Author: user user

Board of Peace set to present $2.5B Gaza plan

The United States-led Board of Peace will unveil a recovery plan for the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Axios reported after obtaining a copy of the document.

The plan allegedly includes 66 infrastructure and security projects worth a total of $2.5 billion, although only part of the funds has been secured so far.

According to the report, the infrastructure projects include the removal of rubble, road and hospital repairs, temporary housing, as well as small business grants and a Gaza investment fund.

Security projects are set to include a site to house the peacekeeping International Stabilization Force, a Hamas weapon buyback program and support for the Palestinian police. However, the report stressed that the plan will depend on Hamas and Israel’s political will.

The Board of Peace, launched by U.S. President Donald Trump, has 26 founding member countries, chaired by the United States.

The founding member countries and their respective leaders include Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Egypt, El Salvador, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Trkiye, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. For the complete list of specific leaders corresponding to each nation, please refer to the referenced document.

FOOTBALL-JAMAICA-Teen sensation Jahmarie Nolan earns first senior Reggae Boyz call-up

In a move that signals a bright future for Jamaican football, Toronto FC forward Jahmarie Nolan has earned his first call-up to the senior Reggae Boyz squad for his explosive club form.

The 16-year-old sensation has been named in Jamaica’s roster for the upcoming 2026 Concacaf Nations League fixtures, marking a meteoric rise for the former Mount Pleasant Football Academy star.

Nolan has been in scintillating form since moving to Canada, adapting seamlessly to the professional environment at Toronto FC.

His performances in the MLS NEXT Pro competition have forced selectors to take notice, with the teenager registering an impressive 10 goals and three assists in 22 appearances.

While his club form has been noteworthy, his exploits on the international youth stage have been nothing short of prolific.

Nolan has been a talisman for the nation’s youth setups, scoring nine goals in just nine appearances for the U-20 side.

Most notably, he played a pivotal role in Jamaica’s successful qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup, finding the back of the net seven times in six games to help book the nation’s ticket to the global showpiece scheduled for November.

The highly rated teenager now faces the ultimate test of his rapid development, joining the senior squad to train and compete alongside Jamaica’s established internationals.

Coach Rudolph Speid and his technical staff will be eager to integrate Nolan into the setup, viewing the Nations League fixtures as the perfect environment for the young striker to acclimatise to the pace and physicality of senior international football.

Nolan’s inclusion is an added boost for the Reggae Boyz, who had star winger Leon Bailey pulling out of the original squad due to injury.

Norwich City winger Andre Brooks has also withdrawn from the squad due to injury.

Pashinyan and Erdogan begin meeting in New York

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have begun a meeting in New York.

The meeting is taking place on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The talks bring the Armenian and Turkish leaders together as Yerevan and Ankara continue efforts to advance the normalisation of their bilateral relations.

Further details about the agenda of the meeting have not yet been disclosed.

Iran praises Azerbaijan’s efforts to protect Caspian Sea environment

Iran highly praised Azerbaijan’s efforts to protect the Caspian Sea environment during its chairmanship of the relevant convention.

According to Iran’s Department of Environment, the organization’s deputy head, Ahmadreza Lahijan-Zadeh, made the remarks on Wednesday at the seventh meeting of the convention in Tehran.

He noted that the sixth meeting on the protection of the Caspian Sea environment was held in Baku five years ago, adding that significant efforts had been made over the past five years to advance the convention’s objectives.

Lahijan-Zadeh also highlighted the importance of cooperation among Caspian littoral states under the Ramsar Convention in protecting wetlands and migratory birds around the Caspian Sea.

He stressed that developing cooperation and sharing experience in wetland and migratory bird protection could help strengthen regional cooperation and promote coordinated protection of the Caspian Sea ecosystem.

“Caspian countries can take important steps toward environmental protection and the conservation of natural resources by sharing their expertise and experience,” the official added.

PHL opens gov’t procurement market under landmark EU trade deal

The Philippines has agreed to open its government procurement market to foreign bidders for the first time under a landmark free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union that will also eliminate tariffs on more than 94 percent of tariff lines covering over 97 percent of bilateral trade.

The key provisions were disclosed by the European Commission after Manila and Brussels announced the substantial conclusion of negotiations on the long-awaited trade pact, which is expected to deepen economic ties beyond current levels of pound 17.6 billion (?1.26 trillion) in goods trade in 2025 and pound 10.3 billion (?736.9 billion) in services trade in 2024.

