APC PWDs leader congratulates Bago on campaign council appointment

Ambassador Comrade Musa Inuwa, the APC Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) leader in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, has congratulated Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago on his appointment as the North-Central Zonal Coordinator of the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 General Elections.

In a congratulatory message, Inuwa described the appointment as a reflection of Governor Bago’s strong leadership, loyalty, commitment and capacity to serve the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said the responsibility was well deserved and expressed confidence that the Niger State governor would provide effective leadership for the party across the North-Central geopolitical zone ahead of the 2027 elections.

Inuwa also prayed that Almighty Allah would grant Governor Bago wisdom, strength and divine guidance to lead the APC to victory in the 2027 General Elections.

He added that the North-Central region was proud of the governor’s leadership and wished him success in his new assignment.

When expert witnesses mislead court on time of death

An expert witness is a person with special knowledge and experience who is invited to give evidence in a court of law on a matter that requires his or her expertise.

One such witness is a forensic pathologist, who will testify on the cause of death, the time of death and the circumstances of death. Courts usually attach great importance to, and believe, expert evidence, especially if the expert appears to have spectacular credentials.

Expert evidence is often complex and difficult for the court or the layman to comprehend. And because of this, experts may mislead court by taking advantage of the ignorance of the stakeholders. This vulnerability is one of the main reasons why educational programmes are important to enhance judicial scientific literacy.

It is, however, doubtful that such programmes will cover technical details applicable to specific cases before courts of law. In addition, since science is continuously evolving, judges require up-to-date knowledge of the latest advances in the area in question. Judges who aim to fully engage in the technical aspects of evidence would, therefore, of necessity conduct their own research to understand some of the issues before them.

In one particular case, a pathologist reported that a victim was manually asphyxiated and concluded that the attack took place between 8pm and 10pm. There was only one person with the victim at the time of the alleged attack. This evidence appeared to be highly persuasive.

Other expert witnesses testified that the physical evidence, such as a bruise in the neck of the deceased and pinpoint bleeding in the eyelids, pointed to manual strangulation.

An independent reviewer later noted that the information given to court at the time of trial contradicted the then-existing knowledge already documented in textbooks.

Forensic science relies on three key indicators to determine the time of death, and these involve the distribution of blood in the body after death has occurred, the stiffening of the body and the rate at which the temperature of the body drops after death. These methods are well documented in the most basic textbooks of Forensic Pathology.

When death occurs, the heart stops pumping blood to the body, and the circulation of blood subsequently stops.

The blood then settles and accumulates in blood vessels due to gravitational forces. The accumulation of blood under the skin causes the skin to take on a purple or red-purple colour.

This phenomenon is known as post-mortem staining. If the body is lying on the back, the settling of blood will give a purple or dark colour on the back of the body, except in areas where the body is pressed on a supporting surface such as the shoulder blades and buttocks. Similarly, if a body was lying facing the ground, post-mortem staining will be present on the front of the body.

Post-mortem staining has been documented to be apparent anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours after death and becomes complete (also known as becoming fixed) anywhere from six to 12 hours. The colouring may shift in the early stages, and this means if the body was moved, the discolouration would move to other areas of the skin. The discolouration becomes permanent after eight to 12 hours. In addition, tiny blood vessels may burst, giving rise to pinpoint bleeds.

The stiffening of the muscles and joints is another time-dependent process that occurs after death. When a person dies, initially the muscles become flaccid.

However, with time, the muscles then stiffen, which then makes the joints immobile. The time of onset of this varies from within half an hour to four hours after death. The process becomes complete within 12 hours and then gradually wanes off, although the time for this to occur also varies, anywhere from 12 hours to 60 hours.

It is clear that the time frames in which the processes of post-mortem staining and stiffening of the body occur vary widely and are affected by a number of factors. Nevertheless, the fact that these processes are time-dependent makes it tempting for pathologists to use these observations to estimate the time of death.

There is also the use of post-mortem body temperature as a method of estimating the time of death. The theory is that the body of the deceased cools down and comes to an equilibrium (the same) temperature as its surroundings.

