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Carrefour shuts CBD store four years later

Supermarket chain Carrefour has shut its Comet House outlet in Nairobi’s Central Business District, four years after opening the store seeking to challenge its well-established competitors.

The closure, effective October 31, comes as Kenya’s supermarket industry continues to be reshaped by fierce competition.

In a statement, Majid Al Futtaim, which operates the Carrefour franchise in Kenya, said the decision followed a regular review of its operations.

‘Majid Al Futtaim regularly reviews its operations to ensure they continue to meet the needs of our customers and the business,’ the Kenya management team said.

When Carrefour opened its Comet House branch along Monrovia Street on November 9, 2022, the move marked its return to Nairobi’s CBD after years of concentrating on shopping malls in the city’s suburbs.

According to data by market intelligence firm Sagaci Research, Carrefour controlled 14 percent of the retail market un 2025.

‘As part of this ongoing review, we have made the decision to close our Carrefour store at Comet House in Nairobi.’

The retailer sought to reassure customers that the closure did not signal a retreat from Kenya, where it continues to expand its operations.

‘Carrefour continues to operate 35 stores across Kenya, and we remain committed to serving our customers and supporting our long-term operations in the country,’ the statement added.

The company said it was supporting employees affected by the closure through the transition but did not disclose how many workers would be affected or whether they would be redeployed to other branches.

When Carrefour opened its Comet House branch along Monrovia Street on November 9, 2022, the move marked its return to Nairobi’s CBD after years of concentrating on shopping malls in the city’s suburbs.

The launch was accompanied by promotional offers, including discounts of up to 50 percent on selected products, as the retailer sought to attract shoppers and challenge established competitors operating in the city centre.

The outlet became Carrefour’s 19th store in Kenya at the time and stocked more than 9,000 product lines, including fresh produce, groceries, household goods and personal-care products.

Majid Al Futtaim said the store would serve customers who previously struggled to access Carrefour’s products while working in the CBD.

‘Kenya remains a key market in our expansion strategy, with many opportunities to grow our network across the country through physical stores and e-commerce offering,’ the company said at the time.

Four years later, however, the outlet has shut its doors, with the company yet to explain whether the decision was linked to sales performance, operating costs, competition, lease arrangements or a broader review of its store network.

The closure comes against the backdrop of a retail market increasingly dominated by a handful of large supermarket chains.

Data published by Business Daily on October 19, citing market intelligence firm Sagaci Research, showed that Naivas, Quickmart and Carrefour controlled a combined 60 percent of Kenya’s formal retail market in 2025.

Naivas commanded an estimated 31 percent share, followed by Quickmart at 15 percent and Carrefour at 14 percent.

The three chains have expanded aggressively as they seek to capture customers and retail space left vacant by the collapse of former industry heavyweights.

Tanzania targets 10,000 graduates for annual internships

Dodoma. The government plans to expand internship opportunities for university and college graduates, targeting at least 10,000 beneficiaries annually under a new national programme running from 2026/27 to 2030/31.

Deputy Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations), Dr Evelyn Munisi, told Parliament on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, that the initiative aims to equip young graduates with practical experience and skills that meet the demands of domestic and international labour markets.

She was responding to a question from Mwanakwerekwe Member of Parliament Kassim Hassan Haji, who sought to know government measures to help graduates secure internship placements and gain essential experience before entering the job market.

Dr Munisi said the government, through the Prime Minister’s Office, was implementing the National Graduate Work Experience Training Programme, which enables university and middle-level college graduates to acquire practical workplace skills.

She said the government had also developed the 2017 National Guidelines for Practical Training for Graduates to provide a framework for implementing internship programmes in public and private institutions.

‘Since the programme began in 2017/18 up to September 2026, the government, in collaboration with various stakeholders, has enabled 34,549 graduates to obtain work experience training,’ she told Parliament.

Of those who completed the training, 11,263 had secured employment, while another 5,116 had established their own businesses, she said.

The new programme is expected to build on these efforts by increasing the number of graduates accessing workplace training and addressing the mismatch between skills acquired through education and those required by employers.

In a supplementary question, Mr Haji urged the government to strengthen collaboration with the private sector, which he described as the country’s main employer, to create more practical training opportunities for university graduates.

In response, Dr Munisi said the government had initiated discussions with private employers to secure additional internship placements.

She said the move followed directives issued by the Vice-President, Mr Deogratius Ndejembi, in September, prompting the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations), Mr Deus Sangu, to convene a strategic meeting involving the government, private employers and other stakeholders.

