what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas

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what happened last week

Bad

Chile: Chile's far-right folks have whipped up their own version of the future in a draft constitution that's got some people worried it's a big step back for the country. This new proposal is looking to shake things up from the old Pinochet-era rules. It's talking about making it tougher to get an abortion, putting the brakes on group strikes, and cutting down the number of folks who get to sit in Chile's congress. The conservative crew, led by this guy Jose Antonio Kast, is pushing this draft, and it's a total 180 from the super progressive draft that got a thumbs down from Chileans last year. Now, the country's got to vote again on this new one that's leaning hard to the right. (The Guardian)

Afghanistan: The Islamic State group said they set off a bomb on a minibus in Kabul, which killed at least seven people. This bus was carrying Shiite Muslims. The explosion happened in a part of Kabul where a lot of Shiites live, called Dashti Barchi. Because of this attack, 20 other people got hurt, said a police spokesperson named Khalid Zadran. This area had another attack not too long ago, just two weeks before. That time, an explosion at a sports club killed four people and injured seven. The Islamic State group said they were behind that attack too. The Islamic State group in Afghanistan mostly stays in the eastern part of the country, in Nangarhar province. (AP)

Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico declares an influenza epidemic after 25,900 cases have been reported since July, with 42 deaths and more than 900 hospitalizations. (AP)

We'll see

Mexico: On Wednesday, the Tijuana government passed a ban on narcocorridos (Mexican ballads that glamorize the drug trade), saying it wanted to reduce violence by protecting children and adolescents from this kind of music. Critics of the ban argue it's a Band-Aid solution that doesn't address the real issues like corruption and lack of opportunities that fuel the drug trade. They believe that fixing the root causes is more important than silencing the music that talks about them. (The Guardian)

Indonesia: A judge named Suhartoyo got the top job at Indonesia's Constitutional Court. This happened after the last top judge, Anwar Usman, was removed for ethical misconduct. Anwar was in trouble because he made a decision that seemed to help the president's son, Gibran, run for a big job in the government. Anwar is married to the sister of President Joko Widodo, lol. Even though Anwar got in trouble, the decision that helps the president's son will still be used for the elections coming up in February. Gibran is now teamed up with another big politician, Prabowo Subianto, to run for office. (Jakarta Globe)

Turkey: Turkey is working on a new law related to climate change, which they've been developing for almost three years. This law is supposed to address issues of greenhouse gas emissions and set up a system for controlling carbon in the country. The Climate Justice Coalition, a group focused on climate issues, is warning that this new law might not really be about protecting the environment. They think the law is more about making sure businesses can keep making money, even if it means they can still pollute the environment. They're calling the law a "contract with capital" because they believe it's designed to benefit big businesses. (Bianet)

Good

Kenya: Kenya has announced a new public holiday called National Tree Growing Day. On this day, people all over the country are encouraged to plant trees. This initiative is part of a larger program aimed at planting 15 billion trees by 2032 to help restore the environment and combat climate change. Nairobi News' Winnie Mabel believes this has something to do with international loans. Basically, Kenya was supposed to get a big amount of money from the IMF, and to do that, they needed to show that they are serious about tackling climate change. The tree planting holiday is one of the ways the government is showing its commitment. A win is a win. (Nairobi News)

Indonesia: Scientists have rediscovered a long-lost and super rare species of mammal described as having the spines of a hedgehog, the snout of an anteater and the feet of a mole, in Indonesia’s Cyclops Mountains more than 60 years after it was last recorded; it's called Attenborough's long-beaked echidna, named after the legendary David Attenborough. The echidna is a big deal in local culture, too. There's this tradition that says when folks have a beef with each other, they send one person to find an echidna and another to catch a marlin. Since both are super hard to find, it usually takes ages, but once they do, it's like a sign to bury the hatchet and get back to being cool with each other. (The Guardian)

United States: U.S. health authorities just gave the green light to the first-ever vaccine for chikungunya called Ixchiq, and it's for folks 18 and older who might get exposed to the virus. Chikungunya is this growing health concern with millions of cases in the last 15 years, especially in warm, mosquito-loving areas like Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of the Americas. The main symptoms are fever and joint pain, but it can also cause a rash, headaches, and muscle pain. For some, the joint pain can be really long-lasting and rough. It's rare, but the virus can be deadly, with about 1 in 1,000 people dying from it. Babies, old people, and anyone already dealing with health issues are more likely to get hit hard by it. The vaccine is a big deal because there aren't many treatments available, and it can specifically help prevent it in older adults or those with other health issues. Nothing for the babies yet. (FDA)

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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 the Americas. 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.

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