa and Al Marj. Schools and hotels are currently being used for shelter. Telecommunications and electricity outages combined with road collapses are making access to information extremely challenging. I keep seeing videos of journalists crying on live television when reporting on the scale of what's happened.
Why was it so bad?
While storms are natural, the damage can be reduced if people plan and prepare. The World Meteorological Association says the number of deaths would be much lower if people had been warned. "The leadership in Libya has been greedy, divisive and small-minded for decades," writes Tarek Megerisi for New Lines Magazine. The dams that collapsed last week were built by Muammar Gaddafi, Libya's leader (and dictator) from 1969 until 2011. Megerisi blames Gaddafi's leadership. "[A]lthough he was killed, the cultures he created remained."
What sort of cultures?
Those of corruption and negligence. Mergerisi writes that, in 2021, Libya's financial watchdog said that the country's Libya’s Ministry of Water Resources had set aside about 2.3 million euros to fix the two dams. They even hired a company for the job, but the work was never done. Why? It remains unclear. Maybe corruption, where officials took money without doing the work, maybe because the current government didn't get a piece of the deal, or maybe the officials just didn't care to do their jobs. "Worse still, Libyan hydrologist Abdelwanees A.R Ashoor had warned in a research paper in November 2022 that “immediate measures must be taken for routine maintenance of the dams, because in the event of a big flood, the consequences will be disastrous for the residents of the valley and the city." Survivors told the BBC that they had raised the alarm about cracks in the top dam, too.
Zoom out: Storm Daniel came from Greece and Turkey. "When it crossed the Mediterranean, hot water from the sea energized it. That meant a more violent storm, and more rain. Oceans and seas are hotter because human greenhouse gas emissions trap heat in the atmosphere. Most of that heat ends up being absorbed by oceans. Scientists have warned for decades that this will "supercharge" storms. Those warnings are no longer being written in the future tense," writes Sipho Kings for The Continent, issue 135. "There will be many, many more Dernas."
What now?
I don't know. Libya's top prosecutor announced a probe into the dam. In the meantime, you can consider donating to Islamic Relief, UN World Food Programme, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent and International Medical Corps. If you know of any better ones, please let me know. Donating will not fix everything. It's the bare minimum.
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A lesbian couple in Hong Kong won the right to both be recognized as their child's parents
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What happened
A lesbian couple in Hong Kong, who are married, have won the right to both be recognized as their child's parents. 'The government's non-recognition was a form of discrimination against the couple's son,' the court said.
Why this matters
Right now, Hong Kong doesn't recognize same-sex marriages or partnerships, so gay couples don't have the same rights as straight couples. There's been some chatter about changing this, but nothing's happened yet.
Tell me more
The two women got married in South Africa and had their child through a special process called reciprocal IVF (I'll explain that in a bit). But when they came back to Hong Kong, the government only recognized one of the moms as the child's legal parent. That didn't sit right with them, so they took it to court. The judge, Queeny Au-Yeung, basically said 'yes, there were right to be upset' and that it was wrong for their child not to have both moms recognized, especially since they both have a genetic connection to him. Lawyer Evelyn Tsao, who represented one of the women, called the ruling "one giant step for the rainbow families in our LGBTQ community".
Fun fact: Judge Queeny Au-Yeung's legal wig.
How does reciprocal IVF work?
Basically, reciprocal IVF is a way for lesbian couples to both be involved in having a baby. One woman provides the egg, which is then fertilized with donor sperm outside the body. That fertilized egg is then placed in the other woman, who carries the baby until it's born. This method has been around since the late 2000s.
What now?
The Department of Justice told AFP it was "studying the judgment in detail and considering the way forward". Plus, support for same-sex marriage is at an all-time high in Hong Kong, with 60 percent of people now believing the law should be changed. As I mentioned earlier, Hong Kong's top court, even though it effectively ruled against same-sex marriage in the beginning of this month, it also ordered the government to provide an "alternative framework", such as civil unions, to protect the rights of homosexual couples. Fingers crossed.
Zoom out: Things don't look so good in South Korea and Italy. Two weeks ago, a lesbian couple in South Korea welcomed their first child via IVF this week, marking a significant milestone for the LGBTQ+ community in the country. However, South Korea does not recognize same-sex unions, so, one of the mothers has no legal parental rights to their child. And in Italy, back in July, the name of a lesbian mother was removed from her baby's birth certificate. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced in March that state agencies should no longer register the children of same-sex couples.
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Brazil's Indigenous women want to lead the fight for the protection of the Amazon
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What happened
Last week, Brasília, Brazil was buzzing with the 3rd Indigenous Women's March. Around 5,000 demonstrators took to the streets for women’s rights and to defend their right to Indigenous lands.
