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Botswana’s New President Sworn In As Voters Kick Out Ruling Party Of Nearly Six Decades

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Botswana’s new president took office Friday in a whirlwind transfer of power following elections that saw a historic defeat handed to the party that had governed the diamond-rich country for nearly 60 years.

Human rights lawyer Duma Boko, 54, was sworn in during a closed session at the office of the chief justice three days after elections which booted the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) out of office.

Boko later delivered an acceptance speech and press briefing that was broadcast live on state television and touched on some of his campaign pledges, such as more than doubling the minimum wage to 4,000 pula ($300) and introducing universal health insurance.

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The president said he wanted to secure investor confidence as well as ties with mining companies active in Botswana while exploring ways to diversify the diamond-dependent economy, a measure seen as critical to stabilising the country’s finances.

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A public inauguration ceremony would be held in due course, he said. The presidency is “a responsibility one approaches and accepts with humility, with some trepidation and feeling. I dare not fail. I dare not disappoint.”

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Outgoing president Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded defeat earlier in the day after overnight results from Wednesday’s general election showed that his party — in power since independence from Britain in 1966 — would not win enough seats in parliament to be able to form a government.

– ‘Higher democracy’ –

Boko, who has spent three decades in opposition politics fighting to dislodge the BDP, praised the peaceful handover as an example of democracy in action.

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“What has happened today takes our democracy to a higher level,” he told the independent Mmegi newspaper.

“It now means we have seen a successful, peaceful, orderly democratic transition from one regime to the next and this happened in full view of every citizen of this country with their full participation and endorsement.”

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The BDP’s defeat was a major blow for Masisi, 63, who was elected in 2018 and had been confident of securing a second term.

We got it wrong big time in the eyes of the people,” Masisi conceded.

We were really convinced of our message. But every indication, by any measure, is that there’s no way that I can pretend that we’re going to form a government.”

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“I will respectfully step aside and participate in a smooth and transparent transition process ahead of inauguration,” he said.

A key concern for voters was unemployment which has risen to 27 percent this year and a slump in the economy due in part to weakened diamond sales, Botswana’s single biggest revenue earner.

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Growth is projected to slow to one percent this year.

There have also been allegations of corruption, nepotism and mismanagement by Masisi’s government, while the gap between the rich and poor is one of the largest in the world, according to the World Bank.

– ‘New dawn’ –

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It was the third run at the presidency for the self-confident and ambitious Boko, who established the UDC in 2012 to unite opposition groups against the bulwark of the BDP.

“CHANGE IS HERE,” he wrote on Facebook as the alliance’s strong showing became clear, with small street celebrations breaking out in parts of the capital Gaborone early Friday.

“Botswana’s new dawn as Boko, UDC rise,” the Mmegi outlet wrote on Facebook.

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“We are expecting more from this new Botswana,” said cleaner, Pelontle Ditshotlo, 41. The BDP had not delivered on its promises and the cost of living is too high, she said.

“When you are in parliament, we need to know that you listen to us, you are with us.”

“For us it’s a big change. It’s a relief,” said Sandy Mlotshwa, 22, a waiter.

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“I want to see if the new system that comes in will make a change for us. If not, then we’re going to change it again.”

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US Lifts Restrictions On Visa Validity For Ghanaians, Leaves Nigeria’s Unchanged

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The United States has restored the maximum validity periods for all categories of nonimmigrant visas for Ghanaian nationals following Ghana’s agreement to accept West African deportees, but similar restrictions for Nigerians remain in place.

The B1/B2 visitor visa is now valid for up to five years, with multiple entries allowed, while the F1 student visa’s maximum validity has been restored to four years, with multiple entries permitted.

“The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce that the maximum validity periods for all categories of nonimmigrant visas for Ghanaians have been restored to their previous lengths. The maximum validity allowed for the B1/B2 visitor visa is again five years, multiple entry. The maximum validity for the F1 student visa is again four years, multiple entry,” the U.S. Embassy announced in a tweet on Saturday.”

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Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Ablakwa, also announced in a tweet that the new policy now allows citizens to apply for five-year multiple-entry visas.

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Ablakwa also stated that the reversal of the restriction comes with other enhanced consular privileges, adding that the development was the result of months of diplomatic engagement.

