Seasoned global fintech leader joins Cellulant to strengthen financial leadership as the company scales its payments platform
NAIROBI, Kenya, 19 march 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/ – Cellulant, Africa’s leading payments technology company, has appointed Darren Makarem as Chief Financial Officer, strengthening its executive team as it accelerates its expansion as the preferred payments partner for global and regional enterprises.
The appointment comes as Cellulant builds on strong operational momentum, scaling its platform with greater financial discipline while delivering differentiated, product-led value to customers.
A seasoned finance and operations leader with over 20 years of experience in the digital and fintech sectors, Darren will help strengthen the company’s financial strategy and operational foundations.
Having achieved profitability in 2024, Cellulant is leveraging its infrastructure, which processes over 4.5 million transactions daily, to serve Africa’s digital payments economy, projected to reach $1.5 Trillion by 2030.*
A CFO Who Understands the Customer
Darren brings a strong understanding of payments from the customer side. As former Global CFO at Agoda, he oversaw the company’s global payments network, managing annual transaction volumes of approximately $12 billion. In that role, he navigated multi-currency settlement, conversion rate optimisation, the need for reliable, high-uptime payment infrastructure and payment experiences that enable customer growth.
“Darren doesn’t just understand the numbers; he understands the customer,” said Peter O’Toole, CEO of Cellulant. “His experience as a high-volume user of payment services at Agoda gives him a unique perspective on what businesses need to grow. He will leverage these insights to build a finance centre of excellence, ensuring our financial operations are as innovative, agile, and customer-centric as our products.”
Global Rigour Meets Emerging Market Expertise
Darren brings a rare blend of institutional rigour and experience scaling a global fintech platform. An ACA-qualified professional, he began his career with EY in England and later earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.
His experience spans complex regulatory and commercial landscapes, notably serving as APAC & LATAM CFO at Binance and, most recently, as CEO of OnRamp. This background in digital assets and regulated business models is particularly vital as Cellulant continues to explore new payment and settlement models.
Building for Sustainable Growth
For Darren, the opportunity at Cellulant is rooted in both the strength of the platform and the scale of the opportunity ahead.
“What excites me about Cellulant is the quality of what has already been built. A deep payment network, strong enterprise partnerships and a real focus on customer value,” says Darren Makarem, Chief Financial Officer at Cellulant. “Cellulant’s true strength is its people, obsessed with solving the toughest payment challenges in the market. My priority is to ensure the business has the financial discipline, insight and operational support to move fast, stay bold and keep delivering.”
Cellulant continues to invest in the leadership, infrastructure, automation and organisational capability required to build a high-performance, product-centric business that is trusted by customers and positioned for sustained growth across the continent.
*Source: The Future of Digital Payments in Africa, a report by Genesis Analytics commissioned by Mastercard (2025).
About Cellulant Cellulant is Africa’s leading payments company, providing seamless, secure, and innovative solutions that empower businesses, banks, and global brands to thrive in a fast-changing global economy.
With a presence in over 24 countries and support for more than 200 payment methods, including cards, bank transfers, and mobile money, our single API payment platform, Tingg, streamlines collections, disbursements, and reconciliations. It processes over 4.5 million transactions daily for market leaders across various sectors, including Travel & Hospitality, Telecoms, E-commerce, Ride-Hailing, Trade, and Remittances.
By simplifying how people pay and get paid, we drive trust, commerce, and scale, connecting companies and people to their ambitions.
India wins ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026
February 7, 2026
The ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 was a landmark event for Zimbabwe, culminating with India crowned champions after a thrilling final against England, witnessed by the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Hon. Tongai Mnangagwa and the Chief Executive Officer of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Dr. George Manyaya. Beyond the excitement on the field, the Tournament significantly boosted the country’s Tourism Sector, attracting Domestic and International Tourists who flocked to hotels and lodges driving high occupancy levels. Local businesses from Restaurants to Transport Operators, benefited from increased foot traffic as Tourists explored surrounding communities and attractions. The global broadcast of matches elevated Zimbabwe’s profile as a capable host of major Sporting events, reinforcing its position as a premier Sports Tourism destination. #ICCU19MensCricketWorldCup2026 #SportsTourism #ExperienceZimbabwe #NhakaYedu #IlifaLethu #OurHeritage #ZimBho
Victoria’s son Cruz Beckham took to Instagram on Thursday, February 5, to share a video of his mom, 51, singing the Spice Girls’ 1998 hit single “Viva Forever” with original members Mel C, Emma Bunton and Geri Halliwell. Cruz, 20, played guitar for the group and provided some background vocals as the women harmonized.
