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

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (B)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 10/09/2026 UNTIL 1200 11/09/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1009hPa (hectopascal)

Seasonal low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine, but overnight and in the morning locally increased low cloud coverage will be present at times, with risk of local mist and/or fog patches mainly over the southern and eastern coastal areas.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in mist and very poor in fog

Sea surface temperature: 29°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Afternoon West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight

Night Northwest to Northeast 3, locally at first West to Northwest 4 Smooth to Slight, locally at first Slight

Morning Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight

South Coast

Afternoon Southwest 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight

Night Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, later Variable 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Northwest to Northeast 3, gradually East to Southeast Smooth to Slight

East Coast

Afternoon Southwest 3 to 4 Slight

Night Southwest 3 to 4, gradually West to Northwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Variable 3, later Northeast to Southeast Smooth to Slight

North Coast

Afternoon West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 Slight

Night Southeast to Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight

An Indian Defence Minister after 38 years: Partnership without capture

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh landed in Colombo earlier this week for a three-day official visit, the first by an Indian Defence Minister in 38 years. The last such call was by K. C. Pant in 1988. That long silence itself tells a story.

For nearly four decades, defence business between the two neighbours was handled by service chiefs, training colleges and quiet staff talks. New Delhi has now chosen to put a political minister at the centre of the relationship, and to do so immediately after a dense sequence of Indian visits and against a harder contest in the Indian Ocean.

The visit will be read, in Delhi, Beijing and Washington, as a signal. Our task in Colombo is narrower and more serious: to convert the signal into national capability without converting the island into a platform.

Not an isolated visit

Singh’s program is the latest layer in an unusually concentrated Indian engagement since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake assumed office in September 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State Visit in April 2025 was the first by any foreign Head of Government after the new presidency. Seven documents were signed. Among them was the first comprehensive India-Sri Lanka Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding, a five-year umbrella covering joint exercises, training, port calls, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, information exchange and possible defence-industry cooperation. Either side may terminate it with three months’ notice. That exit clause is not a detail. It is the difference between a structured partnership and a treaty alliance.

What followed was a rhythm, not a one-off. The eighth Annual Defence Dialogue was held in Colombo in June 2025. The Indian Navy Chief called in September 2025. After Cyclone Ditwah, India arrived as a first responder and later announced a reconstruction package of some $ 450 million; External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar came as Special Envoy. In January 2026 the Indian Army Chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, handed over vehicles and training aids, opened a friendship corner at the Defence Services Command and Staff College, and laid a wreath at the IPKF memorial in Battaramulla. The Indian Vice-President visited in April. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was in Colombo on 5 August with rupee lines of credit for railways and other priorities. Later that month, Sri Lanka’s Navy Commander, Vice-Admiral Damian Fernando, made his first overseas visit in command, to New Delhi, and met the Chief of Defence Staff, the Defence Secretary and the Navy Chief.

Singh therefore arrives not as a stranger opening a file, but as the political seal on work already in motion. He is scheduled to call on the President, who holds the defence portfolio, the Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary. The itinerary also takes in the IPKF memorial, the Defence Ministry, the parliamentary precincts, Gangaramaya Temple, a likely reception on an Indian Navy ship, the National Defence College, and the Sita Amman Kovil in Nuwara Eliya. Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha has said relations have ‘never been better’ in decades. The visit calendar, at least, is not an invention.

What already stands on defence floor

It is important to be precise about what already exists, so that we do not mistake institutionalisation for a sudden tilt.

Training is the deepest bond. India is the largest foreign trainer of the Sri Lankan armed forces, offering on the order of a thousand to twelve hundred vacancies a year. One naval accounting records more than two thousand Sri Lankan naval personnel passing through Indian courses over nine years. Shared classrooms produce shared language, shared drills and personal networks that outlast any single Government. Reports ahead of this visit point to three new memoranda, one likely on air-defence guns, one on cadet-corps links, and one on cooperation between the Sri Lanka Defence College and Indian defence institutions. If signed, those instruments would push the relationship into the next generation of officers, not only today’s operators.

Exercises are now routine rather than ceremonial. The twelfth edition of SLINEX, the bilateral naval exercise, was held in Colombo from 14 to 18 August 2025, with a harbour phase of professional exchanges and a sea phase of gunnery, boarding, replenishment and communications. MITRA SHAKTI, the army exercise with air elements, held its eleventh edition in Belagavi last November. A fourth bilateral diving exercise was conducted in Colombo in April 2026. The two navies and coast guards continue International Maritime Boundary Line meetings. An Indian Navy Dornier was based here for maritime surveillance from August 2022 to August 2025. A Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre was commissioned with an Indian grant of about $ 6 million. INS Vikrant and INS Udaygiri took part in the International Fleet Review marking the Sri Lanka Navy’s 75th anniversary.

None of this is trivial. None of it, by itself, is alignment. Hardware, hours at sea and staff-college seats are instruments. What they become depends on command, data and political purpose.

National security questions that matter

Three questions should govern Colombo’s handling of the next 72 hours.

The first is maritime domain awareness. Sri Lanka’s core security geography is not a land frontier. It is the exclusive economic zone and the sea lanes that pass our shores. The live threats are narcotics, people-smuggling, illegal fishing, and the possible relocation of cyber-fraud compounds. Conventional naval war is not on this year’s operational list. Indian help with sensors, hydrography, diving, boarding drills and search-and-rescue is therefore rational. The test is who owns the picture. Shared awareness is useful. Exclusive dependence on one partner’s fusion centre is a vulnerability. Australia’s Disi Rela program against irregular maritime movement, Japanese passage exercises, and United States capacity support, cutters, aircraft, humanitarian exercises, already exist. They should remain in the mix. Maritime security should be a Sri Lankan-led coalition of convenience, not an Indian franchise.

