Excluded Headlines: Up to 500 may have died in Ethiopia landslide, Bangladeshi protesters win, extreme floods in the Philippines ...
Stay up to date on the Global South news stories the US- and Eurocentric media overlook, with author and journalist, Tamara Pearson.
In this week’s Global South news:
Anti-corruption protests erupt in Uganda, inspired by Kenya - On Tuesday, Ugandan security forces arrested at least 45 people as they were marching to the parliament building to protest high-level corruption. The protests followed those of neighbouring Kenya, where people managed to stop a bill and get almost the whole cabinet changed. Source, source.
229 die in Ethiopia landslide - As of Tuesday, 229 people had been killed in the country’s worst ever landslide, with many victims, including teachers, healthcare and rescue workers killed after they rushed to help prior victims who were initially buried on Monday. The final toll could be as high as 500, as rescue efforts continue. Ethiopia is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate extremes like heavy rain. Source, source.
Typhoon Gaemi floods Manila - Roads and neighbourhoods in Manila and across the Philippines have been left under water after heavy rain from Typhoon Gaemi. Schools and public offices have had to close, a shanty settlement was destroyed, some 13 people have died and around 600,000 people been displaced. In one area in Quezon City, it was recorded that 458 mm of rain fell within a 24-hour period. That’s double what my city of Puebla receives in a year. Source, source, source.
Bangladesh’s Supreme Court scraps most of government job quota following massive protests - Bangladeshis have successfully defeated a job quota law through massive protests. Some 201 people were killed and 4,500 detained, and protesters now want the home minister to resign, saying he was responsible for the violence. Source, source.
Traces of poliovirus found in Gaza - The WHO confirmed evidence of polio in Gazan wastewater. Old viruses that have largely been eliminated or reduced are likely to return or flourish in conditions of conflict and destruction of infrastructure, like healthcare and access to water. No one in Gaza has been identified with polio-induced paralysis so far - many people who carry it won’t be symptomatic, but the WHO is very worried. Source.
Boat fire claims 40 migrant lives off coast of Haiti - At least 40 migrants have died, and several others were injured after a boat they were travelling in caught fire north of Haiti. The boat had been carrying over 80 people. More than 86,000 migrants have been forcibly returned to Haiti this year. Source, source.
Indonesia tests out biodiesel - The Indonesian state is testing out Biodiesel B40, a blend of 40% vegetable oil (mostly palm) with diesel fuel, on a train route. The biodiesel could save the country from importing so much fuel but isn’t necessarily an environmental solution, given the role of the palm industry in deforestation. Source, source.
Yemen government and Houthi government in Sanaa reach agreements - After the Yemen Central Bank sanctioned six banks in Houthi-held Sanaa, the two sides have agreed to lift those sanctions and for increased flights in and out of Sanaa. Source, source.
Did you know? 3.3 billion people live in countries that spend more on debt interest than education. Most Global South countries have paid back their initial debt many times over.
Useful reads:
Bangladesh: From a student protest to a movement (short video)
Bangladesh: Protesting students are fighting for justice
Land Defenders Shut Down a Toxic Mine in Mexico, Now Its Corporate Backers Want Damages.
Let's abolish the colonial IMF on its 80th birthday
More Poverty for the Poor - Many low-income countries continue to slip further behind
New Anti-Colonial Alliance in Africa’s Sahel Is a Major Blow to US & French Control (video interview)
Sudan’s health crisis, from war zones to refugee camps
How Neoliberalism Accelerates Oppression by Indian Elites Overseas