Hey, this is Sham Jaff, your very own news curator. Each week, I highlight some of the biggest stories from regions and countries that are historically underreported in "Western media". My goal is to burst our Western-centric bubbles, and expand the view we hold of the world. Questions, comments, concerns? You can reach me anytime by replying to this mail. And if this newsletter was forwarded to you, you can sign up at whathappenedlastweek.com.
Issue #393 focuses on two women: Paetongtarn Shinwatra from Thailand and Tuíre Kayapó from Brazil. One has just become a country's youngest prime minister, and the other was one of the world's most famous Indigenous environmentalists. Plus (for VIP Members of this newsletter): African classical music, why four Caribbean nations want to decriminalize suicide, how to make millions before grandma dies, and a traditional Ethiopian cure-all for hip and joint pain, headaches, and even skin issues. Sign up here to become a VIP member. You support 100% self-funded independent journalism with your subscription. You have no idea how much this means to me.
Good 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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One of the most important Indigenous leaders in Brazil died last week
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What happened
Tuíre Kayapó, a leader of the Kayapó people, passed away on Saturday, August 10, in a hospital in Redenção, Pará. She was 57 years old and had been fighting uterine cancer.
Why this matters
Tuíre Kayapó was one of the most important Indigenous leaders in Brazil.
Tell me more
Tuíre first made headlines in the 1980s when she stood up against the Belo Monte Dam project on the Xingu River, a battle that would define her legacy. Later, in the 2010s, she took on the controversial PEC 215 amendment. Her whole life was about fighting for her people’s rights and standing up to government actions that threatened their way of life. Whether it was the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Plant or the "Time Frame Law," Tuíre was always on the front lines.
Let's get personal
Tuíre was born in Kokrajmôrô, right in the heart of Kayapó territory. Leadership ran in her family—both her grandparents were chiefs. She once said, "My grandparents taught me to protect our land and our forest from outsiders." At a time when men mostly led the Indigenous movements, Tuíre was one of the few women who took on this role. She was the only woman to join the men in marches to Brasília, fighting for her people’s rights. In 2023, Tuíre was diagnosed with uterine cancer, but she kept up her activism until she passed away on August 10, 2024. She was buried in Gorociré, a Kayapó village near Cumaru do Norte. Her death was mourned by many, including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Minister of Indigenous Peoples Sonia Guajajara.
Tell me more about this image you shared on Instagram
Tuíre became famous at just 19 years old when she took a stand against the Kararaô Hydroelectric Plant (later known as the Belo Monte Dam). In a bold move, she waved a machete in the face of the president of Eletronorte, José Antonio Muniz Lopes, during a meeting with 600 Indigenous protesters. This act delayed the dam’s construction by two decades and made her a symbol of Indigenous resistance. She told Lopes, "White man, you have no forest. This land isn’t yours. You were born in the city and came here to attack our forests and rivers. You won’t do this." That moment was captured in a photograph that went viral before viral was even a thing. The photograph became known worldwide and drew the attention of authorities, activists and international artists.
Did you know? She went to Congress to speak on behalf of the Kayapo and other indigenous groups. She chose to speak in Mebêngôkre during these events, and had an interpreter translate for her.
What's the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Dam?
The Belo Monte Dam is one of the world’s largest and most controversial hydroelectric projects, as Quézia Arruda from The Brazilian Report describes it. It generates more than half of Japan’s annual hydropower, but it’s been heavily criticized for its environmental and social impacts. The dam was completed in 2019, but the debates didn’t stop. Its operating license expired in 2021, sparking discussions about renewing it. Belo Monte was dubbed "the end of the world" among people in Volta Grande do Xingu. Tuíre was, in Aílton Krenak’s words, the woman who postponed said "end of the world."
Why were they against it?
