Headline

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

Published

10 months ago

November 1, 2024

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.

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.

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.”

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.

“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.”

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.”

“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.

Headline

US Commits $32.5m To Support Food Security In Nigeria

Published

13 hours ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

The United States Government has committed $32.5m to the United Nations World Food Programme to support food and nutrition assistance for hundreds of thousands of people affected by conflict in Nigeria.

According to a statement released by the US Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, the funding will enable WFP Nigeria to reach approximately 764,205 vulnerable individuals in the Northeast and Northwest regions of the country.

These areas have been severely impacted by ongoing insecurity and displacement, with millions struggling to access necessities.

The assistance package includes general food distributions as well as targeted nutritional support.

Among the beneficiaries are 41,569 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls, and 43,235 children who will receive specialised nutrition support through electronic food vouchers, according to the statement.

“World Food Program Nigeria, with US Government’s contribution of $32.5m, will provide food assistance and nutrition support to internally displaced persons across conflict-affected areas.

“With the US Government’s donation, the World Food Programme Nigeria will provide food and nutrition assistance to 764,205 beneficiaries across Northeast and Northwest Nigeria.

“This includes complementary nutrition top-ups for 41,569 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls and 43,235 children through electronic food vouchers,” the statement read.

On December 18, 2024, PUNCH Online reported that the United States Agency for International Development has denounced recent media reports misrepresenting US agricultural initiatives in Nigeria, stating that its programmes operate transparently and align with the country’s laws.

In a statement issued by the US Mission in Nigeria, USAID highlighted the significant achievements of its agricultural collaboration with Nigeria, which it claimed has supported over five million Nigerian farmers since 2019.

The agency maintained it has boosted food production and strengthened rural economies across the country through its efforts.

Headline

UK To Ban Sale Of Energy Drinks To Children

Published

15 hours ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

The United Kingdom government has unveiled plans to prohibit the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks, including popular brands such as Red Bull, to anyone under the age of 16 in England.

Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, announcing the move on Wednesday, said the step was aimed at safeguarding young people’s wellbeing.

“By stopping children from buying these drinks, we’re laying the groundwork for healthier and happier generations,” he explained.

Government figures suggest that up to one in three teenagers aged 13 to 16 regularly consume energy drinks, many of which contain more caffeine than two cups of coffee.

While most major supermarkets already enforce a voluntary restriction, the new policy would make it a nationwide rule.

“How can we expect pupils to thrive in the classroom if they’re running on the equivalent of a double espresso every day?” Streeting asked, stressing that the government was responding to concerns raised by parents and teachers. “We’re determined to address the root causes of poor health and educational struggles head-on.”

Headline

Indian Man Gets Death Sentence For Burning Wife Alive Over Skin Colour

Published

15 hours ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

A court in India recently sentenced a man to death for setting his wife, Lakshmi, ablaze alive due to her dark skin colour. This harsh punishment reflects the gravity of the crime and its impact on society.

As reported by BBC on Wednesday, the attack on Lakshmi took place on the night of 24 June 2017, the murder dates eight years back, and the judgment, delivered at the weekend, has made headlines in a country where public obsession with colourism is well documented.

The attack on Lakshmi took place on the night of 24 June 2017, according to the court order seen by the BBC.

Before her death, Lakshmi revealed that her husband, Kishandas, frequently mocked her for being dark-skinned, calling her “kali” and body-shaming her since their marriage in 2016.

On the night of her attack, Kishandas brought a plastic bottle containing a brown liquid, purportedly a skin-lightening medicine.

According to Lakshmi’s statements, he applied the liquid on her body, and when she complained about a strong acid-like smell, he set her on fire with an incense stick.

Adding to the cruelty, Kishandas poured the remaining liquid on her while she was burning and then fled. Her family rushed her to the hospital, but she later died from her injuries.

The judge, Rahul Choudhary, condemned the act as not only a murder but “a crime against humanity,” stressing that Kishandas “broke her trust” and showed “excessive cruelty in throwing the remaining liquid on her” while she burned.

He described the case as fitting the “rarest of the rare” category, saying, “It will not be an exaggeration to say that this heart-rending brutal crime was not just against Lakshmi, but it’s a crime against humanity.”

He added, “It’s a crime that shocks the conscience of humanity, which cannot even be imagined in a healthy and civilised society.”

The public prosecutor called the verdict “historic,” hoping it would serve as “a lesson for others in society.”

He said, “A young woman in her early 20s was brutally murdered. She was someone’s sister, someone’s daughter; there were people who loved her. If we don’t save our daughters, then who would?”

This tragic story highlights the deep-rooted issue of colourism, where darker-skinned women face widespread discrimination and abuse.

Despite ongoing campaigns to challenge these prejudices, the preference for fair skin remains strongly embedded in many areas of life, continuing to cause immense harm. Until societal attitudes change, such heartbreaking incidents are likely to persist.