This process has been termed post-mortem cooling. If one assumes that the temperature of the deceased was the normal body temperature at the time of death, one can theoretically perform a retrograde estimation of the time of death, given the temperature of the deceased at the time of discovery of the body. As intuitive and appealing as this may be, academic literature has observed numerous factors that can affect the rate of cooling of a body, such as environmental temperature, clothing of the deceased, size of the body and position of the body. Rates of cooling of bodies have been quoted to be anywhere from 1 to 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit per hour.

The expert witness, a pathologist, in this particular case, told court that the deceased must have died between 8pm and 10pm, the night before the body was discovered.

He based his conclusion on his observation that the stiffening of the body was beginning to wear off in the face and neck and that this usually occurs 12 hours after death. He did not give any reason as to why he chose the particular time interval of 15 to 17 hours before the discovery of the body as the range for the time of death.

He told court that post-mortem staining begins normally around two hours and becomes fixed around 12 hours from the time of death. He told court that the post-mortem staining had become fixed at the front of the body and that the body of the deceased must have been in that position in excess of 12 hours.

The expert, however, contradicted himself when he also observed that the post-mortem staining had shifted when he saw the body the day after the post-mortem examination.

Other experts, however, told court that these methods used to estimate the time of death were highly unreliable, as the time these changes take to occur after death is variable and prone to subjective interpretation.

A professor of Forensic Pathology was to tell court that these benchmarks all suffer from extreme variability, where post-mortem staining of the body can become fixed anywhere between one to 20 hours, and the timelines for stiffening of the body vary widely.

Why Uganda keeps troops in Somalia

Uganda has played a positive security and economic role at home and in Africa. Such covers President Museveni having hosted chiefs of national armies, technical working groups through the years.

Another is hosting Second Extraordinary Summit of Troop-Contributing Countries (TCCs) to African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), in Kampala, on July 31.

President Museveni stressed being in Somalia as a strategic and principled action, to deal with extremism and terrorism, plus standing with African brothers and sisters when faced with danger.

Experience from Uganda, sampling from dawn of independence in 1962 through a failed State until 1986, Somalia has faced similar political mishaps stemming from ideological confusion. Abdirashid Shermarke became Somali President in 1967 but was assassinated on October 15, 1969. President Sheikh Mukhtar Hussein served for a week (October 15- 21, 1969).

He was dethroned on the 21st by Mohamed Siad Barre through a coup d’état, becoming President until January 26, 1991.

Barre fled the country in a military tank at the height of Somalia civil war, which also involved Somali military commander Mohamed Farrah Aidid, plus his domestic cronies and external forces.

Aidid became part of those who opposed the UN forces and other foreign forces deployed on ground. By 1994, these forces had run away, abandoning stateless Somalia, surrendered to rival tribal and religious factions.

Extremist and terrorist local militias expanded: Al-shabaab, Islamic State in Somalia (ISS), Sunna Wal Jama’a, the Dervish Force, Macawiisleey and others. This gravitated secession ideas and attendant mischief, rather than one united Somalia. The social, political and economic ruins germinated on earlier assassinations, coup d’état and warlords, say from 1990s into 2000s. These had an adverse cascading implication on global maritime businesses and economic outlay in East African and African Horn regions.

Out of Pan-Africanism, strategy and principle to bring Somalia and regions back to order, African leaders like President Museveni led the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and became the first to deploy in Somalia (March 6, 2007). Others have since followed: Burundi (2007), Sierra Leone (2013), Djibouti (2011), Kenya (2011), Ethiopia (2014), Egypt (2024) and others like USA armies.

Deployments in Somalia have been under AU missions: African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) , African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), current AUSSOM, then auxiliary bilateral troop arrangements. Meanwhile, extremist and terrorist groups have engaged in killing people and other atrocities, for instance, 2010 Fifa World Cup suicide bombings in Kampala, cross-border raids and Garissa attacks (2015) in Kenya, and ISIS attacks in Mtwara region- Tanzania.

Even so, African visionary leaders, have so far registered success in restoring Somalia central Government with series of elected presidents, Somalia National Army, ministries, the police, migration and other State infrastructure. As such, Somalia’s nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has moved from about $5.43b (Shs19.6 trillion in 2007), to $8.628b (Shs32 trillion in 2020), $14.17b (Shs52.5 trillion in 2026) and soon $20b (Shs74.1 trillion) in 2030).

