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 #403 took a bit longer because, honestly, I had to wrap my head around Mexico’s latest energy reforms and who they actually impact. Plus, I got really caught up in Mozambican politics—fascinating stuff—and totally lost track of time. Between my 9-5, drafting another newsletter, and prepping for today’s Sembra Media workshop (where I’ll be talking about this newsletter, by the way), I was wiped out. No excuses though—I’m back with a solid lineup: a lot of good news (trust me, we need it), Latin Grammy nominations to explore, Nigerian archives, my favorite musical instrument, and, of course, a truly wild comment from a certain Japanese misogynist. And so much more!
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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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Mozambique is waiting to find out who is its new president
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What happened
Okay, buckle up. We've got a lot of ground to cover. So, Mozambique went to the polls on October 9 to elect the president, the 250 members of the national parliament and the members of ten provincial parliaments (the country is divided into ten provinces; if you know at least one U.S. state, learn one Mozambican one, too – you’ve heard this name before: Gaza). On October 24, the electoral commission announced the results: Daniel Chapo, from Mozambique’s ruling FRELIMO party, won the presidency with 70.6% of the vote. His opponent, Venâncio Mondlane, pulled in 20.3%. Since then, things have been anything but quiet—at least 18 people have died in protests because a lot of people, opposition parties and observers from the European Union believe, ‘oh they for sure cheated.’ Some local groups say the death toll is more than 50. Plus, for weeks now, people have struggled to get online as internet access has been limited. Amidst all this, two famous people from the opposition have been murdered, adding fuel to the fire. The government response? Force.
Why this matters:
Around 34 million people live in Mozambique. Adriano Nuvunga, director of Mozambique's Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, said the country had never seen such large demonstrations. Mozambique is one of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries in the world, ranking low in GDP per capita, human development, measures of inequality and average life expectancy.
Good to know: Yes, Mozambique became independent of Portugal in 1975. Until 1990, it was a one-party socialist state, with the Soviet Union being its most important fanboy. In 1994, Mozambique then held its very first multiparty elections and has since become a relatively stable presidential republic; aside from the ISIS stuff in the north, which I will get to in a bit. GDP-wise, the country still has got a long way to go though.
Tell me more
Mondlane is now in hiding, but/and has called for more protests, saying the people need to “break free from these 50-year shackles.” The ruling party says, ‘he’s trying to incite a coup’. Some say this whole post-election-drama wasn’t all too surprising. See, this is not the first time. There were allegations of vote-rigging, electoral fraud and violent protests during last year’s local elections, too. FRELIMO then won 64 of 65 municipalities. (Oof, this synopsis took me a bit.)
Btw: Things are so heated that, in one city, protesters actually toppled a statue of current President Filipe Nyusi. They even went as far as cutting off its head. He has pledged to step down.
Who were the candidates?
Two Capricorns. Basically, there were more, but I’m giving you the two main ones.
- Daniel Chapo: Born January 6, 1977, Chapo has a background in law. He's also worked as a journalist, and has been a longtime member of the ruling FRELIMO party. FRELIMO is a huge deal in Mozambique. Founded in 1962, the party led the armed struggle against Portuguese colonial rule, which eventually led to the Mozambique’s independence in 1975 (after some 400 years). Today, there are talks that FRELIMO is a bit corrupt (‘a bit’ is an understatement; they’re responsible for one of the biggest corruption scandals in Africa. The country ended up with US$2 billion in “hidden debt”.) Chapo is a married Christian man and has four children.
- Venâncio Mondlane: Born January 17, 1974, Mondlane has a background in forest engineering. He’s known to be quite knowledgeable on all things money; you’ll see him on TV and elsewhere a lot as a commentator. He’s run as an independent with support from the newly formed PODESA party, positioning himself as the fresh face for Mozambique’s youth who want change (he turned 50 this year, I’m not age-shaming, but the median age there is at 16.4 years).
What’s Mozambique dealing with at the moment?
The country’s 34 million people really care about:
- The violence in the north: The Cabo Delgado province in the north (oh, look, another Mozambican province) has been anything but a safe place for many since 2017. The country has been fighting against an armed group close to ISIS that has been carrying out attacks on communities there, including beheadings and other killings. Some 1.3 million people were forced to flee their homes. Around 600,000 people have since returned home, many to shattered communities where houses, markets, churches, schools and health centers have been destroyed, the United Nations refugee agency said earlier this year.
