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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian died in a helicopter crash, state media reported Monday. Iranian state television reported there was “no sign of life” at the crash site of the helicopter that carried Raisi, Amirabdollahian, and others. “All the passengers of the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister were martyred,” semi-official news agency Mehr News reported. Drone footage published on state media FARS News Agency showed the chopper’s wreckage on a steep hillside. “The consequences of this are probably going to be rather contained,” Ali Ahmadi, executive fellow at the Geneva Center for Security…

Martin Endjala The previous Boundary Delimitation and Demarcation Commission decision in 1990 to make the Mukwe constituency part of Caprivi, the now-Zambezi region, was politically motivated. This is according to Rundu Rural Constituency councillor Paulus Mbangu. In an interview with the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday, Mbangu clarified the issue of which region should integrate the Mukwe constituency. “Many people are not aware of this, but let me clarify how the issue started. In 1990, when Namibia gained independence, the first delimitation commission decided to make Mukwe part of Caprivi, but Mukwe was long part of Kavango. Since they did not…

Martin Endjala The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has been advised to make the voter card registration process flexible to avoid unnecessary obstacles for the electorate. Landless People's Movement (LPM) youth leader, Duminga Ndala, has advised that voters should have the flexibility to register wherever they are located. "Unlike constituency elections, where registration within the constituency of residence is necessary, Instead, the focus for the Electoral Commission of Namibia should be on encouraging high voter registration rates," she said. She said this could involve implementing mobile registration points to streamline the registration process. The advice comes following concerns that people…

Martin Endjala The Mariental Municipality has suspended the supply of garden water (semi-reticulated water), as of 30 April until further notice. According to the municipality chief executive officer, Paul Nghiwilepo, the suspension of supply of unpurified water is due to the low level of the Hardap Dam, which currently stands at 12.3% as of 22 April. In a telephonic interview on Tuesday, Nghiwilepo said the decision to suspend the supply of garden water, was to preserve the supply of purified water for human consumption. "Unlike other towns, Mariental has a dual system of water. In some of the properties or…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Despite the global rollout of malaria vaccines to affected countries across the world, Namibia finds itself without access to the malaria vaccine. Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula revealed this during an interview with Windhoek Observer on Saturday. “We do not have the vaccine yet but when the time is right we can always consider alternative ways to combat malaria,’’ said Shangula. According to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the new malaria vaccine is available across sub-Saharan Africa. “With the new malaria vaccine available across sub-Saharan Africa, more children have a fair chance…