So for President Museveni to host TCCs under the AUSSOM in Kampala in July, was to precisely consolidate the gains in Somalia, global maritime, Eastern and African Horn. Similarly, the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) mandate from 2010, winds up in December. First ever Presidential elections in South Sudan are due December 22.

Political and security stability in Somalia (elections due December 31), DRC or South Sudan have big domestic, regional and global implication.

May I appeal to President Museveni to continue providing leadership under East Africa Community (EAC), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), AU and the UPDF, for peaceful transitions in these countries. Africa must find a place for ideological clarity, GDP growth and resources to counter terrorism.

Chinese humanoid robots smash human records in 100m sprint and high jump at Beijing robot games

Chinese humanoid robots broke records set by humans, including beating Usain Bolt’s 100-meter sprint world record, on the opening day of the Olympics-like World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Saturday.

More than 2,000 humanoid robots were participating in the event, the organizer said.

The five-day games, now in its second year, are a spectacle demonstrating China’s rapid progress in advanced robotics as the technology race with the U.S. heats up, with 51 events and more than 1,000 competitions taking place including running, table tennis and soccer.

The games, which are taking place in the National Speed Skating Oval built for the 2022 Winter Olympics, opened the same week as Beijing held the 2026 World Robot Conference, where companies showcased around 3,000 products, including humanoid robots.

China makes the majority of the world’s humanoid robots. The U.S. has stepped up scrutiny of robots from the country.

Last month, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots. The FCC cited national security reasons in a move that targeted China. The Pentagon recently also added Unitree, one of China’s leading humanoid robot makers, to its list of companies that it deemed have ties with the Chinese military. Beijing has hit back at the accusations.

At Saturday’s opening of the robot games, the organizer and robot makers said that Chinese humanoid robots defeated human world records, as hundreds of humanoid robots marched in formation onto the field in a massive display of synchronized coordination.

At a 100-meter sprint, a humanoid robot achieved a result of 9.39 seconds, beating the human record of 9.58 seconds set by Jamaican athlete Bolt in 2009.

In a standing high jump, a humanoid robot was able to reach 2.88 meters, well above the 0.95 meters best result by a humanoid in last year’s first edition of the games. It surpassed the human high jump record of 2.45 meters set by Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor in 1993.

Both robots were from Beijing-based X-Humanoid.

Before the opening, a humanoid robot from Chinese smartphone company Honor completed a 100-meter sprint in a record of 9.32 seconds during a trial of the games, the company said, at a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second.

Still, experts say humanoid robots are still mostly used for demonstrations, performances and research – at least for now – and it will still take time to achieve mass real-world deployment.

Some spectators at the robot games said they were excited about the humanoid robots’ quickly improving abilities.

Humanoid robots are ‘evolving rapidly,’ said Li Yanfeng, an education worker and a Beijing resident.

‘At first, I wasn’t very accepting of artificial intelligence. I was even a bit resistant to it, because of the possibility that it might replace or displace humans,’ she said. ‘But now that I see this development is unstoppable, I decided to come and take a look.’

‘These sports are perfectly normal for humans, but now robots can do them. I find it amazing,’ said Yang Shangzheng, another spectator.

Liu Tao, who was watching the games with his son, said that he was hoping to see ‘the best robots China currently has to offer.’

This year’s robot games – which the organizer said has 16 countries participating, among them Germany, Japan and the U.S. – also include other events such as weightlifting and tug of war.

Shared risk: Cattle, humans can give each other ‘TB’

The Philippines’s fight against tuberculosis should not stop with humans, a veterinarian said, urging the government to establish the country’s first national bovine tuberculosis eradication program to prevent the disease from spreading between cattle and people.

‘Cattle TB is not just an animal disease. It is a One Health issue affecting food safety, livestock productivity, and public health,’ Dr. Philip John S. Sajol, a veterinarian and researcher at Central Mindanao University said.

According to Sajol, existing policies and regulations, primarily implemented by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) in coordination with the Department of Health, classify bovine TB as a locally important animal disease but do not provide clear measures for controlling it, particularly at the local-government level. During the 3-Minute Pitch to Policymakers competition at the 19th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week on Wednesday, Sajol proposed a national bovine or cattle tuberculosis eradication program to be led by the DA-BAI in coordination with the DOH, DOST and other research agencies. The program would align with the DOST’s Harmonized National Research and Development Agenda (HNRDA) and the National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA).