The second is the air and coastal defence gap. Talk of Indian air-defence guns is not abstract after the 2026 conflict in West Asia reached our own waters, the sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Galle, and later Iranian hulls lingering near the exclusive economic zone. The Government’s public line was the correct one: no combat use of our territory, airspace or waters by any party; humanity first; sailors rescued. That posture only works if the State can see, and if necessary contest, its approaches. Accepting guns, radars or training is compatible with an independent foreign policy if command, basing and rules of engagement remain Sri Lankan. Integrating them into another country’s kill-chain would not be.

The third is internal security. Easter Sunday accountability, narcotics networks that run through ports and prisons, and communal peace are not separate from geopolitics. Partners price political risk. A State that cannot govern its harbours, its financial system and its extremist ecosystems will be offered ‘help’ that looks like tutelage. India’s interest in counter-terror coordination and drugs overlaps with genuine Sri Lankan needs. The discipline required is the same as in any sound intelligence relationship: cooperate on targets; do not outsource the service.

The wreath at the IPKF memorial will be watched, as it was when the Indian Army Chief stood there in January. The years 1987 to 1990 remain raw in our political memory. The only stable line is professional honour to the dead, not a political rehabilitation of an intervention that divided this country.

How the region will read Colombo

India’s motive is not mysterious. Sri Lanka sits on the approaches to India’s southern seaboard. Chinese commercial and dual-use presence at Hambantota and Colombo Port City, and continuing engagement with the People’s Liberation Army Navy, is the backdrop. Pakistani naval units calling at Colombo, including a Chinese-built Hangor-class submarine earlier this year, only sharpen New Delhi’s preference for a denser security habit with us. Neighbourhood First and MAHASAGAR, Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions, are the language. The operational aim is that extra-regional navies do not treat Sri Lankan harbours as a default logistics base against Indian interests.

Our motive should be equally clear, and different. Geography makes India the permanent neighbour. Crisis behaviour, liquidity and fuel in 2022, the cyclone in 2025, the energy and remittance shock of 2026, has already shifted public sentiment. That is a political fact. It does not require Colombo to adopt India’s threat picture of China, or to freeze other relationships.

A workable posture is polyalignment with a spine. India is the deepest security and connectivity partner, domain awareness, disaster response, training, Trincomalee energy cooperation, grid links and rupee credit, on the condition that ports, exclusive economic zone access and intelligence fusion remain under Sri Lankan law. China remains a major economic and infrastructure partner; new exclusive strategic footholds should not be created, and debt and operational control must stay visible. The United States, Japan, Australia and Europe matter for markets, green shipping, extra training pipelines and non-traditional maritime threats. Ordinary naval diplomacy with Pakistan and others is manners, not signalling.

The Government’s stated doctrine, an independent policy that does not favour any country, and territory that will not be used against a third party, is the right public frame. This week will test whether that frame can coexist with deeper, more structured Indian defence cooperation. It can, if the new memoranda are capability contracts with exit clauses, not political alignment documents.

Take help. Keep the choice

Colombo should treat the expected instruments as a capability audit.

On air defence, welcome sensors and guns that Sri Lanka can man, maintain and switch off. Reject any arrangement that requires foreign crews, foreign rules of engagement, or data that only flows one way. In cadet corps and staff colleges, take the training and keep a parallel pipeline with other professional schools so that the officer corps is not a single-source product. On the 2025 Defence Memorandum, measure implementation by Sri Lankan readiness, hours of maritime coverage, time-to-rescue, interdiction rates in the exclusive economic zone, disaster lift, not by the number of Indian ship-days in harbour.

Joint training should emphasise humanitarian assistance, counter-narcotics, hydrography, diving and lawful boarding. Those are the missions that serve the public and do not lock us into someone else’s contingency. Scenarios that only make sense in an India-China or India-Pakistan crisis should be declined politely and firmly.

Defence talks must also be bound to the prosperity agenda. Trincomalee as an energy and industrial node, electricity interconnection, port productivity and cyclone reconstruction are where security cooperation either pays the citizen or looks like militarisation. A Defence Minister’s visit that produces only wreaths and signed paper will be read in the region as alignment. A visit that also moves energy storage, disaster systems and maritime safety will be read as statecraft.

I write as a former Police officer who spent a working lifetime on intelligence, counter-terrorism and the unglamorous work of keeping a multi-religious island in one piece. Geography gave us a seat at the table of Indian Ocean commerce and security. Institutions, energy policy, port performance and social cohesion will decide whether that seat produces prosperity, or merely more invitations to other people’s contests.

Singh’s visit should be received with courtesy, used with discipline, and remembered for what it adds to Sri Lanka’s ability to stand on its own water. Take the neighbour’s hand. Keep the island’s choices. Make sure every exercise, every gun and every training slot leaves us more able to say no the next time a great power asks to use our sea, our air or our soil.

(This analysis is offered in the interest of national security, institutional reform, and public safety)

Stakeholders, FG Divided Over Framework To Revive Nigeria’s Textile Industry

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s cotton, textile and garment (CTG) sector have raised concerns over the implementation of measures to revive the industry, particularly the uncertainty around the institutional framework to coordinate its recovery.

The stakeholders, representing farmers, processors, manufacturers and other operators in the value chain, said the sector was facing declining cotton production, idle ginneries, struggling textile mills, financial distress and increasing dependence on imported fabrics.

At the centre of the disagreement is the decision of the National Economic Council (NEC), at its 149th meeting on April 24, 2025, to approve the establishment of a Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Board (CTGDB) as a national coordinating institution.

