Botswana diamond slump hits miners living on the edge of survival
Orapa, Botswana – It is a year since Motshwegwa Rakhudu lost his job after 14 years working as an installer at Debswana diamond mining operations in northern Botswana. He says he had been on rolling three-year renewable contracts with Enabler Hires (Pty) Ltd, and expected the arrangement would continue through to 2027. Instead, he was retrenched and made redundant without warning. “The shock was too much,” Rakhudu, (not his real name), told Al Jazeera. “In early 2025, I took a loan of 26,000 pula (about $1,900) to buy a car because I believed my job was secure. By mid-May, I was out of work.” He said the sudden retrenchment left him struggling with debt and household responsibilities, including school fees, with no compensation received. “Being caught unprepared has been very difficult. Jobs are scarce, and even when work is available outside mining, the pay is much lower. I am still looking for work,” he said. Rakhudu said he has considered farming or starting a small business, but lacks the capital. Selling his car, he added, would only cover the outstanding loan. “I would want to go into farming, but if I sell the car, the money will only clear the loan,” he said. Al Jazeera contacted Gaotlhobogwe Radikwata, a senior management official at Enabler Hires (Pty) Ltd, for comment on the retrenchments. “I am not going to answer your questions even if you convince me you are from Al Jazeera. Who gave you my number? I never shared my contacts with journalists. I am not at liberty to share information,” she said. Advertisement Jobs vanish as diamond production slows The retrenchments come as Botswana’s diamond sector, the backbone of its economy, slows sharply. Debswana Diamond Company, a joint venture between the government and De Beers, cut production by about 27% in 2024 to 17.9 million carats amid weak global demand, and plans further reductions to around 15 million carats in 2025. The company accounts for roughly 90% of Botswana’s diamond sales. That slowdown has rippled through the wider economy. Botswana’s output contracted by about 5.3% in the second quarter of 2025, the sharpest fall since the pandemic, driven largely by declining diamond production, according to Reuters. Diamonds account for around 70% of export earnings and roughly a third of government revenue, according to Reuters and S&P Global Ratings, which in 2025 downgraded Botswana’s sovereign credit rating to BBB-, citing sustained pressure from the global diamond downturn and weakening fiscal revenues. Household pressure builds across mining communities For workers, the impact is no longer abstract. “The diamond downturn is no longer just a business issue. It is a human issue affecting workers, families, contractors and entire mining communities,” said Mbiganyi Gaekgotswe, General Secretary of the Botswana Mineworkers Union. He said uncertainty now defines everyday life. “The first question on everyone’s mind is whether they will still have a job next year,” he said. “Will contracts be renewed? Will overtime be reduced? These are not abstract concerns. They affect school fees, loans, medical bills and family responsibilities.” Even where jobs remain, pressure is rising as wages stagnate while food and transport costs increase. Beyond diamonds: searching for new growth Restructuring has already filtered through contractors and service providers, with more workers shifted onto short-term agreements, said Dominic Obusitse Mapoka, Chairperson of the Botswana Diamond Workers Union. “Workers who remain employed are increasingly on short-term or temporary contracts,” he told Al Jazeera. “This makes it difficult for families to plan because they do not know whether contracts will be renewed.” He said many earn between $190-250 a month, while the cost of living continues to increase, with knock-on effects for small businesses tied to mining activity. Since independence in 1966, Botswana’s diamond wealth has transformed what was once among the world’s poorest countries into a middle-income economy, financing infrastructure, public services and sustained growth. Advertisement But that success has also left it heavily exposed to global shocks. The sector is now under pressure from weak demand, competition from lab-grown diamonds and reduced luxury spending in key markets, according to S&P Global Ratings. The downturn exposes the risks of economic concentration, said Levy Ndou, a political scientist at Tshwane University of Technology. “When citizens depend heavily on one sector, a fall in global demand becomes very damaging.” He called for faster diversification into agriculture and beef production, alongside stronger regional trade links. Botswana’s Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Pius Mokgware, said the government is responding by trying to absorb job losses, including expanding copper mining and opening new projects. He added that diversification efforts are also targeting agriculture, tourism and Information and Communication Technology. Minister of Minerals and Energy, Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Tshepo Modibedi, President of the Small Scale Miners Association of Botswana, said smaller operators remain largely excluded from the diamond value chain, which is dominated by large firms. While not directly involved in diamonds, the downturn still spreads through households nationwide, he said. “Lab-grown diamonds and strict regulations are challenges,” he told Al Jazeera. “But they could also be opportunities, if policy becomes more inclusive.” For Rakhudu, however, structural shifts in the global diamond market remain distant from daily survival. “I am still looking,” he said. “I just want another chance to work.” Adblock test (Why?)
