馃嚦馃嚘NamibiaSouthern Africa
Desert Air crash victims identified, bodies to be repatriated to Germany
via The Namibian2 min read
Formal identification of the four victims of a Desert Air crash earlier this month has been completed, allowing for their repatriation to Germany. National police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi confirmed that the bodies are being released to funeral undertakers. The victims were identified as German tourists Silke Lohmiller, Richard Lohmiller, their son Henry, and pilot Martin Funck. The recovery of the aircraft and victims was challenging due to the crash site's location near a mountain peak in a steep gorge with high elevation and treacherous terrain. Access by foot was difficult, and bodies had to be airlifted. DNA testing confirmed the identities, with German authorities providing profiles for the family and the pilot's son submitting a sample. The investigation into the crash's cause is ongoing, with international representatives from the German Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and the state of aircraft manufacture joining the team. The aircraft went missing en route from Windhoek to Sossusvlei, and Desert Air chief executive Willem de Wet had previously announced there were no survivors.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
France secured a 42-15 victory over Japan in Tokyo, concluding their Nations Championship southern hemisphere series. The Six Nations champions scored six tries against Japan, who managed to score two tries through Kippei Ishida and Sojiro Otsuka. This win means France finished their three-game series with victories against Australia and Japan, alongside a loss to New Zealand. Japan's performance in the series included a win against Italy and losses to Ireland and France. France captain Maxime Lucu noted the team's focus on the upcoming World Cup and expressed satisfaction with two wins from three matches. The game, played in 28 Celsius heat and high humidity, saw Matthieu Jalibert and Maxime Lamothe each score two tries for France, with Alexandre Roumat and Lucu adding one each. Japan coach Eddie Jones praised his team's finishers, particularly in the last 20 minutes. France opened the scoring early with a try from Lamothe. Despite setbacks with flanker Lenni Nouchi and lock Florian Verhaege leaving for concussion checks, France maintained control. Japan responded with a penalty and a try from Ishida. France quickly countered with a try from Jalibert, followed by another from Roumat, making his first international appearance since February 2025. Lucu added France's fourth try, but Otsuka scored for Japan before halftime. Jalibert and Lamothe both scored again in the second half. Jalibert was sin-binned for an illegal tackle, and a TMO decision denied Japan another try.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, driving for Mercedes, recorded the fastest time in the third and final free practice session at the Belgian Grand Prix. The Italian teenager posted a lap of one minute and 45.990 seconds, outpacing McLaren's Lando Norris by 0.139 seconds, with Max Verstappen of Red Bull in third. Norris will face a 10-second grid penalty for Sunday's race. George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes, while Lewis Hamilton, also for Ferrari, placed fifth despite a significant crash at the end of the session. Hamilton lost control at the Fagnes chicane, damaging the rear of his car, though he was unhurt. His car requires extensive repairs before qualifying. Charles Leclerc, Hamilton's Ferrari teammate, was sixth, followed by Oscar Piastri of McLaren. Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto of Audi, and Isack Hadjar of Red Bull, who also has a grid penalty, completed the top ten.
Must ReadNamibia's traditional musical expressions, including rhythms, ritual melodies, and communal songs, are vulnerable to exploitation because the country's 1994 Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Protection Act primarily focuses on identifiable authorship, offering little protection for communally owned works. This legal gap allows commercial entities and artists to record and monetize traditional music without adequately compensating the communities that have preserved these cultural assets for generations. While Namibia signed the Swakopmund Protocol, which promotes free, prior, and informed consent and equitable benefit-sharing for traditional cultural expressions, domestic law has not yet been updated to reflect this framework. The article suggests establishing a specialized statutory structure, possibly under the Business and Intellectual Property Authority Bipa, to act as a legal custodian for undocumented communal musical works. This entity would maintain a national registry and manage licensing, ensuring that commercial exploitation benefits the originating communities through reinvestment in cultural preservation and community projects, rather than simple cash payments. The Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music Nascam is also urged to review its royalty handling for traditional or unattributed music to ensure funds support the communities.