Cecil Attah

A credible journalist and an audio-visual editor.

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TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have agreed to pay Alabama at least $100 million and introduce new restrictions on children’s use of the platform as part of a settlement with the US state.

The settlement, announced by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall on Friday, resolves allegations that TikTok used features designed to keep children on the platform and failed to adequately protect young users.

The case had been scheduled to go to trial on Monday.

Under the agreement, TikTok will impose a two-hour daily limit on children’s use of the platform, while parents will be able to set stricter limits.

The platform will also introduce overnight restrictions between midnight and 6am, as well as restrictions on messaging and push notifications during school hours.

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https://t.co/9zPIl4cldc

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OPay is installed on 69 per cent of smartphones used in Nigeria, making it the most widely present banking and fintech app in the country, according to the Nigeria Smartphone Study 2025.

The study, conducted by Orange Group and KPMG, showed that OPay had a significant lead over other financial apps installed on smartphones among respondents.

PalmPay ranked second with 29 per cent, while Access Bank recorded 16 per cent and Moniepoint 14 per cent.

UBA and GTBank followed with 11 per cent each, while FirstBank had 10 per cent, Zenith Bank nine per cent and Kuda eight per cent. PayPal recorded seven per cent.

The findings put OPay, PalmPay and Moniepoint among the three most commonly present banking and fintech apps on Nigerian smartphones, highlighting the growing role of digital financial platforms in everyday transactions.

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https://t.co/EI2mOw6oYY

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US President Donald Trump is set to host technology and artificial intelligence leaders on Tuesday for the launch of https://t.co/x6LafyaXJZ, a new government website designed to make it easier for Americans to access federal information and services.

The website will bring together information and resources currently spread across multiple government agencies, according to a White House official who spoke anonymously about the initiative.

The event will also feature panel discussions on artificial intelligence, energy, health, space and agriculture.

Among the technology leaders expected to attend are Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown. US Vice President JD Vance and other government officials are also expected to participate.

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https://t.co/YMVb88O4QV

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Internet connectivity has been disrupted in northern Ethiopia, according to internet monitor NetBlocks, as renewed fighting between federal forces and Tigrayan forces raises fears of a return to the communications blackout experienced during the region’s previous war.

NetBlocks said on Friday that network data confirmed a subnational internet disruption in northern Ethiopia, consistent with reports of a telecommunications blackout in Tigray.

“Confirmed: Network data indicate a subnational internet disruption in northern Ethiopia corresponding to reports of a telecoms blackout in Tigray,” the organisation said in a post on social media.

https://t.co/23WP6NHfYd

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The United States government has formally sought to join Elon Musk’s legal challenge against a €120 million fine imposed by the European Union on his social media platform, X.

Report says the US Department of Justice filed an application with the EU’s General Court in support of X’s bid to have the penalty annulled.

The European Commission imposed the fine in December 2025 after a two-year investigation under the bloc’s Digital Services Act.

The Commission said X had breached transparency requirements relating to its blue checkmark system, advertising repository and access to public data for researchers.

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https://t.co/PJjtIj9L7H

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BlackBerry has raised its full-year revenue forecast after its QNX software business posted record quarterly revenue, driven by growing demand for automotive software and new contracts with vehicle manufacturers.

The Canadian technology company said on Thursday that it now expects full-year 2027 revenue of between $616 million and $636 million, up from its previous forecast of $594 million to $621 million.

The revised outlook followed a strong second quarter in which revenue from QNX, BlackBerry’s software division, rose 27 per cent to $80.3 million for the three months ended August 31.

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Nigerians and businesses that delay their tax payments from October 1 will face a new interest regime tied directly to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s benchmark interest rate.

The new rule will take effect from October 1, 2026, following an order issued by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, under the Nigeria Tax Administration (Interest on Late Payment of Tax) Order, 2026.

The order was made pursuant to Section 65 of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025.

