Excluded Headlines for 28 Oct - 4 Nov 2022
Stay up to date on the global news stories the US- and Eurocentric media overlooks, with journalist and author, Tamara Pearson
This week’s ignored and under-reported news from the poor majority world includes: Demands to expel mining companies in Sudan, deadly floods in the Philippines, and free IVF treatment in Cuba. Some of the following stories were mentioned very briefly by the media, but didn’t get the same amount of attention had such floods or bombings taken place in Europe or the US. Others were totally boycotted.
Sudan: People demand mining companies be expelled – Activists have held a sit-in for six days straight, with promises to continue until all mining companies in the El Fida area stop working. Many of the companies are just two to three kilometres from populated areas, in violation of local and international laws. Cyanide and other chemicals used to mine gold are a serious threat to the country’s environment. Sudan is the second largest producer of gold in Africa, and the government is trying to attract more foreign investors. Source.
Cuba: Free access to IVF – In the interests of equality, agency, and justice, the country’s health ministry approved a regulation that will make medically assisted reproduction available to people who express the need for it, including single men, same sex couples, and women with medical impediments to getting pregnant. People will have access to the treatment in the order of the dates they applied for it, and it will be limited to women aged 20 to 45 and men aged 20 to 55. Source.
Somalia: Car bombs in capital kill at least 120 - Twin car bombs that targeted Somalia’s Education Ministry on Saturday killed at least 120 people and injured hundreds of others. Al-Shabab, which controls large parts of the country, claimed responsibility. One man reported going to the scene, in a busy part of the capital, after the first bomb. He survived the second bomb, but seven of his close friends didn’t. Hospitals, already facing strained resources, are struggling to care for all the victims. Source, source.
Philippines: Floods wreak havoc – At least 150 people have died in floods in the Philippines, 15,000 homes have been partially or totally destroyed, 1.2 million people have been displaced and a total of 4 million people affected. The floods follow the arrival of tropical storm Paeng on the weekend. Source, source.
Egypt: Repression of activists in lead up to COP27 - Security forces have arrested hundreds as the COP27 climate summit is due to start on Sunday in the country. Arrests include former detainees and family members of activists, and they follow calls for anti-government protests. Source, source
Ethiopia: Two-year war ends – Two years of conflict in Ethiopia have come to an end, for now, after having left thousands dead, millions displaced, and many facing famine. For three decades, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) had dominated the government, until elections in 2018. The new government sent troops to the Tigray region in 2020 to topple the TPLF. On Wednesday, after a week of talks, the government and Tigrayan front announced an end to the conflict and that coordinated disarmament would begin. Restoration of services and access to humanitarian supplies was also agreed on. It isn’t clear if Eritrean forces will respect the agreement, and the Ethiopian prime minister complained about other countries trying to interfere in the process. Source, source, source.
Mediterranean Sea: European countries won’t let boats of rescued refugees dock - Boats that search for and rescue survivors in the Mediterranean are urgently requesting to dock at any nearby port, with over a thousand refugees and migrants in total on board. After being rescued, the migrants are in limbo at sea, as European countries refuse to allow the boats to dock. Countries like Italy and Malta have closed their ports to the boats of NGOs that rescue migrants. Source.
Honduras: Government resists US’s pressure regarding corporate cities – In April, the Honduran congress unanimously voted to repeal a law that allows for corporate cities (called, ZEDEs, where private companies manage small regions and have full legal autonomy). However, various US companies are involved in such regions, and earlier in October, two US senators called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to rally against the Honduran government for repealing the law. The US ambassador to Honduras also recently made comments criticising the policy, leading to the Honduran foreign minister to summon her to a meeting on October 21, for meddling in the country’s internal affairs. Source, source.
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