Global terrorism has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, yet Western nations are witnessing a dramatic surge in terrorism-related deaths, according to the 2026 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) released by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP). While worldwide terrorism fatalities dropped 28 percent to 5,582 in 2025, Western fatalities surged by 280 percent to 57, highlighting a troubling divergence. This paradox reflects a shifting global landscape where old hotspots are stabilizing, but...
The world is grappling with a new economic storm as the US–Israel–Iran war escalates, choking off the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy and trade. This narrow waterway, through which roughly a quarter of the world’s maritime oil passes, has become a flashpoint that is shaking markets, unsettling supply chains, and threatening to plunge the global economy into recession. The conflict’s ripple effects extend far beyond the Middle East, touching everything from...
The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) has unveiled a multi-pronged strategy to wrest control of government from the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) in the 2029 general election. The country’s official opposition party was formerly a coalition member of the UDC before entering a short-lived alliance with the Alliance for Progressives. BCP Secretary General Dr. Kesitegile Gobotswang told this publication in an interview that part of the party’s Southern project, led by the Central Committee, involves...
Botswana’s fiscal ambitions for the 2026/27 financial year are as bold as they are necessary. The Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) has been tasked with collecting a staggering P65.1 billion in tax revenue, a figure that is set to cover 70 percent of the government’s expenditure and represent 80 percent of its total revenue. This target, announced by the acting commissioner general of BURS, Phodiso Valashia at the Tax Pitso this week, underscores the critical...
Botswana’s political landscape is heating up as the country approaches the 2029 general elections, and amid this charged atmosphere, Lawrence Ookeditse, the embattled leader of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), has made a defiant declaration that his political survival does not hinge on his party. This announcement challenges the growing speculation that internal party dynamics threaten to unseat him from the presidency and weaken his position for the upcoming electoral showdown. Ookeditse’s statement pierces through...
Mpho Balopi, president of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), is under scrutiny by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), with sources indicating that the investigation has wrapped up and charges may soon follow. Should prosecutors move forward, Balopi would become the third former minister from the previous government to face corruption-related allegations this year. The inquiry centers on a loan facility of roughly P5 million granted by the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA),...
The FaR Property Company Limited, Botswana’s leading real estate investment trust, has just released its mid-year financial results for 2025, revealing a steady upward trajectory that signals both resilience and ambition in a region navigating economic headwinds and emerging opportunities. With revenue climbing 11 percent and operating profit up 8 percent compared to the previous year, FPC’s numbers underscore a robust performance amid a complex market landscape. More than just figures, these results illuminate the...
Assistant Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Augustine Nyatanga, disclosed this week that the Office of the Ombudsman has received a total of 1,341 cases for the 2025/2026 fiscal year to date, with 129 of these concerning human rights issues. Nyatanga shared these figures during his presentation of the committee of supply for the Office of the Ombudsman, which operates under his ministry. He further revealed that 954 of these cases have been resolved, reflecting...
Thousands of motorists and commuters navigating the A10 road must brace themselves for prolonged congestion as the last major dual carriageway out of Gaborone stubbornly lingers only on construction plans and property valuation documents. This project represents the final piece in the transformation of Gaborone’s principal arteries into dual carriageways, a list that includes the Game City-Boatle junction, the Mogoditshane-Metsimotlhabe dual carriageway (A12), and the Sebele dual carriageway on the A1. Yet, while those projects...
The Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), a party born from a split with the long-dominant Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), is at a crossroads this week. After months of bitter infighting, a critical court ruling expected Tuesday could finally settle a leadership dispute that has fractured the party since its contentious Serowe Elective Congress in 2025. At stake is not just the control of the party, but its future direction and relevance in Botswana’s evolving political landscape....