Under the new framework, interest on overdue naira-denominated taxes will be calculated at the CBN’s Monetary Policy Rate plus one percentage point.

https://t.co/XSGZ0H3w2p

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3cat Raises $4m to Expand Refurbished Device Business in Philippines

https://t.co/qTAlKOtvgV

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Saudi telecommunications operator Mobily has unveiled plans for a new digital transit route connecting Asia, Europe and Africa through Saudi Arabia.

The company announced the initiative at the Submarine Networks World conference in Singapore, where its Chief of Wholesale, Adel Alaskah, outlined plans to combine subsea cable landings with terrestrial fibre links across Saudi Arabia.

The network is designed to provide telecommunications operators with an alternative route for moving data between East Asia and Western markets, while reducing reliance on congested traditional pathways.

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https://t.co/YbqIQjF6WL

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South Korean prosecutors have asked an appeals court to sentence Kakao founder Kim Beom-su to 15 years in prison over alleged stock-price manipulation linked to the technology company’s acquisition of K-pop agency SM Entertainment.

Prosecutors also asked the court to impose a fine of 510 million won ($377,000), Yonhap News Agency reported on Wednesday.

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https://t.co/1fL8mXvkgt

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Tesla has gone on trial in California over allegations that Black employees at its Fremont factory were subjected to racial harassment, discrimination and unequal treatment for years.

The lawsuit, filed by the California Civil Rights Department in 2022, alleges that Tesla failed to prevent or adequately address racist conduct at its flagship manufacturing plant.

https://t.co/kKVOxjEROk

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Egypt is seeking to strengthen technology diplomacy as part of its economic diplomacy and expand digital cooperation with African countries in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital transformation and infrastructure.

Mohamed Karim Sherif, Assistant to Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs for African Affairs, disclosed this on Tuesday during the FDC Summit Egypt, which is being held in Egypt from Tuesday to Thursday.

https://t.co/06oZbKjDnv

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Egypt is seeking to strengthen technology diplomacy as part of its economic diplomacy and expand digital cooperation with African countries in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital transformation and infrastructure.

https://t.co/GF8Lafm4xz

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has begun strengthening the capacity of its public affairs officers to identify and respond to AI-generated misinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC said the move was necessary as advances in generative artificial intelligence have made it easier and cheaper to create fake audio, videos and images that can be difficult to distinguish from genuine content.

https://t.co/ERqP29ctLw

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Kenya is set to introduce new rules governing internet-based voice calls as the country moves to strengthen the quality and reliability of calling services on 4G and 5G networks.

The Communications Authority of Kenya said it would hold a stakeholder validation forum on September 30 to review proposed guidelines for the deployment and operation of commercial internet telephony services.

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https://t.co/KaUFpiI8XT

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Kenya has emerged as the second African country with the highest number of electric vehicle charging stations, with 235 facilities recorded in 2025, according to a survey by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

Egypt ranked first with 300 charging stations, while Ethiopia followed Kenya with 100. Rwanda recorded 40 stations, highlighting the wide gap in electric vehicle infrastructure across African countries.

https://t.co/46uZTyaqln

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A German court has ruled that Meta is liable for fake advertisements posted by third parties on Facebook and Instagram, ordering the technology company to remove the fraudulent content and pay damages.

The ruling was issued on Wednesday in a lawsuit brought by the operator of a German financial portal and its founder after their trademarked logo and image were allegedly used without permission in advertisements promoting fraudulent investment opportunities.

https://t.co/nA1GlT9H2t

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has held discussions with Google and Microsoft on the use of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
https://t.co/Qo8A98ph9X

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Cameroonian healthtech startup Waspito has become the first African company to win the top prize in the Rocket Fuel startup competition at LEAP, taking home $250,000 in equity-free funding.

Waspito emerged as the overall winner at LEAP 2026, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after competing against startups from around the world.

https://t.co/M7Ta3NYAPH

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Bolt Sees 92% Surge in Driver Applications After Uber Exit

https://t.co/TjSlfEsILs