Author: Elan

Oil isn’t supposed to be the story in 2026. The macro narrative powering “cuts soon, liquidity soon” trades relies on disinflation staying intact.However, Brent jumped 4.35% to $70.35 on Feb. 18, and WTI surged 4.59% to $65.19 after headlines revived the risk of a US-Iran conflict and Russia-Ukraine talks ended without breakthroughs.This isn’t just an “oil traders” print. It’s a rates print, and by extension, a Bitcoin print.Bitcoin doesn’t trade barrels. It trades the path of financial conditions. When oil moves on supply-disruption fear, it hits the exact pressure points that keep rates higher for longer.Risk premium, not demandThe jump…

Lagos is one of the most mobile cities in Africa, yet much of its daily movement remains inefficient. Millions of commuters travel the same routes every morning and evening, often at the same time, while private cars move through the city with empty seats and rising fuel costs. LincRide, a new Lagos-based carpooling platform, is entering the market to address this gap by matching people already going in the same direction and enabling them to share rides and costs. Rather than creating new trips, the platform focuses on optimising trips that already exist. Solving an Efficiency Problem, Not Creating Another…

C. Scott Brown / Android AuthorityTL;DR DJI’s upcoming Osmo Pocket 4 has leaked in a video. The video was supposedly shot inside a DJI-authorized store. It points to a slightly improved design and suggests the inclusion of an LED fill light accessory. Nearly three years after DJI launched the widely appreciated Osmo Pocket 3, its successor is on the horizon. As DJI prepares to launch the Osmo Pocket 4, the handheld pocket camera is already being spotlighted, and one recently appeared in a DJI-authorized store.Droneskaki, an authorized DJI seller in Malaysia, recently posted a video of the Osmo Pocket 4…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the National Democratic Party (NDP) as a political party, ruling that the association met all constitutional and statutory requirements. The judgment was delivered by Hon. Justice M. G. Umar on February 16, following an originating summons filed on December 29, 2025, by the plaintiffs in the suit marked Hon. Ada Frederick Okwori & Ors. v. INEC. In a certified true copy of the judgment obtained by journalists on Thursday, the court held that the plaintiffs satisfied the provisions of Sections 222-224 of the 1999…

Nairobi — Russia has blamed Kenya for stalled labour migration and security cooperation talks amid the controversy over the recruitment of Kenyans to fighin tht e Russia-Ukraine war. In a statement issued Thursday, the Russian Embassy in Nairobi suggested that delays in finalizing bilateral agreements may have contributed to concerns raised by Kenyan authorities. “The Embassy remains open for a constructive and depoliticized dialogue with the government authorities of the Republic of Kenya aimed both at resolving legitimate concerns of the Kenyan side, as well as at development and formalization of mutually beneficial cooperation,” the statement read. “Their soonest finalization…

The European Central Bank (ECB) is moving closer to a pilot for a digital euro, with Executive Board Member Piero Cipollone outlining plans to begin selecting payment service providers (PSPs) in early 2026, ahead of a 12-month test scheduled for the second half of 2027.Cipollone on Wednesday held an executive committee meeting of the Italian Banking Association. He said the pilot would involve a limited number of payment service providers, merchants and Eurosystem staff. Selection of participating providers is expected to start in the first quarter of 2026.Cipollone said the digital euro will be designed to ensure it protects European…

Yesterday, February 17th, 2026, MTN Group made a significant announcement about plans to fully acquire IHS Towers in a deal valued at $6.2 billion. MTN already owns 24.7% of IHS Towers, but wants to buy back the remaining 75% for $2.2 billion in an all-cash deal— MTN Group will source $1.1 billion from available liquidity and debt, while another $1.1 billion in cash will come from IHS’s balance sheet. MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita views the acquisition as a “pivotal step in further strengthening MTN Group’s strategic and financial position for a future where digital infrastructure will become…

OpenAI has introduced a new Lockdown Mode in ChatGPT, designed to limit some features in exchange for stronger security controls. The company says most users do not need to enable it.Lockdown Mode is aimed at people facing elevated digital risk, including journalists, activists, and users working in sensitive environments. It reduces how much ChatGPT can access, execute, or retrieve outside of the app.What Lockdown Mode in ChatGPT changes?When enabled, Lockdown Mode in ChatGPT restricts several capabilities. Web browsing is limited to cached content. ChatGPT cannot pull live information from the internet, reducing the risk of unintended data exposure. The tradeoff…

As Gen Z continues to dominate cultural conversation and spending power, Penquin, one of South Africa’s leading brand and communication agencies, is urging brands to rethink how they show up in 2026. According to Nicole Glover, Executive Creative Director – Digital at Penquin, the old playbook of flashy campaigns and creator collabs is losing its grip.  “Gen Z isn’t waiting to be entertained by brands,” says Glover. “They’re watching how brands behave when no one’s clapping. They don’t cancel brands anymore, they mute them. Quietly. Permanently. If your values disappear the moment they threaten profit, Gen Z sees that instantly, and…

African startups raised $3.9 billion across more than 500 deals in 2025, according to a report by the African Private Capital Association. The industry group for venture capital and private equity investors said the year’s performance signaled that Africa’s startup scene had entered “a phase of disciplined stabilization” after previous years marked by declining investment. African investors accounted for a new high of 45% of the total sum raised — up from an average of 23% between 2022 and 2024 — with corporates and African development finance institutions leading the charge. Another notable trend in 2025 was that venture debt…