Hey, this is Sham, your very own news curator. Today is Whit Monday! To celebrate, I'm giving away today's VIP issue for free. If you like it, why not sign up? There's a sweet discount waiting for you. Just so you know, I run this newsletter all by myself, so any support from you means a lot. Thanks a ton!
In Issue #380, I'm taking you to the insides of South African politics (they're talking about introducing universal healthcare! USA, did you hear me?) and to France's 17.000 km-away-colony, no, territory in the South Pacific, New Caledonia/Kanaky (it's a fight for two different things, either nickel for EV batteries or the self-determination of the Kanak people). Plus, two movie-like escapes by two individuals who (I'm sure) we will watch movies about in the coming years, a Palestinian photographer in Berlin, an Oscar-nominated short doc about Taiwan's 'identity crisis', plenty of good news from all over, and so much more.
Happy reading, and catch you in your inbox next week!
Sham
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🔍 Estimated reading time: 10 min 🔍
You have access to all of my sources by clicking on what's underlined.
Big shout-out to Wikimedia Commons for the helpful maps.
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South Africa is talking about universal healthcare
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What happened
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa just approved a big change in healthcare.
Why this matters
This is the most significant since apartheid ended 30 years ago. As of today, only about 14% of South Africans can afford private healthcare, while the rest depend on the overburdened public system.
Tell me more
President Ramaphosa has signed a law that will set up universal healthcare. It's called the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme. While it means healthcare for everyone, the main opposition party isn't happy. They think it'll be too costly and could lead to corruption. Unlike in some places like the UK, once this NHI covers certain health services, you won't be able to use private health insurance for them anymore. This is a big deal because it changes how everyone in South Africa will get medical care. The government says this will make healthcare better and cheaper, but not everyone agrees.
Why now?
President Ramaphosa believes the NHI will help fight poverty by making healthcare more affordable, so families can spend their money on other essential needs. He's pushing this as a major promise to voters, especially with elections coming up. He wants to end what he sees as healthcare inequality — great healthcare for the rich and poor healthcare for the poor.
- Good to know: On May 29, nearly 28 million South African registered voters have the chance to elect representatives to the national and provincial parliaments. It will be the country's seventh democratic general election.
How will NHI be paid for?
The money for the NHI will come from taxes, and from higher earners and workers paying into the fund. Exactly how much everyone will have to pay isn't clear yet.
So what happens next?
The opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, plans to fight this law in court. They support universal healthcare but think the NHI plan will ruin both private and public health sectors. Plus, some analysts say the NHI just won't work, like Investec Healthcare Equity Analyst Letlotlo Lenake. "Having 5 million taxpayers financing the healthcare needs of 60 million people does not make any sense," he said to Investec Focus Podcast 'No Ordinary Wednesday'. The government and its critics are likely to end up in a big legal battle over this. And, even if the Constitutional Court gives the green light, this isn't going to stand tall on Day One – not least because the government will first have to come up with the money to finance it.
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France wants to change who can vote in local elections in New Caledonia/Kanaky
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What happened
In New Caledonia/Kanaky, a French territory in the Pacific (yes, 17.000 km away), there's been a lot of unrest and protests for a week now. At least five people have died as a result. The protests began because of a new law about who can vote in local elections.
Why this matters
"#NewCaledonia is usually invisible in the international media, except for tourism ads promoting “a little bit of France in the South Pacific'", writes Nic Mclellan, correspondent for Islands Business Magazine. New Caledonia/Kanaky has been French territory since colonization in the late 1800s. Centuries on, the island's politics is about whether they should stay with France, gain more autonomy, or become fully independent. For Kanaky, this is about a self-determination struggle against French colonialism. For France, this unrest is significant as New Caledonia/Kanaky is a key producer of nickel, vital for electric vehicle batteries.
Tell me more
The French government says the new voting laws are about maintaining democracy, but the indigenous Kanak people see it as a threat to their voting influence, given they make up about 40% of the population.
- Dig deeper: Radio New Zealand (RNZ) dedicated an entire Saturday Morning with Nic Mclellan with enough time to start unpacking the many complex drivers of conflict. Listen here. On Twitter, Nic also shared that ‘The Pacific' program on ABC News in Australia has captured striking images of the destruction in Nouméa (capital), with the voices of shocked residents, business owners and protestors. Watch here.
What now?
France has sent over 600 police officers to restore order, declared a state of emergency, and even banned TikTok in the region due to security concerns. Even with a curfew from 6 PM to 6 AM, the situation is still tense, and the local mayor says things are not getting better. The violence has resulted in several deaths and injuries, and it's causing a lot of damage and fear among the people.
