Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
January 2026
New Era
United Nationsstatedglobal unemployment rate expected to hold steady in 2026
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“The global unemployment rate is expected to hold steady in 2026, the United Nations stated yesterday, but cautioned the labour market's seeming stability belies a dire shortage of decent jobs.”
The United Nations' special rapporteurscriticisedboth Namibia and Germany for allegedly violating the rights of the Ovaherero and Nama ethnic minorities
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“In 2023, the United Nations' special rapporteurs criticised both Namibia and Germany for allegedly violating the rights of the Ovaherero and Nama ethnic minorities by excluding them from talks over reparations for colonial crimes against their ancestors.”
United Nationssaiddecades of discrimination and segregation of Palestinians by Israel in the West Bank were intensifying
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“The United Nations yesterday said decades of discrimination and segregation of Palestinians by Israel in the West Bank were intensifying, and called on the country to end its "apartheid system."”
United Nationscommitted to fixing through the Sustainable Development Goalspoverty, hunger, disease, unemployment, climate change, and war by 2030
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“A decade ago, it committed everything to everyone through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – it would fix poverty, hunger, disease, unemployment, climate change, and war by 2030.”
United Nationsis referenced for support in safeguardinginternational law and national sovereignty
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“The ministry further expressed support for the active involvement of multilateral institutions, including the United Nations and relevant regional bodies, to safeguard international law and national sovereignty.”
United Nationsconfirmedmore than 4.3 million Sudanese have fled to neighbouring countries since April 2023
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“More than 4.3 million Sudanese have fled to neighbouring countries since the start of the civil war in April 2023 between the government-aligned Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to the latest data confirmed by the United Nations (UN).”
The World Health Organisation reports that more than 300,000 people die from drowning annually, with children and young people disproportionately affected. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where people are exposed to water hazards through daily activities including collecting water, fishing, farming and travel.
The World Health Organisation reports that more than 300,000 people die from drowning annually, with children and young people disproportionately affected. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where people are exposed to water hazards through daily activities including collecting water, fishing, farming and travel.
Namibia is falling behind on the sixth Sustainable Development Goal, which aims to ensure access to safe water and sanitation for all by 2030. According to the 2023 Population and Housing Census, about 40% of households lack adequate sanitation, with the situation worse in marginalised communities where nearly seven out of every ten households do not have a toilet.
Prime Minister Dr Tjitunga Elijah Ngurare has reiterated Namibia's call for the lifting of the United States embargo on Cuba, stating the Cuban people deserve to live in peace, harmony and with human dignity. He also reaffirmed Namibia's support for the self-determination of Palestinian and Western Saharan peoples.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has commissioned former Cabinet minister Christine //Hoëbes as Namibia's High Commissioner-Designate to Malaysia. The President urged her to strengthen bilateral ties and drive economic diplomacy that delivers tangible benefits for Namibians.
About 140 primary school pupils from six schools visited the UN campus in Klein Windhoek for the annual UN4U and SDC Educational Outreach, participating in information sharing and cultural exchange.
South Africa says more than 53,000 foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated in five weeks since launching a "migration management" campaign, mostly from Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, amid anti-immigration protests demanding tighter border controls.
Namibia will hold the 2026 International Youth Day national commemorations in Keetmanshoop on 12 August 2026, with the theme "Youth Advancing Multilateral Cooperation through Technology and Partnerships." The annual UN-observed day recognises young people's contributions and addresses challenges including unemployment, education access, health and civic participation.
Jerobeam Kakeke Shaanika has been appointed executive director and accounting officer of the International Relations and Trade ministry, triggering a reshuffle of Namibia's diplomatic missions in Germany, Geneva, and Malaysia. Shaanika will return from his posting as ambassador to Germany, which he took up in November 2025.
Young leaders from Africa and other regions participated in discussions on nuclear energy cooperation, education and sustainable development at the Obninsk NEW'26 International Youth Forum in Russia, including a meeting with Rosatom Director General and members of the Impact Team 2050 International Youth Council.
Paulus Noa, who established Namibia's Anti-Corruption Commission from scratch in 2006 and served as its director general for 20 years, is stepping down with Bryan Eiseb nominated as his successor. During his tenure, the ACC processed over 7,500 corruption complaints and expanded to include forensic, intelligence, and anti-money laundering divisions.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has renewed Namibia's call for the United Nations to lead efforts in resolving the decades-long Western Sahara dispute, stating that dialogue rather than confrontation offers the only path to lasting peace. Drawing on Namibia's own liberation history, she said cross-border disputes should be addressed through multilateral mechanisms and UN coordination.
Defence and Veterans Affairs Minister Frans Kapofi has rejected calls to visit liberation struggle veterans protesting outside Swapo Party headquarters, saying their grievances fall outside his ministerial mandate and that they raise issues beyond his responsibility.
The United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS concluded with Member States adopting a new Political Declaration aimed at strengthening global efforts to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The declaration introduces new targets focused on expanding access to HIV testing, treatment and prevention, addressing funding gaps, protecting human rights and promoting sustainable access to medicines and technologies, and will guide the next phase of the global AIDS response over the coming five years.