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The U.S. visa restriction imposed on Ghana has been reversed. Ghanaians can now be eligible for five-year multiple-entry visas and other enhanced consular privileges,” Ablakwa stated.

This good news was directly communicated to me by U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, at a bilateral meeting earlier today, in the margins of the UN General Assembly. I am really pleased that months of high-level diplomatic negotiations have led to a successful outcome.”

These changes reverse earlier restrictions imposed under the Trump administration, which had limited most visas to single-entry and a three-month validity period.

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The restrictions affected several African countries, including Ghana and Nigeria, and were based on concerns over visa reciprocity and the acceptance of deported migrants.

In July, the U.S. Consulate in Nigeria announced updates to its reciprocal nonimmigrant visa policy, stating: “The United States Department of State has announced updates to its reciprocal non-immigrant visa policy, impacting several countries, including Nigeria. Effective immediately, most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of Nigeria will be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period.

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“Those U.S. non-immigrant visas issued prior to July 8, 2025, will retain their status and validity. We wish to underscore that, as is standard globally, visa reciprocity is a continuous process and is subject to review and change at any time, such as increasing or decreasing permitted entries and duration of validity. You can view the latest information on visa reciprocity schedules for all countries at travel.state.gov.”

Reports indicate that the U.S. pressured some African nations to accept deported migrants, including Venezuelan detainees from U.S. prisons.

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Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar rejected these pressures, stating that Nigeria would not serve as a “dumping ground” for deportees.

It would be difficult for countries like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria,” Tuggar said during a televised interview.

We have enough problems of our own; we cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria. We already have 230 million people.”

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Meanwhile, Ghanaian President John Mahama confirmed that Ghana had begun accepting deported West African nationals after U.S. requests.

We were approached by the U.S. to accept third-party nationals who were being removed from the U.S., and we agreed with them that West African nationals were acceptable,” Mahama said.

All our fellow West African nationals don’t need visas to come to our country.”

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UK Nursery Worker Jailed For Abusing 21 Babies

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A judge on Friday jailed a nursery worker for eight years for a string of “gratuitous” and “sadistic” attacks on babies.

In one incident, Londoner Roksana Lecka, 22, kicked a little boy in the face several times.

Lecka, who blamed cannabis for her crimes, admitted seven counts of cruelty to a person under the age of 16 and was convicted after a trial of another 14 counts.

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Sentencing her for attacks on 21 babies, Judge Sarah Plaschkes said she had committed “multiple acts of gratuitous violence” at two London nurseries where she worked.

You pinched, slapped, punched, smacked and kicked them. You pulled their ears, hair and their toes. You toppled children headfirst into cots,” she said.

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“Often the child would be quietly and happily minding its own business before you deliberately inflicted pain… Your criminal conduct can properly be characterised as sadistic,” she added.

Lecka’s cruelty was revealed in June 2024 after she was seen pinching a number of children.
Police were called in and found multiple incidents recorded on the nursery CCTV.

Victim impact statements submitted to London’s Kingston Crown Court from parents of Lecka’s victims told how they were left heartbroken and guilt-stricken by the attacks.

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These children were so innocent and vulnerable,” one mother told the court.

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“They couldn’t speak, they couldn’t defend themselves and they couldn’t tell us as parents that something had happened to them,” she added.

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They were totally helpless and Roksana preyed upon them.”

The hearing was told that she had apologised to the parents in a letter to the court in which she said cannabis had turned her into a different person.

She had been addicted to the drug around the time of the offences, but had not told the nursery.
She was found not guilty of three further counts of child cruelty.

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Italy Fines Six Oil Firms $1bn Fine For Restricting Competition

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Italy’s antitrust regulator said Friday it has slapped Italian energy giant Eni and five other companies with fines totalling more than 936 million euros ($1.1 billion) for “restricting competition” in the sale of fuel.

The authority said in a statement that Eni, Esso, Ip, Q8, Saras and Tamoil “coordinated to set the value of the bio component factored into fuel prices”, which tripled between 2019 and 2023.

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A probe following a whistleblower’s complaint revealed that “the companies implemented parallel price increases — largely coinciding — which were driven by direct or indirect information exchanges among them”, the authority said.

“The cartel began on 1 January 2020 and continued until 30 June 2023,” it added.

AFP

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