For the Kayapó, who call themselves Mẽbêngôkre, meaning “the people who came from the water hole,” rivers are sacred. Their ancestors came into this world through water, so rivers are a big part of their identity. The government’s plan to dam the Xingu River wasn’t just about losing fishing and navigation—it was about losing their connection to the world. For the Mẽbêngôkre, building the Belo Monte Dam would be like cutting off their roots, writes Thais Mantovanelli for Sumaúma.
Btw, in 2020, Turkish artist and photographer Pinar Yolaçan made a film about Tuíre’s life, called "Tuire Kayapó (First Contact)". In 2024, painter Éder Oliveira unveiled a portrait of Tuíre, capturing her spirit.
Zoom out: Tuíre was a trailblazer for Indigenous women, paving the way for leaders like Ô-é Paiakan Kayapó, Sonia Guajajara, Joenia Wapichana, and Célia Xacriabá. "In the past, I was alone, but today I have these warrior women by my side," she said, as reported by ISA.
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Thailand's got a new prime minister – young, female and rich
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What happened
Thailand's parliament has chosen Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of the billionaire and former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, as the new prime minister. At just 37 years old, she’s making history as Thailand’s youngest prime minister and the second woman ever to hold the position, following in the footsteps of her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra. report Jonathan Head, Thanyarat Doksone & Kelly Ng for BBC. Paetongtarn’s rise to the top job comes just two days after the previous prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, was ousted by a Constitutional Court ruling.
Why this matters
This is not a "representation matters" type of news story. Thailand’s politics have long been a battlefield, with judges stepping in whenever someone threatens the country’s old-school royalist power structure. Erich Parpart in Thai Enquirer believes this latest decision raises concerns about judicial independence and fairness. "This situation could be perceived as a judicial coup, undermining democratic norms."
Tell me more
Both, Thavisin and Shinawatra, belong to the Pheu Thai Party – the party who finished second in the 2023 elections but managed to form a ruling coalition. Why? The actual election winner, Move Forward, was blocked from taking power by the (military-appointed) senate. Earlier this month, again in a dramatic turn, the constitutional court dissolved Move Forward and banned 11 of its leaders from politics for a decade. In response, the new People’s Party, a successor to Move Forward, was born and inherited 143 MPs. Their leader, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, didn’t hold back—he called out the "lawfare tactics" used by elites to squash the will of the people and urged the new prime minister to tackle the root issues caused by these appointed officials.
Did you know? Paetongtarn is the fourth member of the Shinawatra family to become prime minister in the last 20 years. The other three—including her dad Thaksin and her aunt Yingluck—were all forced out either by military coups or – surprise, surprise – constitutional court rulings.
So, who is Paetongtarn Shinawatra?
She’s the youngest daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister who’s still pulling the strings behind the scenes at Pheu Thai. She’s had a top-notch education in Thailand and the UK, and before diving into politics, she worked for her family’s Rende hotel group, where her husband is a deputy chief investment officer. Paetongtarn joined Pheu Thai in 2021 and quickly climbed the ranks to become party leader in October 2023. She’s known by her nickname "Ung Ing," and she’s married to Pitaka Suksawat, with whom she has two kids—a daughter and a son, according to The Nation.
Btw, Paetongtarn has stakes in 15 companies worth a whopping 8.4 billion baht. However, Thailand’s Constitution says ministers can’t hold shares in companies, so she’ll need to hand those over to a blind trust and let the National Anti-Corruption Commission know within 30 days of taking office, reports The Nation.
What now?
Being young and relatively new to politics, Paetongtarn will likely lean heavily on her father’s experience, which could make people see her as a stand-in for Thaksin. Political expert Thitinan Pongsudhirak from Chulalongkorn University told AFP that she’s in for a tough time, facing intense scrutiny and pressure, and she’ll have to rely on her dad to navigate these stormy waters.
Recommended read: Before the Move Forward party was banned, Pita Limjaroenrat, in an opinion piece for The Nation, wrote about the state of politics in Thailand and why he believes that the people are ready for a stronger democracy – even if his party will be dissolved. The article is very hopeful and maybe a good (fictional) ending to this news.
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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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