Hey, this is Sham, your very own news curator.
In Issue #389, I'm taking us to Bangladesh and Rwanda. In Bangladesh, we're looking at the recent anti-quota student protests, where at least 131 people have died. In Rwanda, we're looking at one specific man, Paul Kagame, who's just won re-election, scoring over 99% of the vote. Also: an alternative Jazz album to complement your cooking sessions, Islam through a feminist and non-cis-hetero lens and a Malayalam-Tamil movie that made me wish I knew those two languages, and one of Syria's hottest talents right now. Plus, so much more!
That's it from me. 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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Oops, Bangladesh's students did it again: Bye bye, quota system
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What happened
Last month, Bangladesh's High Court brought back a controversial quota system for government jobs, and it didn't go down well. Tens of thousands of (mostly) students, especially in Dhaka, hit the streets in protest, and things got really intense, with clashes leading to at least 131 people losing their lives, writes Krutika Pathi for AP. But just yesterday, the court decided to dial it back again and cut the veterans' quota down to 5%. Now, 93% of jobs will be based on merit, and the last 2% will go to ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.
Why this matters
This isn't the first time, as anti-quota protests have flared up many times over the past two decades. The most recent one was in 2018 – students protested again, the government scrapped the quotas again. This quota system for public-sector jobs, they believe, favor certain groups (like the one Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is from; her Awami League party led the country's independence movement), including the children and grandchildren of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan. Altogether, these quotas made up 56% of all government jobs. With the Supreme Court's new orders, Bangladesh will now reserve only 7% of those posts, write Anupreeta Das and Saif Hasnat for The New York Times. This change will open up many more civil service jobs to university students, who had been calling for a merit-based system.
Tell me more
In the past few decades, Bangladesh's economy has done pretty well, lifting millions out of poverty, mainly because of its strong garment-export industry. But then the coronavirus pandemic hit, and people around the world started buying fewer clothes, plus money sent home from the diaspora dropped. At the same time, everyone had to deal with higher food and fuel prices. Inflation is still high at 10%, and the pace of creating new jobs has slowed down. By 2022, the youth unemployment rate was at 16.1%, which is about three times higher than the overall rate. Public-sector jobs are super desirable because they’re stable, prestigious, and come with awesome benefits. But they’re really tough to get. Every year, around 4,000 government jobs open up, and over 300,000 students go after them. Plus, there's also other factors that contribute to general anger, like corruption. Last year, Bangladesh was ranked No. 149 out of 180 countries on an annual corruption index released by global nonprofit Transparency International.
Did you know? Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding leader of the country and father of the current prime minister set up the quota system back in 1972. The idea was to make sure that the thousands of men and women who fought in the war of independence from Pakistan would be taken care of.
What now?
Student leaders now want an apology from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who defended the veterans' quota and whose party officials called the protesters “anti-nationals” and “razakars.” (that's a huge no-no; a derogatory term for those who supported Pakistan during Bangladesh’s independence war.) “We demanded rights, but we got called ‘razakar,’” students chanted for days on the streets of Dhaka. “Of course, the quota reform alone is not sufficient now,” said Asif Nazrul, a law professor at Dhaka University, to Al Jazeera. “So many students and common people have died in this violent protest, which was definitely instigated by the government at first. Someone has to take responsibility for this tragedy.”
Plus, there's also a chance that these protests might get even bigger. These clashes come at an interesting time. In January, Prime Minister Hasina won a fourth consecutive term in the elections that were boycotted by opposition parties, with some opposition members even jailed before the polls. Protesters have called Hasina, who has been in power since 2009, an “autocrat.” The last two elections (2019 and 2024) were also plagued by vote rigging, irregularities, and, as I mentioned, opposition boycotts. Rezaul Karim Rony, a journalist and editor of the monthly magazine Joban, told Al Jazeera that most protesters in his area of Dhaka were non-students. “The protest is no longer confined to students, as general people have joined them spontaneously. There is pent-up anger among common people under Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic regime, and they are using these student-led protests as a platform to express their dissatisfaction.” Protesters have attacked many establishments across the nation, including important government buildings, Dhaka’s metro rail, and even a prison in Narsingdi. Several ruling party offices and leaders' houses were also targeted. So... to be continued, I guess.