He also called for stronger surveillance in slaughterhouses through rapid and reliable diagnostic tools, standardized post-mortem examinations and mandatory disease reporting.

Sajol further recommended stronger occupational health measures and proper personal protective equipment for slaughterhouse workers and other high-risk groups, as well as closer coordination among veterinarians, physicians, researchers, local governments and farming communities to improve disease monitoring, reporting and public awareness.

The proposed measures are based partly on Sajol’s study of 275 slaughtered cattle in Bukidnon, one of the country’s major cattle-producing provinces. Of the animals examined, 126, or nearly half, tested positive for bovine TB.

The study also found abnormal lesions or damaged areas in the lungs and other tissues that were consistent with TB during the post-mortem examinations. These were found in cattle of different ages, sexes and physical conditions, suggesting that some cases may be going unnoticed.

‘While these findings come from only one province, they actually signify a pressing concern. If we are not actively detecting bovine TB, we may be underestimating its impact both on animal and human health,’ he emphasized.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the country had 2.52 million cattle as of March 31, 2026, down 1.5 percent from the 2.56 million recorded during the same period in 2025.

Smallholder farms accounted for 86.4 percent of the country’s cattle inventory, while semi-commercial and commercial farms accounted for 10.9 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively, with Northern Mindanao and Calabarzon among the leading cattle-producing regions.

‘If, for example, we are not testing for this disease, imagine in these high cattle-producing provinces, the disease may spread. And then again, this is zoonotic. It may transmit to humans, which then will lead to human TB cases,’ he said.

‘So in the national context, this may actually help us bridge the gap and to hopefully eradicate also even human tuberculosis nationwide,’ he added.

According to Sajol, human TB is commonly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and spreads through the air, while bovine TB is caused by Mycobacterium bovis. The latter can spread among cattle through close contact with infected animals or exposure to contaminated feed and water.

Humans can also contract M. bovis by inhaling the bacteria or consuming contaminated animal products, especially raw or undercooked meat and unpasteurized milk. Proper cooking and pasteurization, however, can kill the bacteria.

Although the two kinds of bacteria belong to the same complex and can cause similar disease and tissue damage, cattle may not show obvious symptoms of bovine TB.

Sajol explained that cattle typically have a lifespan of only two to three years before slaughter, so the disease may not have enough time to progress to its clinical stage. This differs from humans, who generally live much longer, giving TB more time to develop and show symptoms.

‘Typically, medications for human tuberculosis are also applied to cattle tuberculosis. However, from an economic standpoint, what I’m saying is it’s actually better to cull the cattle than to treat because, again, it’s costly,’ he said.

Studies have estimated that bovine TB accounted for about 30 percent of human TB cases in some settings, with the burden concentrated in developing countries where cattle disease is more common and access to pasteurized milk is limited.

In the United States, however, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that Mycobacterium bovis, the bacterium that causes bovine TB, accounts for less than 2 percent of human TB cases. The lower incidence has been associated with long-standing cattle disease-control programs and widespread milk pasteurization.

‘The purpose of the research is not to extend fear among farmers, consumers and slaughterhouse workers. It’s actually to keep them well informed of the status of bovine tuberculosis,’ he told BusinessMirror during a press conference.

He noted that the country currently lacks a comprehensive database on bovine TB, making it difficult to determine the extent of the disease.

At the community level, he said greater awareness could help farmers manage their cattle more effectively while protecting their livelihoods.

‘Having your cattle killed because of this disease would create devastating economic losses to their families,’ Sajol said.

Sajol’s proposed bovine TB policy won first place in the PNHRS 3-Minute Pitch to Policymakers competition, which featured nine finalists.

Dr. Angelica Faye O. Reguindin of Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital in Central Luzon placed second for her proposal, ‘A Small Dose Today Can Prevent Days in the Hospital Tomorrow: Making Rotavirus Vaccine Accessible for Every Filipino Child.’

Zwiesel Gaile L. Cantuba of Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center in the Cordillera Administrative Region placed third for ‘Project IYAMAN: Institutionalizing an Evidence-Informed, Multitiered Suicide Prevention System in Baguio City.’