“I think i found my openers … you think they have potential? Something exciting coming later today 😉 Keep an eye out and get involved,” Cruz wrote alongside the video, hinting at his upcoming tour.
The only original Spice Girls member not present at the gathering was Mel B, with her rep explaining to Entertainment Weekly that she had just returned to her home in Yorkshire, England, from her honeymoon with husband Rory McPhee, whom she married in July 2025.
Victoria’s reunion with the girl group comes after Brooklyn, 26, claimed that his parents have tried to “control” the family for years and have allegedly mistreated his wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham.
“I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep these matters private. Unfortunately, my parents and their team have continued to go to the press, leaving me with no choice but to speak for myself and tell the truth about only some of the lies that have been printed,” Brooklyn wrote of mom Victoria and dad David Beckham via Instagram on January 19.
The chef continued, “I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life.”
Brooklyn claimed that his parents “have been trying endlessly to ruin” his relationship with Nicola, 31, since before their 2022 wedding. Among his accusations were claims that family members told Nicola she was “not blood” before their wedding and that Victoria allegedly “danced inappropriately” on Brooklyn at the reception.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Brooklyn also alleged that he was “rejected” by David, 50, when he and Nicola attempted to visit for David’s birthday and that his brothers, Cruz and Romeo, 23, were “sent to attack” him via social media. (David and Victoria also share daughter Harper, 14.)
“I have been controlled by my parents for most of my life,” Brooklyn concluded. “I grew up with overwhelming anxiety. For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared. I wake up every morning grateful for the life I chose, and have found peace and relief. My wife and I do not want a life shaped by image, press, or manipulation. All we want peace, privacy and happiness for us and our future family.”
David and Victoria have not publicly responded to Brooklyn’s claims. Us Weekly reached out to reps for the couple for comment at the time.
“I’ve always spoken about social media and the power of social media — for the good and for the bad,” he said. “What kids can access these days, it can be dangerous. But what I’ve found personally, especially with my kids as well: Use it for the right reasons.”
David continued, “I’ve been able to use my platform for my following, for UNICEF. And it’s been the biggest tool to make people aware of what’s going on around the world for children. And I’ve tried to do the same with my children, to educate them. They make mistakes. Children are allowed to make mistakes. That’s how they learn. So, that’s what I try to teach my kids, but you have to sometimes let them make those mistakes as well.”
Influencer Marissa Ayers is giving her followers an inside look at her personal life with New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.
In a Wednesday, January 28, TikTok video, Ayers showcased her romantic final months of 2025 — spent with Dart — saying she’s “the happiest girl in the world.”
“I have been totally off grid but feeling like the happiest girl in the world @Jdart
Dart, 22, commented in response, “Every moment with you🩷”
The PDA-filled video showed the couple seemingly living their best lives together in New York City, taking in a Broadway show, countless date nights and celebrating Christmas in the city with the Radio City Rockettes and the famous Rockefeller Christmas tree.
The video also shows Ayers, 22, traveling across the country with Dart — both for pleasure and to watch him play in the NFL. According to the video, her first game was the Giants vs. New England Patriots game in Boston on December 1.
The couple also traveled to Utah, where they went hiking and sledding, and even took a tour of the iconic East High School in Salt Lake City, made famous by the classic Disney movie High School Musical.
Ayers also showcased their home life, sharing videos of Dart making home-cooked meals for her, and even said in the video that he made her try her first oyster.
Jaxson Dart and Marissa AyersCourtesy of Marissa Ayers/Instagram
The video was showered with positive comments, both from Ayers’ followers and Giants fans who made their way into the comment section.
“Make sure he stays healthy and safe during the off season please!” pleaded one Giants fan in the comments.
“Literally you two,” said one of Ayers’ followers, along with a picture of Barbie kissing Ken.
“I’m just so happy for her bye,” commented another follower.
The video confirms that the couple has been together since at least October 2025, though they just recently went public with their relationship on January 9, via an Instagram post from Ayers.
“Rumor has it… @jaxsondart,” Ayers captioned the post, a nod to the long-standing rumors that the two are an item.