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Rwanda's president has just been re-elected
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What happened
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has been re-elected for a fourth term, scoring over 99% of the vote, according to the electoral authorities, reports Reuters.
Why this matters
With 65% of Rwandans under 30, Kagame is pretty much the only leader they’ve ever known. He is 66 and has been president since 2000.
Tell me more
At his ruling party's HQ, Kagame thanked everyone for giving him another term in a speech. He said, “These results show a very high score, and even if it was 100%, these aren’t just numbers. They reflect trust, which is what matters most. I’m hopeful we can solve all problems together.” Kagame faced just two challengers: Frank Habineza from the Democratic Green Party and independent Philippe Mpayimana. Both admitted defeat last week, as they got 0.53% and 0.32% respectively. Rights groups like Freedom House say the election was sketchy, pointing to a crackdown on journalists, the opposition, and civil society. The electoral commission had barred eight other candidates, including Kagame’s loudest critics, citing issues like incomplete registration documents.
Did you know? According to Oda Gasinzigwa, chair of the National Electoral Commission, 98.20% of the nine million registered voters turned out.
Is he a good president?
Mhm, good question. Here's what you should know about him:
- Kagame is a former rebel commander whose forces ended the 1994 genocide that killed around 800,000 people in 100 days.
- Western and regional leaders have praised him for ending the genocide and turning Rwanda into a hot spot for investment and aid, writes Al Jazeera. He’s popular for driving economic growth rates of 7.2% between 2012 and 2022 and building important infrastructure like hospitals and roads.
- For the so-called “Kagame Generation” — twenty-something Rwandans who have known no other leader — the idea of voting for anyone else remains “inconceivable,” writes Margaux Solinas for New Lines Magazine.
- His latest win was praised by Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, who called it a "testament to the trust and confidence" Rwandans have in Kagame, reports BBC.
However, he’s also faced criticism for alleged abuses at home and supporting rebels in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, which he denies. Plus, Kagame is one of those African leaders who’ve extended their time in office by changing term limits. In 2015, Rwandans voted to lift a two-term limit, basically allowing Kagame to stay in power until 2034.
What now?
The final election results are due by July 27. Clementine de Montjoye of Human Rights Watch told AFP that Kagame’s huge win shows how limited the political space for the opposition is in Rwanda today. This doesn’t look good for anyone trying to engage in legitimate and credible opposition activities, she added.
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Bad
China: At least 12 people were killed and 31 others are missing when a bridge collapsed due to flash flooding in Zhashui County, Shaanxi, China. (CNN)
Equatorial Guinea / Annobón: The government of Equatorial Guinea suspended internet and telephone services on the separatist island of Annobón, with the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization condemning the suspension. (Agencia NOVA)
Lebanon: Three Syrian children were killed by an Israeli airstrike on the village of Umm al-Tut in southern Lebanon, while two others were killed during a strike on the Kfar Tebnit-Khardali road. (Reuters)
Oman: The Islamic State claims responsibility for the prior day's mass shooting at a Shi'ite mosque in Muscat, Oman. This is the first attack carried out by the Islamic State in the country. (BBC)
Haiti: At least 40 Haitians were killed and several others are injured when a boat travelling to the Turks and Caicos Islands catches fire. (Al Arabiya)
Russia: A court in Yekaterinburg, Russia, convicted U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich of spying and sentenced him to 16 years in prison. (CNN)
Interesting...