‘Our FTA does not just remove barriers to trade and investment – it builds a modern, forward-looking partnership between the EU and the Philippines, one that will open new opportunities for our exporters and investors, strengthen our supply chains and deepen bilateral economic ties for years to come. All at a time when diversification and resilience matter more than ever,’ Maroš Šefcovic, EC Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, said.

Among the most significant features of the agreement is a government procurement chapter that will establish clear rules for public contracts and give European firms access to the Philippine procurement market.

The move could create opportunities for EU companies supplying goods, services and technology for infrastructure, transport, energy, healthcare and digitalization projects funded by the government.

Government procurement refers to the purchase by state agencies of infrastructure, equipment, supplies and services.

In the Philippines, public contracts range from roads, bridges, railways, ports and airports to medical equipment, information technology systems, consulting services and energy projects.

The European Commission did not disclose which agencies, projects or contract thresholds will be covered by the FTA. However, the deal is expected to provide European suppliers greater access to government-funded projects under transparent and predictable bidding rules.

The agreement’s economic gains will also be driven by broad tariff liberalization and improved market access.

According to the Commission, more than 94 percent of tariff lines will be liberalized, covering over 97 percent of bilateral trade.

The Philippines’ market of 113 million people is expected to become more accessible to European exporters, while Filipino businesses will gain wider access to the EU’s nearly 450 million consumers.

European exports to the Philippines are currently dominated by machinery and appliances, transport equipment, medicines and medical devices. Major EU agricultural exports include pork, poultry, dairy products and spirits.

In 2025, the EU was the Philippines’ fourth largest trading partner, accounting for 8.3% of the country’s total trade in goods. Foreign direct investment from EU to the Philippines amounted to pound 15.4 billion (?1.10 trillion) . Philippine direct investments in EU, on the other hand, totaled pound 2.4 billion (?171.7 billion)

The FTA also provides stronger protection for intellectual property rights, including a commercially significant list of European geographical indications, which protect products associated with specific regions or production traditions.

Another major feature is a dedicated digital trade chapter that seeks to facilitate online commerce while ensuring data privacy and consumer protection.

Negotiators earlier reported substantial completion of the chapter, along with provisions covering intellectual property and final provisions.

To reduce compliance costs for businesses, the agreement will establish transparent rules on sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade while maintaining high regulatory standards on food safety and product quality.

The pact also embeds sustainability commitments at the core of the trading relationship.

The Commission said respect for human rights and the Paris climate agreement will be treated as essential elements of the treaty, supported by an ambitious chapter on trade and sustainable development.

In addition, both sides agreed on provisions covering energy and raw materials designed to encourage sustainable investment and create a level playing field, particularly for renewable energy projects.

‘This major advancement with the Philippines is another mutually beneficial partnership that will strengthen our resilience and trade diversification. It is good news for European farmers. We have reached an agreement on tariff preferences on key EU export interests such as pigmeat, and secured protection for almost 200 of our Geographical Indicators. This shows our partners value our high quality and food safety standards,’ Christophe Hansen, EC Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, said.

The agreement still needs to undergo legal scrubbing, signing and ratification by the Philippine Congress and the European Parliament before it can enter into force.

CARIBBEAN-HEALTH-Guyana and Burundi join initiative to advance cooperation in pandemic prevention

Guyana and Burundi have joined the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to advance country-led cooperation and financing for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

The PAHO and Africa CDC, together with other countries in the Americas, have since called for sustained investment in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPPR), alongside stronger cooperation between the two regions to protect lives, economies and societies from future pandemics and public health emergencies. The call came at ‘Two Regions, One Future: Financing Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Build Global Health Security,’ a high-level side event during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), organiised by the Guyana and the Republic of Burundi governments in collaboration with PAHO and Africa CDC with support from the United Nations Foundation.

The event brought together leaders and partners from Africa and the Americas to examine how country-led priorities, stronger regional capacities and sustained financing can reinforce preparedness and build more resilient health systems.

The meeting took place ahead of the Second United Nations High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, scheduled for September 25, where world leaders will review progress since the first meeting in 2023, and discuss how to sustain political commitment and financing for pandemic preparedness in an increasingly constrained global funding environment.

‘The pandemic showed what happens when countries depend too heavily on distant sources for essential medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and protective equipment,’ said Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali.

‘Science should know north or south but access to its fruits must never depend on geography. We must build a world in which the global south has the scientific capacity, not simply to receive life-saving innovation but help create it,’ he added.