The rumors of the two being together gained traction after a December 19 TikTok post by Ayers showed her wearing a Giants T-shirt. Fans on the internet quickly determined that the photo was taken at Dart’s apartment.
Two weeks before, Ayers was spotted on the field at the Giants’ Monday Night Football game against the Patriots alongside Dart’s mom, Kara. That game, as followers learned from her recent TikTok, was the first Giants game that Ayers attended.
Ayers, who has amassed 1.6 million followers on TikTok, also serves as a ring girl for many marquee matches, including the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshuafight on Netflix in December 2025.
She started her role as a ring girl in May 2025 for the Paul vs. Nakisa Bidarian fight, then in July 2025 served as the ring girl at Madison Square Garden at the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano match.
“What a gift is was to witness history from the inside,” she wrote via Instagram after the fight. “The crowd, energy, all of the powerful women. And the little girl inside of me who is screaming to have stood in that kind of spotlight. Filled with gratitude, Madison Square Garden you were pure magic. ✨”
Stefon Diggs and the New England Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl, and Cardi B isn’t hiding her excitement over her boyfriend’s success.
NFL Network interviewed Cardi, 33, on the field after New England took down the Denver Broncos, 10-7, at Mile High Stadium on Sunday, January 25. Though she spoke glowingly about how proud she is of Diggs, 32, some viewers weren’t interested in what she had to say.
“This is cringe 😬,” wrote one fan in response to the video shared by NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfevia X. “Why is she in the spotlight like she’s on the team or something doing interviews?’
“Why in the world is she getting on field interviews???” another fan added.
Another fan quoted the post, asking why other players’ significant others didn’t get the same treatment.
“Why are yall interviewing her like she [is on] the team???” they asked. “Which other players wife did yall interview???”
Cardi, for her part, used the interview to explain the work that Diggs put in to even get back on the field after he suffered a torn ACL during the 2024 season.
“I’m feeling very excited and very happy for him, very proud of him,” she said. “He just came back from an ACL and me seeing the progress and the process.”
Cardi added that Diggs’ success was a product of “discipline and work. It’s not like, ‘Oh, you wake up and you’re great.’ It’s discipline. It’s going to bed early, it’s waking up early, it’s not missing one day of work, nothing.”
Diggs and Cardi were first linked in October 2024, confirming their relationship the following summer. Cardi revealed in September 2025 that she was expecting their first baby together, who arrived in November 2025.
“My life has always been a combination of different chapters and different seasons,” Cardi wrote via Instagram at the time. “My last chapter was the beginning of a new season. Starting over is never easy but it’s been so worth it! I brought new music and a new album to the world! A new baby into my world, and one more reason to be the best version of me, one more reason to love me more than anything else or anyone else so I can continue giving my babies the love and life they deserve.”
Diggs has been on the field for the Patriots throughout their playoff run despite facing charges of felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery, stemming from an alleged December 2025 incident involving his former personal chef.
He was originally scheduled to be arraigned on Friday, January 23, but the date was pushed back until after the Super Bowl, keeping him eligible for the remainder of the season.
Diggs has denied the allegations against him.
“Stefon Diggs categorically denies these allegations,” his attorney David Meier said in a statement to Us Weekly last month. “They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated — because they did not occur. The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: they are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction. Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law.”
By Zwelethu Bashman, Managing Director, MSD South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, Marloes Kibacha, Managing Director, Africa Health Business, Cheyenne Braganza, Senior Project Associate, Africa Health Business
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 22 January 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/ –
Introduction Cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women globally, despite being almost entirely preventable. In Africa, it continues to claim lives not because science has failed, but because policy ambition has fallen short. Over 200 strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) exist, with 12 high-risk types responsible for most HPV-related cancers. [1] Although HPV vaccines can prevent almost 90% of cervical cancer, most women remain unvaccinated, leaving cervical cancer among the top killers of women worldwide, with more than 94% of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. [2] At current rates of vaccination and coverage, hundreds of thousands of African women will die from a cancer that could have been prevented with vaccines already available.
Cervical cancer hits the hardest where vulnerability is greatest. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies sub-Saharan Africa as the region with the highest prevalence of cervical HPV, affecting nearly one in four women. [3] Women living with HIV face an even steeper risk, as weakened immune systems make them more susceptible to persistent HPV infection and four to five times more likely to develop invasive cervical cancer. [4] Without urgent action, these inequities will continue to drive preventable deaths across the continent. Recently, Gavi’s inclusion of higher-valency HPV vaccines is an important development in the global HPV prevention landscape and a relevant consideration for countries across sub-Saharan Africa as they continue to strengthen cervical cancer prevention efforts.
