TECHNOLOGY
Revealed: What your character in the Nativity play says about you – and it’s bad news if you were cast as a donkey
Whether you took the lead as Mary or Joseph or were relegated to the back as sheep number three, the school Nativity play is a rite of passage for many British children.
But how you were cast in your Christmas performance might reveal a surprising amount about your personality.
Psychologists say that the personality differences that make one child an excellent angel and another a perfect shepherd can shape our entire lives.
And it’s bad news if you ended up playing the donkey.
According to experts, children who end up as the donkey are usually the ‘class clown’ and like to make others laugh.
However, these positive traits can also be signs of a need for attention and recognition from others.
If you ended up as Mary or Joseph, on the other hand, psychologists say you are likely to be a natural leader who would make a ‘potential future Prime Minister’.
So, what does your Nativity play role say about you?
The school Nativity play is a rite of passage for many British children. Now, psychologists have revealed what your role says about your personality (stock image)
Mary and Joseph
With these characters taking the centre stage in the drama of the Nativity, any child able to meet the challenge will need to have plenty of confidence.
Dr Sheila Redfern, clinical psychologist and author of ‘Reflective Parenting: Raising Emotionally Healthy Children’, told Daily Mail: ‘The child who gets picked to be Mary is likely to be bold and confident and a potential future Prime Minister.’
‘They are probably the most popular girl in their class and always get invited to parties.’
Similarly, any boy willing to step up into the role of Joseph will need similar leadership abilities.
‘To embody a lead role, a young child needs to feel self-assured and confident in themselves,’ says Dr Redfern.
‘He’s also likely to be the popular boy in the class and will be confident and self-assured.’
She adds that people who played Joseph in school likely went on to be head boy or to take on other leading positions.
As the lead characters, anyone who was cast as Mary or Joseph is likely confident and popular. These roles may go on to succeed in politics and are the most likely to become a future Prime Minister (stock image)
What your Nativity play role says about you
Mary: Confident, popular, and the most likely to become Prime Minister
Joseph: Self-assured, confident, the most popular in their class
Narrator: Engaging, trustworthy and smart. Likely to do well in business
Innkeeper: A natural-born leader who is used to commanding respect
Wiseman: Serious-minded and focused. May be drawn to an interest in psychology
Angel: Fearless, self-assured, and doesn’t care what others think
Donkey: Likely the class clown. Keen to make others laugh and happy to laugh at themselves
Shepherd: Quietly confident and secure in their own ego
Sheep: Shy and uninterested in fame, but with great potential to develop
However, psychologists also say that there may be more behind a child’s desire to take the leading role than a love of performance.
Dr Kirsten Antoncich, a child psychologist from Birmingham City University, told Daily Mail: ‘We learn from a young age how to recruit love, attention and praise from our parents.
‘When we have parents who really want their children to be front and centre on stage, children can quickly pick up on this and internalise it as their own wishes.
‘For the child taking the lead role, it could very well be their own creativity that drives them… or it could be a way of ensuring parental praise and recognition.’
Narrator
Besides the holy family itself, one of the most important roles in the Nativity is that of the narrator.
This role requires great memory to recall plenty of lines and a natural flair for the dramatic.
If you took on this role in school, you likely went on to use those skills to go far in your career.
People who took on the role of narrator in their Nativity play are interesting, engaging, and smart. These people may go on to become actors in the future. Pictured: David Tennant (left) and Mark Wootton (right) in Nativity 2
Dr Redfern says: ‘The narrator needs to hold everyone’s attention and so above all, they must be interesting, engaging, smart and trustworthy enough to remember all those lines.
‘The personality of a good narrator is likely to be someone who is a great organiser of others. The narrator will go far in life and be trusted and respected by others.’
However, with this much natural charisma, Dr Redfern says that narrators are much more likely to end up as aspiring actors than accountants.
Innkeeper
The innkeeper might not have the most lines in the play, but their declaration of ‘no room at the inn’ is probably one of the most impactful.
And, if you were chosen to deliver those pivotal lines as a child, it could mean you are not someone to be argued with.