Vietnam: General secretary and former president of Vietnam Nguyễn Phú Trọng died at the age of 80. (BBC)
Paraguay: Police in Paraguay seized more than four tons of cocaine, worth US$240 million, at a river port in Asunción, the largest cocaine seizure in the country's history. (AP)
Israel / Palestine: The International Court of Justice finds the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories to be a violation of international law. The Court also ruled that Israel's occupation of the West Bank amounts to apartheid. (The Guardian)
Iran / Sudan: Iran and Sudan received each other's ambassadors for the first time in eight years, after resuming diplomatic relations in October 2023. (Al Jazeera)
Tunisia: A Tunisian court sentenced opposition party leader Lotfi Mraïhi, a potential presidential candidate, to eight months in prison on a charge of vote buying, and also banned Mraïhi from running in presidential elections. (Reuters) In the same week, Tunisian president Kais Saied announced his candidacy for a second term. (Le Monde)
Good
Nigeria: The Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, and the Nigerian government agreed on a new minimum wage of ₦70,000 (US$43) per month, ending prolonged negotiations amid high inflation and a weakening currency. (Reuters)
South Korea: The Supreme Court of South Korea ruled that same-sex couples are eligible to receive the same health insurance benefits as heterosexual couples. (AP)
Japan: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida formally apologized to 130 victims of forced sterilization under the Eugenics Protection Law which was declared unconstitutional on July 3, and approved compensation measures for more than 25,000 affected victims and their relatives. (NHK)
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Read… "Daughters of the Nile" (link to book). Zahra Barri, Irish-Egyptian writer and stand-up comedian, just released her debut novel "Daughters of the Nile" earlier last month. It's all about three generations of Egyptian women, and it's already making waves since it won the Unbound Firsts 2024 award, which is a pretty big deal for writers of color. The novel is a multi-generational saga that dives into themes like Islam, queerness, and feminism, stretching across eight decades from Egypt to the UK, trying to shatter the stereotype of Muslim women by highlighting their strength and feminist values, tackling taboos, and looking at Islam through a feminist and non-cis-hetero lens. The book’s title, Daughters of the Nile, is translated from Bint Al-Nil, which was an actual feminist magazine run by Doria Shafik. The Egyptian government banned it, but Barri gives us an inside look at Shafik and her fellow feminists as they plotted a revolution while juggling family expectations.
Listen to "Love in Exile" ( link to YouTube). It was by chance that I stumbled upon this album; how has nobody told me about it? Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily are behind the gem, and these musicians are a big deal. Arooj Aftab wowed the world with her live shows and made history in April 2022 as the first Pakistani artist to win Grammy for Best Global Music Performance with her track “ Mohabbat” from the album "Vulture Prince". Vijay Iyer, a MacArthur and Grammy nominee, is one of today’s most influential pianists. Shahzad Ismaily, known for his technical brilliance and sensitivity, has played sessions for legends like Lou Reed. Give "Love in Exile" a listen – it’s a blend of piano, synths, bass, and Moog that you don’t want to miss. It also clinched a Grammy for Best Alternative Jazz Album, if that matters to you.
Watch… "Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam" (link to trailer on YouTube), a 2022 Indian Malayalam-Tamil bilingual drama film directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery and written by S. Hareesh. The plot? A group of Malayali tourists are heading back to Kerala after visiting the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu. While everyone else is asleep, their tour leader, James, stops the bus in a remote Tamil Nadu village. He wanders around, enters a house, and starts acting like a Tamil man, even speaking Tamil. An old blind woman in the house thinks he’s her son, Sundaram, who... well, went missing two years ago. My Letterboxd rating? 4/5. Yes, that good. But I do want to say that I think I would have appreciated the movie more if I had spoken Tamil or Malayalam – I think a lot of the references were lost on me ultimately, but I'm thankful for my film club who did bring some much-needed sense to my chaos in my head.
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176 million people have watched this | Al Shami has made quite a name for himself in the Arab world this past year. Originally from Syria, Al Shami faced significant challenges in his homeland and relocated to Turkey at a young age. His songs often dive into themes like social justice, love, and personal growth, all inspired by his own life and that of his parents. Some of his popular tracks are "Ya Leil W Yal Ein," (see video above; he's also just recently won the Joy Award for Best Song for it), "Befdiki," and "Shou Badi 3ed Bzalat." You can find his music on YouTube and Apple Music, where he's got a pretty solid following. And if you understand some Arabic, here's an interview of his where he talks about how he started out as an artist and what's life like for someone who hasn't seen their homeland since they were six. (If you don't speak Arabic, run it through ChatGPT and politely ask it to translate it for you.)
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Karen was the most popular baby name 60 years ago. Now, it's going extinct.
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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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