
Energy Minister Modestus Amutse announced that international oil trader Vitol was awarded the tender to supply fuel to Namibia for the next three months because the company did not require government guarantees. Amutse explained that state oil company Namcor, despite offering a price 10 cents less than the basic fuel price BFP, was disqualified because it needed a guarantee to source oil. He clarified that Namcor is a spot buyer, not an international trader, and spot buying does not guarantee prices past a specific date. Other bidders, Starboard and SDAL Services Ltd, also required guarantees, which the government aimed to avoid. TotalEnergies submitted a bid with a price higher than the BFP. Amutse defended the arrangement with Vitol, stating it allows Namibia's wholesalers to procure fuel at a lower price without premiums, and that Vitol currently supplies 60% of fuel to Namibia's wholesalers. He also noted that arrangements are being made for a bulk supply process for fuel, and that the question regarding the competition commission's determination on Nasan Energies buying fuel from Vitol is under consideration.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.

Tadej Pogacar is poised to secure a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title after Saturday's stage 20, with Richard Carapaz winning the stage on Alpe d’Huez. Pogacar, 27, will join cycling legends like Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx as a five-time winner, and will be the youngest to achieve this feat. He finished fourth on the stage, riding arm-in-arm with teammate Isaac Del Toro, who secured third place overall and the best young rider's white jersey. Pogacar dedicated his efforts to helping Del Toro maintain his position, stating it was an honor to ride for him. Carapaz, who won his second stage in three days, also claimed the King of the Mountains polkadot jersey, finishing eighth overall. The stage was challenging for American Sepp Kuss, who crashed twice in the final 7km while leading Carapaz, ultimately losing his advantage. Kuss's crashes allowed Carapaz to take the stage win. Dane Mads Pedersen secured the sprinters’ green points jersey. The final stage on Sunday is expected to be a procession into Paris, where Pogacar will officially claim his victory.

Lando Norris of McLaren secured his first pole position of the year at the Hungarian Grand Prix, narrowly beating Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari. Norris, 26, recorded a lap time of 1 minute and 17.207 seconds, just 0.012 seconds faster than Hamilton, who was aiming for his 10th pole at the track. Charles Leclerc, in the second Ferrari, qualified third, followed by world championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes in fourth. Oscar Piastri of McLaren and four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull completed the top six. Norris expressed his happiness, noting the session was tough but their upgrades helped. Hamilton, 41, acknowledged Norris's achievement and reflected on their qualifying strategy, while Leclerc cited wind changes as a factor in his performance. The qualifying session began in hot conditions with a track temperature of 52C.

The Namibian police and four farmer organizations, including the Namibia Agricultural Union NAU, the Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers’ Union NECFU, the Namibia National Farmers’ Union NNFU, and the Previously Disadvantaged Namibians’ Farmers’ Union PDNFU, have signed a 10-year agreement to enhance efforts against stock theft and other crimes affecting farmers. The agreement, signed in Windhoek, establishes a framework for preventing, detecting, and reducing crimes, particularly stock theft. This new pact replaces a previous agreement between the police and the NAU that concluded in March 2024. Acting Inspector General Anne-Marie Nainda noted that the prior agreement improved cooperation and communication between law enforcement and the farming community through the national rural safety strategy. Nainda highlighted that crimes in rural areas, such as stock theft, illegal grazing, poaching, and infrastructure vandalism, continue to challenge farmers and the national economy. She also acknowledged the Joint Crime Prevention Forum, established in 2018 by the NAU and NECFU, for strengthening farmer-police cooperation, advising on rural safety, supporting regional initiatives, and facilitating dialogue.