Tottenham Hotspur winger Manor Solomon and his new wife, Dana Voshina, find themselves stranded in Israel following their wedding ceremony due to escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran. The couple had recently celebrated their marriage at Kahi Events Resort in Israel, sharing joyful moments on social media. However, the situation quickly deteriorated as missile and drone attacks from Iran forced Israeli authorities to close the country’s airspace to all civilian flights, effectively grounding all departures. The UK Foreign Office has issued a travel advisory against all journeys to Israel, warning that even road travel may be disrupted. Evacuation efforts for Solomon and his wife are currently impossible under these conditions. This is not the first time Solomon has faced such turmoil; the Israeli international was evacuated from Ukraine in 2022 while playing for Shakhtar Donetsk. The conflict has also impacted other footballers, including Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi, who remains in Tehran after returning home to receive a national award. Tensions in the region have escalated sharply, with Iranian military officials making nuclear threats, although Pakistan’s defense minister has denied any intention of retaliation[Search results]. Solomon, who permanently joined Tottenham in 2023 after a successful loan spell at Leeds United, where he helped secure the Championship title, recently played in Israel’s World Cup qualifiers. His current predicament highlights the human side of geopolitical conflicts that extend beyond the pitch, affecting athletes and their families caught in the crossfire.Fans and the football community await updates on the couple’s safety and potential evacuation plans.
MultiChoice trials weekly DStv subscriptions in Uganda, eyes expansion across Africa
Pay-TV giant MultiChoice Group is piloting a weekly subscription model for its DStv service in Uganda, aiming to better align payments with customers’ income patterns, particularly in markets where earnings are often daily or weekly. The trial, which began seven weeks ago, could expand to other African countries, including Nigeria, within the next three to six months if successful, MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela told South Africa’s Sunday Times. Mawela explained that offering weekly passes is a significant shift designed to ease payment burdens for subscribers facing economic challenges, likening it to the transformative effect prepaid mobile services had on telecoms. He also revealed that the company is exploring a hybrid channel packaging model, starting with a base package and allowing customers to add specific channels, though a full à la carte option remains off the table. In response to subscriber declines, especially in Nigeria and South Africa, MultiChoice is considering unbundling its sports channels into a separate subscription package to retain customers. The company’s latest financial results showed a net profit turnaround to R2.02 billion for the year ending March 2025, largely due to the sale of a stake in its insurance arm. However, overall group revenue fell 9%, driven by an 11% drop in subscription revenue, with the Rest of Africa region losing 1.8 million subscribers over two years, 77% of that loss coming from Nigeria.
Oracle’s Larry Ellison surges to world’s second richest after $40 billion wealth jump
Larry Ellison, co-founder and chairman of Oracle Corporation, has become the world’s second richest person after a historic two-day surge in his net worth. Ellison’s fortune soared by $40 billion to reach $258 billion, propelled by a record-breaking rally in Oracle’s stock following the company’s latest earnings report. The 80-year-old tech magnate overtook Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, now trailing only Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who remains the world’s richest individual. Oracle shares jumped 13% on Thursday and climbed another 7% by midday Friday, trading at an all-time high of about $215 per share. The rally was triggered by Oracle’s quarterly earnings, which beat Wall Street expectations with adjusted earnings per share of $1.70 and revenue of $15.9 billion for the period ending last month. The company’s impressive performance was largely attributed to surging demand for Oracle’s cloud infrastructure, especially as businesses race to support artificial intelligence (AI) workloads. Oracle’s cloud segment has become a critical growth driver, with analysts calling the latest results a “watershed event” that could mark the beginning of an accelerated growth phase for the company. Ellison, who owns 41% of Oracle, saw his wealth increase by $25 billion on Thursday and another $16 billion on Friday. The combined two-day gain added $104 billion to Oracle’s market capitalization, more than the entire value of major companies like Intel or Nike. “Ellison’s net worth accordingly rocketed by more than $40 billion to $258 billion from Wednesday to Friday, enjoying easily the largest daily bump of any billionaire on both Thursday and Friday,” Forbes reported. Oracle’s momentum is closely tied to the global shift toward AI and cloud computing. The company’s infrastructure is now a backbone for major applications and government data, and Oracle is the hosting provider for TikTok’s U.S. user data. Analysts say the expanding adoption of AI technologies is positioning Oracle as a pivotal player in the tech industry. Brad Zelnick of Deutsche Bank described the earnings as a pivotal moment for Oracle, while Derrick Wood of TD Cowen predicted that the company’s 2026 fiscal year could bring even faster growth, driven by AI. Despite his age, Ellison remains deeply involved in technology and politics. He has served on Tesla’s board, contributed to political campaigns, and recently helped launch Stargate, a joint AI infrastructure venture with SoftBank and OpenAI, unveiled alongside former U.S. President Donald Trump.