The proposed board was to be private-sector-driven and domiciled in the Presidency, with representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security, Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, and Industry, Trade and Investment, as well as governors representing the six geopolitical zones.

However, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) is pursuing a different institutional arrangement-a Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Council under its supervision.

In his analysis of the sector, development specialist, Eneojo Herbert Idakwo said the disagreement had moved beyond the question of reopening textile mills.

‘It is no longer simply about reopening textile mills. It has become a debate over governance, institutional leadership and the most effective model for rebuilding a value chain stretching from cotton farms in northern Nigeria to garment factories serving domestic and export markets.’

The stakeholders argued that the CTG value chain was too broad to be coordinated solely under one ministry because it cuts across agriculture, finance, manufacturing, trade, planning and state governments.

They said the uncertainty had come at a critical time, with Nigeria’s cotton production reportedly falling to less than 10,000 metric tonnes annually, compared with about 300,000 metric tonnes recorded during the industry’s peak.

Nigeria has about 26 ginneries, but many are reportedly operating far below capacity or have become idle because of an inadequate supply of cotton. The shortage of raw materials has also affected textile manufacturers, while garment producers increasingly rely on imported fabrics.

Idakwo argued that the sector’s problems could not be addressed by focusing on one segment of the value chain.

‘The CTG value chain extends beyond any single institution’s mandate,’ he wrote, stressing that cotton production, financing, manufacturing, trade, infrastructure and exports require coordinated action from several government institutions.

The stakeholders further expressed concern over the reported receivership of some textile companies and ginneries indebted to the Bank of Industry (BoI), arguing that aggressive financial enforcement could further weaken an already distressed industry.

Responding to questions on the issues, the ministry said it supported the establishment of a single national institution to coordinate the sector but maintained that the major disagreement was over its structure, legal basis, and supervisory arrangement.

The ministry explained that the proposal for a Development Council originated from the National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment in 2021 as part of an institutional reform agenda.

It acknowledged the NEC’s subsequent approval of the Development Board in 2025, but said the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation had initiated a harmonisation process to produce a unified framework.

On cotton production, the ministry denied that it had announced or administered a dedicated financing programme for the 2025 planting season.

It said the revival of domestic cotton production required coordinated interventions covering agriculture, financing, extension services, inputs and industrial demand, adding that it was collaborating with the Bank of Agriculture on a Cotton Input Supply Financing Framework.

The ministry also said the challenges facing textile companies were structural and had accumulated over decades, stressing that meaningful transformation could not be achieved within a short period.

It listed the National Cotton, Textile and Garment Industrial Transformation Programme, a value-chain activation pilot, a revised National Fibre, Textile and Apparel Policy, collaboration with ministries and agencies, development partners and initiatives on financing, infrastructure, standards, skills and investment promotion as part of efforts to rebuild the sector.

The ministry argued that its priority was to establish the policy and institutional foundations required for sustainable recovery, rather than focusing solely on immediate increases in cotton production.

However, Idakwo noted that policy development alone would not be enough to demonstrate that the sector was recovering.

‘Institutional reform provides the framework; production provides evidence it is working,’ he said, arguing that progress should ultimately be reflected in increased cotton production, functioning ginneries, textile mills returning to production and growth in garment manufacturing.

Nigeria once had about 180 textile mills and produced hundreds of thousands of tonnes of cotton annually, with the industry providing employment to hundreds of thousands of people directly and supporting millions across farming, transportation and trading communities.

The sector’s decline has been attributed to cheap imports, smuggling, unstable power supply, high production costs, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to affordable finance, foreign exchange challenges and declining domestic cotton production.

According to the stakeholders, the decline in cotton production has created a chain reaction across the industry.

They said inadequate cotton supply has reduced ginnery utilisation, while textile mills struggle to obtain yarn and fabric manufacturers increasingly turn to imports.

They argued that reviving cotton farming through improved seeds, access to inputs, financing, extension services and guaranteed markets would provide the foundation for rebuilding the downstream textile and garment industries.

On the issue of receivership, the stakeholders questioned whether financial enforcement alone could resolve the problems confronting textile companies whose difficulties were partly linked to the wider collapse of the value chain.

The ministry, however, maintained that the financial difficulties of many companies were part of structural problems accumulated over decades and that the government’s intervention was designed to address the sector on a medium- to long-term basis.

Idakwo observed that the issue required a balance between financial discipline and preservation of productive capacity.

He argued that factories that close permanently could be more expensive to rebuild because machinery deteriorates, skilled workers left and supply chains disappear.

10 Things Tooro will remember about King Oyo’s leadership

For nearly 31 years, Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukiidi IV stood at the centre of Tooro’s cultural and royal life, taking the throne as a child and growing into one of the longest-serving monarchs in the kingdom’s history.

The Omukama, who died on August 27, 2026, while out of the country, will be laid to rest on Saturday, September 12, at the Karambi Royal Tombs along the Fort Portal-Kasese Road.

Oyo was enthroned on September 12, 1995, following the death of his father, King Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III. He was only three years old at the time.

For the first 15 years of his reign, the young king ruled alongside regents who guided the affairs of the kingdom until he attained the age of 18 in 2010 and began taking a more direct role in its administration.

Now, as the Batooro prepare to lay him to rest, residents from across the kingdom’s nine counties say his three decades on the throne left a lasting mark on Tooro.

They describe a monarch who inherited a traditional institution at a very young age but gradually embraced modernisation, youth empowerment, tourism, sports, agriculture and technology while maintaining the kingdom’s cultural identity.

Here are 10 things Tooro will remember about King Oyo’s leadership.

His resilience in carrying the crown

For many Batooro, one of King Oyo’s greatest legacies was simply his resilience in carrying the crown for nearly three decades, making him one of the longest-serving kings.

