Author: damazah@gmail.com

Nume Ekeghe Nigeria’s trade with other African countries climbed to $9.02 billion in 2025, underscoring the growing importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in expanding market access for Nigerian exporters and deepening regional economic integration. The latest African Trade Report 2026 released by Afreximbank showed that the value of Nigeria’s trade with the continent increased from $7.47 billion in 2024 to $9.02 billion in 2025, representing a growth of about 21 per cent and positioning the country among Africa’s leading intra-African trading nations. The report attributed the improvement to Nigeria’s intensified focus on regional commerce and efforts…

Indian customer engagement software firm MoEngage has acquired San Francisco-based startup Aampe in an all-cash deal, betting that AI agents that make decisions for individual customers will become the future of marketing. MoEngage did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction, but a source familiar with the matter told TechCrunch that the all-cash deal was worth tens of millions of dollars. Founded in 2020, Aampe develops software that assigns a dedicated AI agent to each customer, allowing brands to personalize messaging based on individual behavior rather than traditional audience segments and campaign rules. The startup has more than 30…

Weakening the UK’s net zero policy would disrupt business and damage the economy, the UK’s chief climate adviser has warned.Nigel Topping, chair of the Climate Change Committee (CCC), said: “The U-turns are really damaging to inward investor confidence. If we really want to grow the economy, then investing and getting good at building stuff is essential.”His intervention comes as the CCC published its latest report to parliament on Wednesday, on progress towards the target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The report found that although the push towards renewable energy has gone well, and more people are switching…

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring Uganda has exceeded 1,000 confirmed cases, with 254 deaths recorded since 15 May. The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, disclosed this in a post on the organisation’s official X account on Tuesday, noting ongoing response efforts in affected countries. “Ebola update: more than 1000 confirmed cases have been reported in DRC, including 254 deaths. 100 patients have recovered so far, which shows that for many, the virus can be stopped with timely health care,” he said. According to Mr Ghebreyesus, WHO, the…

Nature, Published online: 23 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01812-1The scientific community awaits a patent for recombinant DNA technology, and experimentation with an anaesthetic from puffballs, in our weekly dip into Nature’s archive.

England latest: 'I saw the Ghana result coming,' says Tuchel

What a lot of Krapp. Pardon my French but Samuel Beckett’s haunting 1958 masterpiece about regret and isolation is having a moment. Stephen Rea recently took Krapp’s Last Tape on an international tour, Gary Oldman returned to the stage after decades away to deliver the tragicomic one-man show and this summer Stockard Channing will direct it at the Edinburgh fringe, with David Westhead as Krapp. Beckett’s eponymous loner, who sits in his dark den and ritually listens to tapes he made as a younger man, is riding a new wave of popularity.Peter Marinker first played Krapp half a lifetime ago…

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Djed Spence appeared to bypass Thomas Partey during the pre-match handshakes ahead of England’s World Cup Group L clash against Ghana, amid the ongoing legal case involving the former Arsenal midfielder. Television footage showed the Tottenham defender walking past Partey during the customary pre-match greetings, while the Ghana international appeared to exchange handshakes with other members of the England squad. Djed Spence was the only England player who refused to shake Thomas Partey’s hand before kick-off. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🤝 pic.twitter.com/CmnFLSxuxQ— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) June 23, 2026 The incident came days after Partey was denied entry into Canada and missed Ghana’s opening…

‘Paid parental leave is not safe’ with Hanson, Plibersek saysTanya Plibersek has refuted Pauline Hanson’s claims that her comments on paid parental leave were taken out of context.Plibersek says Hanson claimed in 2017 that women “just get pregnant to get the money” and that she’s been completely unsympathetic to the financial stress of having a baby.The social services minister is today spruiking the extension of government paid parental leave that will give parents 26 weeks – at the minimum wage rate. Four of those weeks will have to be taken by the second partner.(This announcement isn’t a new one but…