馃嚦馃嚘NamibiaSouthern Africa
Iranians gather at dawn to support national team in World Cup opener
via The Namibian3 min read
In Tehran, football fans gathered in one of the few cafes open at 4:30 am to watch the Iranian national team's first World Cup match against New Zealand. Despite the early hour, approximately 40 fans, including women without headscarves, discussed the team's prospects. The match occurred a day after a memorandum of understanding was announced between Tehran and Washington to end the conflict and economic turmoil. While some dismissed the agreement as temporary, the crowd's attention quickly shifted to the game. A large Iranian flag was unfurled at the stadium, prompting state television to highlight its presence in Los Angeles. Opponents of the Islamic Republic were also present at the stadium, displaying the pre-1979 Iranian flag. Shiva Sharifi, a 21-year-old teacher, expressed her hope for the team to advance and emphasized the separation of football and politics. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, with Iran equalizing twice, leading to cheers in the cafe. However, Abolfazl Kazemi, a 24-year-old employee, expressed concern about the players' stress and fatigue, attributing it to the difficult path to the World Cup amidst the ongoing conflict. Coach Amir Ghalenoei described his team as the "most oppressed" and criticized the travel arrangements, stating that the team was forced to return to their Mexico training base immediately after the game, limiting recovery time. The United States also denied visas to about 15 coaching staff members for the group matches. Despite these chal
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
Namibia is enhancing its capacity to manage public health emergencies through improved leadership, coordination, and preparedness, as discussed at an executive leadership training in Windhoek. Taimi Amaambo, Ministry of Health and Social Services deputy executive director, stated that public health emergencies are a growing threat in Africa, necessitating investment in preparedness and coordinated response mechanisms. Namibia has faced various emergencies, including droughts, floods, wildfires, and disease outbreaks such as anthrax, hepatitis E, measles, covid-19, malaria, cholera, mpox, and polio, which have had significant health, social, and economic impacts. The country has established policy frameworks like the national action plan for health security, the one health strategy, and the multi-hazard contingency plan to build resilience. Amaambo emphasized the commitment to establishing and operationalizing a functional public health emergency operations center to improve preparedness, coordination, and response during health crises. She also highlighted a recent cross-border anthrax simulation exercise with Zambia as an example of collaboration under the One Health approach. Helen Likando, director for disaster risk management, noted that Namibia faces increasingly complex risks, including disease outbreaks, climate-induced disasters, droughts, floods, and food insecurity, reinforcing the need for strong leadership, effective coordination, and institutional readiness acros
The Swapo Party Youth League SPYL has called on young Namibians to become education ambassadors and contribute to national development as the country observes the Day of the African Child. SPYL secretary Ephraim Nekongo stated that the day honors the students of Soweto who protested an unjust education system on June 16, 1976, sacrificing their lives for quality education, dignity, and freedom. Nekongo emphasized that their sacrifice highlights education's central role in Africa's liberation and development. He noted Namibia's progress since independence in expanding education access, including free primary and secondary education, subsidized tertiary education, and improved vocational training opportunities. Nekongo described these achievements as a testament to an independent Namibia's vision, which prioritizes education for national development. Despite these gains, Nekongo acknowledged ongoing challenges in ensuring quality education, digital literacy, and equal opportunities for children in rural and marginalized communities. He stressed that the modern world demands a generation that is educated, skilled, disciplined, and prepared for nation-building. Nekongo urged young people to honor the 1976 Soweto uprising's legacy by embracing learning, leadership, and service to their communities and the country.
The Namibia National Paralympic Committee NNPC reports that recent blind football exhibition matches in Windhoek have boosted aspirations to form a national team capable of competing at an African level. These matches, held at the Namibia Special Olympics Grounds in Katutura, are part of efforts to expand Paralympic sports in Namibia beyond athletics. NNPC development officer JP Schmidt stated that the initiative aims to include more sports codes, noting that while many associate Namibian Paralympic sport with track-and-field, there are 23 sport codes. Blind football is a five-a-side game played by blind athletes using a ball with bells for auditory tracking. Schmidt mentioned that spectators were impressed by the talent displayed by the six participating teams, whose players came from various parts of the country. The next phase involves establishing structured competitions and identifying players for national team selection. Schmidt believes Namibia has the potential to become a leading force in African blind football if the program continues to develop. The NNPC and the Namibian Association for Blind Sports plan to engage more regions through training camps and development programs to build the national blind football team.