‘The child who takes on this role could be a future CEO or Head teacher. They command respect and attention,’ says Dr Redfern.
‘This role is made for a natural-born leader with a loud, confident voice, who is used to being taken seriously.
The three kings or wisemen are serious-minded and aren’t attracted to stardom. However, they are also natural leaders who may develop an interest in psychology (stock image)
‘They are probably cheeky and outspoken and will go far in life.’
Wiseman
Whether you call them the wisemen, kings or Magi, these three characters with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and Myrrh are a key part of the Christmas story.
But, as well as having an excuse to wear the best costumes, anyone who was cast as a wiseman was also given a lot of responsibility.
Dr Redfern says that the role is likely to go to ‘a serious-minded child who has depth and isn’t attracted to the obvious “star” or ‘showy role of Joseph or the angel.’
She adds: ‘The wise man is a leader and also needs to be trusted with an expensive prop.
‘The role could inspire a child to be drawn towards something psychology-oriented.’
Angel
If you were an angel in your school nativity play, it means that you are likely self-assured and don’t care what other people think about you. Pictured: Children dressed as angels, from St Joseph’s Nursery, Dublin
The 5 Christmas story elements that don’t appear in the Bible
- Jesus was not born on a ‘silent night’
- There was no ‘little donkey’
- In fact, there were no animals at all
- There was no inn keeper or stable
- There may not have been three kings
Tasked with leading a rousing chorus of ‘Silent Night’ or ‘Away in a Manger’, the Angels are the musical backbone of the Nativity performance.
According to psychologists, anyone who was bold enough to make this role their own must have had a strong confident streak.
Dr Redfern says: ‘This role is likely to be taken by the type of child who is so self-assured they don’t care what others think about them.
‘Because let’s be honest, singing in front of your peers is likely to invite in teasing and ridicule unless you are super confident.’
And even if your performance was lacking in skill, making up for that in enthusiasm could be a sign of some really positive personality traits.
Dr Antoncich explains: ‘Children singing out of tune or too loud or doing the wrong dance moves can often signal an appropriately joyful exuberant side which doesn’t yet feel shame at standing out.
‘The child who sings too loudly could very much be the child who is engrossed in what they are doing, having a whale of a time and being appropriately carefree.’
Donkey
The donkey is often the class clown who likes to make others laugh. However, psychologists say the need to be at the centre of attention could mask some psychological issues (stock image)
Of course, where would Mary and Joseph be without their faithful donkey to carry them to Jerusalem?
If you were the one to be cast in this often comedic role, it might mean that you were something of a class clown.
‘They are self-assured enough not to need a star role, or to need to seek affirmation constantly for how they look, but they are usually popular because they are a bit quirky and can make others laugh,’ says Dr Redfern.
However, psychologists say that the need to make others laugh could be a sign of psychological issues.
Dr Antoncich says: ‘For children who have been used to recruiting attention through being the class clown, the sudden loss of this performative role and the recognition that comes with it can drive them to try and recapture it by being silly in front of others.
‘Disruptive behaviour could mean a number of things; often it masks deeper issues.
‘Some children can find the attention on them for something out of their comfort zone, like singing, unsettling and try to deflect it onto something they are more used to being noticed for, such as messing around.’
Shepherd
Shepherds might not be the most glamorous role, but experts say that they are confident and humble. Someone cast in this role is also likely to have great attention skills and doesn’t get distracted easily
With a tea-towel on their head and a crook in hand, the shepherds don’t command quite as much respect as the other roles in the play.
However, according to the experts, that could be a good sign for your psychological development.
‘The child who plays a shepherd is not afraid to look silly, as they will have to confidently wear a towel on their head and look humble doing so,’ says Dr Redfern.
She adds that anyone who was cast in this important role is likely to be ‘quietly confident and secure enough in their ego they don’t need to prove anything.’
While the shepherds don’t have many lines, they do need to spend a lot of time on stage without fidgeting or causing a disturbance.
According to Dr Redfern, children who develop these skills earlier than their peers may go on to do well in their careers.
She says: ‘They are going to need to have great skills of attention and not be highly distractible.’
