Government officials announced passport fees will jump from D3060 to D5100 starting May 1. This marks the first major price change since biometric passports appeared in 2014. Information Minister Dr Ismaila Ceesay called the increase unavoidable during a radio interview yesterday. He explained that the original contract included automatic price adjustments over time.
Fees should have risen to D4000 in 2023, but the government subsidized costs to help citizens. The current increase follows contract terms that specified D5100 for 2025. The agreement with Africard runs until 2029 for building and operating passport technology before it is transferred to government control.
Ceesay described the contract as a leftover problem from the...
A Tallinding man received a five-year prison sentence at Bundung magistrates' court for robbery. Principal Magistrate D Phatty ordered Modou Lamin Sanyang to pay compensation of D1700 or face an additional year behind bars. The court said both sentences must run one after another.
Sanyang threw sand into the eyes of Jacinta Ilo, a school teacher. During the attack, he stole her bag. The stolen items included a Techno Spark phone worth D6000, a Nokia phone valued at D1000, cash amounting to D800, earbuds, a wallet, and keys.
The court found Sanyang guilty on a single robbery charge after hearing evidence about the attack. Law enforcement officers arrested him following the incident. The victim testified about her experience during the...
Ousainou Bojang denied owning the pistol allegedly used to shoot three paramilitaries when questioned by prosecutor A.M. Yusuf. When shown the weapon in court, he insisted he never used a gun, stating he worked as a security guard but not as an armed service member. His lawyer, Lamin Darboe, objected to having his client handle the weapon without gloves, concerned that fingerprints might be used against him later. The court placed the gun on paper for Bojang to observe instead.
Defense attorney Darboe strongly opposed questions suggesting his client used the gun last September, arguing Bojang never mentioned having a weapon during testimony. Darboe also clarified that the suspected crime scene at Sukuta Traffic Light differs from...
Higher Education Minister Professor Pierre Gomez led a two-day retreat at Tendaba Camp to review important research documents. The meeting focused on the Draft National Research Bill, Research Regulatory Framework, and Research Excellence Assessment Framework. Ministry officials worked with research experts from various institutions across The Gambia to improve coordination in the national research system.
Gomez called the bill timely as The Gambia celebrates 60 years of independence. He noted this marks the first time the country has created a unified research bill with complete regulatory and ethical guidelines. These documents aim to build a strong, well-regulated research environment throughout the country.
The minister explained...
Women gardeners in Madina Kanuma face serious challenges with their vegetable gardens, including water shortages and animal intrusions. Nearly 100 women depend on these gardens for their livelihood, but inadequate fencing allows livestock to destroy their crops. Their garden president, Adama Jobe, expressed frustration about empty promises from organizations and elected officials who never delivered help despite repeated requests.
The gardeners grow vegetables like lettuce, peppers, onions, and okra to support their families and pay school fees. They sell produce at markets in Barra and Farafenni but lack proper storage facilities, causing crops to spoil before reaching markets. The garden contains seven wells that frequently run dry...
Public Service Minister Bouy began a four-day tour of rural development projects throughout The Gambia. His team first visited the North Bank Region on April 13 to inspect a community tractor, electricity infrastructure, milling machines, and a borehole project. The delegation plans to continue their journey across the Central River Region, examining combined milling and threshing machines alongside additional water projects.
The tour will take them to the Upper River Region for more water and agricultural machinery inspections on the third day. They'll finish in the Lower River Region, checking rice milling equipment before heading to other areas with threshing machines. Accompanying the minister are UNDP Deputy Representative Sabelle...
Public Service Minister Baboucar Bouy stressed the importance of reliable data for national development at a workshop last Friday. On April 11, he opened the second phase of a data inventory validation event at Ocean Baye Hotel in Bakau. The minister emphasized that data forms the foundation for effective government policies, helping officials make informed decisions when designing programs.
Bouy pointed out that many agencies operate independently without sharing information, which hampers policy implementation. His ministry launched a data inventory exercise involving several key departments as part of its Public Administration Modernization Project. The initiative started with the Education, Research, Science & Technology, and...
Russia sent its newest nuclear icebreaker on its first mission last week. The Yakutia left Murmansk heading toward the Kara Sea after completing a six-day journey from St. Petersburg. The vessel traveled 2,470 nautical miles through four seas at an average speed of 16 knots. Captain Dmitry Nikitin expressed confidence in his crew despite feeling nervous about the ship's first ice test.
The Baltic Shipyard built this Project 22220 nuclear vessel, which carries innovative technology never used before on nuclear ships. Its RITM-200 reactor generates 60 megawatts of power, allowing the ship to break through ice up to three meters thick. The Yakutia measures 173.3 meters long and weighs 33,540 tons. It received its Russian flag during an...
Tech firms rush to add AI features to adult robots as they transform from simple dolls into emotional partners. Several leading manufacturers plan to launch new AI-powered models this month, including Chinese company WMDoll with its updated MetaBox series. These robots connect to cloud computing services through Llama AI modules located across multiple data centers.
The robots have various character voices, including those of a nurse, police officer, student, secretary, teacher, or superhero. They feature metal skeletons covered in silicone or thermoplastic with heating elements. Most importantly, these machines remember past conversations and provide emotional feedback to their users.
Market experts believe these adult robots will...