How poverty, unemployment, financial insecurity are increasing mental health issues in Nigeria – Powell

Jecinta Powell is a mental health advocate and the founder of SENA Psychotherapy and Counseling. In this interview with NGOZI OKPALAKUNNE, Powell linked poverty, unemployment, underemployment and financial insecurity to the rising cases of mental issues in Nigeria.

She stressed the need for stronger mental health financing and better insurance coverage, urging government to prioritise funding and integrate mental health services in to National Health Insurance Scheme. Excerpts:

What are common mental health issues facing Nigeria and the factors driving them?

I would say some of the major mental-health concerns in Nigeria include anxiety, depression, trauma, substance misuse, relationship difficulties and chronic stress.

But these issues cannot be separated from the environment people are living in. Poverty, unemployment, underemployment and financial insecurity create prolonged stress and uncertainty. We also have gaps in mental-health literacy, which means many people struggle to recognise psychological distress or know when to seek professional help. Our social and cultural environment also plays a major role. Religion, traditions, ethnicity, family expectations and gender roles can influence how people understand and respond to mental-health difficulties. Sometimes distress is spiritualized, stigmatised or simply dismissed. Then there is the gap in access to mental-health intervention.

Even when people recognise that they need help, professional support may be too expensive, unavailable or difficult to access. So, Nigeria’s mental-health challenges are not only psychological. They are also economic, social, cultural and systemic, and addressing them requires us to look at the whole environment in which people live.

Investigations have shown that many Nigerians with mental conditions find it difficult to seek medical attention due to the stigma associated with mental illness. What is your take on this, and how can it be addressed?

I believe this is true. Many Nigerians do not initially consider that what they are experiencing could have a psychological component. We often interpret emotional distress through other lenses, including spirituality, family problems, personality or simply ‘life being difficult.’ Stigma can then make the idea of seeing a psychiatrist, psychologist or therapist feel like an admission that something is seriously wrong with you.

The problem is that when we stigmatise mental-health care, people don’t necessarily stop having problems; they simply learn to suffer privately. I think addressing this requires us to take mental-health education to the places where Nigerians already pay attention: schools, workplaces, religious communities, social media, primary healthcare and community programmes. We need to normalise conversations about mental wellbeing before someone reaches a crisis point.

We also need to change the language. Seeking psychological help should not be presented as a sign of weakness or ‘madness.’ It should be understood as a responsible step towards understanding yourself, managing difficulties and maintaining your wellbeing.

Ultimately, we need to move from only asking, ‘Is this person mentally ill?’ to also asking, ‘How is this person coping, and what support do they need?’

Looking at the economic situation in Nigeria, what step can an ordinary person take to improve his mental health?

The first thing is to recognise that improving your mental health requires intentionality and consistency, but it does not always require money. The first step is self-awareness. This is earning to recognise when you are becoming overwhelmed, when stress is becoming intense or prolonged, and when you need to pause rather than continue pushing yourself. From there, simple practices such as controlled breathing, meditation, journaling, taking breaks, movement and other forms of emotional and somatic regulation can help.

People can also intentionally educate themselves by following credible mental-health professionals and engaging with content that builds emotional awareness and psychological resilience. And importantly, there are free or low-cost sources of support. Mental-health communities, WhatsApp support groups, free webinars, psychoeducational programmes and community initiatives can provide

information, connection and encouragement. We should not underestimate the importance of community. Sometimes improving your mental health begins with simply what you are feeling, learning how to regulate it, and knowing that you don’t have to navigate everything alone.

Having been in this career for years, what are the signs that shows that one has mental issues?

I particularly like this question because psychopathology is not always easy to identify. Normal and abnormal behaviour exist on a continuum, so there is no single point where one suddenly becomes the other. We all experience stress, sadness, anxiety or emotional difficulties at different points in our lives. The concern is when these experiences become persistent, intense or begin to significantly interfere with a person’s psychological, physical, social or everyday functioning. For example, feeling anxious before an important event can be completely normal. But when anxiety becomes excessive, persistent and begins to impair someone’s ability to function, it becomes something that deserves attention. In more severe cases, disturbances in thinking or perception, such as hallucinations or delusions, may also occur.

More on signs, a person may become increasingly withdrawn, neglect themselves, behave in ways that are significantly out of character, or present a risk of harming themselves or others.

However, we have to be careful about labelling behaviour as abnormal simply because it does not conform to social expectations. Social norms change, and being different does not mean being should therefore be treated as part of organisational health, not simply as an employee’s personal responsibility.

