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Stock Index Futures Open Higher At Wall

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13 years ago

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Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street yesterday with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 rising 0.2 to 0.4 percent.

ICSC/Goldman Sachs release chain store sales for the week ended March 23 at 1145 GMT. In the previous week, sales rose 1.4 percent.

U.S. investment firm KKR & Co LP (KKR.N) will sell Japanese temporary staffing agency Intelligence Holdings to a domestic peer, Temp Holdings (2181.T), for 68 billion yen ($721 million) after almost doubling the value of the company.

The Commerce Department releases February durable goods orders at 1230 GMT. Economists expect a 3.8 percent rise in February orders, compared with a 4.9 percent drop in January.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has fined Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) $1.7 million over pipeline safety violations relating to a 2011 oil spill in the Yellowstone River, regulators have said.

Redbook releases its Retail Sales Index of department and chain store sales for March at 1255 GMT. In the prior period, sales rose 0.7 percent.

Standard & Poor’s releases its S&P Case/Shiller Home Price Index for January at 1300 GMT. Economists expect a 0.9 percent rise in the 20 city index, a repeat of the December increase.

The Commerce Department releases new home sales for February at 1400 GMT. Economists in a Reuters survey forecast a total of 420,000 annualized units, compared with 437,000 in January.

The Conference Board releases March consumer confidence data at 1400 GMT. Economists expect a reading of 68.0, compared with 69.6 in February.

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond releases March indexes on area manufacturing and service sectors at 1400 GMT. In February, the composite manufacturing index was 6, the manufacturing shipments index read 10, and the services revenue index was 11.

European shares steadied on Tuesday, with some investors using the previous sessions’ steep sell-off to buy back into the market, but uncertainties about the broader implications of the Cyprus bailout kept a lid on any gains.

Banks in Cyprus will remain closed until Thursday, and will then be subject to capital controls to prevent a run on deposits. President Nicos Anastasiades said late on Monday the 10 billion euro ($13 billion) rescue plan was “painful” but essential to avoid economic meltdown.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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3 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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3 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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3 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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