馃嚦馃嚘NamibiaSouthern Africa
Mirra Andreeva wins first Grand Slam title at French Open
via The Namibian3 min read
Mirra Andreeva secured her first Grand Slam title at the French Open, defeating Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. The 19-year-old Russian became the youngest Roland Garros women鈥檚 singles champion since Monica Seles in 1992 and the first player born after 2005 to win a Grand Slam. Andreeva expressed her disbelief and gratitude, stating that winning the tournament was a long-held dream. Chwalinska, who had an impressive run from qualifying to the final, acknowledged Andreeva's talent despite her own disappointment. This victory marks a significant milestone in Andreeva's career, adding the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen to her two WTA 1000 titles. Chwalinska's performance will see her ranking rise significantly, assuring her regular participation in major tournaments.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
Argentina faced criticism for perceived dirty tactics and poor sportsmanship during their 1-0 loss to Spain, solidifying a 'World Cup villain' image that developed throughout the tournament. While critics, including former Germany player Thomas Hitzlsperger and British television personality Piers Morgan, described their performance as "disgusting" and "tetchy, petulant and distasteful," Argentines argue their actions stem from passion. Lawyer Leo Simone stated, "They confuse arrogance with pride," while construction worker Maximiliano Heredia noted, "We鈥檝e always been criticized, we鈥檙e used to it." Journalist Pedro Rosemblat embraced the criticism, stating, "Our rebelliousness irritates them, enrages them鈥hey call us cocky, cheaters, dirty. And we love it." Sports journalist Ezequiel Fernandez Moores acknowledged some criticism was justified, noting that local football codes of provocation and mockery do not translate globally, though he found the team turning their backs on Spain during the trophy presentation "not right." Simone defended Argentina's physical play, comparing it to other South American football and suggesting Spain also used tactical fouls. Venezuelan neurologist Evelio Rubio highlighted the unique passion for football in Argentina. The team and fans also faced accusations of racism, including past chants mocking French players and an incident during the World Cup where an Argentine supporter made a racist remark to a Black US influencer. FIFA condemned rac
Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel secured victory in Tuesday's 26.1km individual time-trial at the Tour de France, finishing 28 seconds faster than reigning champion Tadej Pogacar. This win, Evenepoel's second successive stage victory and fourth overall in the Tour, reduced Pogacar's overall lead to 4 minutes 32 seconds. Denmark's Mattias Skjelmose placed third, over a minute behind. The victory was particularly special for Evenepoel as it occurred on Belgium's national holiday, with his family present. However, the day was bittersweet for Evenepoel's Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe team as his teammate Florian Lipowitz crashed out of the race while in fifth place overall, sustaining an injury to his left arm. Both Pogacar and Isaac del Toro, who is now more than two minutes behind Evenepoel, also had close calls at the same bend where Lipowitz fell but managed to stay upright. Evenepoel gained significant time on the uphill section of the course, maintaining his lead through the descent and flat run to the finish.
Namibia is awaiting South Africa to enact enabling legislation, anticipated by mid-2027, to facilitate the mutual transfer of sentenced prisoners between the two nations. Commissioner General of the Namibian Correctional Service, Raphael Hamunyela, stated that Namibia has finalized its part of the agreement, but South Africa currently lacks the domestic law required for such transfers. The South African government announced that its Ministry of Correctional Services signed an agreement on cooperation with Namibia, similar to a recent one with Botswana, to advance interstate prisoner transfers. However, transfers will only commence once the necessary legislation is in place, with proposed amendments to the Correctional Services Act currently under review. South Africa's Minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald, and Namibia's Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Lucia Iipumbu, signed the agreement during the fourth session of the South Africa-Namibia Binational Commission. This framework also includes technical cooperation in areas like training and exchange of best practices. The South African ministry noted that foreign nationals often prefer to serve sentences in their home countries for rehabilitation, and such transfers could ease budgetary pressure. Namibia already has transfer arrangements with Angola and Botswana. As of February 17, 465 foreign nationals, including 450 from the SADC region, are detained in Namibian prisons, contributin