- Corruption and poverty: Many people in Mozambique are unemployment, hunger is a major issue there because there’s been a serious drought (El Niño stopped the rain from falling). According to the United Nations World Food Program, 1.3 million people in Mozambique are facing severe food shortages as a result of the drought.
What now?
PODEMOS and Mondlane really want the Constitutional Council to validate the election results and the Council is currently considering the appeal. Today, Mondlane, from somewhere outside of Africa, is supposed to announce some next steps for the people who are out on the streets in support of him. The president of PODEMOS, Albino Forquilha, also said that "the demonstrations will continue until the electoral truth is restored". In any case, whoever the winner, the presidency comes with a lot of problems. Borges Nhamire, a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, said, “The president to be elected will find a very difficult situation because he is in transition during a period of war, and every transition that takes place during a period of war is very difficult,” said Nhamire. To be continued.
Zoom out: The political crisis has also implications for neighboring countries. For example, South Africa closed its border with Mozambique for a few days and opened it again. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) – Mozambique is a member here – also called an emergency meeting to talk some serious business, ‘just how destabilizing is this for all of us?’. Meanwhile, investors are also getting spooked since a terminal operator at Maputo’s port shut down. The country’s US$900 million eurobond due 2031 fell 0.5% to 83.88 cents on the dollar.
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Mexico's leftist government just passed new energy reforms – and re-nationalized the country's two largest oil and electricity companies
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What happened
The Mexican government wants to change the way energy—especially electricity—is managed in the country. President Claudia Sheinbaum, who just took office in October, introduced a new reform on October 30 that basically says the government and the companies it owns should come first, not private businesses, when it comes to energy decisions and took back (re-nationalized) the country’s two big energy companies, Pemex (oil) and CFE (electricity), and gave them more control. She also presented an ambitious US$23.4 billion energy investment plan, including goals to convert 45% of Mexico’s grid to renewable energy by 2030.
Why this matters:
Mexico’s the 14th largest economy and one of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters. The country’s future is caught between its oil-rich past and a renewable future that’s slow to come.
Tell me more
There are several perspectives you can take here, that of climate activists, that of people who believe climate protection shouldn’t come at the expense of those with lesser means and that of business leaders who believe climate protection must also be profitable right now. I’ll try to tell summarize them for you:
If you care about everyday people first: Sheinbaum says this reform is about giving “the people’s companies” back to them. Pemex and CFE were state-owned until 2013, but they struggled to make a profit. Now, they won’t have to be profit-driven; they’ll focus on providing low-cost energy and reaching remote communities that wouldn’t be profitable to serve otherwise.
If you care about climate first: Mexico is the 14th largest economy and one of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters. The country relies heavily on fossil fuels (76% of its electricity), so switching to renewables would be a game-changer. But critics worry that putting Pemex and CFE back in charge will slow down this green transition—these companies have a long history of sticking with oil, gas, and coal.
If you’re very pro-business: Sheinbaum’s reform reverses the 2013 reform that opened up Mexico’s energy market to private players. Private companies are nervous: they want steady rules, not decisions that can change with the political wind. With Pemex and CFE as the dominant players, private companies will have limited opportunities and less incentive to compete. Plus, the new mega-sized CFE could be harder to monitor, making transparency a challenge, and Pemex is extremely indebted.
What else?
Beyond energy, Sheinbaum also signed a decree bringing passenger railroads back under state control. This includes plans for 3,000 km of new railways and 600,000 new jobs, creating space for public projects and some private investments, too.
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Bad
Pakistan: The Pakistani Health Department reports that at least 1.8 million people in Punjab, Pakistan have become sick with respiratory and eye irritation ailments caused by chronic, record-breaking air pollution. (AP)
Iran: According to Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, Varisheh Moradi, a Kurdish political prisoner, has been sentenced to death by the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Protests have erupted inside Iran, within and inside the walls of Evin Prison. (Hengaw) (MedyaNews)
Turkey: In Batman, Turkey, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party claims that police mistreated protesters during demonstrations. These protests erupted after Mayor Gülistan Sönük and two other pro-Kurdish mayors were dismissed by Turkey’s Interior Ministry on November 4, accused of links to "terrorism", and replaced with state-appointed trustees. The hashtag #BatmanEmniyetindeİşkenceVar (“Torture in Batman Police Department”) is trending, as people raise concerns about alleged police abuse. The protests have led to over 200 arrests in Kurdish-majority areas, with 173 detained in Batman alone. Many of those arrested are minors, highlighting the broad appeal of the protests. (Bianet) (MedyaNews)
Burkina Faso: Burkina Faso’s military government plans to bring back the death penalty, which the country abolished in 2018, according to a government source. The last time Burkina Faso carried out executions was in 1988. (The Guardian)
Cuba: A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Cuba on Sunday, about 40km south of the town of Bartolome Maso, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). This earthquake adds to Cuba’s challenges, as the country is already struggling with recent storms and ongoing blackouts. Thankfully, no injuries or deaths have been reported, but the quake is likely to worsen existing difficulties.