Uganda's leading independent media group, the Nation Media Group, says it is under "military siege" after the army chief ordered the closure of TV stations, newspapers and radio outlets, with armed soldiers stationed outside the Daily Monitor newspaper's headquarters in Kampala. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of president Yoweri Museveni, stated on X that he does not believe in a free press and that the outlets will not reopen without his permission.
The IPC's shadow minister of defence Aloisius Kangulu says Defence Minister Frans Kapofi sidestepped an urgent parliamentary question calling for direct intervention with liberation struggle veterans protesting outside Swapo Party headquarters, instead providing an explanation of veterans' benefits. Kangulu clarified that the question centred on why Kapofi had not personally visited the veterans, and that receiving statutory benefits does not address their broader demands for justice and dignity.
Twin earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, killing at least 235 people, damaging more than 250 buildings, and leaving thousands homeless. Rescue teams are searching for survivors as international aid arrives and authorities warn the death toll is expected to rise.
Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs Frans Kapofi told Parliament that veterans camped outside Swapo Party headquarters continue to receive all benefits and support due to them despite their protest, saying they have clarified their concerns are not directed at the government or ministry.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said her State visit to Tanzania laid groundwork for stronger economic cooperation between the two countries, while a reparations conference in Ghana marked recognition of injustices from the transatlantic slave trade. She noted that although Namibia and Tanzania have strong political ties from the liberation struggle, the countries agreed to expand economic cooperation beyond current political solidarity.
The African Union has declared 2026–2035 the Decade of Reparations and called for a global reparations fund to address colonialism and slavery; Reform UK responded by threatening visa restrictions for residents of African countries, including Nigeria and Ghana, demanding European accountability.
About 140 pupils from six Windhoek schools visited United Nations House to participate in the annual UN4U and Sustainable Development Goals educational outreach programme. UN resident coordinator Hopolang Phororo challenged them to think critically about changes needed in their communities, with pupils identifying issues including poverty, unemployment, pollution, water shortages, climate change, healthcare access, and education.
The Independent Patriots for Change has called on President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to publicly speak out against human rights abuses during her state visit to Tanzania, specifically demanding the release of Chadema opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who has been detained since April 2025 on a treason charge. The party cites a UN finding of unlawful detention and an American Bar Association assessment that the prosecution is politically motivated.
At a high-level conference in Accra, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said the UN resolution on the Transatlantic Slave Trade marks the beginning of a long journey toward truth, healing and restorative justice for Africans and the diaspora, linking it to Namibia's own pursuit of restorative justice.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told a UN consultative conference in Accra that Namibia remains committed to securing reparations for genocide against Ovaherero and Nama people during German colonial rule. She said the country's nine-year engagement with Germany, stemming from a 2006 parliamentary motion, has produced a joint draft declaration, and called for continued dialogue despite difficult negotiations.
The United Nations will hold a High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS on 22 and 23 June in New York to assess global progress, adopt a new Political Declaration, and set fresh targets aimed at ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The meeting, held every five years since 2001, will review achievements and challenges since the 2021 Political Declaration and guide the global HIV response through 2030.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is participating in a high-level international conference in Accra, Ghana, from 17–19 June 2026, aimed at developing practical steps to implement a United Nations resolution on the trafficking and enslavement of Africans. The conference brings together heads of state, ministers, and civil society representatives to advance discussions on reparatory justice, historical recognition, and restitution.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah travelled to Ghana to present the Ovaherero and Nama genocide at a High-Level Consultative Conference on slavery and colonial injustices, where Namibia advocated for a comprehensive framework to address colonial dispossession and genocide committed between 1904 and 1908.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is attending a High-Level Consultative Conference on reparatory justice in Accra, Ghana on 18–19 June 2026, hosted by Ghana's President as African Union Champion for Reparations. The conference brings together African leaders and stakeholders to discuss implementation of a UN resolution recognising the transatlantic slave trade and enslavement of Africans as crimes against humanity, and aims to develop a Global Post-Adoption Framework for reparatory justice and restitution.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will travel to Ghana on Wednesday for a high-level conference on reparatory justice for the transatlantic slave trade, where heads of state and policymakers will discuss operationalizing a UN resolution recognizing the trade as crimes against humanity. Namibia will draw on its experiences with colonial dispossession and the genocide against Ovaherero and Nama communities (1904–1908), and the president will then undertake a state visit to Tanzania from 20–21 June to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Over 22,000 former South West Africa Territory Force (SWATF) soldiers plan to sue the government for N$5.7 billion in unpaid veteran benefits and compensation, claiming they have not received benefits due to them since independence. The Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs questioned the origin of the funds being claimed.
During Namibia's Universal Periodic Review at the UN in May, peer countries commended progress including decriminalisation of same-sex relations and universal healthcare adoption, but raised serious concerns about high rates of gender-based violence, undermining of judicial independence, and lack of legal protection for LGBTQI+ people.