Hey, this is Sham, your very own news curator.
In Issue #388, I'm shining the light on women's rights in The Gambia (how often do you hear about this small West African country?) and how wars impact vaccination campaigns for children, especially in Sudan and Yemen. Other than that, you'll learn about how China wants to become a marathon heavyweight, how a photographer escaped El-Fashir in Sudan, what so-called World War II was like for the many African soldiers that were drafted into the respective armies. Plus, the Arab world's first electro dance music label and an unforgettable Japanese female politician. And so much more!
That's it from me. Catch you in your inbox next week!
Sham
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đ Estimated reading time: 10 min đ
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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Gambia votes to keep the ban on FGM
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What happened
The National Assembly of the Gambia said, "no, we will keep the ban on female genital mutilation (FGM)," reports The New York Times' Ruth Mclean. This is a big reversal from a few months ago, when many conservative and religious members were pushing to overturn the ban.
Why this matters
FGM involves the partial or total removal of female external genitalia and can cause serious health issues like infections, bleeding, infertility, and childbirth complications. A UN report from March said over 230 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGM.
Did you know? Former Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh, now in exile, outlawed FGM in 2015, saying it was outdated and not required by Islam. Parliament passed the first law banning the practice that same year, with penalties of up to three years in prison. However, FGM hasnât been eradicated, with the first convictions only happening last year. The law is based on the African Union's Maputo Protocol on the Rights of Women, which The Gambia has ratified.
Tell me more
34 out of 53 National Assembly members voted to keep the ban, writes AFP. Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta announced, "The Women's (Amendment) Bill 2024 is hereby deemed rejected." The bill had caused deep public division in the Muslim-majority country since March. Introduced by MP Almameh Gibba, it claimed "female circumcision" was a cultural and religious practice.
Who's behind this legal victory?
Womenâs rights activists. They worked tirelessly to educate communities about the dangers of FGM. "This is a significant win for women and girls in The Gambia and beyond," said legal scholar Satang Nabaneh. Activist Absa Samba, an FGM survivor, added, "A lot more work is needed because the law doesn't necessarily change beliefs."
What do people in the Gambia think about FGM?
Despite the ban, many Gambians still support FGM. UNICEF reports 73% of women and girls aged 15 to 49 have undergone the procedure. âI donât believe that female circumcision is dangerous at all,â said Kaddy Sanno, a Muslim woman protesting outside the National Assembly. Some imams and lawmakers, believing it to be an Islamic practice, led efforts to repeal the ban.
What now?
"This vote is a significant victory for women and girls in The Gambia," said Divya Srinivasan from women's rights NGO Equality Now. A joint statement from UN agencies praised the decision but warned that progress remains fragile and continued advocacy is needed. Amnesty International also welcomed the decision but called for more efforts to uphold the law and change attitudes towards FGM.
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The UN warns that not enough people are getting vaccinated because of all the wars
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What happened
Around 14.5 million kids didn't receive a single vaccine dose in 2023 (it was 2.7 million more in 2019), according to UNICEF and the World Health Organization. More than half of these kids live in countries facing armed conflicts or other crises, creating extremely fragile and vulnerable situations.
Why this matters
Global immunization rates have stayed mostly the same since 2022. Worryingly, we're still not back to the 2019 vaccination levels.
Tell me more
The new WHO and UNICEF estimates, known as WUENIC, show trends in vaccinations against 14 diseases, highlighting the ongoing need for catch-up efforts and strengthening healthcare systems. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell pointed out, "Many countries are still missing too many kids." She emphasized that closing this immunization gap needs a global effort. Governments, partners, and local leaders must invest in primary healthcare and community workers to ensure every child gets vaccinated, and overall healthcare is improved.
What's causing all this?
Healthcare services are still facing disruptions (especially in places where there is war). Itâs also tricky to get vaccines where they need to go, and if they do get them (some still don't), people are hesitant to get vaccinated. It's a whole thing.