The meeting brought together representatives of the Association of Tanzania Employers (ATE) and the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF), among others, to discuss ways of increasing private-sector participation in graduate internship programmes.

According to Dr Munisi, the discussions resulted in an agreement by private employers to develop strategies to accommodate at least 20,000 graduates in practical training programmes.

‘The government has taken this concern seriously and is working on it. In the 2026/27 financial year, private employers are expected to take at least 20,000 graduates, depending on the available opportunities,’ she said.

She said the initiative was part of broader efforts to ensure young people benefit from economic opportunities as the country moves towards achieving the aspirations of Development Vision 2050.

Dr Munisi added that the government wanted to ensure graduates were not disadvantaged in the job market because of a lack of practical experience.

The programme is expected to make private-sector participation a key component of efforts to improve graduates’ employability, although the actual number of placements will depend on opportunities available among employers.

Palantir tumbles 8% after Q3 results

Shares of Palantir Technologies fell more than 8% in premarket trading on Tuesday as slowing contract growth and extremely high expectations overshadowed a strong third-quarter performance.

The Denver-based software company reported revenue of $2.31 billion, up 96% year-on-year and above analysts’ expectations. However, total contract value (TCV) increased just 6% to $2.918 billion, sharply slowing from 49% growth in the previous quarter. US commercial TCV growth also decelerated to 11%, compared with 153% in the previous quarter.

Palantir shares were down 8.22% at $163.68 at 5:31 am ET.

Cyprus Department of Meteorology – Forecast for the Sea Area of Cyprus (C)

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (C)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1800 03/11/2026 UNTIL 1800 04/11/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1015hPa (hectopascal)

Weak low pressure is affecting the area. In the evening, locally increased cloud will be present at times while isolated shower and/or isolated thunderstorm are expected over the east. Tonight and tomorrow evening, locally increased cloud coverage will be present over the west and the north and local showers and/or isolated thunderstorm are expexted. Tomorrow evening, local showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 23°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Night West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally near the coast Northwest to Northeast 3 Slight

Morning Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, near the coast Northwest to Northeast 3 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon West to Northwest 4 to 5, at times locally 5 Slight

South Coast

Night Southwest to Northwest 3, locally 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

Morning Southwest to West 3 to 4, soon Northwest to Northeast 3 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon Southwest to West 4 to 5, locally 5 Slight

East Coast

Night West to Northwest 3, offshore 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

Morning Southwest to Northwest 3, at times locally 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon Southwest 4 to 5, locally 5 Slight

North Coast

Night Southeast to Southwest 3, offshore Southwest to West 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

Morning South to Southwest 3 to 4, gradually near the coast Southeast to Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon Southwest to West 4 to 5, at times locally 5 Slight

Big Boy’s hot pitch: A nationwide solar/RE ‘power bank’

Don’t we all love a reliable and handy power bank, especially when our mobile phone is almost running on empty and we don’t have access to electricity just yet or, worse, when an outage suddenly hits?

Now imagine something like that but on a grand scale – a battery energy storage system (BESS) that could help power millions of households all over the country, especially now that we’re experiencing an energy crisis.

Tycoon Henry ‘Big Boy’ Sy Jr. is pitching this as a fast, practical and doable solution to the country’s power woes: allowing the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines to put up a chain of BESS facilities nationwide which NGCP could tap when certain areas don’t have enough power supply.

Project Airbag

Big Boy, vice chairman of NGCP, remained in his trademark cool and calm demeanor, but could not conceal the urgency of the situation as he discussed his proposal during a rare media chat last week.

Actually, you’d know a situation is bleak, even desperate, and already taking a heavy toll on the economy when tycoons start speaking out and pitching their own solutions.

Big Boy wasted no time and went straight to his point – the power crisis and how to solve it.

He calls it Project Airbag, perhaps because we are in an emergency and his proposal can provide fast-response storage, which in turn would strengthen grid flexibility, resilience and energy access.

Under Project Airbag, NGCP would put up an initial pipeline of 1,850 megawatts of BESS capacity. Of this, 850 MW are already ongoing in six sites across the country and 1,000 MW for 12 sites still for assessment. In the next five years, this could reach 10,000 MW.

A battery storage stores available electricity and releases it when the system is under pressure. It gives NGCP an additional transmission-side tool to support the system during short-duration shortages.

Putting up BESS facilities is faster than new generation can be built – less than a year, Big Boy said, compared to a power plant which could take up to seven years, sometimes even longer, to build.