Sheep and other animals
If you were a sheep or any other animal, such as a penguin, you might be more shy and less interested in the limelight. However, children cast in these smaller roles have the most potential to develop with the right support. Pictured: The Secret Life of Children at Christmas
With more children in a class than there are big roles, many will end up filling up the motley crew of assorted animals, ranging from sheep and cows to cats and lobsters.
For any children drawn to these roles, it might be a sign that they are shyer or less confident than their peers.
Dr Antoncich says: ‘For some children, being looked at or being perceived can feel uncomfortable – if you think of the child who blushes or the children who find it hard to speak in front of others.’
Dr Antoncich says that these children might need more help and support to develop, but this is not necessarily a bad thing.
Professor Claire Hughes, a psychologist at the University of Cambridge, told Daily Mail that people cast as animals might be classed as so-called ‘orchid children’.
Professor Hughes says: ‘These are children who need more nurturing. In the past, people might have referred to them as “vulnerable”, but scientifically, we know that doesn’t make sense.
‘The same children might be more buffeted by challenging circumstances, but they are also children who respond particularly well when there’s an intervention that makes things better for them – they are more malleable, more adaptable.’
So, if you were a shy sheep hiding at the back, it may mean that you had the most potential to develop and grow as an adult.
WHAT DO PEOPLE BELIEVE ABOUT THE TRADITIONAL BIRTHPLACE OF JESUS?
The Church of the Nativity, located six miles (10 km) outside of Jerusalem, is one of the most important religious sites in the world.
It has been recognised as the birthplace of Jesus since at least the Second Century and has been listed as a Unesco world heritage site since 2012.
The original church was built in 339 AD, but was rebuilt after fire in the 6th century and it is one of the oldest churches in the world still in daily use.
An estimated two million people make pilgrimages to the site each year to visit the church and the shrine below, the Grotto, where Jesus of Nazareth is believed to have been born.
But the region is of key importance to other religions as well. Almost 1,000 years before Jesus, Bethlehem was the city of King David.
Today, the site in Bethlehem is part of a large religious complex.
Set in the marble floor of the Grotto is a silver star which represents the spot where Jesus was born, installed in 1717 and surrounded by lamps to represent the different Christian communities.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced that the ongoing epileptic network service in Abuja, which is majorly affecting MTN and Airtel subscribers is caused by fuel supply problems. This is contained in a press statement issued on Friday and signed by Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, NCC’s Head of Public Affairs.
According to the communications regulator, the Quality of Service (QoS) challenge is primarily caused by a disruption in diesel supply affecting activities of IHS Nigeria Limited, the telecom infrastructure provider that manages MTN and Airtel’s base stations.
Further explanation shows that the disruption was fueled by an unexplained activity by the National Oil and Gas Suppliers Association (NOGASA), which interrupted diesel supply to telecoms towers. The issue has since made subscribers in Abuja experience a drop in network quality, preventing the smooth running of essential services on the mobile network lines.
In its move to address the situation, the regulation noted that there are ongoing efforts to engage with oil suppliers and other relevant stakeholders to restore normalcy in the states’ network service.
“The NCC is actively engaging with relevant stakeholders to address the diesel supply issues and explore sustainable solutions. The Commission urges all parties to work together to collaboratively resolve these challenges swiftly by removing the diesel supply bottlenecks affecting critical telecommunications infrastructure, arising from NOGASA’s actions,” part of the statement reads.
NCC reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the internet of Nigerians in terms of enjoying a reliable network service, often affected by vandalism and cut in diesel supply. It added that the ongoing issues in Abuja will be resolved soon, and the public will be abreast of the progress made to restore quality service in Abuja.
“In the face of these challenges, we reiterate our commitment to fostering a conducive environment for the growth and sustainability of telecommunications services in Nigeria,” it said.
The recent disconnection between oil suppliers and IHS Towers has posed a direct implication to millions of Nigerians and the stability of the digital economy. It comes at a time when quality service is increasingly proving vital to daily business activities for subscribers.
Also Read: NCC among top 5 best-performing government agencies in 2025.
