Excluded Headlines: Indians forced to work through heat waves, Sudan foreign interests..
Stay up to date on the global news stories the US- and Eurocentric media overlooks, with journalist and author, Tamara Pearson.
This week the media did cover a few stories from the Global South - particularly the conflict in Sudan and the stampede in Yemen. But as usual, it has mostly fixated on the tragic figures - the numbers of deaths, the videos of explosions, and boycotted the self examination required to understand the causes behind these situations, and the implications of them. With Sudan, a few media outlets, including Reuters and AJ, have actually provided explainers and some context, to help people understand. But we do have to remember, if the US government, or the Spanish one, for example, were to face what is basically a civil war with paramilitaries, this story would get much more coverage than it is getting, the language would be more empathetic and troubled rather than cold, and locals would actually be interviewed as experts - something that is not happening with Sudan and of course never does happen, nor with Yemen. To its credit, Reuters does have one journo in Khartoum but the editors aren’t there. Read on!
End the war in Sudan, provide support for Sudanese refugees - After five days of fighting between the military government and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group and a failed ceasefire, thousands of Sudanese people have fled across the borders. Around 270 people have been killed so far, and there are food, water, and medicine shortages or difficulties accessing them.
Osama Siddig, a Sudanese Australian, told me they need the conflict to end, “safe corridors, and humanitarian support for the people. This war is a power struggle between the two factions. Both sides rely on different foreign support. The national army depends on Egypt and Saudis and maybe the US. The RSF relies on the UAE and militia in Libya led by Haftar as well as the the Russian militia.” The interests of different countries are important to consider when looking at how their media covers the conflict. Source, source, source.
Dangerous heat wave in India - Heat waves are becoming more frequent in India, and that is impacting different sectors of society, including leading to agriculture goods shortages, farmer stress, strained power grids, health problems, and difficulty working. Some schools have shifted their hours to be earlier in the day and cancelled sports activities. Rather than allowing workers time off, the government has issued guidelines requiring that the most vulnerable sectors like miners be given electrolytes. A Cambridge study found that 90% of India is in the danger zone or the extreme caution zone in terms of the impact of climate change on heat wave occurrences. Source, source, source, source.
Colombia to implement anti-fracking law - The Colombian senate has passed a law that prohibits fracking, as well as the extraction of methane and petroleum from “unconventional” sites. Activist organisations had collected 178,000 signatures requesting the law. Source.
Boko Haram attacks in Cameroon leave thousands homeless - Boko Haram soldiers from Nigeria attacked hundreds of homes in neighbouring Cameroon, leaving thousands homeless and eight dead. The soldiers, according to the Cameroon military, raided markets, ranches and shops, and sent thousands of people fleeing into hiding. They stole cows, goats, and motorbikes, then crossed back into Nigeria. Source.