- Good to know: There are some Azerbaijani flags at the protests in New Caledonia/Kanaky. France has therefore accused Azerbaijan of interfering by supporting local independence movements and spreading false information. Why might Azerbaijan do this? Well, France formally supports their 'arch enemy' Armenia. Azerbaijan has denied the allegations. Beware: This is sometimes a diversion tactic – blaming 'internal' stuff on foreign agents, so that the issues become illegitimate.
- Notable Kanak journalist to follow? Thérèse Waia. She works for the public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Premiére and was recently the victim of a smear attack. Political leaders and social networks have criticized Waia for her coverage of the pro-independence protests on April 13 in the capital.
Unrelated to news
Why do these birds of New Caledonia/Kanaky's forests look like Bridgerton, Season 4 will be about them?
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United States: PFAS are chemicals that don't break down in nature and can move around easily in the environment. They're used in many products to resist water, stains, and heat. These chemicals can be harmful, linked to serious health issues like cancer and kidney disease. Last week, a study found that these chemicals are all over the Great Lakes area, which holds almost all the fresh water in the U.S. They are in the air, rain, and water. (The Guardian)
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Afghanistan: At least 68 people were killed by floods in Ghor and Faryab Provinces. (AP)
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Tunisia/Italy: At least 23 migrants are missing after boarding a boat travelling from Tunisia to Italy. (Reuters)
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Nigeria: In Niger state, some 100 girls and young women were supposed to be wed in a mass ceremony. The country's women's affairs minister, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, said she wants to stop this next week and establish if any of the girls were minors. (The Guardian)
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Singapore: Lee Hsien Loong stepped down after nearly 20 years as the prime minister of Singapore. He is succeeded by Lawrence Wong. (BBC)
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Argentina: Subway fares in Buenos Aires shot up by 360% overnight. The price for a single ride went from 125 pesos (about 14 cents) to 574 pesos (about 64 cents). Argentina's President, Javier Milei, who supports free-market policies, has been cutting government spending in various areas including public transportation. This reduction in subsidies means higher costs for public services like the subway. Officials have also said that the prices will go up again soon. (The Guardian)
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China: Chinese social media companies have started blocking or removing content by users who show off personal wealth and financial extravagance. (The Guardian)
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The Gambia: In Switzerland, a court has found Ousman Sonko, who previously served as The Gambia's interior minister, guilty of crimes against humanity, including homicide, torture, and false imprisonment. He has been sentenced to 20 years in jail. This marks a significant event as Sonko is the most senior foreign official to be convicted in Europe under the principle of universal jurisdiction. This legal principle allows for the prosecution of severe crimes like war crimes and genocide, no matter where they were committed. Sonko, who is 55 years old and not related to Senegal's new Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, is planning to appeal the conviction. (TRIAL)
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Iran: Mohammad Rasoulof, a well-known Iranian filmmaker, recently made a daring escape from Iran to avoid an eight-year prison sentence. Rasoulof was facing imminent imprisonment for his filmmaking, which the Iranian authorities said threatened national security. He wrote about his escape last week in The Guardian. In the same week, the country's president, Ebrahim Raisi is missing after a helicopter crash. (BBC)
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Taiwan: A brawl broke out in the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament, following disagreements over draft reforms between the Democratic Progressive Party and the Kuomintang. (The Independent)
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Egypt: Scientists may have finally solved the mystery of how ancient Egyptians transported the massive stone blocks to build the pyramids. The answer? A 64km river branch, which ran by the Giza pyramid complex. It used to be hidden under desert and farmland for thousands of years. (The Guardian)
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Mexico: El Califa de León, a small taco stand in Mexico City, recently made headlines for becoming the first of its kind in Mexico to win a Michelin star, a recognition typically reserved for high-end dining establishments. (The Guardian)
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Nigeria: The Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Annika Hahn-Englund, has told the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, that Sweden is going to return 39 historical artefacts to his kingdom. There's been some hesitation from Western countries holding onto these Benin artefacts because they weren't sure who really owns them or if they'd be looked after properly. However, the Nigerian government stepped in earlier this year, officially recognizing the Oba of Benin as the rightful owner and caretaker of these items. They're also supporting a project to house these artefacts in a new Benin Royal Museum. (Punch)
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The Americas: Belize, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have nailed a huge health milestone — they've successfully eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. More babies will be born free from HIV. (Caribbean National Weekly)