US lists China’s BYD, Alibaba, Baidu as ‘Chinese military companies’
The United States has designated Chinese corporate giants Alibaba, BYD and Baidu as companies that support China’s military, expanding its blacklist to some of the country’s best-known commercial brands. The Pentagon included the firms in an update on Monday that is likely to complicate the fragile detente between Washington and Beijing after years of rocky relations. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list China’s embassy in Washington, DC, condemned the listing as “discriminatory” and an example of the US government “overstretching” the concept of national security. “Chinese companies that do business overseas have been strictly observing laws and regulations of their host countries,” an embassy spokesperson said. “The US should stop its wrong practice and create a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies.” Alibaba, China’s biggest e-commerce company, said there was “no basis” for its inclusion on the blacklist. “Alibaba is not a Chinese military company nor part of any military-civil fusion strategy,” a company spokesperson said. “We will take all available legal action against attempts to misrepresent our company.” BYD and Baidu did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Pentagon’s list of “Chinese military companies,” which is updated annually, now includes 188 firms, up from 134 in 2025. Firms included on the list, which was created in 2021, and entities under their control will be barred from consideration for US defence contracts under rules set to come into effect later this month. Advertisement The Pentagon defines “Chinese military companies” as entities owned or controlled by the Chinese military, or that contribute to China’s “military civil fusion”, referring to Beijing’s strategy of melding civilian and defence-related research and innovation. Companies must also carry out some of their operations in the US to be designated. In its updated list, the Pentagon said Alibaba, BYD and Baidu supported China’s military development via their affiliations with the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Republican lawmaker John Moolenaar, who chairs the House of Representatives’ committee on strategic competition with the Chinese Communist Party, said the updated list served as a warning about Chinese companies working against US national interests. “Any of them that are publicly traded on US exchanges should be immediately delisted and their products should be removed from supply chains our country depends on,” Moolenaar said in a statement. “American companies must stop doing business with these threats to our national security, otherwise they are enabling China’s military ascendance.” The expansion of the blacklist comes less than a month after US President Donald Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing for a two-day summit aimed at lowering the temperature in their countries’ years-long trade war and tech rivalry. Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD are among China’s most prominent brands, claiming the top spots in the e-commerce, internet search and electric vehicle markets, respectively. The addition of several household brands not normally associated with the defence sector mirrors last year’s designation of tech firm Tencent, the owner of the ubiquitous messaging app WeChat. Other additions to the list include RoboSense Technology, an AI and robotics company with headquarters in Shenzhen, and Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics. RoboSense Technology and Unitree Robotics did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Dennis Wilder, a national security expert who worked on China at the CIA and the White House’s National Security Council, expressed scepticism about the feasibility of implementing such a “broad-brush” blacklist. “Although it may make some US firms wary of engaging with the labelled entities, in fact, many US firms already have deep relationships with these entities that they are not going to give up unless there are real penalties attached to working commercial deals with them,” Wilder told Al Jazeera. Advertisement “Sanctions that range this widely are sanctions that don’t work. Unless the US is willing to decouple from the Chinese economy altogether, these sanctions are simply performative,” Wilder said. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump warns Netanyahu: ‘You’ll be on your own’ if attacks on Iran continue
United States President Donald Trump has warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he might find himself fighting on his own if Israel returns to war with Iran. The warning on Monday came as Israel and Iran said they would pause attacks following their most serious escalation since a ceasefire took effect in April. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Trump, who has reportedly grown increasingly exasperated with Netanyahu, demanded that both sides stop “shooting” in a post on his Truth Social platform and said that “final negotiations” towards peace would proceed “subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way”. He also called Netanyahu and told him to stop the strikes, according to media reports. In an interview with Axios, Trump said he had warned Netanyahu about the consequences of continuing the war. “I said, ‘Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon’,” Trump said. The flare-up began on Sunday, triggered by Israel’s deadly bombardment of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut. Iran – which has long said any peace deal with the US depends in part on an end to the fighting in Lebanon – responded with a wave of missiles at northern Israel. Trump reportedly called