Give me some details
For example, Sudan's war has caused a massive increase in unvaccinated kids, jumping from about 110,000 in 2021 to around 701,000 last year. Yemen's numbers are also up, with 580,000 kids unvaccinated, compared to 424,000 three years ago. Along with the 14.5 million "zero-dose" kids in 2023, there are 6.5 million "under-vaccinated" kids who didnât get all their recommended shots. Both numbers are higher than in 2022. Officials said on Monday that despite some progress, the goal to cut the number of zero-dose kids by half by 2030 is off track. Dr. Katherine OâBrien from WHO said, "This puts the lives of the most vulnerable children at risk," especially those lacking security, nutrition, and healthcare.
- For example, the low vaccination rates are already causing measles outbreaks, as almost 35 million kids have little to no protection against this deadly disease â even though, as Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General says, "This is a solvable problem. Measles vaccine is cheap". Over the past five years, measles outbreaks have affected 103 countries, where about 75% of the worldâs infants live.
Zoom in on Sudan
Douglas Hageman from UNICEF said Sudanâs health system fell apart during the war. âNational vaccination coverage went from 85% before the war to around 50% now, and it's as low as 8% in South Darfur,â he said. Diseases like measles, rubella, and polio are now common, he added.
Good to know: The UN report also noted a big boost in HPV vaccine coverage, which helps prevent cervical cancer. But it still needs to be introduced in 51 countries, including China and India.
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Bad
Kenya: Kenya Police fired tear gas and water cannons at anti-government protestors as protests continue in cities across Kenya, calling for the removal of President William Ruto. (Al Jazeera) In the same week, the prime suspect arrested over the discovery of nine mutilated female bodies in a rubbish dump in the Mukuru slums of Nairobi, Kenya, confessed to killing 42 women. Another man was also arrested. (Al Jazeera)
Oman: Six people were killed, and 28 others were injured in a mass shooting at a Shia mosque in Muscat, Oman. The three attackers are killed by security forces in the ensuing shootout. (Al Arabiya)
Bangladesh: Over 100 people were injured in violent clashes in Dhaka, Bangladesh, between supporters of the ruling Awami League party and opposition demonstrators protesting government job quotas which benefit pro-government families. (Al Jazeera)
Afghanistan: At least 47 people were killed, and 350 others were injured by severe storms in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. (Dhaka Tribune)
Burkina Faso: BurkinabĂš Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala announced a ban on homosexuality in the country. (BBC News)
Pakistan: Seven reporters have been killed in Pakistan in the first six months of 2024, a record annual number with half a year still to go. (The Guardian)
Interesting...
Peru: Police in Paraguay seized over four tons of cocaine, worth US$240 million, at a river port in the capital city AsunciĂłn, the largest cocaine seizure in the country's history. (AP) In the same week, an uncontacted tribe was seen in Peruvian Amazon where loggers were active. (The Guardian)
Rwanda: Rwandans voted to elect their president between incumbent Paul Kagame and two other candidates, as well as elect 80 members of the Chamber of Deputies. (Reuters)
Pakistan: Pakistan moved forward a case to ban former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party due to alleged use of illegal foreign funds and party supporter protests at military installations, and also pushed charges of treason for Khan and former president Arif Alvi. (Reuters)
Nepal: KP Sharma Oli was named as the new Prime Minister of Nepal in his fourth term in office, with his communist party forming a coalition with the Nepali Congress party. (Al Jazeera)
Saudi Arabia: The International Olympic Committee announced that Saudi Arabia will host the inaugural Olympics Esports Games in 2025. (ESPN)
Iraq: A criminal court in Baghdad, Iraq, sentenced the widow of Islamic State caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to death over her ties to the Islamic State and for detaining Yazidi women in her house. (Al Arabiya)
Good
Space: In the journal Nature Astronomy, U.S. and Italian scientists announced the discovery of a lunar cave, approximately 250 miles (400 km) from the landing site of Apollo 11. (Nature Astronomy)
Ecuador: A court in Quito, Ecuador, sentenced three people to 12 years in prison and two people to over 34 years in prison for the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. At least two of the five were allegedly part of the Los Lobos criminal organization. (Reuters)
Aruba / Curaçao: The Supreme Court of the Netherlands ruled that same-sex marriage is legal in Aruba and Curaçao. (De Telegraaf)
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Read⊠"Chinaâs Marathon Dilemma: Millions of Runners, Not Enough Races" (link to article), a long read by Ye Zhanhang for Sixth Tone on China's marathon craze â it's absolutely fascinating how things are evolving over there. So, marathon running has totally taken off in China. Everyone from young folks to women (not just middle-aged dudes and my friends in their 30s) is hitting the pavement, but thereâs this crazy demand-supply issue. There are way more runners than races in 2024. Back in 2019, China was hosting over 1,800 marathons, but the pandemic knocked that number way down. Last year, they managed to hold 580 races, which is an improvement but still nowhere near enough for all the eager runners. Events like the Wuxi Marathon are getting swamped with applications â they had 265,000 people apply for just 33,000 spots. One reason for the shortage is that the sports events industry is still bouncing back from the pandemic. They lost a ton of experienced staff, and itâs taking time to rebuild. Plus, after a tragic ultramarathon in 2021 where 21 runners lost their lives, regulations got a lot stricter. And with local government budget cuts, some races might not happen at all. The industry experts are optimistic, though. They believe China will eventually become a top destination for marathons worldwide. The enthusiasm is definitely there, and the sport is spreading like wildfire.
