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Inflation in Cyprus at 5.4% in October, according to Eurostat

Annual inflation in Cyprus is estimated to have stood at 5.4% in October 2026, up from 5.2% in September, according to the flash estimate published by Eurostat on Wednesday. On a monthly basis, the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices in Cyprus increased by 0.2% in October.

Eurostat data show that annual inflation in Cyprus stood at 3.5% in May, 4.1% in June, 4.4% in July and 5.2% in both August and September, before rising to an estimated 5.4% in October. At the same time, annual inflation in Cyprus stood at 0.2% in October 2025.

In the euro area, annual inflation is estimated to have increased to 4% in October 2026, from 3.8% in September, according to Eurostat’s flash estimate.

2027: I’ll End Insecurity, Restore Hope, Says Atiku

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has pledged to end insecurity, restore hope to Nigerians and make the country affordable again if elected president in the 2027 general election.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the pledge on Wednesday upon his arrival in Sokoto State for the formal launch of his party’s presidential campaign.

In a post on his X handle, the former vice-president expressed gratitude to supporters who welcomed him to the state, describing Sokoto as a historic centre of faith, scholarship and leadership.

He said Nigerians were tired of hunger, insecurity and broken promises, adding that his campaign offered an opportunity for a change in leadership.

‘Nigerians are tired of hunger, fear, and broken promises. Today, they have a choice, a plan, and a leader ready to deliver,’ he wrote.

Atiku added, ‘I will end the insecurity that haunts our communities, restore hope to our young people, and make Nigeria affordable again.’

He described the Sokoto campaign launch as the beginning of a journey to rescue Nigeria, expressing confidence that the ADC would win the 2027 presidential election.

‘The journey to rescue Nigeria begins here. Together, we will win,’ he said.

Ahead of his arrival, large crowds were observed gathering in Sokoto to welcome the former vice-president.

Atiku’s arrival came a day after he alleged that the Department of State Services (DSS) was making moves to disrupt the ADC campaign in the state.

The DSS subsequently responded to the allegation, saying it was investigating the matter.

Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot parties committed to creating conditions for 5+1 conference

The Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties that participate in the meetings in Ledra Palace, have reaffirmed their commitment to creating the necessary conditions for the convening of a 5+1 international conference on Cyprus.

According to their joint communique, the leaders and representatives of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties participating in the bicommunal dialogue under the auspices of the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Nicosia met for their regular meeting today at the Ledra Palace Hotel.

They expressed their views on the topic proposed by the hosting United Cyprus Party (BKP), ‘Considering that the Cyprus Problem is an international issue, how can we move towards convening a 5+1 international conference?’

“Considering that the Cyprus problem is an international issue requiring the engagement of all relevant actors, the political parties reaffirm their commitment to creating the necessary conditions for the convening of a 5+1 international conference” they stress.

Moreover, they note that they “stand ready to support constructive preparations and confidence building efforts aimed at facilitating meaningful and result-oriented negotiations with a view to achieving a comprehensive, lasting and mutually acceptable settlement”.

The next meeting of the leaders and representatives of the political parties will be hosted by the Republican Turkish Party (TRC) in January 2027.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.

Economic reforms worsened poverty, favoured the rich – Peterside

Founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Atedo Peterside, has insisted that President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms have benefited wealthy Nigerians while worsening the financial conditions of low-income households.

He spoke while appearing on Arise News TV.

According to him, the administration’s fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms have produced contrasting outcomes for different income groups.

Peterside stated that while wealthy Nigerians with investments in financial markets have recorded improved returns, ordinary workers continue to struggle with rising living costs and declining purchasing power.

‘The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer,’ Peterside said.

The economist said that the success of the government’s economic reforms should be assessed not only through macroeconomic indicators but also through their impact on household welfare.

Peterside explained that Nigerians with substantial investments in the stock market are more likely to have benefited from the reforms than workers who depend primarily on salaries.

‘If you ask a rich man, he’ll tell you it’s working because he is getting richer. In fact, if you ask a very rich man, he’ll tell you the reforms are fantastic,’ he said.

He said his own investment income had increased but maintained that improvements in the financial circumstances of wealthy Nigerians did not necessarily reflect the broader economic reality.

‘My concern is for the 140, 130 million Nigerians who are poor, who are getting poorer effectively,’ Peterside said.

He attributed the widening economic disparity partly to the government’s failure to introduce adequate social protection measures alongside its reforms.