Interesting...
Israel / Turkey: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Turkey has severed all diplomatic relations with Israel and will not develop any in the future. Their embassy in Tel Aviv however, continues to operate. (Newsweek)
Bolivia: Bolivia’s constitutional court has ruled that former President Evo Morales cannot run for any political office, blocking him from competing in next year’s elections. (Al Jazeera)
Indonesia / China: The two countries just got closer. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto just signed cooperation deals totaling US$10 billion. These agreements cover important areas like water conservation, marine resources, and mining. (Bangkok Post)
Somaliland: Citizens of Somaliland are currently voting for the President between the current president Muse Bihi Abdi of the Kulmiye party, House of Representatives speaker Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi of the Waddani party (center-left, reform-focused opposition party), and Faysal Ali Warabe of the Justice and Welfare Party (one of Somaliland’s oldest political parties). Somaliland operates as a self-declared republic but isn’t internationally recognized as independent from Somalia. This election was delayed for two years. More than 1 million people are expected to vote. (Al Jazeera)
Mauritius: Navin Ramgoolam, leader of the opposition and candidate for the Labour Party, has been elected as the new Prime Minister of Mauritius. His coalition, called the Alliance du Changement, won big—taking 60 out of 66 seats in the National Assembly. Ramgoolam is 77 years old and has already been prime minister three times. (Reuters)
Azerbaijan: The COP29 climate conference opened in Baku. Azerbaijan has had a poor human rights record for many years and the government has regularly targeted journalists, activists and independent politicians. President Ilham Aliyev and his administration are accused by human rights organizations of spearheading an intensifying crackdown on freedom of speech ahead of the climate summit, including against climate activists and journalists. (AP)
Japan: Shigeru Ishiba was sworn in as the 103rd prime minister of Japan following the first runoff vote in thirty years. (Kyodo News)
Somalia: Ahmed Madobe, President of Jubaland in Somalia, appointed a regional electoral committee. However, Somalia’s Interior Ministry says this committee isn’t authorized and is urging local clans to stand up for their rights. In response, Jubaland announced it’s suspending relations with Somalia’s federal government. (Hiiraan Online)
New Zealand: Hundreds of Māori people began a nine-day march from Cape Reinga to Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, to protest the proposed Treaty Principles Bill which would redefine the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. (The Star)
Haiti: Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, an entrepreneur and former senate candidate, has been appointed as Haiti’s new prime minister by the country’s transitional presidential council. He replaces Garry Conille, who held the role since May. (The Guardian)
Good
Sudan: The U.S. Department of the Treasury has placed sanctions on General Abdel Rahman Jumma of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF); meaning, his assets are frozen. The U.S. claims that Jumma is mainly responsible for violent attacks against civilians and human rights abuses in West Darfur. In the same week, the United Nations Security Council also sanctioned the head of operations of the RSF and the force's West Darfur commander for their human rights abuses and for promoting violence in Sudan. At least 20,000 people have been killed in the war, and more than ten million people have been displaced. (Al Jazeera)
Japan: Japan’s health ministry is proposing a ban on employees working 14 or more consecutive days to address the country’s overwork culture and improve mental health. (The Japan Times)
China: Researchers have found evidence of an ancient coastline on Mars, thanks to data from China’s Zhurong rover. This discovery sheds light on the planet’s geological history—and heightens the possibility that an ocean once existed on Mars billions of years ago. (Independent)
Nigeria: A Nigerian court has released 119 people arrested during protests linked to the country’s cost-of-living crisis. Back in July, demonstrations erupted in cities across Nigeria as people grappled with soaring prices and high unemployment. Protesters rallied under the banner of the ‘End Bad Governance in Nigeria’ coalition, organizing around a campaign called "10 Days of Rage." They demanded government action to address hunger, education, and systemic reforms. NGOs have reported the deaths of several peaceful protesters. (CNN)
Iraq / USA: A U.S. jury awarded US$42 million to three former detainees of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, thereby holding Virginia-based military contractor CACI liable for their role in the torture and mistreatment of the detainees. (AP)
