Botswana's political landscape has been reshaped as the ruling party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), suffered a historic defeat after nearly 60 years in power. In a media conference held on the morning of 30 October, the incumbent president and BDP leader, Mokgweetsi Masisi, conceded defeat even before the final results were announced. As of 7 am local time, the BDP had only won one out of all the 36 parliamentary seats whose results had been announced. The main opposition party, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), led by lawyer and longtime opposition leader Duma Boko, had amassed 25 seats and was on track to hit the 31 seats threshold needed to form a government.
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Continued.......This has reduced government revenue, forcing it to cut social spending and struggle to create employment for its growing population.
Masisi's fallout with his former mentor and predecessor, Ian Khama, in 2019 led to the ruling party split that saw several BDP heavyweights move to Khama's new party, the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF). This has taken away a significant number of votes from the BDP. Disagreement over the sharing of diamond revenue led to a protracted feud between the Masisi administration and the London-headquartered diamond miner and trader, DeBeers which has presided over Botswana's diamond industry since its inception in the late 60s through Debswana-a 50-50 joint venture between the two sides.
Masisi's list of foes went beyond Botswana's borders; earlier this year, he threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany in protest against that country's opposition to his decision to lift a ban on elephant trophy hunting.
Masisi's fallout with his former mentor and predecessor, Ian Khama, in 2019 led to the ruling party split that saw several BDP heavyweights move to Khama's new party, the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF). This has taken away a significant number of votes from the BDP. Disagreement over the sharing of diamond revenue led to a protracted feud between the Masisi administration and the London-headquartered diamond miner and trader, DeBeers which has presided over Botswana's diamond industry since its inception in the late 60s through Debswana-a 50-50 joint venture between the two sides.
Masisi's list of foes went beyond Botswana's borders; earlier this year, he threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany in protest against that country's opposition to his decision to lift a ban on elephant trophy hunting.
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Continued......In 2019, Masisi lifted the ban that the Khama administration had put in place five years earlier. The decision set him on a collision course with conservation groups and Western governments, claiming the move would result in more poaching; Masisi countered that the country's elephant population had exploded to unsustainable numbers, increasing human-wildlife conflicts. His embrace of Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party, a longtime nemesis of Western countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, also earned Masisi more enemies in the West.
At this stage, it is hard to tell which of these factors was the straw that broke the camel's back.
At this stage, it is hard to tell which of these factors was the straw that broke the camel's back.
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WHITE WOMAN PEPPER SPRAYS MUSLIM UBER DRIVER FOR PRAYING
In this viral video, we see Uber passenger Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, lunging forward and attacking driver Shohel Mahmud, 45, using pepper spray. The driver said he had been praying in Arabic whilst stopped at a red light in New York.
In the footage, Mahmud was seen unbuckling his seat belt and jumping out of the car to escape the attack, but immediately returned as the vehicle moved. The father of three then put the car in park while the second passenger pulled Guilbeault back. When the second passenger asked the attacker why she attacked the driver, Guilbeault allegedly responded, 'He's brown.'
Mahmud experienced burning, redness and pain, calling 911 a few minutes following the attack.
In this viral video, we see Uber passenger Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, lunging forward and attacking driver Shohel Mahmud, 45, using pepper spray. The driver said he had been praying in Arabic whilst stopped at a red light in New York.
In the footage, Mahmud was seen unbuckling his seat belt and jumping out of the car to escape the attack, but immediately returned as the vehicle moved. The father of three then put the car in park while the second passenger pulled Guilbeault back. When the second passenger asked the attacker why she attacked the driver, Guilbeault allegedly responded, 'He's brown.'
Mahmud experienced burning, redness and pain, calling 911 a few minutes following the attack.
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Continued......The Manhattan District Attorney's Office indicted Guilbeault in the New York State Supreme Court on one count each of second-degree assault as a hate crime, third-degree assault as a hate crime, and second-degree aggravated harassment. The 23-year-old former employee at D. Pagan Communications, a public-relations firm, is expected to return to court in January, having been 'released with non-monetary conditions.'
Mahmud said he has been working fewer hours out of fear for his safety.
The Council on American Islamic Relations, the largest civil-rights advocacy group for Muslims in the US, has documented 4,951 bias complaints in the US between January and June this year, a 69-per cent increase over the same period in 2023. Earlier this year, the organisation received the 'highest number of complaints it has ever received in its 30-year history' with 8,061 complaints documented in 2023. Nearly half of those complaints were reported in the year's final three months, following the 7 October escalation in the 76-year Israeli occupation of Palestine.