Mr Anatoli Kobusinge, a resident of Kamwenge District in Kitagwenda County for the Kingdom, said that when Oyo was enthroned, many people doubted whether a child could sustain the institution for long.

He said the young king, however, remained at the centre of Tooro’s cultural and royal affairs despite the challenges that came with ascending the throne at such a tender age.

‘We are sad that we lost him at the time when we wanted him more. He showed the resilience of carrying the crown for all those years. He was challenged while on the throne. I remember when Prince David Kijanangoma wanted to overthrow him in 2013, but he remained strong. Batooro were behind him up to the time of his death,’ Mr Kobusinge said.

Keeping Tooro’s culture at the centre of his reign

King Oyo will also be remembered for keeping Tooro’s cultural identity at the centre of his reign.

Mr Tom Byamukama, a resident of Bunyangabu District who was found mourning at Karuziika Palace, said the king consistently used his annual coronation anniversaries to bring Batooro together and celebrate their traditions and heritage.

‘A king is a custodian of culture and the head of all clans in the kingdom. Despite modernisation, our king has been there for our culture. In some of his speeches, he told people to produce children. He also introduced Ekyoto, and at every coronation we had Ekyoto Ha Mpango,’ Mr Byamukama said.

He said under Oyo, cultural gatherings increasingly became platforms where the kingdom discussed not only tradition but also development, education, youth affairs and the future of Tooro.

His vision for the future of Tooro

In 2021, during his 26th coronation anniversary, he unveiled a 25-year development vision running up to 2045, with a vision focused on areas including culture, youth empowerment, health, tourism and poverty reduction.

By the time of his death, only five years of the 25-year plan had been implemented, but his subjects point to several initiatives as evidence that the vision had already begun taking shape.

One of the beneficiaries was Ms Gorret Kabangenyi, a former student at the kingdom’s youth skills programme.

‘My parents had no hope of paying my fees anymore, but when the youth centre was opened, I joined and studied tailoring for six months. Can you imagine I now operate my own shop? I make money, and to me Oyo has transformed my life. I am happy for him, though he has gone early,’ she said.

She said many other young people had acquired practical skills that enabled them to find employment or start their own businesses.

His investment in young people and technology

His administration embraced technology through initiatives such as the Kingdom Youth ICT and Business Centre, developed with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The centre was intended to equip young people with ICT skills and create opportunities for business and employment, connecting the cultural institution with the demands of the modern economy.

Although the centre had not been fully commissioned by the time of Oyo’s death, young people said completing the project should remain a priority for the incoming administration.

Mr Benson Musinguzi, a youth, said Oyo understood that the future of the kingdom depended heavily on its young population.

‘King Oyo understood that the future of Tooro was in its young people. His support for the ICT and Business Centre showed that he wanted our generation to have skills that could help us compete in the modern economy. That is something many young people will remember him for,’ he said.

He said the king wanted young people to connect to the opportunities created by the digital age.

Promoting Tooro as a tourism destination

King Oyo also promoted Tooro’s cultural and natural heritage as a foundation for tourism and economic development, where in 2021, he launched Ekyoto Ha Mpango Festival at Muchwa, the kingdom headquarters, in partnership with UNDP and the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities.

The festival provided a platform to showcase Tooro’s culture while bringing together discussions on development and the preservation of the kingdom’s heritage.

In August 2022, he led a 10-day Rwenzori Royal Expedition to Margherita Peak, the highest point of the Rwenzori Mountains.

Mr Michael Wandera, the Kingdom Sports Minister, said the expedition would remain an important part of the king’s legacy because it combined royal leadership with efforts to promote tourism in Tooro.

Defending people living on kingdom land

Some subjects will remember Oyo for his position on evictions from kingdom land. Mr Alex Muhumuza from Burahya County in Kabarole District said many kingdom tenants lived with uncertainty over their future because of threats of eviction.

He said Oyo’s repeated calls for people not to be forcibly evicted gave tenants a sense of security.

‘In the past years, people across the kingdom could not sleep because we often heard that we would soon be evicted. Even some of his ministers were on our necks. But during some of his coronation anniversaries, including in 2025, he repeated his words that no one would be evicted. We were all happy,’ Mr Muhumuza said.

During his 28th coronation anniversary in 2023, Oyo said, ‘No one should be forced out of kingdom land, but it is crucial to work with the kingdom to secure a land title.’

Using sport to unite the kingdom

Sport was another area where Oyo sought to bring Batooro together. In 2022, his administration, in partnership with MTN Uganda, launched the Tooro Kingdom Masaza Cup, a tournament involving teams representing all nine counties of the kingdom.

The competition offered a cash prize and trophy to the winning county and quickly became one of the kingdom’s major sporting events.

By the time of Oyo’s death, the tournament had reached its fifth edition, bringing together young people and communities from across Tooro. The king had been expected to preside over the football and netball finals on September 6 before his death.

Beyond competition, the Masaza Cup provided a platform for promoting unity, talent development and interaction among young people from different parts of the kingdom.

His dream for Tooro Kingdom stadium

One of Oyo’s development dreams that remained unfinished was the construction of a modern stadium for Tooro. In April this year, a title for 50 acres of land earmarked for the proposed stadium was handed over to the government for consideration.

Kingdom Prime Minister Mr Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire said the kingdom would unveil the location if the government confirms that the land is suitable for the proposed facility.

Following Oyo’s death, Mr Rwomiire renewed the call for the government to honour its pledge and make the stadium a reality.

‘When the government called for free land for the stadium, His Majesty personally answered that call by offering 50 acres of his own land. He did so because he deeply believed in this project and looked forward to seeing a modern stadium built for his people,’ Mr Rwomiire said.