Vaccinating Girls First: Africa’s Critical Foundation In 2018, the WHO launched a global call to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat, built on three pillars: vaccination, screening, and timely treatment. Central to this strategy is fully vaccinating 90% of girls by age 15. [5] This focus on adolescent girls is a critical foundation, and African countries have made meaningful progress in recent years.
Rwanda offers a powerful example. In 2011, it became the first African country to introduce a national HPV vaccination program targeting adolescent girls through a robust school-based platform. Today, Rwanda has achieved over 90% coverage among eligible girls, one of the highest rates globally. [6] This success reflects strong political leadership, community trust, and effective delivery systems. But even Rwanda’s success highlights a fundamental limitation. High coverage among adolescent girls alone does not protect older women, boys, or men, nor does it fully interrupt HPV transmission within the broader population. A girls-only strategy, while necessary, is insufficient for elimination.
HPV Is Not a Women-Only Virus HPV continues to be framed primarily as a women’s health issue because of its link to cervical cancer. This framing is both incomplete and counterproductive. Men are not only carriers of HPV, they are also affected by HPV-related disease. Globally, one in three men is infected with at least one HPV strain, often after age 15. [7] In sub-Saharan Africa, HPV prevalence among men remains high, sustaining community-level transmission. [8]
HPV also causes anal, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers, conditions that disproportionately affect men and are increasing globally. [8, 9] Excluding boys and men from vaccination strategies perpetuates transmission to women and leaves men unprotected from largely preventable cancers.
Why Gender-Neutral Vaccination Matters for Elimination If Africa is serious about elimination, vaccination strategies must reflect how HPV actually spreads. Expanding vaccination to boys and men is not only a matter of equity, it is an epidemiological necessity. Gender-neutral vaccination accelerates herd immunity, reduces circulation of high-risk HPV types, and offers critical protection for high-risk populations, including people living with HIV. [10]
Yet progress remains uneven. Only 29 of 54 African countries have implemented national HPV vaccination programs, and nearly all focus exclusively on girls aged 9 to 14. [11]This is an important starting point, but it will not break the cycle of transmission. Elimination demands moving beyond a single cohort and a single gender.
The Forgotten Cohort: Women Who Aged Out While adolescent girls remain the priority, millions of women across Africa missed HPV vaccination entirely. Many aged out before programs were introduced, while others were missed due to COVID 19 disruptions. [12] These women, now in their 20s and 30s, represent the largest group at near term risk and will drive cervical cancer incidence over the next decade if left unprotected. [13]
In addition, women living with HIV (WLHIV) require tailored protection. Sub-Saharan Africa carries the world’s highest prevalence of HIV among women. [14] WLHIV experience higher rates of persistent HPV infection, faster quicker disease progression, increased recurrence, and poorer outcomes. Modelling shows that vaccinating WLHIV aged 10–45 could reduce new cervical cancer cases by 4.7% overall and by 10% among WLHIV. [15]
The evidence is clear. Sexually active women over 15 still benefit from HPV vaccination, as they may not have been exposed to all high-risk HPV types. [16, 17] Catch-up vaccination, particularly when combined with screening, can substantially reduce future cancer incidence. Integrating HPV vaccination into HIV care, university health services, and workplace health programs offers practical, scalable pathways to reach this cohort. [18]
The socioeconomic case is clear. Women contribute an estimated 35–45% of GDP across the region. Preventing cervical cancer protects households, sustains productivity, and reduces catastrophic health expenditure. [19] Yet across the continent, adult women remain largely invisible in HPV prevention policies. This gap is not scientific. It is political.
Leadership, Systems, and Smarter Policy Choices African governments are central to closing the HPV protection gap. While the number of countries delivering HPV vaccines has tripled since 2019 and coverage has doubled, the regional average remains just 52%, far below the 90% target. [20] Sustainable progress requires integrating HPV vaccines into routine immunization schedules, securing predictable domestic financing, and strengthening supply chains.