SOURCES:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/10/30/hate-crime-pepper-spray-uber-driver/75929090007
https://nypost.com/2024/10/31/us-news/passenger-who-pepper-sprayed-uber-driver-for-no-reason-indicted-for-hate-crime-da
Mahmud said he has been working fewer hours out of fear for his safety.
The Council on American Islamic Relations, the largest civil-rights advocacy group for Muslims in the US, has documented 4,951 bias complaints in the US between January and June this year, a 69-per cent increase over the same period in 2023. Earlier this year, the organisation received the 'highest number of complaints it has ever received in its 30-year history' with 8,061 complaints documented in 2023. Nearly half of those complaints were reported in the year's final three months, following the 7 October escalation in the 76-year Israeli occupation of Palestine.
SOURCES:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/10/30/hate-crime-pepper-spray-uber-driver/75929090007
https://nypost.com/2024/10/31/us-news/passenger-who-pepper-sprayed-uber-driver-for-no-reason-indicted-for-hate-crime-da
USA TODAY
Woman charged with hate crimes in July pepper spraying of Muslim Uber driver
Prosecutors accused Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, of pepper spraying an Uber driver in an anti-Muslim attack in New York City.
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Media is too big
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MAYWEATHER VISITS JERUSALEM WALL IN SOLIDARITY WITH ISRAEL
Professional boxer Floyd Mayweather is currently on his tour of Israel. In a recent clip, he is seen visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City to pray as part of his solidarity trip with Israel amidst its brutal war in Gaza and Lebanon. Mayweather also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and in a caption, he wrote, "It was an honor to meet with you today. Your strength and courage are unmatched, and your commitment to protecting Israel's Jewish people and citizens is truly inspiring."
However, this meeting comes at a time when many are witnessing the devastating images of Israel's military actions in Gaza, which have reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 43,000 Palestinians, with ongoing violence leading to approximately 335,000 casualties over the past year under Netanyahu's leadership.
Professional boxer Floyd Mayweather is currently on his tour of Israel. In a recent clip, he is seen visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City to pray as part of his solidarity trip with Israel amidst its brutal war in Gaza and Lebanon. Mayweather also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and in a caption, he wrote, "It was an honor to meet with you today. Your strength and courage are unmatched, and your commitment to protecting Israel's Jewish people and citizens is truly inspiring."
However, this meeting comes at a time when many are witnessing the devastating images of Israel's military actions in Gaza, which have reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 43,000 Palestinians, with ongoing violence leading to approximately 335,000 casualties over the past year under Netanyahu's leadership.
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Continued.......This raises an important question: as Mayweather expresses his gratitude for the protection of the Jewish people, will he also inquire about the safety of innocent women and children who are being indiscriminately bombed in Gaza daily by Israel forces too? What about those being bombed in Lebanon?
video credits Yossi Farro
SOURCES:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DBwYKH8OsE9/?hl=en&img_index=3
https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/ry11rcsxwjg
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/10/30/floyd-mayweather-praises-wounded-idf-soldiers-brave-warriors-true-heroes-during-solidarity-trip-israel/
video credits Yossi Farro
SOURCES:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DBwYKH8OsE9/?hl=en&img_index=3
https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/ry11rcsxwjg
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/10/30/floyd-mayweather-praises-wounded-idf-soldiers-brave-warriors-true-heroes-during-solidarity-trip-israel/
Instagram
Instagram
Media number out of range
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VIOLENCE ROCKS MOZAMBIQUE FOLLOWING CONTROVERSIAL VOTE
Since Daniel Chapo, the candidate of the ruling party, Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), was declared winner of Mozambique's 9 October presidential election with 71 per cent of the vote, the streets of the capital, Maputo, and other major cities have been fraught with tension and violence. That's because opposition supporters and election observers have raised concerns over irregularities, with the EU Election Observation Mission citing 'unjustified alterations' at certain polling stations. However, the preliminary report of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) observation team said the electoral process was free of irregularities. The regional group has, however, been accused of being biased towards FRELIMO.
Tensions escalated sharply after gunmen k*lled two senior opposition figures on 18 October, and police have been accused of blocking ambulances, in what are seen as political assassinations.
