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Stock Index Futures Point To Lower Open

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14 years ago

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Stock markets pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.3 percent, while Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 futures were each off 0.2 percent at 0848 GMT.

Diary highlights include February housing starts data at 1230 GMT, a testimony on the international financial system by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner at 1400 GMT and a lecture by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke at 1645 GMT.

Earnings calendar features results from contract manufacturer Jabil Circuit the world’s third-largest software maker Oracle, computer contractor SAIC) and jeweler Tiffany.

A much-anticipated budget plan due from Republicans in the House of Representatives includes sweeping tax reforms that cut rates and pare down individual income tax brackets to two from six.

World equity markets painted a mixed picture, with Japan’s Nikkei average rising for a fifth session while concerns about global growth and gloomy corporate news knocked 0.7 percent off the pan-European FTSE Eurofirst 300 .

On Monday, the S&P 500 extended its rally to climb within 10 percent of its record closing high set in October 2007, after Apple said it would pay a $10 billion annual dividend and buy back stock. The benchmark index closed up 0.4 percent at 1,409.75 points .

Monday saw busy after the bell trading following a clutch of corporate news releases:

Fashion company Michael Kors reported strong retail sales and raised its earnings outlook, sending its shares up 3 percent.

Bank of America shares rose 1.8 percent after it said it has no intention of issuing additional equity in a secondary offering, contrary to rumors that may have lowered its stock price during afternoon trading.

Walt Disney shares fell 1 percent after said it expects mega-budget science-fiction movie “John Carter” will lose about $200 million in the current quarter.

Adobe Systems shares dipped 4.4 percent following news revenue growth slowed as sales of its widely used Creative Suite software fell, missing its forecasts.

BHP Billiton, the world’s biggest miner, said it was seeing signs of “flattening” iron ore demand from China, reigniting concerns about global growth.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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4 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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4 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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4 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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