He said approximately 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory recorded poverty rates below 50%, with many of those states concentrated in the Southwest.

He identified the Northwest, Northeast, North Central and South-South as regions experiencing particularly high poverty levels.

Peterside argued that policymakers who spend most of their time in relatively prosperous cities such as Lagos and Abuja may underestimate the severity of hardship in other parts of the country.

He maintained that the effectiveness of economic reforms ultimately depends on whether they improve living standards across income groups and regions.

Fire guts shanties at Lagos market after gas explosion

A fire outbreak has razed several shanties at Akanimodo Market, Mile 12, Lagos, following a gas explosion in one of the structures.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said the explosion ignited combustible materials within the affected shanty, causing the fire to spread to adjoining structures.

The agency’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, confirming that no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded.

He said the affected structures were largely occupied by plastic recycliplastic recycling operators and served as residences.

According to him, most of the structures were wooden planks and other combustible materials, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

Oke-Osanyintolu helped firefighters by quickly working to contain the fire before the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived.

He added that firefighters initially struggled to access the scene because of congestion and limited access, but later joined the operation and successfully extinguished the fire.

The LASEMA boss said the agency’s response team coordinated the emergency operation, supervised the firefighting and dampening-down exercises, and worked with security personnel to control crowds and restrict unauthorised access to the affected area.

He said the agency conducted a final safety assessment of the affected shanties and surrounding structures to identify residual heat and other hazards that could cause another outbreak.

The agency also sensitised occupants on the proper handling and storage of cooking gas cylinders and other cooking materials.

In a related development, LASEMA said it cleared two broken-down trucks at Idimu (inward Egbeda) and Odo-Ayandelu (inward Shagamu Road), Agbowa.

It said a truck with an unknown registration number broke down at Idimu at about 12:32am due to a steering fault, blocking both inward and outward movement along Egbeda.

The agency said its response team, working with the police, fixed the fault and moved the truck off the carriageway, allowing normal traffic to resume.

At Agbowa, another truck carrying bags of cement, registration number OED-138XB, broke down after a flat tyre.

According to the statement, the agency’s response team, working with the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, replaced the damaged tyre, allowing the truck to continue its journey.

No casualties were recorded in either incident.

LASEMA urged traders and residents to observe fire safety regulations, ensure proper handling and storage of cooking gas cylinders and avoid unsafe cooking practices in congested structures.

Axxela receives ‘great place to work’ recertification

Axxela Limited, a leading gas and power portfolio company in Sub-Saharan Africa, has been recertified as a Great Place to Work by the globally recognised Great Place to Work Institute.

The recertification reaffirms Axxela’s commitment to building a positive, inclusive and supportive workplace culture where employees can thrive.

The recognition follows an assessment of employees’ workplace experience, which recorded strong levels of trust, belonging, safety, and professional development across the organisation. It also reinforces the company’s belief that its people remain integral to delivering sustainable value and advancing its commitment to providing innovative energy solutions across West Africa.

According to the survey, 94 per cent of employees feel physically safe at work; 92 per cent said the company celebrates special events, 91 per cent felt welcomed from their first day, 91 per cent feel good about Axxela’s contribution to the community, while 90 per cent affirmed that they are offered training and development opportunities to support their professional growth.

Commenting on the recognition, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Axxela Limited, Moshood Olajide, noted that the recertification reflects the company’s continued commitment to creating a workplace where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to grow.

He stated that the employee feedback reinforces Axxela’s belief that a strong organisational culture is critical to sustaining performance, innovation and long-term growth.

‘We are proud to be recertified by the Great Place to Work Institute, as it reflects the voices and continued trust of our people. For us, creating a great workplace goes beyond policies and benefits; it means fostering an environment where our people feel safe, welcomed, supported, and empowered to grow professionally. This recognition affirms the progress we are making while reinforcing our responsibility to continually enhance the employee experience,’ he said.

The Great Place to Work recognition strengthens Axxela’s position as an employer of choice and supports its efforts to attract, develop, and retain talented professionals passionate about the future of energy in Africa.

Azerbaijan, Belarus sign agreement on emergency response cooperation [PHOTOS]

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Emergency Situations, Colonel-General Kamaladdin Heydarov, met with a Belarusian delegation led by the Minister of Emergency Situations, Major-General of the Internal Service Vadim Sinyavski, who is visiting Azerbaijan to attend the 21st Men’s and 12th Women’s World Fire and Rescue Sports Championships in Baku.