How can parents, teachers and employers support the mental wellbeing of individuals?

I think the starting point for parents, teachers and employers is intentionality, empathy and curiosity. We need to listen actively, establish trust, respond appropriately and be slow to judge. Sometimes the most supportive thing you can do is notice that someone’s behaviour has changed and ask, ‘Are you okay?’ rather than immediately criticising or assuming.

For parents and teachers, this means creating environments where children and young people can express themselves without being immediately dismissed, punished or shamed. We should be curious about the behaviour and ask what may be happening underneath it.

For employers, mental wellbeing has to go beyond occasional wellness talks. Organisations need to create psychologically safe workplaces where employees can raise concerns without fear of retaliation or discrimination. This can include anonymous reporting channels, fair and structured performance appraisals to reduce subjective bias, reasonable workloads, employee wellness programmes, mental-health education and interventions that address burnout.

Most importantly, organisations need to recognise that people perform better when they feel psychologically safe, respected and supported. Mental wellbeing.

How can Nigerian government and policy makers improve mental care in the country?

The government needs to move from simply having mental-health policies to having policies that are measurable, properly funded, efficiently implemented and sustainable enough to create lasting change.

One major priority should be integrating mental-health services into primary healthcare, so that people do not always have to travel to specialist psychiatric hospitals before they can receive help. Ghana, for example, has worked towards decentralising mental-health care by integrating services into primary healthcare. South Africa’s current mental-health framework also prioritises community-based care and integration with general healthcare Nigeria also needs stronger mental-health financing and insurance coverage, better training and distribution of mental-health professionals, community-based interventions, school mental-health programmes, workplace initiatives and stronger public education to reduce stigma. Most importantly, policies should drive interventions down to the grassroots, including underserved and rural communities, rather than concentrating services in major cities.

For the ordinary Nigerian, this could mean being able to walk into a nearby health centre and receive basic psychological support or referral, having mental-health services covered or subsidised through health insurance, accessing support in schools and workplaces, and receiving help before a problem becomes a crisis.

Mental health is not separate from development. If we want a healthier, more productive and resilient population, mental healthcare has to be treated as part of healthcare and human development, not as an optional extra.

Nigeria’s professor of economics, Opuala-Charles, to lead African operations of US Chartered Institute of Management and Leadership

Silva Opuala-Charles, a foremost Professor of Economics and President of Garden City Premier Business School in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, South-South Nigeria, has been named Head for Africa Operations for the Chartered Institute of Management and Leadership, USA.

The appointment was conveyed in a letter signed by Israel Henry, Executive Director of the Institute which is based in Kentucky and Oklahoma, USA. The letter said the Nigerian professor is now head of their African operations.

Opuala-Charles is currently the President and Chairman, Governing Council of Garden City Premier Business School. He is a Faculty Member of both the American Trinity University, California, USA, and European Global School, University, Paris, France, as a Professor of Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Management.

Opuala-Charles has PhD in Economics specializing in Monetary Economics with a Master’s degree in Economics with a specialty in Money and Banking. In September 2016, Opuala-Charles was awarded the prestigious TRIUM Global Executive MBA with an MBA degree from the affiliate Universities of London School of Economics and Political Science, London; New York University, Stern Business School, New York; HEC Business School, Paris.

He is an alumnus of Lagos Business School a graduate of the Breakthrough Program for Senior Executives (BPSE) and an Alumnus of IMD Business School, Lausanne, Switzerland. He is an Alumnus of the London Business School, London; London School of Economics and Political Science, London; New York University, Stern School of Business, New York and HEC Management School, Paris.

The appointment from the Executive Board of the Chartered Institute of Management and Leadership (CIML) USA said the position was executive and reflects their supreme confidence in his leadership capabilities, strategic vision, and commitment to advancing executive education, professional membership, and management standards across the African continent.

The letter said the position is an executive strategic expansion and growth role with a primary strategic mandate including establishing, structuring, driving, and supervising CIML operations, regional secretariats, and national chapters across African countries. ‘This encompasses securing strategic partnerships, institutional accreditations, and corporate alliances across target nations’, the letter added.

By this, Opuala-Charles, a Monetary Economist, is authorized to represent CIML USA in official capacities across Africa, subject to maintaining the highest standards of professional ethics, global corporate integrity, and adherence to CIML USA constitution, bylaws, and operational policies.