For his subjects, the stadium will therefore remain part of Oyo’s unfinished legacy.

Promoting modern agriculture

King Oyo also sought to use agriculture as a tool for improving household incomes among his subjects. He established the King Oyo Model Farm in Bugaki Sub-county, Kyenjojo District, where farmers could learn modern agricultural practices.

The farm demonstrated enterprises including coffee, poultry, cattle, pineapples, tomatoes, bananas and goat keeping. Oyo said the farm was established to provide his subjects with practical knowledge at no cost.

‘I started the model farm for my people to come here and learn for free and implement the plan in their communities. Our vision is to see similar model farms established in every county of the kingdom for our people,’ he said.

By the time of his death, the model-farm concept had been expanded under the Youth Economic Empowerment Programme, with farms being established across the kingdom’s nine counties.

Some were already operational. for example, in Kyaka County in Kyegegwa District, the model farm had been completed, awaiting commissioning.

Mr Arinaitwe Samuel from Kyenjojo District said the farm had benefited local residents by giving them practical knowledge.

‘The biggest benefit was the model farm, and we from Kyenjojo were close beneficiaries. I have been to the farm countless times and have learnt modern methods of farming. I now have one acre of coffee and tomatoes, using the knowledge I got from his farm,’ he said.

Battle to reclaim Tooro Kingdom properties

By the time of Omukama Oyo’s death, one of the longest-running unresolved issues of his 31-year reign was the return of properties that Tooro Kingdom says were confiscated by the government following the abolition of traditional institutions in 1967.

In February 2019, Oyo met Museveni at State House, again arguing that the delayed return of the properties was weakening the kingdom financially. The talks resulted in a 2019 Memorandum of Understanding and a joint verification process. Government also provided Shs2b to support kingdom infrastructure, although this did not constitute restitution of the disputed properties.

Formal verification began in July 2020 though government officials said verified occupants would not be evicted. Rather, some would be issued certificates of occupancy, while the kingdom would be compensated where appropriate.

Despite these efforts, the wider property dispute remained unresolved, leaving the restitution campaign as one of the major unfinished issues of his reign.

Kingdom officials repeatedly said the government had returned only 17 land titles equivalent to 13 square miles of land out of about 120 claimed by Tooro amounting to roughly 120 square miles of territory. A 2019 government-Kingdom agreement placed the outstanding claim at 103 titles.

2027: Amupitan challenges parties to encourage women participation in politics

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Joash Amupitan has challenged political parties to move from lip service to concrete action on the participation of women in politics.

He said during an engagement with party leaders, female candidates, civil society organisations and development partners ahead of the 2027 general election in Abuja yesterday that ‘a democracy that mobilises women as voters but provides limited pathways for them to become political leaders is yet to fully realise its representative potential.’

Represented by National Commissioner, Rhoda Gumus, the INEC chairman said the question before INEC was ‘not simply about the participation of women in one electoral cycle,’ but one that goes to ‘the character, inclusiveness and long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s democracy.’

Prof. Amupitan pointed out that women have a formidable electoral strength with 44,414,846 out of the 93,469,008 registered voters in the 2023 general election

He added that during the voter registration for 2027 polls, 3,867,997 Nigerians who completed registration as of July 26, 2026, women accounted for 2,037,589, or 52.68 per cent, compared with 1,830,408 men.

‘Women therefore accounted for the majority of new registrants in the final phase of the exercise. Women are not marginal to Nigeria’s electoral population. They are a substantial part of the electorate,’ the INEC chairman said.

Prof Amupitan maintained that this weight at the polling unit was not reflected in candidacy or elective office.

Making reference to the 2023 election data, he said only 1,556 of 15,331 candidates across major elective positions, representing 10.15 per cent, were women, while just three women were elected to the Senate and 16 to the House of Representatives, representing 2.8 per cent and 4.4 per cent of seats respectively.

‘A substantial gap appears to exist between women’s participation as voters and their participation as political leaders,’ Prof. Amupitan added.

He challenged political parties to consider the type of practical support that could be extended to female candidates in areas such as ‘access to party structures and leadership, campaign platforms, media visibility, fundraising networks, mentoring, political communication, logistics, security and grassroots mobilisation.’

He also charged them to examine whether women were being given genuine opportunities to rise through their structures.

The INEC chief argued that ‘the participation of women is not a favour to women. It is a democratic imperative,’ urging parties to move ‘from commitment to action, from aspiration to implementation.’

INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony said the advancement of women’s political participation ‘cannot be achieved by the Commission or by any single institution acting in isolation,’ but requires ‘a collective commitment and sustained action from all stakeholders.’

Oriaran-Anthony said political parties, as ‘the principal vehicles through which citizens organise, seek elective office and participate in democratic governance,’ bear direct responsibility for the opportunities available to women.

FCTA investigates 15 suspected diphtheria cases, records two deaths

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has confirmed five cases of diphtheria out of 15 suspected cases investigated in the territory, with two deaths recorded among the confirmed cases.

The Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, FCTA, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, disclosed this on Thursday during an advocacy campaign and community engagement on the prevention and control of diphtheria at the Emir of Karshi’s Palace in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

Fasawe, who represented the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, said recent alerts of diphtheria in some communities had prompted the administration to activate a multidisciplinary Incident Management Team after a case was confirmed in the laboratory.

She said 10 of the 15 suspected cases investigated were discarded, while five were confirmed, resulting in two deaths.

‘Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that affects the nose, throat, and sometimes the skin of an individual. It is caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium species, mainly by toxin-producing Corynebacterium diphtheriae,’ she said.

