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Right-wing terror is becoming a major issue
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Someone racist and crazy killed nine people in two shisha bars in Hanau, Germany last week. The 43-year-old gunman also killed his mother and then himself. The victims? German People of Color. (The Guardian)
The reactions
- 'Racism is a poison. Hatred is a poison,' said chancellor Angela Merkel.
- "This is neither rightwing nor leftwing terror, it’s the crazy act of a deranged man," said Jörg Meuthen, a spokesman for the anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party.
- 'We don't feel safe here anymore,' said German People of Color. The German media is full of opinion articles by German People of Color who say, 'im considering to move out of this country.'
This is not the first extreme-right attack in Germany
- Just last week German authorities found out about a far-right terrorist cell that planned to attack several mosques in different German cities. (The New York Times)
- Before that came the killing of a local politician at the hands of a right-wing extremist in June 2019. (The New York Times)
- And then, a synagogue was attacked in October 2019 that left two people dead. (The New York Times)
What the attack in Hanau is changing
How Germany is talking about the extreme right. German authorities, long criticized as way too chill about the extreme right, now promised more police presence at mosques, airports, train stations and borders. (The New York Times)
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What do young people in Africa think about Africa?
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Around 4,200 young people aka 18-24-year-olds across 14 countries on the African continent were asked, 'hey how do u feel about living in your country?'. The countries surveyed were Congo-Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The result
A lot of optimism.
- 37% are happy with how they live right now, 82% believe their lives will improve in the next two years.
Key findings from across the 14 countries:
- 81% believe access to technology will improve their lives.
- 51% check the news daily and 80% at least once a week. Interestingly, they watch a lot of news on TV still (72%).
Politics and identity:
- Most people identify by their nationality (51%), rather than as African (17%), by tribe (17%), race (13%) or political affiliation (2%).
- 63% say religion plays a big role in their daily life, with Ethiopia (88%) on the high end and Gabon (30%) on the low end.
- Vast majorities support freedom of speech and religion (85%) and increased protections for ethnic minorities (80%).
- But 69% oppose additional protections for LGBTQ rights.
The poll was conducted by PSB Research for the Ichikowitz Family Foundation. See full results.
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Female rapper Asayel Slay is in a lot of trouble in Saudi Arabia because she released a video called 'Girl from Mecca'. Why? 'It is an insult to the traditions of the holy city. she and her entire team must be punished for this,' said Saudi authorities in Mecca in this tweet. (Al Jazeera)
- Catch up: Mecca is home to the holiest site in Islam, the Kaaba.
The whole thing caused a social media storm touching on topics such as racism and tolerance in Saudi Arabia.
- A lot of people use the hashtag #You_Are_Not_Mecca's_Girls directed at Ayasel's African origins.
- Others say, "If anything needs to be deported, it is your racism, your arrogance, and your deep reverence for yourselves."
Btw, Asayel Slay is not the first female rapper in Saudi Arabia. In June 2018, a (white-skin) rapper by the name of Leesa A dropped this video where she celebrated the country's lifting of a ban that prohibited women from driving. Surprisingly, nobody had a problem with that song.
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The world's newest country found peace at last
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South Sudan is only nine years old. Last week its political leaders put an end to its seven-year-old civil war that killed around 400,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes. (Al Jazeera)
What the civil war in South Sudan was about
The whole thing started when president Salva Kiir fired deputy president Riek Machar. 'You tried to steal my job behind my job,' said president Kiir. Machar was like, 'no man wtf.' To make matters worse, both leaders belong to the Dinka and Nuer, South Sudan's two largest ethnic groups. They both have been accused of targeting each other in the war, with atrocities committed by both sides.
Tell me more about the deal
It's basically a three-year plan for both men to work together in order for millions of refugees and internally displaced people to return to their homes. If the deal holds, it means, 'south sudan is starting a whole new chapter.'
- There's doubt that this is a good deal though. 'It doesn't solve any of the problems we are facing: ethnic nationalism, power struggles and weak institutions of governance.' (The Zambakari Advisory)
Why this matters
Well, wars ruin things like stability and growth.
- There's not much food (Human Rights Watch)
- And it certainly doesn’t help that the locust plague is coming to South Sudan, too – eating away more food. (BBC)
- They don't have much money. (BBC)
- Most people can't read or write. (BBC)
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We (probably) found out that the Neanderthals buried their dead
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Archaeologists in Iraqi Kurdistan... found a Neanderthal skeleton in Shanidar Cave. It had all its bones in their original positions – which is very rare. This was the first discovery of its type in over a decade.
- Why this matters: 'This is further proof that Neanderthals buried their dead... Just like we do today.' (BBC)
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We (probably) found where the founder of Rome was buried, too
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Archaeologists in Italy... found an empty sarcophagus while excavating the Roman Forum in Rome, Italy. And guess what? It appears to be dedicated to none other than Romulus, the founder of Rome. (Fox News)
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The Arab world now has nuclear power for the first time
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The Arab world now has nuclear power for the first time in history. Last week, United Arab Emirates (UAE) regulators were like, 'ok the Barakah nuclear reactor can go online now', anointing it the first nuclear power plant in the Arab world. (Reuters)
Why this matters
It's an exclusive club. Only 30 countries currently generate nuclear power, and no new country has joined the club since China in 1990.
How did they build it?
Funny that you ask. Building a nuclear power plant isn't that simple. Barakah went over budget, faced years of delays, and required a 14,000-page application. Oh, and it cost a fortune. Total financing for the project? $24.4 billion.
Are they running out of oil?
Not really. The country is still the No. 3 producer of oil. But like its neighbor Saudi Arabia, it's trying to diversify its economy away from oil production and invest in renewables. Four reactors are to go 'online' by 2023 so they can generate 25% of the UAE's energy.
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- Want to live longer? There's an app for that: Ikaria.
- Just check out Printing Money.
- Feeling demotivated? Learn about all the ideas that were initially rejected before they were later accepted.
- Instead of a longread, here’s a list of tweets with 40 concepts that shape our behaviour and thinking.
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on a funny but kinda sad note
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An Indonesian minister was like, 'hey indonesia has like 15 million poor households. i have a solution: the rich must marry the poor and then we will solve it like this ok?'. (Channel News Asia)
I mean... sure, if the rich marry a hundred people each, it might work.
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The end.
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