The tenured appointment with renewal options mandates him to drive and implement strategic campaigns for substantial membership growth and expansion across all membership grades in African countries; Establish, structure, and supervise CIML national secretariats, regional operational centers, and country chapters across Africa; Promote and advocate for CIML professional development certifications, executive training modules, and leadership programs across target nations; and Build and maintain high-level strategic partnerships with corporate organizations, academic institutions, and public sector bodies across the continent.

The Bayelsa-born professor is equally mandated to plan, oversee, and coordinate regional leadership conferences, executive summits, workshops, and official member induction ceremonies; and ensure all regional operational units adhere to local legal, statutory, and regulatory frameworks across operating African countries.

The headquarters said they look forward to his strategic vision and leadership driving CIML’s growth and continental footprint in Africa.

Opuala-Charles is believed to be fit and prepared for the enormous tasks of the new challenge. He worked long in the banking industry rescuing sections and branches. He grew to the General Manager’s cadre before his appointment as the Honourable Commissioner of Finance/budget/Economy in 2007, where he played a leading role in public sector institution building. As a commissioner, he spearheaded a lot of reforms. His stint in government led to the establishment of the Bayelsa State Economic Management Team which he served as a vice-chairman with the Governor as Chairman.

He pioneered the domestication of the legislations in public procurement, fiscal responsibility, public private partnership, infrastructure concessioning, and microcredit management as well as landmark policies in recurrent and capital expenditure approval processes, scholarship policy, budget, and treasury operations policies.

The erudite academic is now busy growing the next generation of business and finance experts at the Garden City Premier Business School as President.

He has published several books and over 70 articles in renowned journals (scopus-indexed) both overseas and in Nigeria. He has also supervised over 100 Thesis and Capstone Projects for both Master’s Degree and PhD Students.

He is indeed regarded widely as one of the best brains from the Niger Delta of Nigeria and a gift from Africa.

Chrome and Edge to embed AI in the browser

Tech giants Google and Microsoft are preparing to embed on-device artificial intelligence directly into their Chrome and Edge web browsers, although the background feature will require users to hold at least 20GB of free storage space.

Google confirmed Chrome can automatically download on-device generative AI models to local hardware provided the device meets performance thresholds, uses an unmetered internet connection and maintains roughly 20GB of available disk space.

The background AI model will power several browser features, including writing assistance, text summaries, tab management, and enhanced security tools.

Chrome relies on Gemini Nano, a lightweight model built for local processing to reduce reliance on cloud servers. In some cases, the browser may continue downloading required background modules even after a user closes the associated feature tab.

Developers emphasized the 20GB figure is a minimum threshold requirement rather than the actual download size. The AI models themselves are significantly smaller, although exact file sizes may vary with future model updates.

Users who prefer not to store local models can disable the feature by navigating to Settings > System > On-device AI. Toggling the setting off will automatically delete any downloaded models and prevent future background downloads until re-enabled.

Microsoft Edge is adopting a similar strategy by requiring 20GB of free space on the drive housing the user profile before downloading local models, such as Phi-4-mini, accessible via Microsoft’s Prompt API for developers.

To prevent storage exhaustion, Edge includes an automatic fail-safe that deletes downloaded AI models if available disk space drops below 10GB.

The push highlights a growing industry trend of browsers pre-loading local AI models without explicit user prompts, making routine storage checks essential for users with limited disk capacity.

Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan are building new economic bridge across Eurasia

Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are increasingly demonstrating what a modern regional economic partnership can look like: not simply the exchange of goods, but the movement of capital, technology, energy and infrastructure across borders. The growing relationship between Baku and Tashkent is particularly notable because the economic strengths of the two countries are complementary. Azerbaijan offers a gateway across the Caspian Sea toward the South Caucasus and European markets, while Uzbekistan brings the scale, industrial capacity and market potential of Central Asia. President Ilham Aliyev recently highlighted this complementarity precisely in an interview with Uzbekistan’s National Information Agency (UzA), saying that the economic opportunities of the two countries open broad horizons for new forms of cooperation.

The economic relationship between Baku and Tashkent increasingly supports that assessment. The two countries are no longer simply expanding trade in goods. Their cooperation is gradually developing into a broader economic partnership involving investment, industrial production, energy, renewable power, transportation and tourism.