Fasawe explained that early symptoms could include fever, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and neck swelling, while severe cases could result in the formation of a thick greyish or whitish membrane in the throat, which could obstruct the airway.

‘Anyone with these symptoms must be taken to a health facility immediately. Families should not wait until the child begins to struggle to breathe,’ Fasawe warned.

She said the FCT response team had begun active case searches, contact identification and monitoring, and provision of preventive antibiotics to eligible household contacts, as well as sample collection and laboratory testing.

According to her, healthcare workers were also being sensitized on early detection, infection prevention and control, and prompt reporting of suspected cases.

Fasawe said surveillance and vaccination teams had been deployed to priority settlements in Karshi, including Angwan Kokosa and surrounding communities.

She said the teams were conducting active case searches, identifying vaccination gaps, and finding children who had missed routine immunization.

‘Our vaccination efforts will prioritize zero-dose and under-immunized children. I therefore appeal to every parent and caregiver: please check your child’s vaccination card,’ she said.

She advised parents and caregivers who could not confirm their children’s vaccination status to visit the nearest primary healthcare center for assessment, adding that children should still be taken to health facilities even when their vaccination cards were unavailable.

The mandate secretary said the FCTA would intensify risk communication and community engagement using languages understood by residents, with information taken to households, schools, marketplaces, places of worship, and motor parks.

‘Rumours and misinformation must not be allowed to stand between any child and a lifesaving vaccine,’ she said.

She directed private hospitals that encounter suspected diphtheria cases to isolate and refer such patients to the nearest secondary health facility and immediately notify the disease surveillance system.

Fasawe identified the AMAC Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer, Mr Adamu, as a key contact for reporting suspected cases and provided the telephone number 08185790793.

‘No patient with suspected diphtheria should be turned away or transferred without first being properly assessed, isolated where appropriate and stabilised,’ Fasawe said.

She also warned members of the public against touching, scraping or attempting to remove a membrane from the throat of a suspected diphtheria patient.

‘Such manipulation can cause severe bleeding, shock, and death,’ she cautioned.

Fasawe called on traditional and religious leaders, teachers, school proprietors, and community associations to support the response teams, counter misinformation, and report unusual illnesses promptly.

She also urged healthcare workers in public and private facilities to maintain a high index of suspicion, apply the standard case definition, isolate suspected cases, and notify surveillance authorities immediately.

‘Early notification can save not only one patient, but an entire community,’ she said.

Fasawe summed up the administration’s appeal to residents in three actions: ‘Vaccinate. Report early. Protect one another.’

Also speaking, the Acting Permanent Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Ghali Kassim, said Karshi was selected for the campaign because of the confirmed diphtheria case and the need to prevent further transmission.

He described diphtheria as a deadly but preventable infectious disease, saying the FCT Administration was working with the Karshi community and other stakeholders to contain it.

‘The choice of Karshi is not accidental. Karshi is strategic, it’s very important, and it’s very significant,’ Kassim said.

He urged residents to cooperate with health officials, stressing the importance of vaccination, early reporting, and community engagement in containing the disease.

Representing the AMAC Chairman, Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, and the Supervisory Councillor for Health, Nuhu Aliyu Usman, said the council had prioritized the health and well-being of residents.

He said the campaign followed the confirmation of a diphtheria case in the Kpokosa community, adding that active case searches and immunization activities were already underway.

‘The health and well-being of our people remain priority of the Abuja Municipal Area Council. We recognise the disease such as diphtheria can spread rapidly, particularly among the children, and therefore require early detection, prompt important vaccine, and coordinated action,’ Usman said.

He assured the FCTA and health authorities of the council’s support for surveillance, timely reporting of suspected cases and vaccination activities.

The Hakimi of Karshi, Alhaji Ahmed Doka, who represented the Emir of Karshi, Alhaji Ismail Mohammed, pledged the support of traditional rulers for the outbreak response.

Doka thanked the FCTA for choosing Karshi for the intervention and urged residents to take proper care of their children and promptly report information relating to the disease.

‘We, the traditional rulers, we shall make sure if there is any hint, any small information again, we have to get you informed,’ he said.

He expressed optimism that the disease would not spread beyond the affected areas, adding that traditional rulers would work with health authorities to contain it.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) also pledged technical support to the FCT response.

Representing the agency, a member of the Risk Communication Committee of the Emergency Operations Centre’s Diphtheria Emergency Operations Centre/Technical Working Group, Hannatu Bello, said the NCDC was responsible for surveillance, detection and response to disease outbreaks.

She said the agency was in Karshi to provide technical and other support to help residents understand diphtheria and adopt preventive and control measures.

‘We hope that together, we are able to get the people to know a lot about every other disease, not just diphtheria, and do the needful so that we are able to prevent, and even when disease occurs, we are able to quickly control and then cut the chain of transmission,’ she said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) representative, Imabong Adebayo, said diphtheria was preventable through vaccination and urged traditional and religious leaders to support efforts to improve vaccine uptake in their communities.

Adebayo said several diphtheria cases had been recorded in the community during the year, making the campaign necessary.

‘We hope that after this engagement, we’ll be able to get the buy-in of our traditional leaders and religious leaders to be able to help us to see how we can interrupt transmission of diphtheria in Karshi,’ she said.

She stressed that vaccines were free, safe and available for children, urging mothers and caregivers to ensure eligible children received routine vaccinations.

Adebayo assured the FCT of WHO’s continued technical and field support for the response, saying the organization remained committed to helping communities improve health outcomes and prevent further outbreaks.

24 Die In Ondo After Consuming Local Drinks

At least 24 people have died after allegedly consuming locally brewed drinks in Odigbo town, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The state government has launched an investigation to unravel the exact cause of the deaths, which were recorded between September 3 and 7, 2026.

