Oranjemund, Namibia - A treasure-laden 16th-century Portuguese vessel that ran aground off Namibia's Atlantic coast was hailed Monday by archaeologists as providing a rare insight into the heyday of seafaring explorations between Europe and the Orient.

"This is a cultural treasure of immense importance," Bruno Werz told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa when offering journalists a first glimpse of the precious find at the excavation site in Namibia's diamond-rich "sperrgebiet" or no-go zone.

Windhoek  - A mystery shipwreck laden with gold discovered by geologists off the coast of Namibia in April is a 16th century Portuguese vessel that was bound for Asia, the country's information ministry announced on Tuesday.

The ship's rich bounty includes 2,000 gold coins and 1.4 kilogrammes in silver coins, the ministry said in a statement.

Researchers also found navigational instruments among the remains of the ship, which was discovered by geologists prospecting for diamonds.

Windhoek - Namibia has placed a moratorium on the trade of all worked ivory from September 1, including the traditional carved trinkets worn by northern tribes for centuries known as ekipa or omakipa.

The move, which the government had threatened for months, aims to prevent the smuggling of ivory harvested from elephants killed by poachers.

"While recognizing omakipas (ekipa) as cultural objects and the provisions by CITES (the international Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) for Namibia to produce omakipas and to sell these within Namibia as personal effects, the government has also has to deal with the newly-carved omakipa from ivory of unknown origin," the ministry's permanent secretary Kalumbi Shangula explained.

Windhoek, Namibia  - A tribunal of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) began a group hearing in the Namibian capital Windhoek on Wednesday morning, in which 78 Zimbabwean farmers are

Windhoek - Geologists prospecting for diamonds off the Namibian coast came across a treasure of a different kind when they found a shipwreck laden with gold coins, cannons and elephant tusks on the