Author: damazah@gmail.com

Former cabinet minister and Labour Party deputy leader Lord Tom Watson has become a senior vice president at US tech firm Palantir.Announcing his appointment on X, Lord Watson said Palantir was “the most interesting company on the planet, doing work of real consequence”.He said the company had “challenges” and that while some criticism was “propaganda” there were “legitimate questions about large technology companies and sovereign control”.Green MP Sian Berry said: “This is yet another example of the corrosive revolving door between politics and big business lobbying that has no place in public life.” She added: “Palantir, with its work for…

Oando PLC, Africa’s leading integrated energy solutions provider, on Thursday, 17 September 2026, successfully held its 47th Annual General Meeting (AGM), where shareholders reviewed the Company’s performance, strategic priorities and outlook. All resolutions presented at the meeting were passed. The AGM was characterised by shareholder engagement, with shareholders commending the Board and Management for its approach to corporate governance, strategic direction and disciplined capital allocation, while expressing continued support for the Company’s growth ambitions. The resolutions passed included the re-election of Mr Ademola Akinrele, SAN, Mr Omamofe Boyo, Mr Ikeme Osakwe and Mr Adeola Ogunsemi as Directors retiring by rotation;…

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Attack not immediately claimed, but an ISIL affiliate and the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) are both active in the region and regularly target troops.Published On 18 Sep 202618 Sep 2026A bomb attack at a mosque in Pakistan’s restive north-west has killed at least 15 people, with more than 50 reported injured.An explosive-laden car was rammed into the entrance of a mosque at a police headquarters in Kohat, in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near the Afghan border, as people gathered for Friday prayers.At least 15 bodies and more than 50 injured people were taken to hospital in the…

Eleven civilians and five police officers have been killed after a vehicle loaded with explosives rammed into a mosque in north-western Pakistan, according to a senior police official in Peshawar.An exchange of gunfire is ongoing between attackers and security forces at the site in the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.One of the assailants has been killed by police, an officer says.A rescue operation is under way and the death toll may rise, local media report.This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.

The Capital Markets Authority, CMA, of Rwanda has commenced discussions with relevant stakeholders to facilitate the participation of Rwandan investors in the initial public offering, IPO, of Dangote Petroleum Refinery. The regulator, in a statement on Wednesday, said it had observed strong interest in opportunities offered by capital markets and was working to facilitate participation by investors in the Dangote Refinery offer. “The Capital Markets Authority of Rwanda is working with relevant stakeholders to facilitate participation by Rwandan investors in the Dangote Petroleum Refinery IPO,” the statement said, adding, “We are encouraged to see the strong interest in the opportunities…

National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Senator Seriake Dickson, has explained that he declined to join the All Progressives Congress, APC, because he did not want Nigeria to drift into a one-party state. Dickson spoke in Abuja on Thursday when the management of LEADERSHIP Newspaper, led by its Vice Chairman, Mike Okpere, presented him with the notification of the newspaper’s 2026 Politician of the Year award. The former Bayelsa State governor said his decision followed what he described as the decline of his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. According to him, rather than move to the…

The finalists also include a range of community-led initiatives tackling environmental challenges such as waste reduction, nature restoration, and clean energy. They include Indigenous ranger teams in Australia and an Argentinian artificial intelligence-powered wildfire detection and alert platform.Two finalists are from India, which will host this year’s Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Mumbai. They are Mahindra Last Mile Mobility, a leading manufacturer of electric three-wheelers, and the Mahila Housing Trust, a grassroots organisation pioneering climate resilience initiatives for low-income women.The finalists were selected from nearly 7,000 nominations submitted across 169 countries.Five winners, one from each of the five Earthshot categories…

Key eventsBadenoch says Tories could mount legal challenge against cuts being imposed on Wandsworth councilKemi Badenoch says the Conservative party has “instructed lawyers” to challenge government cuts to a Tory-run London council, which they say amounts to 40%.These cuts are forcing Wandsworth to increase its council tax by 94%, the Tory leader says.In an interview with Matt Chorley for the BBC’s Newsnight, which is being shown tonight, Badenoch accuses the government of deliberately taking money away from areas that do not vote Labour and giving them to places that do.Badenoch says: double quotation markI think it is outrageous that Wandsworth…

‘Aid influencers’ are being accused of exploiting Nepal flood victims to boost social media followers, as organisations explore new ways to raise awareness and funds for relief efforts. Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque reports.Published On 18 Sep 202618 Sep 2026Share Video: Influencers accused of exploiting Nepal flood survivors on social mediashare-nodesSharegoogleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo

Kayode Tokede   The stock market segment of the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) has appreciated by N2.3 trillion this week as investors  excitement about Dangote Refinery’s N2.15 trillion Initial Public Offer (IPO) impacted on highly capitalized stocks. Since Dangote Refinery commenced its 4.1 billion ordinary shares offered at N525 each this week, the domestic stock market has witnessed positive for the fourth consecutive trading sessions.  The market capitalisation of listed stocks that opened for trading activities this week at N157.587 trillion, gained N2.3 trillion or 1.46 per cent to close yesterday at N159.692 trillion.    The NGX All-Share Index moved from  243,052.74…