NCC and issues with oil suppliers
In addition to telecoms infrastructure vandalism and fibre cuts that have majorly affected the industry in 2025, the hitch in diesel supply by NOGASA to telecoms tower managers is another leading cause.
While telecoms towers remain a critical national information infrastructure, threats and strike actions by oil suppliers have negatively impacted connectivity for Nigerians, the economy and undermines national security.
In August, there was an oil supply blockage, owing to industrial action, which threatened to disrupt Nigeria’s data and voice service. Interventions by the NCC and Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), under the leadership of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, restored order.
Aside from a drop in quality network service, disruption in oil supply to base stations also undermines Nigeria’s broadband expansion targets and digital inclusion goals, especially in rural areas.
Acres of sweet, red strawberries are ripening in West Sussex this winter ready to be sold in UK supermarkets.
LED lighting in vast glasshouses is enabling berries to be grown all year on a commercial scale for the first time ever.
It means less reliance on fruit flown in from countries like Egypt.
Bartosz Pinkosz
“The LED lighting is the prime reason for successful growing,” said Bartosz Pinkosz, operations director of The Summer Berry.
“If it was not a sunny day, the LED lighting would create enough energy for leaves to absorb that energy, take it in and deliver the energy to the berries.
“We are able to have the right sweetness in the berries and the right shape, right size.”
There are 36,000 square metres of the greenhouses at the site in Chichester, partially powered by renewable energy and buzzing with bees as pollinators.
Acres of strawberries ripening in West Sussex
And the new strand to the business means year-round work for 50 people.
But while it might cut the food miles dramatically, there’s still an inevitable environmental impact when a colossal space is created warm enough for pickers to wear short sleeves in winter.
Dr Tara Garnett, director of food systems platform TABLE, said: “You’re going to need a lot of heat and you’re going to need a lot of light in order to reproduce those summer growing conditions so everything hinges on the energy source you’re going to be using.
“And when we look at the UK self sufficiency levels in fruit and vegetables they are appalling – 16% of the fruit we consume is UK-grown, so the vast majority is imported, and when it comes to vegetables we’re looking more at 50% or so, so there’s a lot more we can do to build up, and should be doing.”
Around 1.5 million punnets of strawberries are expected to be picked on the site over the full stretch of winter, allowing British strawberries to be eaten this Christmas.
But for some, it’s simple – strawberries should be saved for summer, even if it is a much shorter journey from plant to plate.
Archaeologists have made a discovery among the ruins of Pompeii that reveals how the Romans built their lavish empire.
The team uncovered a construction site, untouched by the eruption of Italy’s Mount Vesuvius volcano in 79 AD, revealing the ingredients and methods behind the durable self-healing that the ancient Romans used to revolutionize architecture.
Scientists have long been baffled by the techniques and materials used by the civilization, which allowed structures like the Pantheon and Colosseum to last over 2,000 years.
Now, the Pompeii discovery showed the Romans used a technique called ‘hot mixing’ in which a material called quicklime, dry limestone that was previously heated, is combined directly with water and a blend of volcanic rock and ash, producing a chemical reaction that naturally heats the mixture.
The ancient construction site featured several rooms, containing building materials and pieces of common ceramics, set aside for reuse in the ongoing restoration work on the walls.
The Romans industrialized concrete, beginning in the first century BC and AD.
Admir Masic, a MIT professor of civil and leader of the study, said: ‘Modern concretes generally lack intrinsic self-healing capability, which is increasingly important as we seek longer-lasting, lower-maintenance infrastructure.
Archaeologists excavating Pompeii uncovered an untouched construction site, revealing how the Romans created concrete that has withstood the sands of time
‘So while the ancient process itself is not a direct replacement for modern standards, the principles revealed can inform the design of next-generation durable, low-carbon concretes.’
An indispensable building material, concrete helped the Romans erect structures including stadiums like the Colosseum, domed temples like the Pantheon, public baths and other big buildings, aqueducts and bridges unlike any fashioned to that point in history.
Because the concrete could harden underwater, it was vital for constructing harbors and breakwaters.