Since Daniel Chapo, the candidate of the ruling party, Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), was declared winner of Mozambique's 9 October presidential election with 71 per cent of the vote, the streets of the capital, Maputo, and other major cities have been fraught with tension and violence. That's because opposition supporters and election observers have raised concerns over irregularities, with the EU Election Observation Mission citing 'unjustified alterations' at certain polling stations. However, the preliminary report of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) observation team said the electoral process was free of irregularities. The regional group has, however, been accused of being biased towards FRELIMO.
Tensions escalated sharply after gunmen k*lled two senior opposition figures on 18 October, and police have been accused of blocking ambulances, in what are seen as political assassinations.
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Continued.......In the following days, violence left 10 people dead from gunshot wounds and another 63 injured, with Gilberto Manhiça, head of the Order of Doctors, accusing police of a 'shoot to kill' approach.
The protests reflect a deeper dissatisfaction in Mozambican society, as economic hardships and visible inequality fuel public anger.
Sources
Chapo wins
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/24/world/africa/mozambique-election-results-fraud.html
10 killed in protests
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/at-least-10-people-are-killed-by-police-in-mozambique-post-election-protests-medical-groups-say/ar-AA1tfWqV
Opposition figures killed
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4d3j1mm2yo
Doubt cast on election outcome
https://apnews.com/article/mozambique-election-irregularities-results-protest-killings-50ea2d587e563dece5454253547897d4
Protests show FRELIMO falling out of favour with youth
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/24/world/africa/mozambique-election-results-fraud.html
https://clubofmozambique.com/news/mozambique-bids-final-farewell-to-paulo-guambe-tomorrow-to-elvino-dias-on-tuesday-carta-269195
77% to live under poverty 2024
https://www.statista.com/outlook/co/socioeconomic-indicators/mozambique
Youth demographics in Mozambique
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1266482/share-of-adolescent-population-in-mozambique/
The protests reflect a deeper dissatisfaction in Mozambican society, as economic hardships and visible inequality fuel public anger.
Sources
Chapo wins
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/24/world/africa/mozambique-election-results-fraud.html
10 killed in protests
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/at-least-10-people-are-killed-by-police-in-mozambique-post-election-protests-medical-groups-say/ar-AA1tfWqV
Opposition figures killed
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4d3j1mm2yo
Doubt cast on election outcome
https://apnews.com/article/mozambique-election-irregularities-results-protest-killings-50ea2d587e563dece5454253547897d4
Protests show FRELIMO falling out of favour with youth
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/24/world/africa/mozambique-election-results-fraud.html
https://clubofmozambique.com/news/mozambique-bids-final-farewell-to-paulo-guambe-tomorrow-to-elvino-dias-on-tuesday-carta-269195
77% to live under poverty 2024
https://www.statista.com/outlook/co/socioeconomic-indicators/mozambique
Youth demographics in Mozambique
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1266482/share-of-adolescent-population-in-mozambique/
NY Times
Mozambique’s Governing Party Candidate Wins Disputed Presidential Election
Daniel Chapo of the Frelimo party, which has governed the southern African nation for nearly 50 years, was declared the victor amid violence and widespread allegations of fraud.
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How did Europe get richer than Global South nations? Well, according to the British weekly magazine The Economist, the secret lies in Europeans being better able to digest animal milk than their Global South counterparts. So, according to them, it’s not slavery, colonialism or neo-colonialism, all systems that led to the plunder and pillaging of Global South resources for centuries.
In its March 2015 edition, @theeconomist parroted University of California academician Justin Cook's study that claimed Europeans had genes that enabled them to digest lactose better than Africans or Asians, thereby making Europeans less susceptible to diseases due to milk's nutritional composition, which consequently increased the European population, leading to cities' growth and catalysing industrialisation and economic development.
In its March 2015 edition, @theeconomist parroted University of California academician Justin Cook's study that claimed Europeans had genes that enabled them to digest lactose better than Africans or Asians, thereby making Europeans less susceptible to diseases due to milk's nutritional composition, which consequently increased the European population, leading to cities' growth and catalysing industrialisation and economic development.
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Continued.....
Not only is this assertion a dubious attempt to show Europeans as somehow superior, but it also tries to hide that Europe has been built on the back of resources that were stolen from Africa and other parts of the Global South.
For example, Belgium did not become wealthy because Belgians were better at digesting lactose, but because King Leopold II (1835-1909) looted the Congo’s wealth. Further, Britain built its wealth by kidnapping and enslaving Africans in the Americas and in Africa. To that list, add the wealth that France looted from its African colonies, and it becomes clear how Europe became rich. Drinking cow’s milk definitely had no bearing on it.
