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Sundar Pichai faces boos, walkout at Stanford graduation ceremony over Google’s Israel, ICE ties

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Over the weekend, Google CEO Sundar Pichai faced a small revolt when he delivered his commencement speech at Stanford University, where he earned his graduate degree in materials science and engineering. About 200 students from the graduating class reportedly walked out, while others loudly booed the tech executive.

The focus of the protest was Google’s defense ties — including Project Nimbus, the controversial $1.2 billion contract, shared with Amazon, to provide cloud and AI services to the Israeli military, as well as its relationship with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Student signs included phrases like “ICE SPIES WITH GOOGLE AI” and “GENOCIDE RUNS ON GOOGLE,” as well as “FREE FREE PALESTINE,” a press release associated with the protest notes. Students also waved Palestinian flags and shouted “free Palestine,” online video of the protest shows.

“We are walking out because we refuse to glorify the corporations that fuel this violence and exercise our power to choose differently,” a statement associated with the protest reads.

The walkout was organized by a number of campus activist groups, including Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine, No Tech for Apartheid, and Tech for Liberation. TechCrunch reached out to Google for comment.

As the war in Gaza has raged, Google’s participation in Nimbus has drawn protests from both inside and outside of the company. In 2024, Google fired 28 workers for protesting the contract, although it has continued to suffer internal dissent over the issue since then. It was also recently criticized by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which accused it and other companies of “choosing to look the other way” on Israel’s use of their services.

Project Nimbus also enjoys support from Amazon. Microsoft has also been criticized for its support of the Israeli military, although the company restricted the Israeli government’s use of its technology after an investigation found that its cloud services were being used to mass-surveil Palestinians.

The student protest also drew criticism from business leaders online. Vinod Khosla, the billionaire co-founder of Sun Microsystems and one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent venture capitalists, posted on X that the protest was “biased, idiotic, short-sighted and very selfish,” adding that it was selfish because the students “ignored the bottom 3 billion people on this planet that could benefit from AI and they are worried about their misinformed selfish self-interest.”

Pichai’s appearance at Stanford is part of a broader pattern. Speakers at college graduation ceremonies around the country have faced boos when they have attempted to get outgoing college students excited about AI. But rarely has student animus been as targeted as it was with Pichai, directed not at AI hype, but at the specific business decisions made by the company he leads. In general, young people seem to believe that AI is threatening their employment opportunities and may be ruining other parts of society as well.

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2027: 'Tinubu doing politics, wickedness since becoming president' – Atiku's aide replies Alake

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The Senior Political Assistant to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Demola Olarewaju, on Monday accused President Bola Tinubu of “doing politics and wickedness” since assuming office in 2023.

Olarewaju said that instead of ensuring good governance, Tinubu had been busy wooing state governors to support his re-election bid in 2027.

He made the remark in reaction to an explanation by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, on why Tinubu would not visit all states to campaign.

Speaking during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, Tinubu said he could not visit all states for campaign activities because he would be focusing on governance.

Commenting on Tinubu’s position, Alake said the president had chosen 12 states to visit because they were “election deciders.”

Alake said, “The 12 states that President Tinubu chose to campaign in are actually election deciders; he should be commended for that. He is not going to abandon governance for campaigning.”

Faulting Alake’s remarks, Olarewaju insisted that Tinubu had no achievements to campaign on.

In a post on X, he wrote, “Bola Tinubu has been doing politics and wickedness since Day One instead of good governance, he was wooing Governors instead.

“Now time for campaign, but no achievement to campaign with. Instead, they want to pretend he’s too busy with governance. #TinubuMustGo abeg.”

2027: ‘Tinubu doing politics, wickedness since becoming president’ – Atiku’s aide replies Alake

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NPFL: Ranchers Bees Appoint Ma’aji Muhammad as New Head Coach After Usman Abd’Allah’s Exit

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Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) newcomers Ranchers Bees have appointed Ma’aji Muhammad as their new head coach for the remainder of the 2026/2027 season, following the departure of Technical Adviser Usman Abd’Allah by mutual consent.

READ ALSO: NPFL: Ranchers Bees Part Ways With Usman Abd’Allah After Just 115 Days, Two Wins in Nine Matches | Sports247 Nigeria

Sports247 reports that the appointment comes after the Kaduna-based club suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Shooting Stars in their Matchday 9 encounter in Ibadan on Friday, October 16, 2026.

Muhammad now takes charge of a Ranchers Bees side seeking to rediscover its form and improve its position in the league following a difficult start to the campaign.

The decision to appoint Muhammad represents a new chapter for the newly promoted side as they attempt to establish themselves in Nigeria’s top flight.

Ranchers Bees have struggled for consistency in their opening nine league matches, recording just two victories, two draws and five defeats. The club’s latest setback came against Shooting Stars, where goals from Desmond Ojietefian, Damilola Akinola and Qamar Adegoke condemned the Kaduna outfit to a 3-1 defeat.

Although Isah Ndala Aliyu scored for Ranchers Bees and goalkeeper Tofa saved a second-half penalty, their efforts were insufficient to prevent another defeat.

The result increased the pressure on the club’s technical crew and ultimately preceded Abd’Allah’s departure.

Abd’Allah’s tenure came to an end after just 115 days in charge. The club confirmed his departure alongside some members of the technical crew in an official statement.

“Ranchers Bees Kaduna confirms that the club has parted ways with Technical Adviser Usman Abdullah and some members of the technical crew by mutual agreement,” the statement read.

During his nine NPFL matches in charge, Abd’Allah recorded two wins, two draws and five defeats, collecting eight points from a possible 27. His departure leaves Muhammad with the responsibility of addressing the team’s inconsistent results and restoring confidence within the squad.

For Ma’aji Muhammad, the appointment presents an opportunity to guide Ranchers Bees through a crucial period of their return to top-flight football.

The new head coach will be expected to improve the team’s performances, strengthen defensive organisation and help the players convert competitive displays into positive results.

Having collected eight points from their opening nine fixtures, Ranchers Bees need greater consistency to avoid becoming embroiled in a prolonged struggle near the lower end of the table.

Muhammad will also face the challenge of motivating a squad that has endured a difficult sequence of results.

The coaching change underlines the club’s determination to improve its fortunes before the season progresses further.

With Muhammad appointed for the remainder of the campaign, attention will now turn to how quickly he can implement his ideas and produce a positive response from the players.

The coming fixtures will provide an early indication of whether the managerial change can deliver the improvement Ranchers Bees require.

For the newly promoted Kaduna club, the message is clear: Ma’aji Muhammad has been handed the responsibility of turning around a difficult start and helping Ranchers Bees secure their place in the Nigeria Premier Football League.

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