The state’s Ministry of Health said preliminary findings linked the fatalities to the consumption of locally brewed alcoholic drinks, popularly known as ‘Monkey Tail’.

Residents said some of the victims died in their homes, while others reportedly died in their sleep.

The traditional ruler of Odigbo, Oba Rufus Akinrinmade, told youths who marched to his palace to demand action to halt the deaths that efforts were underway to determine the cause of the fatalities and prevent further loss of lives.

Speaking during a visit to the community, the Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Ministry of Health, Dr Ayodele Adeji, said preliminary findings pointed to a possible link between the deaths and the consumption of locally brewed alcoholic beverages.

According to him, a locally produced drink popularly known as ‘Monkey Tail’, as well as other herbal and ethanol-based drinks, had emerged as substances of interest in the ongoing investigation.

‘Preliminary findings suggest a possible link between the deaths and the consumption of locally brewed alcoholic beverages, particularly a drink known as ‘Monkey Tail’ and other locally prepared herbal and ethanol-based drinks,’ Adeji said.

He, however, cautioned against drawing conclusions, stressing that laboratory analysis of samples collected from the area was still ongoing.

‘Further investigations are required to establish whether there is any direct connection between the consumption of the drinks and the reported deaths,’ he added.

The Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, said authorities were taking the matter seriously but declined to disclose the specific substance suspected to be responsible until medical assessments and laboratory examinations were concluded.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Odigbo Local Government Area, Taiwo Adegoroye, has imposed a one-month ban on the sale and consumption of locally brewed alcoholic drinks in the area as a precautionary measure.

Adegoroye explained that a preliminary verbal autopsy conducted by the local government health team indicated a possible connection between the fatalities and the consumption of certain locally produced substances.

‘The decision is intended to protect public health while relevant authorities continue investigations into the reported cases,’ he said.

He noted that toxicological investigations were ongoing to establish the exact cause of the deaths and warned that anyone caught selling or distributing the banned drinks during the restriction period would face arrest and prosecution.

It was gathered that the deaths were recorded in Araromi-Obu, Orita New Town and Odigbo communities, while several other victims are currently receiving treatment in hospitals.

The Taremwas’ long road from friendship to love

Jane Asiimwe and Kansiime Mukama Taremwa met at Makerere University when she was just 18. What began as a friendship grew slowly into love, endured long-distance and uncertainty, and eventually led them to the altar.

When Jane Asiimwe first met Kansiime Mukama Taremwa at Makerere University in April 2021, marriage was the last thing on her mind. At just 18 years old and a first-year student, she was on her way to a fellowship meeting when she encountered the man who would eventually become her husband.

Jane vividly recalls their first meeting. She wore a green T-shirt and black leggings, while Taremwa wore a navy-blue suit. During their conversation, the name of Christian author and teacher Kenneth E. Hagin came up. Taremwa asked Jane if she had read any of his work.

‘I said no,’ she remembers, to which he confidently replied, ‘You are a woman of God, Jane; you should read Hagin.’

She found his confidence both amusing and slightly irritating, but also recognised the wisdom in his suggestion. Taremwa, for his part, noticed how young and innocent Jane appeared.

At the time, Taremwa had returned to the university environment only to accompany a friend to the fellowship gathering, having left university back in 2019. Neither of them knew that this brief encounter would eventually lead to marriage.

The friendship begins

They did not communicate again until July 2021, when their mutual friend, Natalie Kengonzi, informed Taremwa that a first-year student named Jane wanted to talk to him about spiritual matters. Jane had requested his number after seeing his screenshot on Natalie’s status.

As their conversations continued, so did their friendship. About a week after they started talking, they discussed the qualities they each desired in a future partner. When Taremwa listed his preferred qualities, Jane realised he was describing her.

‘I asked him if he was talking about me,’ she recalls, laughing.

The feelings were mutual, but they did not immediately start a romantic relationship. Instead, their friendship deepened, allowing them to understand each other beyond mere attraction. Taremwa’s brother, Atwine Tayebwa, was the first to notice that something had changed.

‘He told me, ‘Kansiime, I have been with you for many years, but I have never seen you this excited about talking to someone on the phone for this long.’ It then registered. I was happy,’ he recalls.

Still, Taremwa remained cautious. Having faced challenges in previous relationships, he was reluctant to commit until he felt certain. By 2023, however, he had made up his mind. He told his parents that he believed he had found the woman he wanted to marry and asked them to pray for him.

When friendship became love

Jane says they dated for about four years, although neither of them can pinpoint exactly when their friendship turned romantic. ‘There were many occasions when we would say in a conversation, ‘I would like to talk to my friend,’ because we were still figuring out the romantic aspect, but we knew the friendship was solid, and we could count on each other no matter what,’ she explains.

This strong foundation was crucial because Jane met Taremwa during a formative stage in her life when she was still discovering who she was and what she wanted. ‘I was ‘turbulent,” she says with a laugh.

There were periods of uncertainty, especially when Taremwa left for South Africa in 2024 to pursue his Master’s degree. The long distance tested their relationship but also provided opportunities for individual growth. During this time, Jane leaned heavily on her Christian faith. ‘I found reassurance in the belief that God would complete what He had begun,’ she shares.

For both Jane and Taremwa, faith and the guidance of trusted individuals became vital when facing difficult moments. Their support system included pastors, parents, siblings, and others whose marriages and life experiences they respected.

Taremwa describes their relationship as being guided by mutual agreement and divine counsel: they communicate openly, ground their decisions in their Christian beliefs, and seek wisdom when they cannot resolve an issue on their own.