Kenya’s recent decision to introduce a single-dose HPV vaccine for girls shows how policy can adapt to improve efficiency and access. However, simplification alone will not address missed cohorts or limited population-level protection. Other countries in the region are also adapting policy to expand reach, with Botswana integrating higher-valency HPV vaccines within national prevention planning aligned with HIV care, and Eswatini expanding HPV vaccination in 2024 to include adolescent girls and young women living with HIV. [21, 22]
Adult vaccination pathways should be integrated into reproductive health services, alongside catch-up vaccination for older adolescents and women. Efforts should target cohorts missed by school-based programmes, including out-of-school girls and WLHIV – using multi-channel delivery platforms such as clinics, HIV programmes, mobile outreach, and innovative community-based models. [23]
As science evolves, policy must keep pace. Transitioning to nonavalent vaccines offers broader protection against high-risk HPV types and greater long-term impact in high-burden settings. [24] Procurement decisions should be driven by epidemiology, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability, not short-term constraints.
The Role of Partnerships and Innovation Industry, alongside governments and civil society, has a role to play in supporting national cervical cancer elimination goals.
Between 2021 and 2025, MSD supplied over 115 million HPV vaccine doses to low- and middle income countries, supported by a US$2 billion investment in manufacturing capacity. MSD has also reaffirmed its commitment to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to support sustainable HPV vaccine supply and equitable access across Sub-Saharan Africa.
These efforts support broader vaccination strategies, including protection of older cohorts and women living with HIV, and enable country transitions to higher-valency HPV vaccines – an important step toward averting millions of future cancer cases and deaths.
The Choice Africa Must Make Africa cannot eliminate cervical cancer and all other HPV-related diseases by protecting adolescent girls alone. HPV does not respect age, gender, or delivery platforms, and elimination requires population-level protection. This means vaccinating girls, protecting boys, catching up women who were left behind, and building resilient systems that sustain coverage over time.
The tools exist. The evidence is overwhelming. What remains is the choice. If governments and partners act decisively now by expanding HPV vaccination beyond adolescent girls and investing in durable prevention systems, cervical cancer can become a disease of the past. Elimination is not a question of feasibility. It is a question of ambition, and the time to choose is now.
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[2] “World Health Organization,” 5 March 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact sheets/detail/human-papilloma-virus-and cancer#:~:text=The highest prevalence of cervical,variable based on sexual trends .. [Accessed 11 November 2025].
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[4] S. M. T. N. B. R. Liu G, “HIV-positive women have higher risk of human papilloma virus infection, precancerous lesions, and cervical cancer.,” AIDS, October 2018.
[5] K. M. K. S. Wilailak S, “Strategic approaches for global cervical cancer elimination: An update review and call for national action.,” Int J Gynaecol Obstet., 2025. [Online].
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[8] T. B. M. C. C. J. A. K. K. &. K. S. K. Olesen, “Human papillomavirus prevalence among men in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.,” Sexually transmitted infections, 2014.
[9] P. JM., “Human papillomavirus-related disease in men: not just a women’s issue.,” J Adolesc Health, 2010.
[10] G. J. Scheepers VC, “Expanding the case for gender-neutral human papillomavirus vaccination in South Africa: Emerging neonatal and ethical considerations.,” Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med., 2025.
[11] E. I. Eric Asempah, “Accelerating HPV vaccination in Africa for health equity,” PubMed Central- National Library of Medicine, no. PMID: 39294815, 2024.
[12] I. L. C. M. Sad SA, “Revisiting HPV vaccination post-COVID: geopolitical, sociocultural, and ethical disparities in global health,” Int J Equity Health., 2025.
[13] S. P. Castanon A, “Is the recent increase in cervical cancer in women aged 20-24years in England a cause for concern?,” Prev Med., 2018.
[15] W. J. e. al., “Modelling the Impact of HPV Vaccination among Women Living with HIV.,” Lancet Global Health.
[16] X. M. N. P. P. F. D. M. J. A. K. L. J. M. E. M. S. B. O. M. B. J. V. S. H. R. M. &. S. A. Castellsagué, “End-of-study safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of quadrivalent HPV (types 6, 11, 16, 18) recombinant vaccine in adult women 24- 45 years of age.,” British journal of cancer, 2011.
[17] “Human papillomavirus vaccination for adult women,” Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet, 2022.
[18] S. N. e. B. E. A.-D. Kimeshnee Govindsamy, “Effectiveness of integrating cervical cancer prevention strategies into HIV care programmes: A mixed-methods systematic review protocol,” PLOS One, 2024.
