Student Finance Crunch: Education minister Sanet Steenkamp told Parliament NSFAF has 56,075 applications this year, with 38,419 approved; 17,586 are still in validation or unsuccessful, as MPs press for faster non-tuition disbursements. Banking Results & Inclusion: FirstRand Namibia profit rose 12.2% to N$2.14bn, supported by higher net interest income, while the bank also returned N$3.9m to senior citizens via fee waivers. Consumer Credit Push: Parliament’s economy committee is probing lending practices and whether interest rates (around 30% for some borrowers) are exploiting workers; calls grow for better consumer credit data sharing and interest-rate caps. City Construction Costs: Windhoek’s heavy-vehicle permit system faces pushback from the construction sector, warning fees and delays could raise building costs. Marine Shock: Sardine/pilchard deaths linked to pilchard herpesvirus are confirmed in South Africa, with Namibia sightings noted as investigations continue. Procurement Integrity: Questions mount after CPBN cancelled a N$122m veterinary cordon fence tender and switched to emergency procurement, raising transparency and legal-risk concerns. Circular Economy Gap: Namibia still lacks a national circular economy policy; a consultant has been appointed, but budget constraints have slowed progress. Uranium JV Momentum: Core Energy Minerals’ “transformational” uranium joint venture in Namibia sets up drilling at the Nova project’s Barking Gecko target.