The project is intended to help address immediate system pressures, prepare the grid for tighter supply conditions associated with the 2027 El Niño and provide longer-term flexibility as the country’s generation mix continues to evolve.

Big Boy said the priority is the Visayas, which is currently experiencing blackouts because of tight supply conditions and simultaneous generator outages.

A wider grid for 2027 El Niño

The battery rollout, however, is not limited to the Visayas, Big Boy said.

El Niño, he said, poses a risk to the whole country as it creates a foreseeable risk of reduced hydroelectric output, particularly in areas where generation depends heavily on rainfall and reservoir levels. The risk is national, which supports the deployment of storage in other parts of the grid as well.

Batteries can then work during periods of reduced hydro output or other system stress conditions.

In all, Big Boy said, Project Airbag is a practical intervention that NGCP can pursue within its own sphere while longer-term supply solutions are still being developed.

It’s not supposed to be a threat to generation companies because batteries do not create electricity and cannot substitute for adequate generation over prolonged periods.

The underlying structural requirement remains sufficient, dependable power generation.

The deployment is therefore intended as a proactive resilience measure rather than a reaction after supply conditions have already deteriorated.

Power producers react

During the chat, I told Big Boy that power generators may not like his idea.

True enough, the Philippine Independent Power Producers Association Inc. (PIPPA) immediately raised concerns on the proposal.

PIPPA said its concern is primarily who owns these batteries and how their cost is recovered, not with the purpose of the BESS itself.

‘By the description alone, supplying energy during shortages and peaks and providing fast-response reserve support are the services that generation companies and BESS operators already offer competitively in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market and under power supply agreements and ancillary services procurement agreements.

‘PIPPA respectfully submits that NGCP ownership of such facilities, with their cost recovered through regulated transmission rates, runs contrary to the structure and intent of Republic Act 9136, the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, and to the DOE’s policy on energy storage systems,’ PIPPA said in a position paper.

Reacting to this, Big Boy said laws were intended to help the people.

The NGCP, in a separate briefing paper on Project Airbag, likewise said that new generation projects take significantly longer to develop, finance, approve, construct and commission.

Airbag can provide a bridge during that development period by reducing immediate system vulnerability.

It’s really short-term transmission relief supporting – not replacing – long-term generation investment.

In a way, Big Boy said, it’s about democratizing access to energy, given that the current supply challenge is acute and pervasive.

Additional supply, he said, must therefore come from as many viable sources as possible.

The objective is not to concentrate or monopolize participation in the energy sector but to disperse the burden of addressing the country’s supply requirements by enabling more participants and resources to contribute, NGCP said.

‘We really have to do something before it’s too late,’ he said.

Will electricity prices go down? Big Boy is confident that it will.

And for that alone, it’s worth a try.

NEIP Launches Initiatives To Empower Youth, Women, PWDs

The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) has launched two initiatives under the Ghana Women and Youth Employment and Social Cohesion (GWYESCO) Project to equip young people, women and persons with disabilities (PWDs) with practical skills and economic opportunities.

The initiatives, CREATE and EMPOWED, seek to address barriers to employment, entrepreneurship and economic participation through digital skills development, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and targeted business development support.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NEIP, Joan Selasie Ahiawordor, Esq., announced the initiatives during their official launches in Tamale and Bolgatanga.

CREATE was launched in Tamale on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, to develop the digital capabilities of content creators, while EMPOWED, launched in Bolgatanga, focuses on vocational training and business development for women and persons with disabilities.

Ms. Ahiawordor explained that the two initiatives form part of the broader GWYESCO Project, which covers seven regions: Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East, Upper West, Eastern and Central.

She said the project seeks to address limited access to structured training, mentorship, financial resources and market opportunities, which continue to constrain the economic potential of many Ghanaians.

Speaking at the CREATE launch, she said digital platforms have become important tools for communication, business development, cultural preservation and social transformation.

She explained that CREATE will equip content creators with technical skills to improve content quality, communicate strategically across digital platforms, develop sustainable personal brands and build professional portfolios.

The initiative will also promote responsible digital engagement, with emphasis on accuracy, originality and ethical conduct.

‘In an age where digital footprints are permanent, content creators must respect privacy, reject misinformation, honour intellectual property, and use digital tools with accountability,’ she pointed out.

At the EMPOWED launch in Bolgatanga, Ms. Ahiawordor said the programme will provide women and PWDs with practical pathways to acquire employable skills, improve their livelihoods and achieve economic independence.