[23] “Cervical Cancer Data Surveillance in Sub-Saharan Africa,” WHO & IARC, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://gco.iarc.fr/.
[24] V. V. C. H. e. a. Bobadilla ML, “Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection and Risk Behavior in Vaccinated and Non Vaccinated Paraguayan Young Women.,” Pathogens, 2024.
[25] T. G. e. al., “Implementing HPV Vaccination Services in People Living with HIV in Trinidad and Tobago: A Brief Report,” Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers, 2025.
[26] G. M. E. Al., “Human papilloma virus vaccination in the resource-limited settings of sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and recommendations,” Vaccine X, vol. 20, 2024.
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[31] e. a. Alison G Abraham, “Invasive cervical cancer risk among HIV-infected women: A North American multi-cohort collaboration prospective study,” PubMed Central- National Library of Medicine, no. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e31828177d7, 2014.
[32] A. I. R. S. C.-U. Erna Milunka Kojic, “Human Papillomavirus Vaccination in HIV-infected Women: Need for Increased Coverage,” PubMed Central- National Library of Medicine, no. doi: 10.1586/14760584.2016.1110025, 2016.
[33] M. Goretti, “Vellum,” 24 October 2025. [Online]. Available: https://vellum.co.ke/kenya-switches-to-single-dose hpv-vaccine-to-boost uptake/#:~:text=Kenya has taken a major,local scientists and international expert s.. [Accessed November 2025].
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[35] M. C. C. J. A. K. K. S. Olesen TB, “Human papillomavirus prevalence among men in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” Sex Transm Infect, no. doi: 10.1136/sextrans-2013-051456, 2014.
[36] H. S. S. G. S. G. Soumendu Patra, “HPV and Male Cancer: Pathogenesis, Prevention and Impact,” Journal of Medicine in Africa (JOMA), vol. 2, no. 1, 2025.
[37] I. Z. E. Al., “Cervical Cancer Prevention in Rural Areas,” Ann Glob Health, 2023.
[38] L. B. E. Al., “Global and regional estimates of genital human papillomavirus prevalence among men: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” Lancet Global Health, 2023.
Jason Momoa is looking back at some of the last memories he shared with Ozzy Osbourne before the rocker’s death last year.
Appearing on the Thursday, January 15, episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Momoa, 46, reflected on his experience hosting Black Sabbath’s final gig. Osbourne died on July 22, 2025, at age 76 following a battle with Parkinson’s disease. Black Sabbath’s final performance was held on July 5 in Birmingham, England.
“I had to host for them,” Momoa told Jimmy Fallon. “He’s like a God to me. It was unbelievable, yeah. I loved him.”
Momoa continued, “Then, sadly, he passed like a couple of weeks later.”
The Aquaman star described the Black Sabbath event as “absolutely insane,” which he said was on par with the SNL50 party that also occurred in 2025, where he was able to brush shoulders with some of the most famous people in the industry, including Cher.
“I don’t think there will be a cooler party in the rest of my life,” Momoa said of SNL50.
During the TV appearance, the actor also spoke about getting into a mosh pit with his son Nakoa-Wolf, 17, as heavy metal band Pantera performed as a support act for Black Sabbath.
“I grabbed my son, and I was, like, ‘We’re going.’ And my security, my buddy who was helping me, was like, ‘No, you’re not,’” Momoa recalled. “But I grabbed my son. He’d never been in a mosh pit. And I was like, ‘You’re going with me, boy.’”
Jason Momoa.(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
In July 2025, Osbourne died just weeks after his final onstage performance as part of Black Sabbath. His cause of death was cardiac arrest, acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease.
The rocker is survived by his wife, Sharon, to whom he had been married since 1982, and their children: daughters Aimee, 42, and Kelly, 41, and son Jack, 40. The singer also shared daughter Jessica, 51, and son Louis, 49, with ex-wife Thelma Riley.
“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” Osbourne’s family said in a statement shared with Us Weekly at the time. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family’s privacy at this time.”
According to his friend Tom Morello, who worked on Black Sabbath’s Back to the Beginning farewell gig, Osbourne was aware he was near the end of his life at the time of his final gig.
Morello told Chicago’s Q101 radio station in August 2025 that Osbourne was “frail” for a while in the lead up to his death.