The most visible sign of this momentum is the growth in bilateral trade. Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan increased more than threefold in 2025, reaching $795 million. In January-May 2026, it rose by another 33 percent year on year to $144 million. While these figures remain modest compared with the trade volumes of much larger economies, their growth rate demonstrates how quickly economic ties are expanding.

More importantly, the relationship is increasingly moving from trade toward investment. The Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Investment Company, established with total capital of $500 million, provides a platform for financing projects in both countries. Such an institution can have a greater long-term impact than rising trade alone because it creates opportunities for companies from the two countries to participate in projects together and build permanent economic links.

Industrial cooperation is already providing examples of this approach. Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are cooperating in the production of Chevrolet vehicles and Isuzu buses. By July 13, 2026, 10,720 Chevrolet vehicles and 275 Isuzu buses had been produced. These projects demonstrate the potential for cooperation to extend beyond importing and exporting finished products toward manufacturing, supply chains, technology and local production.

Energy is another major component of the relationship. Azerbaijani and Uzbek companies have been cooperating in the oil and gas sector for years, while the creation of Turan Energy AFEZCO has added another dimension to this partnership. The joint venture between SOCAR and Uzbekneftegaz exports high-pressure polyethylene produced by Azerikimya to Uzbekistan, linking the two economies through petrochemicals as well as traditional energy cooperation.

At the same time, the partnership is beginning to look toward the energy systems of the future. In 2025, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan established the Green Energy Corridor Alliance in Baku to coordinate the development of a regional green energy corridor, renewable energy exports and the potential transmission of electricity under the Caspian Sea. If these plans advance, Azerbaijan could become an important bridge between Central Asia’s renewable energy resources and markets farther west.

Transport is equally important. Transit shipments between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan increased by 6.7 percent in 2025 to 1.4 million tons, while the first six months of 2026 recorded a further 12.2 percent increase. These figures highlight the complementary geographical positions of the two countries. Uzbekistan is located at the heart of Central Asia, while Azerbaijan connects the region with the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea and routes leading toward Trkiye and Europe.

This is where the broader importance of the Middle Corridor becomes clear. Greater connectivity between Central Asian producers and western markets can create opportunities not only for transportation companies but also for manufacturers, logistics operators, investors and energy businesses. For Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, better connectivity can therefore reinforce both trade and investment.

The relationship is also becoming more balanced in terms of investment flows. More than 130 companies with Uzbek investment are registered in Azerbaijan, operating in sectors including industry, agriculture, construction, transport and services. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, is investing in Uzbekistan through projects such as PASHA Holding’s Ritz-Carlton hotel and residential complex in Tashkent and the Sea Breeze Uzbekistan tourism and residential development in the Tashkent region.

Taken together, these developments suggest that Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are building something considerably broader than a conventional trading relationship. Their economic interests complement each other: Uzbekistan brings a large Central Asian market, industrial capabilities and access to regional supply chains, while Azerbaijan offers connections across the Caspian Sea and toward the South Caucasus, Trkiye and European markets.

The next challenge will be to turn this complementarity into deeper economic integration. More joint ventures, manufacturing projects, investment flows, transport links and energy cooperation could make the bilateral partnership increasingly resilient.

The rapid trade growth is therefore only one part of a larger story. Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are gradually constructing an economic relationship in which goods, capital, energy and infrastructure move across borders together. If this process continues, their partnership could become an important economic bridge between Central Asia and the wider Eurasian market.

Canino eyes WGM title

Ruelle Canino is tipped as the Philippines’ next chess Woman Grandmaster.

The 18-year-old from Cagayan de Oro will have a shot at it as she sees action in the 7th ASEAN Individual Championships slated Nov. 2-10 at the Asenso Misamis Occidental Recreational and Aquamarine Park where the solo champion clinches an outright WGM title.

Canino actually came eerily close at snaring it in this same tournament last year but fell short and wound up second to claim WIM title instead.

The FEU player is currently on a European campaign along with Janelle Mae Frayna, the first and only Filipina WGM to date, and Jan Jodilyn Fronda in preparation for next month’s World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

She is also expected to see action in the Misamis Occidental Philippines International Championship on Nov. 10-17 also at the AMORAP.