Since our friends at the Economist do not get it, we have helped them correct their headline.
SOURCES:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/famine-and-diseases-likely-drove-europeans-ability-to-digest-milk-180980483
https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2015/03/28/no-use-crying?fsrc=scn%2Ffb%2Fte%2Fbl%2Fed%2F
Not only is this assertion a dubious attempt to show Europeans as somehow superior, but it also tries to hide that Europe has been built on the back of resources that were stolen from Africa and other parts of the Global South.
For example, Belgium did not become wealthy because Belgians were better at digesting lactose, but because King Leopold II (1835-1909) looted the Congo’s wealth. Further, Britain built its wealth by kidnapping and enslaving Africans in the Americas and in Africa. To that list, add the wealth that France looted from its African colonies, and it becomes clear how Europe became rich. Drinking cow’s milk definitely had no bearing on it.
Since our friends at the Economist do not get it, we have helped them correct their headline.
SOURCES:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/famine-and-diseases-likely-drove-europeans-ability-to-digest-milk-180980483
https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2015/03/28/no-use-crying?fsrc=scn%2Ffb%2Fte%2Fbl%2Fed%2F
Smithsonian Magazine
Why Did Europeans Evolve Into Becoming Lactose Tolerant?
Famine and disease from millennia ago likely spurred the rapid evolution of the trait on the continent
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“I’m grateful that we were finally rescued, but the scars of that time are still with me," is a harrowing sentiment from one of the Ghanaian fishermen who was recently awarded $25,000 compensation, following rescue from modern day slavery aboard a trawler owned by Scottish fishing firm TN Trawlers in 2020.
Aboard the Olivia Jean, the men endured dire conditions - confined quarters, verbal racial abuse, limited food and drinking water, and severe restrictions. Their contracts allowed them into the UK as seamen, yet they were denied the right to disembark, creating an environment ripe for exploitation. Despite TN Trawlers denying all allegations of mistreatment, a BBC documentary noscriptd Slavery at Sea highlighted their plight, leading to two criminal investigations into the company.
Aboard the Olivia Jean, the men endured dire conditions - confined quarters, verbal racial abuse, limited food and drinking water, and severe restrictions. Their contracts allowed them into the UK as seamen, yet they were denied the right to disembark, creating an environment ripe for exploitation. Despite TN Trawlers denying all allegations of mistreatment, a BBC documentary noscriptd Slavery at Sea highlighted their plight, leading to two criminal investigations into the company.
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Continued......The fishermen's case against the UK Home Office underscores how little has changed for African workers in various industries. This tragic story unfolds against a backdrop of Scotland’s historical role in the European slave trade, where Scottish merchants once profited from African exploitation. Centuries later, African seafarers still struggle for basic protections and face barriers in Western waters, echoing the same lack of rights our ancestors experienced.
Your thoughts in the comments are welcome
Sources
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqj0ln81yyjo
https://www.freedomunited.org/news/inside-the-human-trafficking-scandal-rocking-scotlands-fishing-industry/
https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/history-of-slavery/scotland-and-slavery/
Your thoughts in the comments are welcome
Sources
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqj0ln81yyjo
https://www.freedomunited.org/news/inside-the-human-trafficking-scandal-rocking-scotlands-fishing-industry/
https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/history-of-slavery/scotland-and-slavery/
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Continued.....Sources:
https://unu.edu/cpr/blog-post/addressing-continuing-threat-modern-slavery-africa
https://www.ilo.org/publications/major-publications/global-estimates-modern-slavery-forced-labour-and-forced-marriage#:~:text=Report-,Global%20Estimates%20of%20Modern%20Slavery:%20Forced%20Labour%20and%20Forced%20Marriage,the%20International%20Organization%20for%20Migration.&text=Modern%20slavery%20is%20a%20scourge,%D0%A0%D1%83%D1%81%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9
https://unu.edu/cpr/blog-post/addressing-continuing-threat-modern-slavery-africa
https://www.ilo.org/publications/major-publications/global-estimates-modern-slavery-forced-labour-and-forced-marriage#:~:text=Report-,Global%20Estimates%20of%20Modern%20Slavery:%20Forced%20Labour%20and%20Forced%20Marriage,the%20International%20Organization%20for%20Migration.&text=Modern%20slavery%20is%20a%20scourge,%D0%A0%D1%83%D1%81%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9
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