According to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations, Heydarov thanked the guests for taking part in the world championships and highlighted the importance of hosting such a prestigious international sporting event in Azerbaijan. He epressed confidence that the competition would strengthen professional ties among rescuers from member countries of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers and promote the development of fire and rescue sports.

Noting the consistently epanding high-level relations between Azerbaijan and Belarus, Heydarov said that the emergency management agencies of the two countries had established a long-standing and effective cooperation framework. He emphasized the importance of regular contacts and echanges of eperience in preventing emergencies and dealing with their consequences.

The Azerbaijani minister epressed confidence that Sinyavski’s visit and the signing of a regulation on cooperation and information echange between the two countries’ emergency ministries would contribute significantly to epanding the echange of operational information and epertise in emergency response.

For his part, Sinyavski praised the high standard of organization of the World Fire and Rescue Sports Championships in Baku.

He also highlighted the mutual benefits of cooperation between the relevant emergency management agencies of Azerbaijan and Belarus amid the rapid development of bilateral ties. The minister pointed out that visits at various levels, meetings and signed agreements had made a significant contribution to strengthening relations. Sinyavski epressed confidence that the talks held during the current visit and the newly signed document would pave the way for further epanding cooperation between the two ministries.

The meeting also featured an etensive echange of views on issues of mutual interest.

Following the talks, the two ministers signed a regulation on cooperation and information echange between the Crisis Management Center of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Republican Center for Emergency Management and Response of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus.

Later, Sinyavski presented Heydarov with the “For Promoting Life Safety” badge in recognition of his significant contribution to improving the protection of the population and territories against natural and man-made emergencies, as well as strengthening cooperation with Belarus’s Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Minister Justine Nameere orders arrest of Masaka town clerk over disputed Shs14b headquarters contract

Police in Masaka City have detained the Town Clerk, Mr Uthman Ssebaduka, for allegedly defying lawful directives issued by the Ministry of Local Government regarding the construction of the new Shs14 billion city headquarters.

Mr Ssebaduka, who was recently posted to Masaka City, was picked up by police officers on Tuesday afternoon following an impromptu inspection of the construction site at Kitabiro-Kizungu by the State Minister for Local Government, Ms Justine Nameere, who also double-serves as the Masaka City Woman Member of Parliament.

The arrest stemmed from accusations that the Town Clerk ignored an earlier administrative order issued by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Mr Ben Kumumanya, directing local authorities to immediately halt all ongoing works on the site.

Trouble started when Minister Nameere visited the construction site and found ongoing civil works despite the ministry’s freeze. After interrogating workers on-site without receiving satisfactory explanations, she summoned Mr Ssebaduka to clarify the matter.

However, Mr Ssebaduka reportedly told the minister that he was unaware of any executive order or official documentation halting the project, a defense that prompted the minister to direct police officers present to take him into custody.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the arrest, Ms Nameere revealed that preliminary investigations by the ministry confirmed whistleblower reports indicating that the contracted firm, Hanan Construction Company Limited, lacked the technical and financial capacity to execute the project.

‘As a ministry, we have been questioning what is happening here. We conducted investigations that corroborated whistleblower reports revealing that the contractor on site does not have the capacity to do the work, but they went ahead and awarded him the contract for reasons best known to them,’ Ms Nameere said. ‘We cannot just sit back and watch; this is taxpayers’ money and we have to follow up to the logical conclusion.’

The minister further warned public officials against administrative insubordination and disregard of policy directives issued by the line ministry.

‘The ministry will continue hunting down all civil servants who conduct public business in an improper manner. We are issuing a stern warning to all local leaders who choose not to follow guidance from the line ministry,’ she added.

Ms Nameere disclosed that the ministry is currently preparing a Cabinet paper to policy-shift future local government infrastructure developments to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Engineering Brigade.

‘We expect this initiative will help local governments eliminate the persistent procurement corruption, stalled works, and capacity challenges associated with private contractors,’ Ms Nameere noted.

By Wednesday morning, Mr Ssebaduka remained in custody at Masaka Central Police Station as detectives continued with investigations.

The controversy surrounds a flagship Shs14 billion project passed by the Masaka City Council to construct a modern administrative center, following decades of operating without a dedicated municipal council hall.

Masaka last owned a functional council hall in the late 1970s before the original structure was destroyed during the 1979 liberation war that ousted former President Idi Amin. In 2011, the former municipal council allocated the half-acre piece of land housing the ruined town hall to the now-defunct Crane Bank to build a branch, subsequently resolving to sell off the Mayor’s Gardens to fund a new facility.