Listen to "How did one man escape the besieged city of El-Fashir?" ( link to Spotify), a podcast episode by BBCâs Africa Daily. Mohammed Zakaria is a photographer and filmmaker. When the war started, he decided to stay in El-Fashir to report what was happening. El-Fashir is the only bigger city in Sudan that is still outside RSF control. Most of Mohammedâs family has fled to neighboring Chad early in the war, becoming refugees. Mohammed finally decided to flee himself, and heâs now in Kampala, Uganda. In this episode, he talks about his journey, how he managed to escape looking like the 29-year-old man that he is (meaning, he looks like someone who could be part of either of the warring factions). "My message to the world: Keep your eyes on Darfur, Sudan and El-Fashir," he says. He now plans to have a photo exhibition to showcase his work.
Watch⊠"Gabriel Souleyka, auteur: «Redonner lâhumanitĂ© Ă la figure de lâesclave»" ( link to YouTube), an interview with Senegalese author Gabriel Souleyka by KiyĂ©mis from Mediapart. The occasion? Souleykaâs latest novel, "My Soul is A Witness". The story of Africans in World War II has often been overshadowed by European narratives, but that's changing thanks to voices like Souleyka. In his new novel, he offers an African perspective on the war. Set in colonial Senegal, the book follows Awa and her husband Ibrahim, whose lives are upended when Ibrahim is drafted into the French Army and sent to fight in Europe. Awaâs perspective highlights the unique bonds formed among Jews, Muslims, and Christians during the war. Souleyka was inspired to write this story by his own family's historyârelatives who were sent to fight in the war, some of whom never returned, and others who came back deeply scarred. He wanted to give voice to the African experience and sacrifices, particularly from the viewpoint of a Black African woman. Remember when I promised to incorporate different languages? Well, this conversation is in French.
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House music straight outta Egypt | Whenever I'm a little behind with writing, I turn to house or techno. Recently, Gawdat creeped its way into my radio playlist, and I googled them out of sheer curiosity. Turns out they're from Egypt, and damn, they're popular on TikTok. The Egyptian DJ duo, Abdelrahman and Aly Gawdat, recently released their tech-house EP âBounceâ, which has gained attention from top DJs like Chloe Calliet and Carlita. They're not new to the game, either: Over 14 years, they've headlined festivals like Caprice and Sunwaves. Now, the two have launched DancIN, the first "MENA"-wide electronic dance music label.
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In a bold and unexpected move ahead of Tokyoâs gubernatorial election, candidate Uchino Airi decided to make her campaign speech unforgettable by doing more than just talking about her policies on live TV.
As she addressed the nation, Airi turned up the theatrics by starting to undress (!) on air. She even asked viewers if they thought she was sexy and invited them to add her on LINE, promising to respond personally to each message. After unbuttoning her blouse, she finished her speech in a nude-colored tube top.
Naturally, the political striptease went viral. Clips of her unconventional speech quickly racked up over 4 million views on X, with one image post hitting over 18 million views.
As one redditor aptly summarizes:
"THIS E_ECTION, VOTE FOR ME
L / R - Choose your fighter! Democracy's on the line, folks."
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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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