“The fact he lived to play and feel that love one more time, to do ‘Paranoid’, to do ‘Crazy Train’. If you have got to go — and I wish Ozzy lived another 30 years — if you’ve got to go out … it felt like he knew,” Morello said on the radio show.
Describing Osbourne’s death as “tragic,” Morello added, “Ozzy Osbourne had lived on the edge for such a long time; the fact he lived as long as he did was a miracle.”
Stephen A. Smith was forced to make a quick recovery on the air after mistaking NFL star Christian Kirk for late political commentator Charlie Kirk.
Smith, 58, was recapping the Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers playoff game during the Tuesday, January 13, episode of ESPN’s First Take when the awkward mixup occurred.
“We saw Charlie Kirk catch eight receptions for 144 yards,” Smith declared before being corrected by host Shae Peppler Cornette.
Smith then continued, saying, “I’m sorry, I apologize. Oh, my God, I meant Christian Kirk.”
The 29-year-old wide receiver helped lead the Texans to a 30-6 victory over Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers on Monday, January 12. The Texans continue their path to the Super Bowl next Sunday, January 18, when they play the New England Patriots in the AFC divisional round.
Charlie, meanwhile, was shot and killed at an event held at Utah Valley University in September 2025. He was 31 years old.
Charlie KirkPatrick T. Fallon/AFP
The Turning Point USA cofounder was a polarizing figure, sparking a widespread conversation about his beliefs in the wake of his death. Smith previously addressed the fatal shooting on his podcast in September 2025.
“I don’t care what his political beliefs were. I don’t care what he felt,” Smith said at the time. “That he’s dead at the age of 31. That his wife is a widow. That his children are fatherless because his ideas and his beliefs differed from somebody else, apparently. And then I’m going online, and I’m seeing people celebrating it. Shame! Shame on you!”
Smith went on to praise the New York Yankees, who had recently held a moment of silence in Charlie’s honor before a game against the Detroit Tigers.
“Props to the New York Yankees organization last night for having a moment of silence,” Smith continued. “We’re not supposed to condone stuff like this. We’re not supposed to say it’s OK. I don’t give a damn who you are — Black, white or anything in between. I hope the FBI and law enforcement catch this individual and do what needs to be done with him.”
Charlie is survived by his wife, Erika Kirk, and their two young children.
Erika, 37, has been outspoken about her grief — and the reaction to her frequent public appearances honoring her late husband. Last month, she shared an emotional tribute to Charlie after celebrating the first Christmas since his death.
“Life is a little different,” she wrote via Instagram. “It’s this rhythm of maintaining our traditions mixed in with creating new ones to harmonize into a normalcy for the babies. It’s new, but strange. Familiar, but not. … This Christmas we tucked away. And while the world, again, kept being the world, I loved settling into a space of continued healing where silence is golden and is a statement in itself. The outpouring from our loved ones, has been a sacred and holy balm to our hearts.”
She added, “Again, life is different now, and to be honest at times painful. But God is still so good. Merry Christmas Charlie baby. Thank you for your love notes from Heaven. I cherish them all.”
“I knew him very well,” Clooney, 64, told Variety in an interview published on Tuesday, December 30. “He used to call me a lot, and he tried to help me get into a hospital once to see a back surgeon. I’d see him out at clubs and at restaurants.”
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p dir=”ltr”>The Oscar-winner added that Trump’s demeanor changed once politics came into his life. “He’s a big goofball,” he told the outlet. Well, he was. That all changed.” (Trump was elected president in 2016 and again in 2024.)
Clooney, who has been an outspoken liberal in the industry, added that it’s been a “trying” time for the United States. His comments come one day after he and wife Amal Clooney, along with their 8-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, were granted French citizenship, according to a naturalization decree via French newspaper Journal Officiel published on Saturday, December 27.
The couple own a farm in the south of France, which includes 100 acres of grapes and 1200 olive trees and serves as their primary residence. The pair also have additional homes in England and Italy.
Clooney previously opened up about his decision to raise his kids on a farm after growing up on one himself in his home state in Kentucky, explaining how his perspective on a more rural life has changed over the years.
“A good portion of my life growing up was on a farm, and as a kid, I hated the whole idea of it,” he explained to Esquirein October about wanting to leave Los Angeles behind. “But now, for them, it’s like — they’re not on their iPads, you know? They have dinner with grown-ups and have to take their dishes in. They have a much better life.”