FCCPC summons Air Peace over unrefunded tickets on cancelled flights
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has summoned Air Peace Limited to answer for numerous complaints from passengers who say they have not received refunds for flights cancelled by the airline. In a statement released Monday, FCCPC Director of Public Affairs Ondaje Ijagwu said the commission has received a deluge of complaints nationwide about unrefunded ticket fares, even in situations where Air Peace itself cancelled the flights. The commission’s summons, dated June 13, directs Air Peace management to appear at FCCPC headquarters in Abuja on June 23. According to the FCCPC, Air Peace’s alleged failure to process refunds may violate Sections 130(1)(a), 130(1)(b), and 130(2)(b) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018. These sections guarantee consumers the right to timely refunds when service providers fail to deliver prepaid services. The commission has ordered Air Peace to provide several documents, including a log of refund-related complaints from the past year, records of processed refunds, a list of all cancelled flights within that period, and details of steps taken to reduce passenger hardship. Under Nigerian law, airlines are required to promptly reimburse passengers when flights are cancelled. The FCCPA entitles consumers to fair and timely refunds when a business fails to deliver a prepaid service. In addition, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Regulations 2023 specify that passengers must be reimbursed or re-routed if a flight is cancelled. For domestic flights paid in cash, refunds must be processed immediately; for other payment methods or international routes, refunds must be completed within 14 days. This latest development is separate from an earlier FCCPC investigation into alleged exploitative pricing by Air Peace for advance bookings on certain domestic routes, a probe that the airline is currently challenging in court. The FCCPC has warned that failure to comply with the summons could result in sanctions, including fines or imprisonment, as stipulated under Section 33(3) of the FCCPA. The commission’s action reinforces the expectation that airlines operating in Nigeria must fulfill their refund obligations promptly and transparently when flights are cancelled, ensuring consumer rights are protected.
LemFi acquires UK fintech Pillar to launch credit cards for immigrants
London-based international payments startup LemFi has acquired UK fintech Pillar in a strategic move to offer specialised credit cards tailored for immigrant communities, addressing a major barrier to financial inclusion in the UK. Pillar, founded by former Revolut employees Ashutosh Bhatt and Adam Lewis, developed technology that enables immigrants to access credit products by recognising international credit histories and using alternative data for credit assessments. Since its inception, Pillar has issued about 20,000 cards, mainly to migrants from India and Nigeria. The acquisition, completed in May and approved by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, integrates Pillar’s licensed card issuance technology and team into LemFi. This will allow LemFi to become the first major remittance platform to offer credit as a core product, complementing its existing money transfer services used by over two million customers across the US, UK, Canada, and Europe. LemFi’s co-founder and CEO, Ridwan Olalere, said the move is part of the company’s vision to build a full-stack financial service for immigrants worldwide. “Through LemFi Credit, we already help customers grow their credit within the app. With this acquisition, we plan to offer credit cards starting in the UK, leveraging Pillar’s technology to import credit histories, provide alternative credit assessments, and integrate credit building with remittance services,” he explained. The new LemFi Credit service, currently in private beta, has already attracted over 8,000 users with an 18% weekly growth rate. Customers can access virtual cards compatible with Apple Pay and Google Pay, with physical cards expected later this year. Ashutosh Bhatt shared his personal experience of financial exclusion despite a good salary in the UK, highlighting the persistent challenges immigrants face. “We still can’t offer equitable access to bank accounts or credit cards to someone from another country. Together with LemFi, we aim to increase our reach tenfold and build truly global access to credit,” he said. LemFi has raised over $86 million in funding to date, including a $53 million Series B round earlier this year.This deal marks a major step forward in reshaping how immigrants manage money globally, combining remittance and credit services in a single platform designed to meet their unique needs.
Helicopters and tear gas used against unarmed protesters in Benue, activists condemn crackdown
Peaceful protesters demanding an end to ongoing killings in Benue State were met with a harsh security response involving armored vehicles, helicopters, and tear gas, sparking widespread condemnation from human rights activists and political groups. Agena Robert Ande, Chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the Federal Capital Territory, described the crackdown as “state-sponsored brutality” and criticized Governor Hyacinth Alia for ordering the violent dispersal instead of engaging with the demonstrators. “The deployment of such heavy security machinery against unarmed protesters is an outrageous display of thuggishness,” Ande said in a statement on Sunday. The protesters had gathered peacefully in Makurdi to demand justice for victims of repeated attacks by armed herdsmen, which have led to significant loss of life in the state. Ande linked the violence to the government’s failure to address the root causes, particularly the activities of Fulani herdsmen accused of terrorizing communities. He also called on Governor Alia to publicly condemn the killings and collaborate with security agencies to protect citizens and hold perpetrators accountable. Reports indicate some attackers originate from neighboring Nasarawa State, prompting calls for inter-state cooperation to prevent further assaults. Ande warned that the people of Benue are losing patience with the government’s inadequate response and vowed that they “will not be silenced” in their demand for justice. Governor Alia condemned the recent attacks on Yelwata town in Guma Local Government Area, where over 100 people were reportedly killed, and announced deployment of federal tactical teams to restore security. However, his handling of the protests and the broader security crisis has drawn sharp criticism. The incident highlights the escalating tensions in Benue State, where communities continue to suffer from violence amid calls for effective government intervention and protection of human rights.