NIAMEY – Niger’s ruling military junta on Thursday announced that it was nationalising a unit of French uranium company Orano, the latest step in a deepening rift between Paris and Niamey. Orano had already lost operational control of its Niger-based subsidiary Somair last year. “Faced with the irresponsible, illegal and disloyal behaviour of Orano, a...
The Government of the Republic of Namibia, guided by the Swapo Party manifesto, has identified nuclear energy as a strategic priority. This initiative aims to diversify the national energy mix, enhance energy security and support long-term sustainability. Namibia currently imports more than half of its electricity, despite having abundant solar and wind resources. However, the...
The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, was deeply moved on Saturday on her first visit to Namibia’s national shrine, the Heroes Acre, where two former presidents were laid to rest. “It’s a very emotional experience for me to learn of the past, and to see where founding president (Sam Nujoma) and President Hage...
Lahja Nashuuta The State-owned August 26 Holdings has secured and completed more than 150 government contracts worth over N$1 billion in the past decade, Defence and Veterans Affairs Minister Frans Kapofi has confirmed. Founded on 14 August 1998, and fully owned by the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs, August 26 Holdings operates in construction,...
The 38-year-old South African woman who was convicted of motor vehicle theft and contravening several sections of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 29 of 2004 (POCA), was sentenced to an effective 15 years in prison in the Katima Mulilo Regional Court on Wednesday. Chante Coetzee was convicted on three counts. She was sentenced to...
Rudolf Gaiseb The education ministry has reaffirmed including students at private tertiary institutions in the government’s free education initiative. Education deputy minister Dino Ballotti said funding should focus on the student – not the private institution. Speaking at a meeting for the free education task force on Thursday, he highlighted the significance of an inclusive...
Namibia is targeting 80% electricity self-sufficiency by 2030, director of energy in the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy John Titus said. This target will be met through strategic investments in renewable energy sources like wind power and green hydrogen. Titus made these remarks during the opening of the Namibia-Germany Green Hydrogen Research and Development...
At least eight people were killed on Saturday when a hot-air balloon with 21 passengers caught fire in southern Brazil, a state governor said. It was the second fatal balloon accident in the vast South American country in less than a week. “Eight fatalities and 13 survivors,” Santa Catarina state governor Jorginho Mello said on...
ISTANBUL – The United States and Israel crossed a major red line in attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, Iran’s top diplomat warned yesterday, saying he was heading to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin. “They crossed a very big red line by attacking (Iran’s) nuclear facilities,” foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on the sidelines of...
Pope Leo XIV warned on Friday of the potential consequences of artificial intelligence (AI) on the intellectual development of young people, saying it could damage their grip on reality. Since his election as head of the Catholic Church on 8 May, the pope – a mathematics graduate – has repeatedly warned of the risks associated...