‘Studying it truly felt as if I had traveled back in time and was standing beside the workers as they mixed and placed their concrete,’ Masic said.
Pompeii was covered in ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, killing everyone in its path and burying the area.
The town was forgotten until its rediscovery in the 1700s when researchers found dozens of bodies that had been preserved from the soot and ash that covered the streets, buildings and people.
Excavations of Pompeii began in 1748, and although Vesuvius’s eruption completely destroyed the city, the pyroclastic deposits preserved the victims, buildings and art.
The victim’s soft tissue had decayed over the millennia, but their outlines remained intact and were recovered by filling the cavities with plaster, thus preserving their DNA.
Pompeii was covered in ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, killing everyone in its path and burying the area.
The Pompeii discovery showed the Romans used a technique called ‘hot mixing’ in which a material called quicklime, dry limestone that was previously heated, is combined directly with water and a blend of volcanic rock and ash, producing a chemical reaction that naturally heats the mixture
At the site, materials were carefully organized and stored by type.
The atrium probably held pre-mixed dry lime and pozzolanic sand for making mortar, while room 28 stored tiles and stone.
Water for mixing the dry materials was likely added at the fountain pool in room 2.
This organized system allowed workers to access what they needed quickly and keep construction moving efficiently.
Analysis showed that some mortar samples share a similar composition, suggesting they came from the same pre-mixed materials.
Other samples had higher calcium levels, probably because extra lime was added to improve workability or strength for repairs and finishing layers.
Evidence of lime stored in amphorae at the site supports this.
The team uncovered several rooms at the site, containing concrete materials and tiles to mend broken walls
The team determined that materials, pozzolan, lime and aggregates likely came from the nearby Somma-Vesuvius area and were prepared consistently.
Hot mixing left behind lime clasts with cracks and porosity, and was used both for
Quicklime was hot-mixed with pozzolanic materials, while slaked lime was added later for finishing mortars and frescoes.
The structure of the mortar is dense and uniform, showing careful and consistent mixing.
Over time, the lime and volcanic glass continued to react, filling voids and strengthening the concrete. This process even allowed the material to “self-heal,” reducing cracks and improving durability.
The victim’s soft tissue had decayed over the millennia, but their outlines remained intact and were recovered by filling the cavities with plaster, thus preserving their DNA
The excavation of Domus 1 in Pompeii shows that Roman builders had a highly organized approach.
Dry materials were prepared and stored, water was added in controlled steps, and broken amphorae were used to transport mortar. Workers applied it with trowels, checked alignment with plumb lines, and shaped aggregates with axes.
Scientific analyses confirmed that Romans used hot mixing of quicklime for strong, durable mortar, supplemented with slaked lime for repairs and finishing layers.
The pre-mixed dry materials were central to this strategy, allowing construction and repair work to proceed efficiently.
Understanding these methods can help modern restorers replicate original techniques for historically accurate and durable repairs.
The study showed that both original construction and post-earthquake repairs relied on these advanced Roman mortar techniques, highlighting their careful planning and material knowledge.
While the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme has been widely heralded as an initiative designed to build tech talent for the Nigerian digital space, the mission seems to have fallen short of expectations.
The project, tailored to equip Nigerian youths with tech skills and fuel Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy ambition, reportedly saw 50% of its first cohort withdraw along the way. According to Alex Onyia, an Educationist and CEO of Educare, who was at the 3MTT National Impact Summit held on Thursday, December 11, he noted that half of the participants (15,000) were displaced in value during the process.
The first cohort of the 3MTT program, launched in December 2023, selected 30,000 fellows from all 36 states and the FCT. In its anatomy, fellows were expected to equip skills that utilise technology to enhance various roles without directly involving tech creation.
However, Alex Onyia expressed disappointment at how the program failed to equip majority of participants with the tools and facilities needed to learn and thrive in their selected skills. In the explanation made on his X account on Friday, he engaged with 50 random people who participated in the program to get their opinions.
“They enrolled 30,000 people in this cohort and only gave laptops to less than 1000 people. How then do they want them to learn? This made more than half of the participants drop out of the first cohort,” he said.