PAHO’s Director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa said that preparedness is not a cost to be paid during an emergency.

‘It is an investment we make before one strikes – an investment in public health, certainly, but equally in our economic resilience, our social stability and our collective security. We already have the diagnostic tools, the risk assessments, and the action plans.

‘The real challenged is sustained financing. We must translate priorities into predictable, long-term investments – nationally, regionally, and globally – and maintain those investments during the quiet periods between crises,’ Dr. Barbosa added.’

Discussions drew on lessons from COVID-19 and recent infectious disease outbreaks, highlighting priorities including disease surveillance and epidemic intelligence, laboratory and genomic surveillance, early warning and rapid response, emergency coordination, and other core preparedness capacities.

Sustained investment in these areas can help countries prevent, detect and contain pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential while protecting essential health services and limiting wider social and economic disruption.

The Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya, said that the next pandemic will not wait for the world to mobilize after a crisis begins.

‘We must invest before emergencies strike, with countries setting the priorities and strong regional institutions able to act quickly. Africa and the Americas carry immense experience, scientific expertise and response capacity.

‘By connecting these strengths, sharing knowledge and building predictable financing around country priorities, we can strengthen health security across both regions and contribute to a safer world,’ said Dr. Kaseya.

During the meeting, participants emphasised the importance of keeping countries at the centre of pandemic preparedness, with governments defining priorities and directing investments according to their national risks, needs and capacities.

Regional organizations such as PAHO and Africa CDC can reinforce these nationally led efforts through technical cooperation, cross-border coordination, knowledge exchange and regional public goods.

‘The current Ebola epidemic in the DRC reminds us forcefully in the urgency of investing in preparation and pandemic response,’ added Ambassador Zephyrine Manirataganda, Permanent Representative of Burundi to the United Nations.

‘Our nation, and the nations of south America and the Caribbean face similar structural threats and we welcome south-south cooperation between our regions in terms of health preparation.’

The meeting also called for a shift from crisis-driven funding towards sustained and strategic investment in preparedness. Such investment protects health, strengthens economic resilience and national security, and supports sustainable development.

The discussion advanced a shared agenda for stronger Africa-Americas cooperation, connecting national priorities with regional capacities and more coordinated domestic, regional and global financing for health security and preparedness.

‘No country can build alone: The regional infrastructure that makes national preparedness coherent; surveillance networks that cross borders; laboratory systems that share capacity; emergency workers that can move where they are needed – these are collective goods, and they require collective investment,’ concluded Dr. Anne-Claire Amprou, French Ambassador for Global Health and moderator of the event.

Average digital loan jumps to Sh16,341 as more Kenyans borrow for food, fees

Kenyans borrowed an average of Sh16,341 from digital lenders under the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) in December 2025 as they increasingly tap mini loans for survival needs like food and school fees.

CBK data shows the average loan size grew by Sh2,424, up 17.4 percent from Sh13,917 a year earlier amid a jump in digital loans.

Total borrowing from digital lenders nearly doubled to Sh110.1 billion by December 2025, up 99.6 percent from Sh55.2 billion the previous year, according to CBK disclosures.

This surge followed an increase in the licensing of digital credit providers (DCPs), which jumped from 85 to 195 last year, despite a majority of the firms remaining unlicensed.

A survey by Tala, one of the top digital lenders, showed that the majority of digital borrowers were tapping loans for business and basic needs.

It found that 45 percent of borrowers used loans to stock businesses, 37 percent for school fees, and 23 percent to cover daily needs.

‘Lending by DCPs continued to grow rapidly in 2025, driven by an increase in the number of licensed providers. Gross outstanding loans nearly doubled, rising by 99.6 percent, from Sh55.2 billion in December 2024 to Sh110.1 billion in December 2025. Over the same period, the number of licensed DCPs grew from 85 to 195,’ said the CBK.

Digital lenders have gained traction for their fast, easy access to credit.

By skipping credit bureau checks, they open the door for borrowers blacklisted by banks, saccos, or microfinance institutions to secure loans.

Instead of demanding collateral, DCPs use mobile money transaction history to set loan limits and reward prompt repayment with higher borrowing bands.

The appeal also lies in instant disbursement, with funds sent straight to borrowers’ mobile money accounts.