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Peru: Hundreds of protesters marched in Lima, to demand the reversal of a new law that describes transgender people as having a mental illness. (Reuters)
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Science: Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope discovered the earliest known merging of black holes, 740 million years after the Big Bang. (AP) In the same week, scientists also announced the discovery of SPECULOOS-3 b, an Earth-size exoplanet that orbits a red dwarf star that has a similar size as Jupiter. (Space.com)
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Read… "Teen who texted 911 rescued after she was trafficked to California from Mexico", an article by Maya Yang for The Guardian in English. The entire story reads like one straight from Hollywood... A 17-year-old girl from Mexico who was trafficked into Ventura County, California, managed to text 911 for help. She didn't know exactly where she was but described nearby landmarks over text messages. Authorities used her descriptions to find her in about 20 minutes in a place called Casitas Springs, which is not far from Los Angeles. The girl was then taken into the care of local child services while they work out how to reunite her with her family. The details about whether she will stay in the U.S. or go back to Mexico weren't given. The man accused of trafficking her, 31-year-old Gerardo Cruz from Mexico, was arrested and is facing serious charges including human trafficking and rape. He is currently in jail with a bail set at US$500,000. This rescue showed how important it is to be able to text 911 and use technology that can translate messages quickly. This helped the girl communicate with the authorities, since she only spoke Spanish and the 911 operator spoke English. The case highlights a bigger problem of human trafficking in California, especially involving young people.
Watch… " Island in Between" ( YouTube), an Oscar-nominated short documentary by S. Leo Chiang for The New York Times about Taiwan's complex identity crisis in English. "I was born in Taiwan, grew up in the United States, worked extensively in China and now live in Taipei. This mix of experiences has given me a front-row seat to the complex, decades-long dance between these nations. Lately, the world is paying considerably more attention to my homeland, especially after the former U.S. House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, visited in August 2022. Kinmen, also known as Quemoy, is a group of islands governed by Taiwan that were the front lines of the first and second Taiwan Straits Crises decades ago. They lie just a few miles from mainland China, and these days, locals are unsure what escalating tensions mean for the future. Taiwanese voices are often drowned out by Chinese and American narratives, overshadowed by the global power plays going on around us. Few people outside the region understand what life is actually like for the Taiwanese people caught in between two superpowers. I made this documentary to show life in Taiwan through the eyes of the people who live there, including me. At this moment, as we struggle to make sense of the horrors of war, I hope this documentary can play a small part in advocating for peace."
Listen to… "Sonnenallee Podcast | Foto Farid | فوتو فريد | پودكاست شارع العرب", a podcast episode about Farid, a Palestinian photographer living in Berlin, in the famous Arab Street aka Sonnenallee by Sonnenallee Podcast in Arabic. "Foto Farid is not only a photography studio, it is one of the primary witnesses to the history of the street and its many evolutions. In the studio are pictures of our many visa applications, our heavy passports, and memories of weddings and celebrations of various Arab groups of their long years of migration/estrangement. In this episode we talk about the street, its history, and photographic encounters," writes the episode's description. If you understand Arabic, this episode is a hidden gem and I wish Farid's story was available in more languages. Btw, I will start integrating more languages into this newsletter (it only seems right?). English will still dominate (pun intended) but introducing a little culture shock in every issue is good therapy, I believe.
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K-Pop girlband aespa has a new hit | "As K-pop’s global popularity has increased, so has the use of samples from pop music history. A decade ago, the idea of sampling a Western pop song felt pretty rare, but there have been a number of recent hits built upon hooks from decades past. aespa’s pre-release Supernova samples Afrika Bambaataa’s 1982 classic Planet Rock, a milestone blend of hip-hop and dance elements. That genre mix often forms the foundation of modern K-pop, so Supernova‘s inspiration feels apt," writes NICK for TheBiasList. And Asian Junkie writes, "Supernova feels like it belongs on a Cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack for a party scene in the best way possible." If these two reviews didn't convince you, let me try: The video is so, so, so much fun. 42 million other people in the last five days have agreed.
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This is sad-funny 'funny note', but...
Earlier this month, the European Union and the United Nations planned the launch of an anti-human trafficking project, but the event was rescheduled because the venue for the launch is owned by a Cambodian tycoon whose other properties have been allegedly linked to human traffickers.
Thank you to Darathtey Din for this find! Check out her newsletter Campuccino – a fortnightly dispatch of key headlines in Cambodia with a hint of opinion.
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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.
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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