Why this matters
"Indigenous women are increasingly center stage on Brazil’s political scene, and even within their communities. The Third March of Indigenous Women is a testament to their growing movement," write Eraldo Peres and Eléonore Hughes in AP.
Tell me more
This year's theme of the march was "Ecosystem Women in Defense of Biodiversity through Ancestral Roots" aka it was about the Amazon a lot. The Amazon is massive, like 7 million square miles massive, and it is packed with trees that suck up a ton of harmful greenhouse gases. About 35% of it is Indigenous territory. Indigenous people are demanding that they get their right to their lands, so that they can protect them the way they have been for centuries. A recent study by the World Resources Institute Brasil found that this makes economic sense. 'If we use models based on Indigenous territories, the Amazon's economy could get a big boost, create loads of jobs, and store even more carbon,' the study says. But it's not just about money or trees.
What else is this about?
The protection of Indigenous lands is essential for Indigenous groups’ survival, as they are dependent on the natural resources of the jungle, writes Survival International, a London-based human rights organization that campaigns for the rights of Indigenous and/or tribal peoples and uncontacted peoples. "They’re reduced from self-sufficiency to living on the sides of roads and/or depending on government handouts. Rates of disease, alcoholism, malnutrition and suicide skyrocket as a result." Sineia do Vale, the national coordinator for Brazil’s Indigenous Committee on Climate Change, recently told Al Jazeera, "We don’t believe climate justice can be addressed detached from the management of our territories, as it pervades social and cultural issues, including income-generation alternatives that respect our ways of life."
What's climate justice?
I have an analogy. Imagine you're in a room where some friends have been smoking for hours, and now the air's bad. You didn't smoke, but you're coughing too. Now, the heavy smokers suggest everyone pays equally for an air purifier. Doesn't seem fair, right? Climate justice is similar. Some countries polluted a lot, causing climate issues, while others didn't. But all face problems like extreme weather. So, people calling for climate justice essentially demand that the bigger polluters should do more to help. It's about making things fair, especially for those who contributed the least to the mess. This was my attempt at explaining, Ajit Niranjan for Deutsche Welle did it better and in video.
What now?
Some big names from the government, like Ministers Sônia Guajajara (Indigenous Peoples), Cida Gonçalves (Women), and Marina Silva (Environment and Climate Change), joined the march, and signed a promise, among other things, to kick off programs to train women leaders and fight violence against Indigenous women.
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Morocco: The death toll from last Saturday’s earthquake in Morocco has risen to more than 2,900 people, with rescue teams still desperately searching for survivors in the rubble. It's the deadliest earthquake since 1960. (Reuters) Here are just a few places where you can donate: World Central Kitchen, Global Giving, Banque Alimentair du Maroc, Doctors Without Borders. Donating will not fix everything. It's the bare minimum. If you know of any better ones, please let me know.
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Iran: Human rights organizations said that Iranian police arrested the father of Jina Amini on the first anniversary of her death. (Reuters)
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Kuwait: Kuwait University agreed to impose gender segregation in classrooms in line with a recent agreement between Kuwaiti MP Mohammed Haif al-Mutairi, who chairs the Committee for the Promotion of Values, and the Kuwaiti Minister of Education. (The New Arab)
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Global: The latest Global Witness report is out. At least 177 environment defenders lost their lives last year. Since 2012, 1,910 people have been killed for protecting the planet. Most of them in Colombia, Brazil and Philippines. Read the entire report here. Recommended further reading: Philstar reporter Gaea Katreena Cabico dug a bit deeper on Asia's deadliest place to defend the environment, the Philippines, and why that is.