Netanyahu on Sunday evening and asked him not to retaliate, but Israel launched attacks on Iran early on Monday. Israeli forces struck Iranian air defence systems and a petrochemical plant, while Iran retaliated by hitting a similar facility in Haifa and targeting two Israeli airbases. Many of the missiles were intercepted over the occupied West Bank. Advertisement No deaths were reported on either side. Israel plays down tensions The exchanges complicated Trump’s push to end a war that the US and Israel launched on February 28. A ceasefire announced on April 8 paused all-out warfare. But flare-ups in the Gulf have continued. For his part, Netanyahu said in a televised statement that he had told Trump that “Israel has a full right to self-defence, and we are exercising it as required”. “Right now, the fire at the front is contained, because after we hit the terrorist regime in Tehran, it stopped attacking us,” he said. Netanyahu also warned that should Iran “make the mistake of resuming attacks against us, we will respond with full force”. Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, downplayed reports of tension between the US and Israeli leaders, telling Fox News that “sometimes, lovers have a spat”. He said that while Netanyahu had “decided” to “lower the temperature” at Trump’s request, the US president understands “full well” that Israel cannot “absorb ballistic missiles into our country without responding.” Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, blamed Washington for the escalation. “The US is directly responsible,” he said. “They are party to the ceasefire negotiations. Therefore, any act in violation of the ceasefire, be it through the interception of vessels [in the Strait of Hormuz], the targeting of southern Lebanon by Israel, or any other event, will cause the United States to be directly responsible for the escalation in the region.” Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said the operation against Israel, dubbed “Nasr” or victory, showcased “a new level of deterrence from mighty Iran” and that Israel had been “forced to beg once again” for a ceasefire. Behind the scenes, diplomatic efforts continue. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X that Tehran was still “at the negotiating table”, while Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said that Washington and Tehran, through Pakistan as an intermediary, are “presenting and exchanging views” towards an agreement. Iravani told The Associated Press news agency he was hopeful that “very soon” the two sides would reach “a conclusion”. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said efforts for a peaceful diplomatic solution was ongoing “earnestly and painstakingly” and called for restraint, “especially when the final objective is just about to be achieved”. He also said Israel and Iran’s exchange of fire was a “reminder of the dangers associated with a tenuous ceasefire and the unbearable consequences it may lead to”. Advertisement Attacks on Lebanon continue The escalation on Monday also drew in Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The group fired missiles at Israel early in the morning and declared a complete ban on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea, warning that all Israeli movements would be considered “legitimate military targets”. Later on Monday, air raid sirens sounded in the Israeli port city of Eilat, with the military saying a suspected aerial target was launched from Yemen. Violence has also continued in southern Lebanon. An Israeli strike killed five people in the city of Tyre, while another, in the Nabatieh district, left seven dead. A third strike in Marwanieh killed two people, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said. Phyllis Bennis, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, said Trump was trying to give an impression that he was tougher on Israel than he actually is. “The words could be significant if they were matched by actions,” she told Al Jazeera. “As long as they’re sending billions of dollars directly to the Israeli military, and as long as they’re protecting Israel from being held accountable in the International Court of Justice or the International Criminal Court, as long as those actions don’t change, the words just don’t mean very much,” she added. Adblock test (Why?)
Lakshadweep set to end its 47-year liquor ban? Know the truth behind the policy shift
In a major policy shift, Lakshadweep is set to end its 47-year-old alcohol prohibition by introducing a regulated framework for liquor sales with an aim to boost tourism and generate revenue for the Union Territory.
Delhi HC slams Centre over planned takeover of Polo Ground, Gymkhana Club: ‘We will all suffocate and die’
Hearing a petition filed by the polo association against an eviction notice for the 15.2-acre Jaipur Polo Ground in the Race Course area, Justice Neena Bansal Krishna remarked that Delhi was already struggling with pollution and a loss of open spaces.
Trump’s $100000 H-1B Visa Fee Blocked: Is court ruling relief for Indian workers?
With the latest court ruling to block the H1B visa hike plan, the move is likely to give relief to Indians, who constitute the largest share of H-1B visa holders in the United States.
Some relief for Khan Sir: Educator gets interim protection from arrest in Coaching Firing case
In the Coaching firing case, the police named Khan Sir and two others in the FIR under the abetment and Arms Act sections. In the latest development, Khan sir has got interim relief from arrest in the case.
Three new cases of screwworm confirmed in Texas; A&M leader tasked as federal adviser
The case in Andrews County included an infested dog. Another case included a goat in Gillespie County.
