Author: damazah@gmail.com

Airtel Africa is betting that its fast-growing mobile money business can become a standalone fintech powerhouse. The telecoms group has confirmed London as its preferred listing venue for Airtel Money in 2026, as the business continues to grow across its African markets. The announcement came as Airtel Africa reported strong results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, with customer growth, data usage, mobile money activity, and profitability all increasing. For Airtel Africa, the numbers point to a business increasingly driven by more than traditional voice calls. Its 189 million customers are consuming more data, using more digital services, and…

Andy Burnham has announced he is pausing a scheme which would have seen thousands of prisoners in England and Wales eligible to be released early.It came after criticism of the scheme from survivors and victims’ families, including the widow of PC Andrew Harper who described the possibility of his killers’ early release as “deplorable”.The Sentencing Act, which was due to come into effect in September, would have seen some offenders let out at varying stages in a bid to ease prison overcrowding.The new Justice Secretary Alex Norris said the pause aimed to “give victims and survivors certainty” and the government…

Firefighters are struggling to contain wildfires in south-west France as strong winds push flames towards the city of Bordeaux, with one official saying they “are far from having the fire under control.”More than 250,000 people in France and Spain have fled fires which have been raging for days, as winds and high temperatures hamper efforts to contain them. Overnight, seven towns west of Bordeaux were told to evacuate residents. In Spain, where a state of emergency has been declared, a change in weather conditions has helped firefighters outside Madrid.Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez admitted there are “complex times ahead”. Meanwhile, authorities…

On Saturday, Anthony Joshua returns to the ring when he faces Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The fight will stream live on DAZN PPV.On paper, this is a fight Joshua would be expected to win with ease, but external factors make what should be a tune-up for Joshua vs. Tyson Fury later this year seem more high-risk for the two-time former unified heavyweight champion.Joshua’s most recent fight was his six-round demolition of Jake Paul on Dec. 19, a fight that left Paul with a shattered jaw and Joshua with a bounce-back victory after his own knockout loss to Daniel…

‘Tis the season for “Bob’s Burgers,” which will return to the holidays with an all-new Christmas-themed short set to premiere on Hulu (and internationally for most Disney+ subscribers) later this year. Here’s the description for the short, titled “On the Fort Day of Christmas”: “a record-breaking Christmas snowstorm means one thing to the Belcher kids — a record-breaking Christmas snow fort.” At the “Bob’s Burgers” San Diego Comic-Con panel today, July 25 in Ballroom 20, “Bob’s Burgers” creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard announced “On the Fort Day of Christmas” at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday during their panel. Also…

It is not too late to get a good deal on your holiday car rental, even if you have booked already and are travelling soon. But there are many pitfalls to avoid so that you do not end up paying over the odds.A survey from Which? found that one in eight people who had hired a car in the past two years had ended up paying more than they were first quoted.“Booking car hire should be straightforward, but hidden fees, unclear terms and costly add-ons still make it difficult for travellers to compare prices and know who is really offering the best deal,”…

Arsenal are exploring a potential deal for Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, while the Spanish giants are reportedly advancing their efforts to sign RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande. Sky Sports News on Saturday reported that there has been no club-to-club contact between Arsenal and Real Madrid over Vinicius, but the Premier League club’s interest is genuine. The Brazilian is one of several forwards Arsenal are exploring, with Julian Alvarez, Diomande and Bradley Barcola also among their options. Vinicius, 26, has entered the final year of his contract with Real Madrid. If an agreement cannot be reached on a new deal,…

A few days ago, the second smart school built by the Otti administration was commissioned. It is located at Umuomaiukwu, a rural community in Isiala Ngwa North LGA. Umuomaiukwu is one of the three villages that make up the Autonomous Community known as Agburuezeukwu which is part of the larger Oha Nsulu. The mere mention of the words SMART SCHOOL evokes certain reactions. There is this feeling in some quarters that the state has been lagging behind in the implementation of the smart schools policy. Those who feel this way are not completely wrong. Even the governor himself said at…

Enugu Air has formally addressed online reports regarding the airworthiness and history of its Embraer E170 aircraft that experienced a runway excursion at Benin Airport on July 23. In an official statement released on Saturday, the airline pushed back against circulating claims regarding the aircraft’s prior ownership and operational history, clarifying that the aircraft was fully certified and cleared by regulatory authorities prior to the flight. Enugu Air confirmed that the jet—operating as Flight 4264 with registration mark 5N-ENR—was flying under a valid Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) issued and routinely maintained in accordance with the strict regulations of the Nigeria…

Prediction market Kalshi sent Netflix a cease-and-desist letter on Friday demanding that the streaming service take down the trailer for an upcoming documentary. In the letter, Kalshi claimed the trailer is “defamatory” and contains “both fabricated documents and false and misleading statements.” “Instadocs: The Prediction Games” is a documentary about the rise of prediction markets. According to Netflix, the film — part of the streamer’s “Instadoc” series of fast-turnaround documentaries  — features interviews with both Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan and Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour. The trailer, however, focuses on a recent party in Las Vegas, where men who have “made…