Their relationship has also taught them that commitment requires personal change. ‘The biggest lesson I learnt was to take God at His Word and to die to self,’ Taremwa explains. ‘I did not realise how much selflessness is needed to lead a fulfilled life until I committed to Jane.’

Jane’s lessons have focused on humility, patience, and the importance of asking for help. ‘If your partner is flawed, so are you. Extend the grace you expect,’ she advises.

Marriage

On August 15, 2026, their years of friendship, dating, and preparation culminated in marriage. For Jane, becoming Taremwa’s wife still feels surreal. ‘I think I tell him every single day how happy and excited I am to be his wife,’ she shares. ‘There is also a part of me that feels like we must be dreaming.’

She had not anticipated feeling more loved after marriage than she had during their years of dating, but the early days of married life have pleasantly surprised her. Taremwa describes their wedding as the most beautiful day of his life so far; however, marriage has also brought him a deeper sense of responsibility. ‘I wake up every day realising that I am no longer my own person,’ he explains. ‘I cannot think only about my activities without considering how they align with Jane’s day and mindset.’

One of the most meaningful moments of the wedding occurred during a sermon by Apostle Emma Mawejje, who described marriage as a journey of faith. For Taremwa, this message captured the essence of their relationship. ‘Even during the toughest days of our dating journey, I always told Jane, ‘We began in faith, and we shall finish in faith,” he remarks.

Jane remembers another intimate moment from their wedding. During the celebrations, the couple took a brief break to freshen up and spent about 20 to 30 minutes alone. They talked about the day, expressed their feelings, and discussed the life they hoped to build. For Jane, that quiet conversation amidst the excitement was one of the day’s most beautiful moments.

Keeping the friendship alive

For a couple whose relationship started with friendship, neither of them wants marriage to alter that strong foundation. Jane desires for them to keep dating, complimenting each other, sharing laughter, expressing gratitude, and praying together.

‘I will kiss him goodbye whenever he leaves the house. We will pray together, talk about our day, and fall in love with each other anew every morning,’ she says. Above all, she hopes they will never lose their sense of wonder about one another.

Taremwa shares that desire but adds the element of playfulness. ‘We want to approach marriage with the innocence of a child,’ he says.

For Jane and Taremwa, marriage is not the end of their journey but the beginning of a new chapter in a friendship they hope will keep growing. As they fill their ’empty pages’ with adventures, laughter, faith and shared memories, they are choosing to keep learning, loving and walking through life together.

Learning marriage together

Now, as newlyweds, Jane and Taremwa are discovering what life together looks like beyond the wedding. They pray together, try to share at least one meal each day, express gratitude and make room for affection. They also prioritise honest conversations, particularly when navigating difficult situations.

Taremwa says their communication is guided by a simple principle: ‘We talk to each other honestly, not with the intention to wound or to win,’ he says.

Jane looks forward to serving God alongside her husband and filling what she describes as a new chapter of ’empty pages’ with adventures, photographs and stories. Taremwa similarly sees marriage as an opportunity to build something of their own while learning from couples who have gone before them.

Egypt’s urban inflation eases to 14.5% on lower food prices

Egypt’s urban inflation eased to 14.5 percent in August from 14.9 percent in July, as slower food price growth helped offset continued pressure from transport and housing costs.

The latest reading, released by Egypt’s Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS), came below market expectations of 15.5 percent and marked a modest slowdown after inflation reached a three month high in July.

On a monthly basis, urban consumer prices rose 0.1 percent in August after remaining unchanged in July.

Food and beverages, the largest component of Egypt’s inflation basket, provided the main relief. Annual food inflation slowed to 6.3 percent in August from 8 percent in July, when it reached its highest level in 14 months.

Transport inflation also edged down to 24.4 percent from 24.5 percent as the impact of higher fuel prices continued to fade. Egypt raised fuel prices by about 14 percent to 17 percent in March across a range of petroleum products, the first increase of the year.

Price growth also eased in furnishings, which slowed to 16.9 percent from 17.9 percent, while inflation for alcoholic beverages and narcotics fell to 9.1 percent from 9.3 percent.

Egypt’s annual headline inflation, which covers both urban and rural areas, also slowed to 12.7 percent in August from 13 percent in July, according to CAPMAS.

Food and beverage prices rose 6.5 percent year on year, while alcoholic beverages and tobacco increased 7.7 percent. Clothing and footwear prices climbed 12.6 percent.

Housing, water, electricity, gas and fuel recorded one of the strongest increases at 33 percent. Furniture, household equipment and maintenance services rose 14.8 percent, while healthcare costs increased 5.2 percent. Transportation costs increased 21.7 percent.

The August figures come as Egypt continues to manage elevated living costs and the effects of earlier price and fuel adjustments.

Annual headline inflation stood at 11.2 percent in August 2025, meaning price growth remains higher than a year ago despite the latest moderation.

Qatar says US military presence alone cannot guarantee Gulf security, rebuilding trust with Iran necessary

Qatar has questioned whether the existing US military presence in the Gulf is sufficient to ensure long-term regional security, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari calling for greater self-reliance among Gulf states.

Speaking at the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi, al-Ansari said Gulf countries would continue to need international partners, including the United States, but should not rely solely on external powers for their security, according to Middle East Eye.

‘We cannot depend on them alone for our security,’ al-Ansari said, stressing the need for Gulf states to develop greater capacity to protect their own security interests.

The remarks came after Qatar was targeted by Iranian retaliatory strikes during the recent US-Israeli war with Iran. Qatar hosts Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military facility in the Arab world and the regional headquarters of US Central Command.

Al-Ansari also addressed relations with Iran, saying that rebuilding trust with Tehran would be necessary. He described Iran as a neighboring country with which Gulf states would ultimately have to find a way to coexist, according to The National.