‘With the continued shift in customer preferences toward more convenient, technology-driven delivery channels, coupled with the rise in the number of licensed DCPs, the banking sector has experienced significant growth in digital lending between 2023 and 2025,’ CBK reported.

By December 2025, digital lenders’ loan books had outpaced microfinance banks, whose customer advances totalled just Sh29.29 billion.

The surge in loan accounts, outstanding credit, and licensed providers underscores just how rapidly digital credit is reshaping Kenya’s lending landscape.

For both consumers and businesses, digital lenders now serve as a key source of short-term credit, accessible directly through mobile phones and digital platforms.

Ekiti guber: Court rejects request to relocate tribunal sitting

The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, has declined a request by counsel to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) seeking the relocation of the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal from Ado-Ekiti to another venue over alleged security concerns.

The development stalled the expected commencement of proceedings on Wednesday, as SDP counsel, Ebenezer Akinbuli, was absent from the tribunal.

Akinbuli had, in a letter to the tribunal, sought another adjournment pending the determination of the request to relocate the sitting.

However, Chairman of the three-member tribunal, Justice Abubakar Kutigi, informed the parties that the President of the Court of Appeal had declined to order the transfer of the tribunal sitting, stressing that the panel was properly constituted to continue hearing the petitions in the state.

Counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kabir Akingbolu, and counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Bunmi Ipinlaiye, said they were not aware of the purported decision of the Court of Appeal, which was said to have been served through the tribunal’s secretary.

To avoid uncertainty over the development, Justice Kutigi adjourned proceedings until Thursday, September 24, for continuation of the hearing.

Speaking with journalists after the proceedings, Akingbolu said the request for relocation was made by the SDP in respect of its petition and did not concern the Action Alliance (AA) petition.

He said the latest adjournment was also at the instance of the petitioners, who, according to him, had written letters seeking the postponement of proceedings in both petitions.

Akingbolu further described the petition challenging the victory of Governor Biodun Oyebanji in the June 20 governorship election as unusual, citing the wide margin of victory recorded by the governor across the state.

He said Oyebanji won all 16 local government areas and most of the 177 wards, while questioning the basis of the petitions filed against the election.

He also alleged that repeated requests for adjournment and other applications were delaying the hearing of the substantive issues before the tribunal, urging the petitioners to allow the proceedings to take their course.

According to him, ‘There is confusion, so we need to clarify it. The SDP filed a petition and the AA filed a petition. On the last adjourned day, September 16, a petition was written by counsel to the party, SDP, saying that there was no security and that the venue of the tribunal should be moved to Abuja or elsewhere.

‘As it is today, they are secure. They are the ones that sought the adjournment. The court has now adjourned the matter to tomorrow for continuation at the instance of the petitioners because they wrote the petition and a letter of adjournment to that effect on both election petitions.’

President Ilham Aliyev signs order pardoning sentenced persons

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed an Order ‘On the pardon of a number of sentenced persons.’

Guided by the principles of humanism, the decision was made following consideration of pardon applications addressed to the President by a number of sentenced individuals, their family members, and the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Order took into account the personality, health status, and family situation of the convicts, as well as the nature and degree of public danger of the offenses committed, the length of the sentences already served, and their conduct while serving their sentences.

Under the terms of the Order, 19 individuals sentenced to imprisonment and one individual sentenced to restriction of freedom have been released from the unserved portions of their sentences.

Defense, prosecution to present oral arguments on voting threshold

Exactly a week after the Senate impeachment court sought guidance from retired chief justices, the prosecution and defense teams on Wednesday will be presenting their arguments on the voting threshold required to convict Vice President Sara Duterte.

The oral arguments of the parties come after the Senate impeachment court reconsiders the baseline of the two-thirds vote requirement for the conviction or acquittal of Duterte amid three absent Senators facing legal battles.

Presenting the oral argument for the House prosecution panel is Rep. Leila de Lima who is among the endorsers of one of the impeachment complaints against Duterte when it was taken up at the House of Representatives earlier in the year.

Meanwhile, the defense has yet to disclose who among its counsels will be presenting their case on the issue.

Defense deputy spokesperson and counsel Atty. Justin Gular said it is a part of their strategy to keep silent on which lawyer they are fielding.

The parties will be given 15 minutes each to discuss their oral arguments, before Senator-judges are given the opportunity to ask clarificatory questions to both camps.

Afterwards, the court is expected to divide the floor and vote on the threshold.

The court only needs a simple majority to overturn the 16 vote requirement to convict Duterte.