The initiative will combine TVET with Business Development Services covering business planning, customer relations, financial management and market navigation.

She said the objective is to ensure beneficiaries can translate their newly acquired skills into self-employment, business expansion and sustainable employment.

Ms. Ahiawordor emphasised that empowering women strengthens households and communities through improved incomes, support for children’s education and job creation.

She also stressed that accessibility, dignity and inclusion will remain central to EMPOWED, adding that persons with disabilities deserve equal opportunities to build independent futures.

She urged beneficiaries to approach the programmes with commitment and discipline, while calling on traditional authorities, local government leaders, civil society organisations and implementing partners to support effective implementation.

She said the ultimate measure of GWYESCO’s success will be the skills developed, businesses established, jobs created and livelihoods improved across its seven beneficiary regions.

Dems’ Schumer on midterms: ‘Nauseously optimistic’

United States Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that he is “nauseously optimistic” about the Democratic Party’s chances at the 2026 midterm elections. The polls officially opened today, with times differing depending on the state.

Speaking to reporters after casting his vote in New York, Schumer mentioned that he anticipates the Democrats will take control of the Senate once again. If they were to get the majority in the House of Representatives as well, it will be “up to” US President Donald Trump to decide whether he wants to work with them or not.

“The American people want us to do things that make their lives better. Trump has refused to listen to them. He’s even, at time to time, sort of dissed those costs, those kinds of things that people are caring about of costs and things like that. Will he change? I don’t think I don’t know. But we’re going to fight Trump tooth and nail and focus on the issues no matter what he does,” the Senate minority leader remarked.

Over 250 Raid Amazones participants arrive for international adventure challenge in Kalutara

Over 250 international women have arrived in Sri Lanka for the globally recognised adventure challenge Raid Amazones 2026, which began yesterday in Kalutara.

The contingent included competitors event organisers, media representatives and medical personnel. The 2026 Raid Amazones will be conducted until 10 November bringing international attention to the country’s adventure tourism potential, natural landscapes and distinctive hospitality.

Founded in 2001 by French adventure event specialist Alexandre Debanne, Raid Amazones is an internationally recognised women-only adventure challenge that combines physical endurance, teamwork and outdoor exploration with cultural discovery. The event encourages women to step beyond their comfort zones, build connections and experience destinations through meaningful interactions with local communities.

Returning to Sri Lanka for its eighth edition, the event will take participants through the diverse landscapes of Kalutara, including its coastline, rivers, wetlands, tropical vegetation and rural communities. Beyond the adventure activities, participants will have opportunities to discover Sri Lankan traditions, cuisine and the warmth of local hospitality.

Connaissance de Ceylan, one of Sri Lanka’s leading destination management companies, is serving as the official ground handling partner for Raid Amazones Sri Lanka 2026. The company is coordinating local ground operations, transfers and logistical arrangements, working closely with the international organising team and relevant stakeholders to ensure a seamless experience for the visiting participants and delegation.

Connaissance de Ceylan Director – Marketing and Business Development Maxime Wickramasinghe said: ‘Welcoming an international community of this scale is a wonderful opportunity to showcase what Sri Lanka has to offer. As the official ground handling partner, Connaissance de Ceylan is working closely with the Raid Amazones team to ensure that participants enjoy a smooth and memorable experience from the moment they arrive in the country. Beyond the operational aspects, we want every participant to experience our hospitality, discover our diverse landscapes and take home a genuine appreciation of Sri Lanka.’

The event is being delivered through a collaborative partnership between Raid Amazones, SriLankan Airlines and Connaissance de Ceylan, with the support of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. Turyaa Kalutara serves as the official accommodation partner, hosting participants and the international delegation throughout the event.

Raid Amazones 2026 provides another valuable opportunity to showcase Sri Lanka as a destination where adventure, nature, culture and authentic experiences come together.

State revenue beats target for fiscal year

The government’s revenue collection for fiscal 2026, which ended in September, slightly exceeded the target by 0.9%, according to the Finance Ministry.

As of Sept 30, 2026, the final day of fiscal year 2026, the government recorded net revenue of 2.95 trillion baht after deducting tax refunds and value-added tax (VAT) allocations to local administrative organisations, up 4.3% from the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year and 0.9% above the government’s revenue target.

According to a document released by the Finance Ministry, the accelerated refunding of corporate income tax during the past fiscal year resulted in tax refunds exceeding the estimated amount, thereby reducing the government’s net revenue. However, speeding up tax refunds helped improve business operators’ liquidity.

