From a German Prankster to Darfur's Mercenaries

Fasten your seatbelts as OZY takes you Around the World with stunning stories on politics and culture, sports and spiritualism. This Sunday, we meet a German prankster politician tangling with neo-Nazis, uncover how Darfur's most brutal militia is now a force for hire and capture the artistic rise of India's trans community (pictured). Enjoy the ride! www.ozy.com Sponsored by From the editor | January 26 Fasten your seatbelts as OZY takes you Around the World with stunning stories on politics and culture, sports and spiritualism. This Sunday, we meet a German prankster politician tangling with neo-Nazis, uncover how Darfur's most brutal militia is now a force for hire and capture the artistic rise of India's trans community (pictured). Enjoy the ride! Charu Kasturi, Senior Editor [Around the World]( [Meet the First Black Afrikaans Music Star]( Refentse Morake is changing how South Africa looks at the music associated with colonization. After school one afternoon when he was 17, Morake was messing around with his guitar in the front yard of his parents’ home when a friendly tannie (‘auntie,’ a term of respect in Afrikaans) asked if she could take a video of him singing "De La Rey" in his now-characteristic treacly vibrato. The next afternoon the tannie returned bearing truly startling news: Refentse’s video had racked up 160,000 views in 24 hours. Now at almost 22, Refentse has established himself as one of the biggest music stars in South Africa — singing in perfect, unaccented Afrikaans, the language once associated with apartheid. His rise is all the more remarkable considering his breakout cover of "De La Rey" — a plea to a long-dead Boer War general to come back and lead his people — polarized the Afrikaans community with its nationalist undertones. [READ NOW]( [Around the World]( [Lithium Isn’t the New Gold — Yet]( It was supposed to be the most valuable mineral of the future. Now its crashing price is giving businesses pause. In late 2018, Jean-Denis Caron sank most of his life savings into the shares of Nemaska Lithium, a Quebec City–based producer backed by Japan’s SoftBank that promised to “facilitate access to green energy, for the benefit of humanity.” Last month, Nemaska filed for protection from its creditors, following a collapse in the price of lithium hydroxide, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles (EV). The shares, down 93 percent from the peak, have stopped trading and the company is set to be kicked off the Toronto exchange. Nemaska’s failure highlights the difficulties of a market dominated by a small cadre of producers and vulnerable to sudden changes in outlook. [READ NOW]( [Sponsored by CARIUMA]( [Ground Yourself With PANTONE Classic Blue Kicks]( Walk toward your 2020 goals in this singular style, designed by CARIUMA in partnership with PANTONE. A limited-edition [sneaker collection]( in Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year, Classic Blue, these kicks are a way to stay chill in an anything-goes era. Treat yourself to a pair and [save $15 by using the OZYOZY code here.]( [Around the World]( [India’s Trans Artists Finally Take Center Stage]( India’s trans community is finally taking center stage in the performing arts, through cultural events, radio shows and growing recognition by cultural bodies. [Around the World]( [The Killers of Darfur Are Cashing In on Foreign Conflicts]( Their list of global partners includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the EU. [Around the World]( [The Political Prankster Taking on Germany’s Far Right]( Max Aschenbach's proposal to declare neo-Nazis an emergency on par with climate change started as a joke. No more. [Around the World]( [Africa-Born Fighters Are Taking Over MMA]( With two world champions, Nigeria — and Africa — could be the future of the MMA. [Around the World]( [A Sweet-Smelling End for India’s Waste Flowers]( What do you do with a river full of dumped spiritual flowers? Make a product that gives back. One More Thing [Bolivia’s Potatoes Are Vanishing]( [READ NOW]( OZY Media Mountain View, California 94040 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Read Online](