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DRC: One of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s most prominent journalists, Stanis Bujakera Tshiamala, was arrested September 8. He's a correspondent for Reuters, Jeune Afrique and Actualité.cd. Tshiamala was questioned about an article published on the Jeune Afrique website on August 31 about the murder of former transport minister Chérubin Okende Senga, a parliamentarian who was the spokesman of an opposition party led by prominent businessman Moïse Katumbi. (RSF)
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United States: Over half of LGBTQ+ characters in modern television and cinema have just under five minutes of screen time, a new GLAAD report has found. The GLAAD Studio Responsibility Index (SRI) maps the quantity, quality and diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) characters in films released by ten major motion picture studios during the 2022 calendar year. (GLAAD)
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China: China named Zhao Seng as ambassador to Afghanistan, the first country to deliver an ambassador to Afghanistan since the 2021 Taliban offensive. However, China continues to not recognise the Taliban government. (BBC News)
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Ukraine: The International Criminal Court opens a field office in Kyiv, Ukraine, as part of its war crimes investigations, becoming the largest ICC office outside its headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands. (Al Jazeera)
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Cameroon: Distinguished Cameroonian immunologist Rose Gana Fomban Leke has been awarded the 2023 Virchow Prize for Global Health. She will receive 50,000 euros and will be celebrated in a ceremony at the Berlin City Hall next month. Dr. Leke has been tireless in fighting to eradicate malaria and address inequalities in global healthcare. (Virchow Prize for Global Health)
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Australia: The New South Wales government in Australia banned logging in a 8,400-hectare forest area, identified as home to 106 "koala hubs", as part of a conservation effort to establish a 315,000-hectare Great Koala National Park. (AFP via RFI)
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Global: U.S.-based pharmaceuticals company Johnson & Johnson is being investigated in South Africa for allegedly charging “excessive” prices for a key tuberculosis drug. Bedaquiline was approved in 2012 and is used to treat drug-resistant TB. It is desperately-needed by South Africa, where the infectious disease is the leading cause of death, killing more than 50,000 people in 2021. South Africa has more than 7 million people living with HIV, more than any other country in the world. The World Health Organization says that nearly one-third of deaths among people who have HIV/AIDS are due to tuberculosis. (ABC News)
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Brazil: Brazil's Supreme Court last Thursday sentenced Matheus Lima de Carvalho Lázaro—the third defendant in the case of the January 8 putschist riots—to 17 years in prison. (AgênciaBrasil)
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Lebanon: A U.S. court has denied an energy company's motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed on behalf of nine victims of the deadly port explosion in Beirut three years ago. In Lebanon, the investigation remains at a standstill because of political obstructions. Despite repeated calls from the international community, no senior officials have yet been held accountable for the tragedy. More than 200 people lost their lives in the blast. (The National News)
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Mali: Mali’s rulers have cancelled next week’s independence day celebrations on September 22, saying they will use the money earmarked for festivities to help victims of a series of recent attacks and their families. On September 8, BBC reported that Islamist militants had attacked a river boat in north-eastern Mali, killing at least 49 civilians, the interim government says (Africanews)
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Philippines: Pope Francis has removed a priest from Borongan, Eastern Samar, due to allegations of child sexual abuse, according to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). (Philstar)
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Watch... the trailers of seven must-watch LGBTQ+ movies at the London Film Festival 2023. I know I have a lot of readers from the United Kingdom. Since the London Film Festival is coming up soon, (October 4 – 15), PinkNews has written up a piece about seven under-the-radar, must-watch LGBTQ+ films at this year's festival, like Fawzia Mirza's "The Queen of My Dreams" (a Pakistani coming-of-age story), Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren's "20,000 Species of Bees" (a Spanish coming-of-age story), Lillah Halla's "Power Alley" (about female reproductive rights in Brazil) or Seán Devlin's "Asog" (trans cinema from the Philippines; my personal favorite), and so many more. I'm only sharing this because, oh boy, you're going to have a hard time picking movies to watch. This year’s 12-day program features 252 titles hailing from 92 countries, in 79 languages. Good luck!
Listen to... Kelsey Russell read the New York Times out loud to more than 70,000 followers on TikTok. "I did not realize that years ago Colombia forged a peace agreement, and they’ve just been using Ecuador to traffic drugs," she exclaimed in an August 23 video about crime and violence in Ecuador. "That’s not cool, bro!" Kelsey’s videos work because she is herself, and she breaks down complicated stories in an entertaining way. She has been invited to tour the New York Times office and is now being wooed by The Washington Post. She's currently getting her master’s in sociology and education at Columbia University. People are surprised that Gen Z are political. But... Fridays for Future, Extinction Rebellion, etc.?
Read... the article: "Why does Arab media fail so badly at covering refugee issues?" by Ahmed Abu Hamad for Al Jazeera Journalism Review. How does Arab media cover migration and refugee issues? As it turns out, just like Western media. "Arabic media discourse on refugees and migrants frequently aligns too closely with the Western narrative, often spreading fear of migrants while emphasizing the burdens of asylum," he writes. This opinion piece is a great minder that when we think about decolonizing journalism, we have to mean decolonizing journalism in all countries. A colonial mentality is all too common, outside the Western world, too.
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Remember? Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa (80) secured his second term after a super controversial election last month.
Now, he is turning his cabinet into a family get-together. His son David, who's 34, is getting the role of deputy finance minister. And that's not all – his nephew, Tongai, is up for the deputy tourism minister spot. (AP)
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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.
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