The revenue categories that exceeded their targets included VAT collected from domestic consumption, VAT on imported goods and corporate income tax, as well as remittances from state-owned enterprises. The higher-than-target and year-on-year revenue collections were consistent with the economic growth trend, supported by expanding domestic consumption and higher prices for imported crude oil, as well as growth in the oil refining and power generation sectors.

A breakdown of government revenue by source, particularly collections by the three main tax agencies — the Revenue Department, the Excise Department and the Customs Department — showed that the Revenue Department collected a total of 2.52 trillion baht in fiscal 2026, up 8% from the previous fiscal year and 3.1% above its target.

The Excise Department collected 565 billion baht, an increase of 5.3% year-on-year, although the figure was 2.2% below its target. Meanwhile, the Customs Department collected 116 billion baht, down 2.5% from the previous fiscal year and 5% short of its target.

State-owned enterprises, which are required to remit revenue to the Finance Ministry, contributed a total of 203 billion baht in fiscal 2026, up 14.6% from the previous year and 11.3% above the target.

Other government agencies that generate revenue, such as the Treasury Department, remitted a combined total of 177 billion baht, down 20.1% from the previous year but 7.5% above the target.

In addition, the government issued tax refunds through the Revenue Department and the Customs Department totalling 478 billion baht. A further 157 billion baht in VAT revenue was allocated to local administrative organisations in accordance with the laws governing fiscal decentralisation.

For fiscal 2027, which began on Oct 1, the government has set its expenditure budget at 3.78 trillion baht and expects to collect 3 trillion baht in revenue.

The budget will therefore remain in deficit, with 788 billion baht in borrowing planned to finance the shortfall. However, the amount of borrowing required to cover the deficit is 8.4% lower than the budgeted amount for the previous fiscal year.

Book on Azerbaijan’s military strategy and victory in Karabakh presented in Baku

Azerbaijan’s victory in the 44-day Patriotic War was the outcome of long-term state-building, economic development, military reforms and strategic leadership, according to American military experts Liam Collins and John Spencer, authors of the book The War for Karabakh: Strategy, Technology, and Victory, presented in Baku on November 3.

The book presentation was jointly organized by the Center for Analysis of International Relations and the Baku Book Center. The publication represents an extensive foreign military study of Azerbaijan’s victory in the 2020 war, prepared over approximately two years by experts associated with the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Based on interviews with nearly 100 military and civilian experts, as well as field visits to all major battle areas, the research examines the military operations, strategic decisions and broader national capabilities that shaped the outcome of the conflict. Its central argument places Azerbaijan’s victory within the wider framework of national power, combining economic capacity, institutional development, military modernization, strategic communications and ideological preparedness.

A major theme of the book is the role of President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev in strategic wartime management. The authors examine his active communication with Azerbaijani society and international audiences, as well as his efforts to counter disinformation and maintain a consistent flow of information throughout the war. The study presents strategic leadership and effective communication as important components of national resilience and military success.

Collins highlighted the connection between Azerbaijan’s economic development and its growing military capabilities. He recalled that Armenia’s gross domestic product exceeded Azerbaijan’s in 1994, while Azerbaijan subsequently directed revenues from its energy resources towards economic development and strengthening its defence potential. These investments supported military modernization, improved training and the development of an army adapted to contemporary warfare.

The authors also challenge the widespread interpretation of the 2020 conflict as a victory achieved primarily through drones. The book emphasizes Azerbaijan’s mastery of modern combat systems, including concealed positions, dispersed forces, the manoeuvrability of small units, suppression of enemy firepower and coordination between different military branches.

Spencer drew particular attention to Azerbaijan’s large-scale deception operations. He explained that Azerbaijani forces maintained pressure across several directions while employing alternative operational plans when encountering defensive obstacles. Such manoeuvres influenced the deployment of opposing forces and created favourable conditions for advances along other fronts.

Collins also examined the battles for Hadrut and Shusha, highlighting the importance of ground operations, urban combat preparation and tactical decision-making. His analysis of the Hadrut counterattacks focused on the deployment of Armenian units along exposed mountain roads and their vulnerability to Azerbaijani artillery positions.

The study ultimately places the 44-day war within a broader military and strategic context, demonstrating how economic resources, institutional preparation, human capabilities, technological innovation and coordinated leadership combined to shape Azerbaijan’s victory.