Since then, municipal and city administration operations have been scattered across temporary government buildings along Edward Avenue and Elgin Street. Masaka was formally elevated to city status on July 1, 2020, alongside nine other regional urban centers including Arua, Hoima, Mbale, Gulu, Jinja, Fort Portal, Soroti, and Mbarara.

Barau’s agriculture revolution Bill scales second reading in Senate

A bill sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, to provide a comprehensive legal framework for transforming and modernising Nigeria’s agricultural sector, on Wednesday scaled second reading in the Senate.

The Senate considered the bill in plenary, presided over by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio.

Leading the debate on the bill, titled A Bill for an Act to Provide a Comprehensive Legal Framework for the Transformation and Modernisation of Agriculture in Nigeria, Promote Food Security, Agricultural Productivity, Mechanisation, Irrigation, Agricultural Financing, Agro-industrialisation, Rural Development and Climate-Resilient Farming, Senator Barau said its objective was to review the agricultural sector, introduce necessary reforms and set the country on the path to an agricultural revolution.

Recalling the glorious days of Nigeria’s agricultural sector, he attributed its decline to the collapse of agricultural production systems that once supplied the country’s industries with essential raw materials.

Describing the present administration as reform-oriented, Senator Barau said the bill intends to complement the government’s efforts to stimulate various sectors of the economy for the benefit of all.

He stressed, however, that the responsibility for driving national development should not be left to the President alone, noting that all stakeholders, including the legislature, have a role to play in complementing the administration’s efforts.

‘This is a reforming government. The government is making changes and introducing reforms across different sectors. I acknowledge that the President is doing well in pursuing reforms in various aspects of our national life.

‘However, we cannot leave everything to the President alone. Government is a collaborative undertaking, and we all have a responsibility to complement what the President is doing.

‘That is why I have introduced this bill. A lot of thought and effort have gone into its preparation. The objective is to examine the agricultural sector, introduce the necessary changes and bring about a revolution in the sector.

‘What does that mean? It means bringing about a fundamental, far-reaching transformation in how we approach agriculture. We need to change the existing trajectory. As we proceed with consideration of this bill, I expect it to provoke conversations and debate. People will bring forward their views and expertise,’ he said.

Seconding the bill, the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, said its passage would provide the necessary legal framework to revolutionise the agricultural sector and diversify the nation’s economy.

Three other senators who contributed to the debate: Senator Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa North-West), Senator Anthony Okorie Ani (Ebonyi South), a professor of Agricultural Extension, and Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire Ayodele (Ondo Central) also supported the bill.

They commended Senator Barau for the initiative, noting that the proposed legislation comprehensively addresses critical areas of the agricultural sector.

Following the debate, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, referred the bill to the Senate Committees on Agricultural Production Services and Rural Development, and Agricultural Colleges and Institutions, for further legislative scrutiny.

He gave the committees four weeks to report back to the Senate.

NDLEA repels gunmen attack on Kaduna-Zaria highway

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have reportedly repelled an attack by gunmen along the Kaduna-Zaria highway, forcing the assailants to flee.

The incident occurred around 3 am on Saturday, according to a senior NDLEA official who confirmed the attack to our correspondent.

The official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to journalists, said the gunmen had blocked the highway when one of their victims escaped and alerted NDLEA operatives stationed nearby.

‘Our men engaged them in a shootout and repelled the attack,’ he said.

He added that no one was abducted during the incident, as the operatives arrived in time to disperse the gunmen.

The NDLEA official said the incident occurred four days ago, although the footage circulated on social media on Monday.

The video obtained by Daily Trust showed several vehicles and articulated trucks abandoned along the highway following the encounter.

Some of the trucks were seen with their engines running, but without drivers or passengers inside.

The footage also showed NDLEA operatives patrolling the area and documenting the aftermath of the encounter.

Speaking in Hausa, one of the officers said the suspected robbers had fled upon the arrival of the NDLEA team.

Another officer was heard directing his colleagues to gather the abandoned belongings and load them into a truck for recovery.

When contacted, the Kaduna State NDLEA Public Relations Officer, Sani Garba, promised to provide details after making enquiries but had yet to respond as of the time of filing this report.

Similarly, Kaduna State Police Command Public Relations Officer DSP Mansir Hassan could not be reached on the phone.