Digital Finance Competition: Airtel Money plans a Mastercard-backed virtual card in Kenya to let customers pay for international e-commerce from their mobile wallets, directly challenging Safaricom’s M-Pesa GlobalPay; the group says it will also roll out in DRC and Gabon, with no timeline given. Energy & Mining Finance: Madagascar’s sovereign wealth fund Fonds Souverain Malagasy is partnering with London-based Gemcorp Capital Management to raise up to $5bn over four years for hydropower, solar and mineral development, including graphite, cobalt, nickel and rare earths, with an Antananarivo office planned. Maritime Safety Cooperation: Madagascar’s Mahajanga hosted a regional maritime search-and-rescue training bringing together professionals from eight countries, supported by local vessels, to strengthen cross-border coordination. Comoros Migration Pressure: A new Comoros jobs law is hitting Malagasy small traders and migrants, with critics calling it discriminatory and supporters framing it as economic sovereignty. Public Health Watch: Russia’s Siberia plague scare continues after a lab worker’s death and quarantine of nearly 200 contacts; officials say tests found no work-linked pathogens and WHO risk to the general public appears low. Football (Nigeria-Russia): Nigeria’s Super Eagles head to a Russia friendly in Nizhny Novgorod with a depleted squad after injuries, club refusals and a residence permit issue, as coach Éric Chelle pushes for a win after a Guinea-Bissau setback.