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Key takeaways The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revoked the operating licences of 46 microfinance banks, effective July 1, 2026, as part of a regulatory crackdown on non-compliant lenders. The apex bank said the affected institutions failed to meet regulatory requirements, citing issues such as insufficient assets to cover liabilities, prolonged inactivity, and others. Fintech-linked institutions affected include Sycamore Microfinance Bank, NOW NOW Digital MFB, OurPass MFB, Creditville MFB, and Casha MFB. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has explained why it revoked the operating licences of 46 microfinance banks (MFBs), stating that the institutions no longer met the…

The NHS will have to divert £45bn from essential services to pay for new medicines under the terms of the UK-US trade deal agreed last December, leading to more than 200,000 avoidable deaths of patients, analysis has found.Ministers have defended the deal as a way of helping British drug exports to the US avoid tariffs, and giving patients in England access to potentially life-extending drugs that would otherwise be denied.But they have been accused of caving in to US demands to spend billions of pounds a year extra on drugs supplied to the NHS after pressure from Donald Trump. The…

Scientists can send confusing messages when they mix evidence and political beliefs.Credit: Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via GettyMany countries are in a crisis of trust. In the United Kingdom, polls show deep distrust in politicians. Trust in business, journalism, the police and the judiciary is falling, too. But, one institution still commands broad respect: science. Politicians have a net trust score of −75%, whereas scientists have a score of 58%.When people are asked what makes them optimistic about the future, the top three answers are medical advances, new technology and research and innovation. In fourth place: nothing. These findings, from UK…

Senegal became the fifth African country to be eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after suffering a 3-2 defeat to Belgium in their Round of 32 clash on Wednesday. Belgium, who had trailed 2-0 with four minutes of normal time remaining, advanced to the last 16 thanks to a Youri Tielemans penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time at the end of extra-time. Also on Wednesday, the Democratic Republic of the Congo were eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after suffering a 2-1 defeat to England. The Leopards looked set for a major upset when Brian Cipenga…

A Los Angeles jury has found American singer Chris Brown liable for negligence in a civil lawsuit stemming from a 2020 dog attack that seriously injured his former housekeeper, Maria Avila. The verdict, delivered after a two-week trial, requires Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, to pay Avila $12.9 million in damages, according to Billboard. Avila sued Brown after she was attacked by a 200-pound Caucasian shepherd named Hades while taking out the rubbish at Brown’s home in Tarzana, California. She told the court that the dog caused severe injuries, including permanent facial disfigurement, scarring, vision loss and nerve…

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Esther Oluku  The Audit Committee Institute of Nigeria (ACIN) has called on accounting and audit professionals to strengthen individual competence as they carries out their core function so as to boost investors’ confidence in Nigeria’s financial market. This is even as the institute called for stronger professionals oversight and data governance as professional adopt artificial intelligence tools to safeguard shareholder trust. These were submissions made at the 2026 Audit Committee Conference which held in Lagos yesterday, themed; “Guardian of Truth: Informed. Vigilant. Attending.” In his keynote address titled, ‘The Guardians of Financial Truth in the Age of AI: The Challenge of Meeting Society’s Expectations’, Chairman, Audit Committee…

NewsFeedThe US and Israel have signed a deal allocating land for a permanent US embassy in West Jerusalem, years after a temporary one was established during Trump’s first term in office. The move is yet another blow to the hopes of a future Palestinian capital.Published On 1 Jul 20261 Jul 2026Click here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharegoogleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has commenced the process of paying insured deposits to customers of the 46 microfinance banks whose operating licences were revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head of Communication and Public Affairs Department, Hawwau Gambo, the corporation said it had been appointed the official liquidator of the failed banks following the CBN’s revocation of their licences, which took effect on 1 July. The NDIC said its appointment was in line with the provisions of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020 and the…

Earlier this year, shares of traditional SaaS companies tumbled amid investor fears that software built with AI could eventually displace those businesses. Despite such concerns, Bending Spoons, a company that acquires and revitalizes stagnating but well-known tech firms, saw its shares surge in its market debut. It closed at $40.50 on Wednesday, nearly 40% above its $29 IPO price. At that price, the 13-year-old Milan, Italy-based company has a market capitalization of $25.7 billion, more than double its last private valuation of $11 billion. The company raised $1.68 billion in its offering. Bending Spoons has grown rapidly by acquiring aging,…