Alex Onyia, EduCare CEO
As the program largely operated via online platforms, most fellows had no laptops, while some suffered from internet connections, both contributing to their drop out. With little or no resources to facilitate their training, this set of participants lacked practical exercises and got disconnected from the online training.
“The only people who had good things to say were those who had no previous computer knowledge. It lifted them up to a level of literacy, but for people with mid-level knowledge, they said it was of no value to them,’ he added.
Although 1,000 laptops were reportedly distributed at the first cohort, it was short of the 30,000 fellows admitted. In an alarming revelation, the Educare Boss noted that one of the fellow he interviewed was learning coding with his phone.
Also Read: President Tinubu reaffirms digital workforce commitment at 3MTT Summit.
3MTT: a vision with little impact
From its inception, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) had described 3MTT as an initiative that aims to digitally empower Nigerian youths and link them to job opportunities across the country.
However, the initiative, which was practically a flagship project of the ministry, was believed to have made little impact. While it was acknowledged as an initiative with significant vision, the implementation was off plan.
Critics on the social media platform X felt that while the 3MTT vision is ‘strong’, it made little impact. It was described as an initiative that provides no skills to people with mid-level knowledge and offers a level of digital literacy to individuals with no computer knowledge.
In addition, it was tagged as a program focused on doing big numbers in terms of admitted individuals in each cohort, and failed in its implementation plans.
Most critics were in agreement that the ministry needs to focus on investing in infrastructure, including building learning hubs in state and local learning hubs, and providing laptops and reliable internet connection.
“My recommendation as they scale up to 250,000 people is that they invest in large learning hubs across different states and local governments. They should also provide laptops and stable internet for all learners,” Alex Onyia advised.
While there have been success stories from fellows who showcased how the program shaped their careers, critics claimed the impact is low, and the ministry needs to do better going forward.
Current status of 3MTT
The 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program is a critical part of the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. It is aimed at building Nigeria’s technical talent backbone to power its digital economy and position the country as a net talent exporter.
The program started with 30,000 Nigerians, representing 1% of the 3 million target, while the 270,000 selected for the second cohort increased the quota to 1%. The 90,000 participants picked for the third cohort brought the number to 13%.
An additional 25,000 were admitted under this Airtel Africa Foundation partnership with the Ministry, bringing the total cohort to 415,000, representing 13.9%.
Bosun Tijani, George Akume, at 3MTT Summit Abuja on December 11
During the 3MTT National Impact Summit on Thursday, December 11, the ministry unveiled the next phase of the 3MTT Programme, focused on deepening state-level collaboration, expanding training hubs, and accelerating pathways into employment and entrepreneurship.
Spinny, an Indian online marketplace for used cars, is raising around $160 million as it moves to acquire car services startup GoMechanic, TechCrunch has learned.
The Series G round, which includes a mix of primary and secondary transactions, would value the 10-year-old startup at about $1.8 billion post-money, three people familiar with the matter said, broadly in line with its previous valuation.
Nearly $90 million of the round is primary, people said; Existing investor Accel has already wired about $44 million of that amount, with some details of the investment appearing in regulatory filings in India this week, which Indian outlet Entrackr first reported. A new investor is participating in the remaining portion of the primary, but TechCrunch could not confirm its specifics.
WestBridge Capital is doubling down in the new round with a check of a similar size to its previous investment, the people said. The firm invested about $35 million to $40 million in Spinny’s Series F round earlier this year.
Much of the secondary portion of the transaction is being sold by Indian VC firm Fundamentum, according to the people, while Blume Ventures is also expected to pare part of its stake.
Accel, Fundamentum, and Blume Ventures did not respond to requests for comments. WestBridge Capital declined to comment.
In March, Spinny raised $131 million in the first part of its Series F round led by Accel, with participation from Fundamentum, before expanding the raise to about $170 million in June to include WestBridge Capital. Those funds were earmarked to scale Spinny’s core used-car business.
