… For Belgium, this tournament is likely the last chance for the remnants of their golden generation to better their third-placed finish in Russia eight years ago and finally win silverware. …
… The 59-year-old had been set to guide his native Spain at the 2018 edition in Russia, but was sacked days before the start of the tournament after it was announced he had agreed to take over Real Madrid after the World Cup. …
… The communications platform will adapt to the cultural characteristics of priority consumer markets in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) countries, taking into account the generational characteristics of consumers, primar …
… ty. • Migration crises in Europe and North America. • The securitization of borders following terrorism and geopolitical instability. • The COVID-19 pandemic, which temporarily halted global mobility. • Intensifying strategic competition among the United States, China, and Russia …
… Kylian Mbappe, the wunderkind who led France to victory at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, is second, with over 2,800 children bearing his name, ahead of James (Rodriguez, Colombia’s captain), in third with 2,136 nods. …
… It is approved for use on all plants by Swiss and French authorities and is sold to farmers for use in gardens and on house plants.Until the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine in 2022, which sent fertiliser prices soaring, “we were still seen as a bit hippy”, says de Chambrier. …
… Today, fewer than one in 10 people worldwide go hungry – a rate that dipped below 7% before disruptions like Covid-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. …
An analysis of South Africa's "Conference of the Left" in Ekurhuleni argues that the meeting signals a return of competing Cold War-style blocs—communist and capitalist—reshaped around state-led development and anti-imperialism versus inclusive capitalism. The writer warns Namibian and African leaders not to be drawn into antagonism that serves these blocs rather than their own material interests.
An analysis of South Africa's "Conference of the Left" in Ekurhuleni argues that the meeting signals a return of competing Cold War-style blocs—communist and capitalist—reshaped around state-led development and anti-imperialism versus inclusive capitalism. The writer warns Namibian and African leaders not to be drawn into antagonism that serves these blocs rather than their own material interests.
Belgium and Egypt drew 1-1 in their World Cup group match on Monday, with Emam Ashour opening the scoring early before Romelu Lukaku's 65th-minute influence led to Mohamed Hany's own goal. Egypt's search for a first World Cup victory continues, while Belgium aims to improve on their third-place finish in Russia.
Qatar's Boualem Khoukhi scored a late header to earn the side their first ever World Cup point in a 1-1 draw with Switzerland, after Breel Embolo had opened the scoring with a penalty in the first half.
Alrosa's supervisory board has approved a programme to promote natural diamonds through 2030, aimed at generating sustainable long-term demand in key global markets. The initiative will include generic marketing to highlight natural diamonds' authenticity, uniqueness, and sustainability benefits, alongside retail education and regulatory protection efforts.
An analysis piece argues that the 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico with forty-eight participating nations, faces a fundamental contradiction: its universalist ideals of global celebration are undermined by immigration and border restrictions in the host countries, raising questions about sovereignty, soft power, and international order.
Across South America, football-inspired baby names are booming, with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe among the most popular in Ecuador and Colombia. In Ecuador, 3,847 children are named Neymar and over 2,800 are named Kylian, according to the country's civil registry.
VunaNexus, a Swiss startup, has developed a process to recycle human urine into a certified mineral fertiliser called Aurin. The technology, installed at the European Space Agency's Paris headquarters, uses special toilets to divert urine into a treatment system that removes micropollutants and concentrates nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus before pasteurisation.
Apple has removed Russia's state-backed Max messenger from its App Store. Moscow has promoted Max, which lacks encryption, while throttling WhatsApp and Telegram, and forcing state institutions to use it for communications.
Alexander Zverev defeated Rafael Jodar 7-6, 6-1, 6-3 to reach the French Open semifinals, where the 29-year-old will face the winner of a quarterf final between Joao Fonseca and Jakub Mensik. Kostyuk and Andreeva will meet for a place in the women's final.
The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is disrupting a quarter of the world's fertiliser supply, which the UN estimates could raise fertiliser prices 15–20% and push at least 45 million people into acute hunger. The article argues that dependence on fossil fuels for fertiliser production poses a greater threat to global food security than climate change.
Mohamed Salah, 33, leads Egypt at what is likely his final World Cup, seeking a first tournament victory for the Pharaohs after three previous campaigns without a win. Salah recently ended his nine-year Liverpool career with 257 goals before joining Al-Ittihad.
Sweden qualified for the World Cup through UEFA Nations League playoffs after a disastrous qualifying campaign that saw them finish bottom of their group with just two points from six matches. Under new coach Graham Potter, Sweden will face the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia in Group F, aiming to extend their run of reaching the knockout phase at each of the past four World Cups they qualified for.
Four-time champions Germany will compete in Group E at the 2026 World Cup alongside 2023 Africa Cup of Nations champions Ivory Coast, Ecuador, and World Cup debutants Curacao, seeking to escape group-stage elimination after failing to advance in the last two tournaments.
