insert_link World Israel and Hamas agrees to humanitarian pauses for polio vaccination drive The United Nations says an agreement has been reached for limited pauses in fighting to allow for the polio vaccination drive to take place in Gaza. The Israeli military and Hamas have agreed to three-day pauses as hundreds of children need to receive the vaccine after a baby contracted the first confirmed polio case in 25 years in the Palestinian territory. Jody Jacobs reports for us from the United Nations. […] todayAugust 30, 2024 6
insert_link South Africa Civil Rights Groups Protest Outside SARS Over Rising Violence Against Whistleblowers Defend Our Democracy and other civil rights groups protested outside SARS head office in Pretoria, spotlighting the rising violence against whistleblowers. This includes the recent assassination attempt of Coreth Naudé, who survived while probing a corruption case tied to SARS. The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation's Phumla Williams says the protest stands in solidarity with those risking their lives for justice: todayAugust 30, 2024 7
insert_link World Hate crimes on the rise in NYC Hate crimes in New York surged nearly 13% in 2023 compared to the year before, according to a new report. Data released by the state shows almost half of the incidents last year were against Jews - Black people and gay men were also targeted. From New York, Sally Patterson reports us: todayAugust 30, 2024 3
insert_link Business / Economics Namibia Sees 22.6% Surge in New Insurance Policies in Q1 2024 Despite Year-on-Year Decline Namibia recorded a 22.6% increase in new insurance policies in Q1 2024, reaching 102,597 policies, according to NAMFISA. However, this marks a 45.3% year-on-year decline. The total number of active policies grew by 3.2% quarter-on-quarter to nearly 1.94 million, driven by reduced policy terminations and lapses. The demand for credit risk policies contributed to the quarterly rise, while a decrease in individual investments led to the annual decline. Policy lapses […] todayAugust 30, 2024 9
insert_link South Africa National Energy Regulator of South Africa Reviews Eskom Revenue Application Amid Misinterpretation Claims The National Energy Regulator of South Africa has assured that the Eskom revenue application is currently under internal compliance evaluation. This follows a newspaper article where NERSA’s head of electricity regulation, Nhlanhla Gumede, claimed that a misinterpretation of the law led to excessive electricity tariff increases. Nersa’s spokesperson Charles Hlebela says Gumede's views are personal and do not reflect the regulator's official position: todayAugust 29, 2024 10
insert_link Namibia Green Hydrogen Sector Boosts Jobs and SME Investment Green Hydrogen Commissioner, James Mnyupe has announced that the green hydrogen sector has created over 400 jobs and invested around N$170 million in small and medium-sized enterprises for services reports The Brief. This represents a significant increase from the 200 jobs reported in July within Namibia’s Central Valley. The country now hosts eight active green hydrogen projects—Hyphen, Elof Hansson, HDF Energy, HyIron, Zhero, Cleanergy Solutions, Daures Hydrogen Village, and […] todayAugust 29, 2024 9
insert_link Business / Economics 22-29 August 2024 Weekly Economics Wrap: Global Economic Snapshot: Namibia’s Oil Boom, South Africa’s Market Movements, and International Financial Trends Namibia’s Economic Growth Fueled by Oil and Gas Sector Namibia is set for a robust economic outlook with a forecasted GDP growth of 5.8% annually, largely driven by the burgeoning oil and gas sector. Deloitte’s recent Oil and Gas Industrial Baseline Survey reveals that this sector will contribute an average of N$11.5 billion to the GDP each year during the production phase. The discovery of significant crude oil reserves has […] todayAugust 29, 2024 9
insert_link World Typhoon Shanshan hits Japan More than 50 people have been injured as Typhoon Shanshan makes landfall in Japan on Thursday. The storm is thought to be one of the most powerful on record and is bringing extreme winds, deluges, and storm surges. Reporting for us is Chris Gilbert from Tokyo. todayAugust 29, 2024 8
insert_link World Report Suggests India’s student suicide rate has doubled in the past decade According to a new report by an education think tank, students suicides in India have doubled in the past decade. The report based on data from the National Crime and Records bureau calls the problem an epidemic sweeping the country. As our correspondent Ishan Garg reports from New Delhi. todayAugust 29, 2024 5