Armenia / Azerbaijan: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has confirmed it can hear cases from Armenia and Azerbaijan against each other. This decision means both countries’ claims can go to trial. After a 2020 conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan filed these lawsuits accusing each other of discrimination and rights abuses. Armenia says Azerbaijan committed “ethnic cleansing” in Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh. Azerbaijan denies this and accuses Armenia of spreading “racist” hate speech. (Al Jazeera)
Norway: The Norwegian parliament issued a formal apology to Indigenous and minority groups for historical injustices caused by the “Norwegianisation” policy. This policy, aimed at forced assimilation, involved banning minority languages in state-run boarding schools and relocating entire villages. The policy dates back to the 18th century and became official in 1851, with some practices continuing into the 1980s. Although parts of it were phased out in the 1960s, its impact lasted for generations. (The Guardian)
Brazil: Brazil’s environment and climate change ministry announced a big drop in deforestation: the Amazon rainforest saw a 30.6% decrease from last year, hitting its lowest level in nine years. Meanwhile, deforestation in the Cerrado tropical savannah also dropped by 25.7%, marking the first decline in five years. (Semafor)
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Watch… Yarsanis celebrate Khavandan/Xawandkar. (link to article) The season of a lot of festivities begin. While the U.S. gear up for Thanksgiving, the Yarsan are celebrating something else. The Yarsan, a Kurdish ethno-religious group primarily in western Iran and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, come together each year from late October to mid-November for this vibrant festival. Yarsanis from places like Kermanshah, Lorestan, Ilam, and Kirkuk join in, celebrating their heritage with music, ritual, and community. Both women and men play a huge part, often performing with the tanbour and daf (which, by the way, is my favorite instrument). The Yarsan have kept their traditions alive despite challenges—especially in Iran, where their religion isn’t officially recognized, making it difficult for them to openly practice their faith.
Read... "‘Our history is rotting away’: the newspaper archivists preserving Nigeria’s past" by Ope Adetayo for The Guardian (link to article). In Lagos, Nigeria, a project called Archivi.ng is working to digitize Nigeria’s entire newspaper history since independence in 1960. This ambitious archive is trying to preserve important events—like coups, civil wars, and historic headlines—that are mostly hidden in physical papers at risk of decay. Led by Fu’ad Lawal, Archivi.ng has so far (as of 2023) digitized over 50,000 pages and aims to make the archive interactive and accessible to the public.
Listen to... the Latin nominees. The 2025 Grammy nominations were announced last week, and some of my favorites, like Doechii and Charlotte Day Wilson, made the cut (not that awards mean everything, but hey, more ears on their music!). Every year, I make time to explore all categories, which is how I stumble upon hidden gems like Feid and Young Miko, who are now first-time Grammy nominees. My favorites are now in this newsletter's very own "Go Global Weekly" Spotify playlist.
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Did you know Nelly and Shereen have a song together? I Well, SceneNoise has had enough of the "Wow, Arabic music is going global!" reactions every time a Western artist collaborates with an Arab artist. They call it out as "an incredibly degrading perspective that screams insecurity." So, they put together a piece to look back on some classic Arabic and global crossovers, sharing their favorite collabs (and leaving out the cringier ones). Along with Nelly and Sherine, they dive into hits like Hakim and James Brown, and yes, Sting and Cheb Mami—cue Desert Rose nostalgia.
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This just in from the "Blame Women for Everything" files:
If women can’t find husbands by 25, the logical solution is to just ban them from marrying at all. This is what Naoki Hyakuta, writer and Conservative Party leader in Japan, recently suggested in order to fix Japan’s low birth rate. Oh, and if they haven’t had kids by 30? Well, just remove their uterus.
(He's now apologized for his comments.)
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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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This week's issue was supported by this newsletter's very first intern: Lucia Baumann.
"Having lived in both Brazil and Japan, I often find myself missing the news from those parts of the world. That’s how I fell in love with this newsletter. I’ve worked at local magazines and radio broadcast in Leipzig, as well as ZEIT ONLINE and dpa (German Press Agency). My academic background is in cultural studies and history, where I researched how societies commemorate their past, using literature, film and audio material. Currently rehabilitating my Portuguese and studying colonial history in Lisbon." (Photo credits: Elias Schulz)
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