A delegation of Namibian farmers, a journalist, and employees from Headspring Investments visited the Dalur in-situ uranium mine in Russia to learn about its operations and extraction methods. The mine uses in-situ leaching, which dissolves uranium underground and pumps it to the surface, avoiding open-pit mining, tunnelling, and tailings ponds.
An opinion piece questions whether African leaders have acted as a unified front to address the continent's problems as envisioned by Ghana's founding president Kwame Nkrumah at the 1963 founding summit of the Organisation of African Unity, and examines whether Africa has gained true control of its mineral wealth or remains dependent on external powers.
Namibia's recent inclusion in China's zero-tariff market access arrangement marks a major development as trade relations between the countries deepen. In 2025, bilateral trade exceeded N$39 billion with China as Namibia's second-largest trading partner, with exports accounting for 18.1% of total exports (N$22.7 billion) driven primarily by uranium, nickel, cobalt, lead, and copper ores.
An opinion piece argues that while foreign powers do pursue their interests in Africa, the deeper problem is Africa's lack of disciplined structures, weak institutions, and fragmented leadership that allow resources to be negotiated away, and that Africa must stop waiting for rescue and instead build order.
Farmers operating near Dalur in-situ leaching uranium mine in Russia's Kurgan region say agricultural activities have continued without disruption since the mine was established, with no decline in product quality. The remarks were made during a meeting with mine management and Headspring Investments, a Russian subsidiary of Rosatom that is exploring for uranium in Namibia's Omaheke region using the same method.
The Ministry of Home Affairs says Angolan nationals, including children on Namibian streets, do not qualify for refugee status under Namibian law and international conventions, as they left Angola seeking socio-economic opportunities rather than fleeing persecution.
Following the Israel–US joint attack on Iran in February, oil prices rose above US$100 per barrel, with Namibia's government raising fuel prices in April by N$2.50 for petrol and N$4 for diesel. While temporary levy cuts and National Energy Fund subsidies have cushioned consumer impact—absorbing approximately N$500 million in April alone—further food and logistics inflation is expected as second-wave effects reach Namibia.
Attackers aligned with separatist and al-Qaeda-linked groups staged coordinated assaults across Mali, entering the capital Bamako, assassinating the defence minister, and seizing northern territory including the city of Kidal. The offensive has raised doubts about the stability of the military government led by Col Assimi Goïta, who came to power in a coup in 2020.
US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran's power plants and bridges if it does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, after announcing a "miraculous" rescue of a wounded American airman from inside Iran. The escalating conflict has engulfed the Middle East, prompted Iran to largely block the vital oil and gas conduit, and drawn international concern including a papal call for peace.
Rising diesel and energy prices triggered by the Middle East war are hitting British fishermen and fish and chip shop owners, forcing them to absorb higher costs or risk losing customers already facing economic pressures. Industry leaders cite soaring fuel, fish, and fertiliser prices alongside supply disruptions from Ukraine and stricter fishing rules as threats to the sector.
Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in a 2021 coup, declared that democracy "kills" and said Burkina Faso must abandon it in favour of an unspecified alternative approach. The junta leader, who broke a pledge to restore elections by July 2024, has dissolved political parties, suppressed dissent, and extended his rule for five additional years.
According to a Higher School of Economics analysis, NATO is experiencing structural fractures as the US under Trump repositions from European leadership to a demanding hegemon role focused on China containment, while questioning allies' territorial integrity and reducing Ukraine support. European members now doubt the credibility of US nuclear guarantees and seek alternatives, though a unified European defence remains politically unrealistic, suggesting the alliance will persist but with reduced cohesion and interest-driven rather than collective cooperation.
China has joined Pakistan in proposing a five-point plan to broker a ceasefire in the Middle East war, motivated by concerns that prolonged conflict threatens global economic stability and supplies to its industrial base. Beijing's move marks a diplomatic shift and comes ahead of trade talks between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.
Russia's sanctioned tanker Anatoly Kolodkin carrying 730,000 barrels of crude has reached Cuba, the first oil shipment since January when the US removed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, depriving Cuba of its main energy supplier and triggering fuel shortages and blackouts on the island.
Zimbabwe's government has confirmed that 15 of its citizens were killed after being recruited through deceptive schemes on social media to fight for Russia in Ukraine, with more than 60 still trapped on the frontlines. The government is negotiating with Russian authorities for body repatriation and safe return of survivors, warning citizens about fraudulent overseas job offers that exploit vulnerable job-seekers across Africa.
Italy's coach Gennaro Gattuso said Wednesday that the team's World Cup play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland in Bergamo on Thursday is the most important match of his coaching career, as Italy looks to end a 12-year absence from the World Cup finals after failing to qualify for the last two editions.
Kenya's foreign minister announced that Kenyans conscripted illegally to fight for Russia in Ukraine will receive amnesty upon return home. The government estimates 252 Kenyans have been unlawfully recruited, with 44 repatriated so far, 11 killed or missing, and 160 still actively fighting; Russia has agreed to place Kenya on a "stop list" to prevent further recruitment.