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However, the new round is being raised specifically to finance the acquisition of GoMechanic and invest in its platform, without drawing on the startup’s existing cash reserves, the people said. Earlier reports suggested Spinny could buy GoMechanic for around ₹4.5 billion (approximately $49.70 million) in a cash-and-stock deal.
A consortium led by Lifelong Group acquired GoMechanic in 2023 after the startup admitted to “grave errors” in its financial reporting. The startup had previously been backed by high-profile investors, including Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global, and SoftBank.
For Spinny, acquiring GoMechanic would deepen its control across the used-car value chain. The Gurugram-based startup has built a large consumer-facing business, selling about 13,000 used cars a month, primarily directly to buyers and, to a lesser extent, to dealers through its auction platform. Spinny operates its own large reconditioning centers to refurbish vehicles before sale and relies on third-party service shops for after-sales servicing of customer cars — a gap GoMechanic could bring in-house.
GoMechanic would also act as a “two-way” funnel for Spinny, a person familiar with the matter said. The platform would service vehicles bought or sold through Spinny, and help attract car owners who may not yet be customers. That could help expand Spinny’s vehicle supply without significantly increasing customer acquisition costs.
The acquisition comes as India’s used-car market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of about 10% to roughly 9.5 million units by 2030, from nearly 6 million units today, per a recent report by Mahindra First Choice and Volkswagen Pre-owned Certified.
The GoMechanic deal would mark Spinny’s latest move to broaden its footprint in India’s automotive market. In recent months, the startup has expanded beyond used-car sales by acquiring auto publications Autocar India, Autocar Professional and What Car? India from London-based media group Haymarket, and by launching a non-banking finance company, Spinny Capital, to offer vehicle loans to customers.
Spinny co-founder and CEO Niraj Singh declined to comment.
TECHNOLOGY
Quick-hitting storm to dump up to 3 inches of snow on NYC as weather warnings issued for East Coast
A winter storm is coming to the Northeast starting on Saturday night and is set to blanket New York City and surrounding areas with the first measurable snowfall of the season.
Snow totals will be anywhere from one to three inches in the tri-state area, according to meteorologists.
Areas further north, including most of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, will likely see less than one inch of snow. In South Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, totals could range from three to five inches.
Precipitation will start as rain and move westward across the United States, NBC Weather reported. Across much of the region, Saturday temperatures will be above freezing before nightfall.
But by midnight, forecasters expect temperatures to drop to below freezing, which is when the rain will turn to snow.
Rain is expected to start at around 9pm ET and change over to snow by 12am. The storm will last for seven to eight hours and by 10am on Sunday, it will have likely moved over the Atlantic Ocean.
New York City, which usually gets its first major snowfall by this time of year, issued a weather alert through Sunday and has urged residents to be careful on the roads.
‘The winter season is in full swing, including all the winter weather that comes with it,’ Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. ‘All New York City agencies are prepared for this system, and we continue to monitor conditions closely.’
A winter storm is set to descend on the Northeast. The storm will from the western United States throughout Saturday. New York City is expected to get its first snowflakes by 9pm ET Pictured: Central Park after a snowfall
New York City is expected to get two to two-and-a-half inches of snow across all five boroughs A file photo shows birds on a patch of snow in Central Park on February 12, 2025
The fountain of the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC freezed over during a cold snap earlier this month
The snowfall expectations for various regions in the Northeast and Central US
‘New Yorkers should all prepare too – avoid driving and give yourself extra travel time with public transit if you do need to travel, stay alert to changing conditions, and sign up for Notify NYC for real-time information updates,’ the mayor added.
The National Weather Service said an advisory is in effect for New York from 10pm Saturday until 1pm on Sunday.
New York City is expected to get two to two-and-a-half inches of snow across all five boroughs, and neighboring New Jersey could see anywhere from one to five inches.
‘While the location of any 5+ inch amounts is less certain, the greatest chance for this is across the I-95 corridor and immediately to the southeast in southern N.J.,’ the NWS said.
The latest storm comes after the central and eastern US experienced a significant cold snap for the first two weeks of December.
States south of New Jersey and New York are gearing up for tough travel day on Sunday.