The actor noted that he was “worried about raising” his twins in “the culture of Hollywood,” a place that he felt would “never” give them a “fair shake” at a normal life.
“France — they kind of don’t give a s*** about fame,” he explained. “I don’t want them to be walking around worried about paparazzi. I don’t want them being compared to somebody else’s famous kids.”
Spending time on a farm also teaches his kids how to get their hands dirty, the actor said, recalling a time he tasked them with repainting an old property fence that had suffered from sun damage.
“At first they’re taking these little, tiny brushstrokes, boop, boop, boop,” he quipped. “And I go, ‘Nooo, paint the goddamn fence.’ And then they go crazy painting the fence and they’re covered with paint and oil and stuff.”
While officially becoming French citizens may be new for the family of four, George and Amal, 47, are more than familiar with the European lifestyle. The couple met in Lake Como, Italy, in 2013, tying the knot in Venice the following year.
Since welcoming Ella and Alexander in June 2017, the foursome have made a tradition of spending summers in their villa, which is located in the Alps of northern Italy.
In August 2022, an insider exclusively told Us Weekly that George and Amal found solace in Europe during the warmer months.
“They’re so happy and in a very good place right now,” the source said, noting that when not with their kids, George and Amal enjoyed “date nights and drives in the countryside.”
Kelly Osbourne is sharing a rare glimpse of her bond with brother Louis Osbourne as they supported late dad Ozzy Osbourne‘s favorite soccer team.
Kelly, 41, snapped a selfie with Louis, 50, while cheering for Aston Villa during the team’s game against Manchester United on Sunday, December 21. In the pic uploaded via her Instagram Story, Kelly added a graphic in the corner which said “Up the Villa.” The siblings smiled widely and wore the team’s maroon and blue colors.
Kelly’s 3-year-old son, Sidney, also tagged along for the game, matching with his mom and dad Sid Wilson in Aston Villa gear. Another pic showed Kelly and her fiancé posing with Louis on the sidelines.
According to Kelly, her son served as a “mascot” for the team. A video shared via social media showed Sidney being held by one of Aston Villa’s all-star players before the team took the field.
Aston Villa came out on top on Sunday, winning the game 2-1, which Kelly attributed to her dad’s longtime fandom. “I know my dad was looking down on the game tonight so proud of his Baby Sidney but also so proud of his team!” she captioned an Instagram Story after the game.
Courtesy of Kelly Osbourne/Instagram
Ozzy died in July at age 76 after battling Parkinson’s disease. He shared his older two children — Louis and Jessica — with ex Thelma Riley and adopted her son Elliot from a previous relationship. Ozzy went on to marry Sharon Osbourne in 1982. The couple welcomed kids Aimee, Jack and Kelly.
Sunday marked a rare public reunion for Kelly and Louis, the latter of whom has tended to stay out of the public eye despite his famous family. In July, Louis joined his siblings for Ozzy’s funeral in Birmingham, England, where they were greeted by crowds of fans lining the streets to honor the late Black Sabbath superstar.
“Before we turned onto the street, I just thought it was going to be like, two or three people deep for half a kilometer before where the Black Sabbath bridge was, and it would be a throng,” Louis recalled on Jack’s “Trying Not to Die” podcast last month.
Louis, a manager and record label owner, said he got “goosebumps thinking about [people] climbing up lampposts, hanging out of windows, standing on top of bus stops to get a look” at the procession.
“Once we had all got out of the cars and showed our respects, and put some flowers down and moved on again, it kept on going for another half a mile, and then people were following us all around town,” Louis added. “I knew people loved him, but I didn’t have a sense of how many and how much.”
Courtesy of Kelly Osbourne/Instagram
Shortly before his death, Ozzy performed his final show with Black Sabbath in Birmingham. Louis reflected on the “emotional” event in a tribute shared via Facebook in July.
“I was sobbing at times. It was everything we wanted it to be and more. I had been anxious for months about this as I’ve been worried about my dad’s ability to perform with his Parkinson’s disease,” he wrote. “I just wanted it to be a dignified send off for him. But as soon as he started singing we knew he was gonna nail it.”
Louis noted that fans at the concert “showed him all the love that you’d expect and him back to them,” saying that it was a “perfect” way to end Ozzy’s story. “You couldn’t write it! My pride and love are off the scale. What a day! Mindblowing!” Louis added.
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