Massachusetts lawmakers pass bill to scrap ‘offensive language’ from state’s General Laws
The Massachusetts legislature passed a bill that would remove “outdated and offensive language” used to describe people with disabilities in the state’s General Laws. The measure would eliminate various terms, including “handicapped,” “disabled,” and the “r-word” in favor of language such as “persons with a disability” and “person with an intellectual or developmental disability.” The bill, which was introduced by Democratic state Sen. Pat Jehlen and listed with 17 petitioners, now heads to Democrat Gov. Maura Healey’s desk. The 61-page bill updates 346 sections of Massachusetts law. CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER ‘PERSONALLY OFFENDED’ WHEN SPEAKER SAYS ‘HOMELESS’ INSTEAD OF ‘UNHOUSED’ “Language is constantly changing. And it’s changing because of the activism of people who were ignored and demeaned for too long,” Democrat state Sen. Pat Jehlen, the Senate’s primary sponsor of the legislation, said in a statement. “When people tell us they feel insulted and offended by the use of outdated words, we worked to change the legal language. It took a long time, because we kept finding more examples of offensive language. Language and activism will continue to evolve, and there’ll always be more work to do, but this is a gigantic step forward in respect.” Some of the updated language featured in the bill includes replacing “disabled person” with “person with a disability,” “handicapped” with “disability” and “retarded” with phrases such as “person with an intellectual or developmental disability.” The legislation also scraps terms such as “crippled” and “deformed” when referring to people with disabilities. The term “hearing-impaired” was revised to “deaf or hard of hearing” and the “chronically ill” was changed to “persons who are chronically ill.” Additionally, the bill amends specific legal definitions, including changing the current definition of “caretaker” — which describes an individual or entity responsible for a “disabled person” — to instead use the phrase “a person with a disability.” “When dusty and dangerous relics of a bygone era darken our laws, it creates the potential for real harm to residents today,” Senate President Karen Spilka, a Democrat, said in a statement. “Thanks to the voices of advocates like former Senate staff member Melissa Reilly and the leadership of Senator Jehlen and Senator Kennedy, the Legislature has acted to make our laws better represent who we are in 21st-century Massachusetts.” MASSACHUSETTS DROPS CONTROVERSIAL GENDER IDEOLOGY MANDATE FOR LICENSING FOSTER CARE PARENTS “With a White House that glorifies, and seemingly longs for, the days when many Americans were discriminated against because of who they are, now is the time to make sure our state laws respect and support the rights and dignity of our residents,” she added. The passage of this measure comes after a 2024 law that renamed the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission to MassAbility, which state officials argued was a display of a broader effort to modernize disability services and promote inclusion. That law also reflected a broader move away from terms state officials described as outdated or offensive. “As lawmakers, we know that words matter,” said state Speaker of the House Ronald J. Mariano, a Democrat. “This legislation is our latest effort to ensure that our state laws do not use antiquated words that carry negative connotations, words that also serve as a reminder of past injustices.” The bill passed with broad legislative support, including unanimous recorded votes in both chambers. Fox News Digital reached out to the Massachusetts GOP for comment.
New Jersey Democrats advance bill criminalizing interference with abortion, transgender healthcare
A New Jersey Assembly committee on Monday advanced a Democratic-backed bill that would criminalize individuals who interfere with access to transgender and reproductive health care. The Assembly Appropriations Committee approved the measure along party lines, clearing the way for a potential full vote in the Legislature later this week before reaching Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill for her signature. If enacted, the measure would make New Jersey the first state in the nation to explicitly criminalize such interference. First introduced in the summer of 2024, the legislation would establish a new criminal offense for “interference with reproductive health services,” including abortion procedures. The New Jersey Monitor indicated that the measure would also protect access to transgender healthcare for minors, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and related mental health treatments. NEW YORK GOV. HOCHUL SIGNS LAW PROTECTING ABORTION PILL PRESCRIBERS AFTER DOCTOR INDICTED IN LOUISIANA Protections would extend to individuals who travel to New Jersey from jurisdictions where abortion is restricted or illegal. Health care providers and facilities would also be shielded under the proposal, which includes legal penalties for alleged interference originating from outside the state. “This bill is to protect healthcare. Not a political debate. Not a culture war talking point. Healthcare,” bill sponsor Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, previously said, according to the New Jersey Monitor. “Our law enforcement will not carry out another state’s agenda.” According to the outlet, Republican lawmakers and opponents argued Monday that the bill could infringe on free speech rights, further erode parental rights and effectively make New Jersey a “sanctuary state” for certain providers. PRO-LIFE CENTER FIGHTS NEW JERSEY ATTORNEY GENERAL’S ‘FISHING EXPEDITION’ IN SUPREME COURT BATTLE Gregory Quinlan, founder and leader of the conservative advocacy group Center for Garden State Families, said anti-abortion activists could face arrest simply for praying outside clinics or engaging in what he described as “sidewalk counseling” sessions, the outlet reported. Despite the criticism, Ruiz has previously said the bill “is not a violation of First Amendment rights,” according to the New Jersey Monitor. According to the bill, medical entities and public officials will be barred from disclosing patient information without explicit consent, further strengthening privacy protections. The measure would also make it a fourth-degree crime to harass, harm or block individuals from accessing or providing such services, while extending protections to providers against extradition to states that have criminalized reproductive or transgender treatments. Violators who inflict significant bodily injury on individuals who receive such services could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000. Beyond criminal penalties, the proposal would also allow for civil litigation and authorize the state attorney general to seek injunctions and financial penalties against alleged violators.