Northern West Virginia and areas bordering it could see snow accumulation of five to nine inches overnight, according to an NWS alert.
‘Persons should consider delaying all travel. If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution. Consider taking a winter storm kit along with you, including such items as tire chains, booster cables, flashlight, shovel, blankets and extra clothing,’ the alert said.
‘Also take water, a first aid kit, and anything else that would help you survive in case you become stranded.’
Ohio and western Pennsylvania could see four to seven inches.
Lake-effect snow warnings are in effect for central and western New York through at least Sunday afternoon.
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Quick-hitting storm to dump up to 3 inches of snow on NYC as weather warnings issued for East Coast
A woman is facing felony charges in Evansville, Indiana over a DoorDash delivery in which she allegedly sprayed the food with a substance that made the customers vomit.
In a press release, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office said that it was contacted on December 7 by a man who said that he and his wife vomited and experienced a burning sensation in their mouth, nose, throat, and stomachs after eating fast food ordered through DoorDash.
The man told NBC News that he noticed something red had been sprayed on the delivery bag, so he checked footage from their doorbell camera. According to the sheriff’s department, the footage shows that after dropping off the food and taking a photo, the woman appeared to spray a substance towards the food from a small aerosol can attached to her keychain.
The sheriff’s department said that using DoorDash records, detectives identified the woman as Kourtney Stevenson of Kentucky, who told local police in a phone call that she had been working for DoorDash while visiting her father, and that she’d used pepper spray to spray a spider. But the department also said that with an overnight low of 35 degrees Fahrenheit, “outdoor spiders in Indiana are not active and would not be capable of crawling on exposed surfaces.”
When Stevenson allegedly declined to come in for an interview, detectives obtained a warrant to arrest her for battery resulting in a moderate injury and consumer product tampering. She is now awaiting extradition to Indiana.
A DoorDash spokesperson said in a statement that Stevenson has been banned from the platform.
“We have absolutely zero tolerance for this type of appalling behavior,” the spokesperson said. “The Dasher’s access to the platform has been permanently removed, and our team is supporting law enforcement with their investigation.”
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The New York Times and NBC News both report that it’s not clear if Stevenson has a lawyer who can comment on her behalf.
YouTube channels spreading fake, anti-Labour videos have amassed more than a billion views this year, as opportunists attempt to use AI-generated content to profit from political division in the UK.
More than 150 channels have been detected in the last year that promote anti-Labour narratives, as well as outright fake and inflammatory accusations about Keir Starmer.
A study seen by the Guardian has found the channels have accumulated 5.3m subscribers and have created more than 56,000 videos, with a total of almost 1.2bn views in 2025. The network of anonymous channels includes alarmist rhetoric, AI scripts and British narrators to attract hits.
Starmer is personally targeted. The prime minister was either named in the video title or description 15,600 times.
Reset Tech, the non-profit group that produced the research, said the channels were part of a global trend to produce synthetic propaganda on the platform. It pointed to the proliferation of cheap AI tools that could be deployed to make a quick profit from divisive topics.
One channel called Britain News-night talked about Starmer and Reeves facing arrest. Another, TheUKPoliticalBrief, touted videos on the “explosive truth” about immigrant crime and marches on Westminster.
The UK NewsCore channel focused on how Nigel Farage was ousting Starmer, and claimed the prime minister was “sacked live” and thrown out of parliament.
Other videos featured bizarre, fabricated stories about a row between the royal family and the government. One channel, Gold Up!, said the dispute had left Starmer “melting down on live TV”.
Some of the videos and channels were removed by YouTube’s checks. However, all 150 were taken down when the platform was approached by the Guardian. Reset Tech said some channels had created tens or hundreds of similar videos without being deplatformed.
The research found similar channels operating in German, French, Spanish and Polish, targeting other politicians or political issues. In total, it mapped 420 problematic channels operating in Europe. Reset Tech said Russian-speaking creators operate some of the channels.
It is believed channels aimed at the UK were being driven by opportunistic creators trying to monetise political division over issues like immigration, rather than overseas political actors. However, it said their presence still posed a risk to public trust.
The content has caused concern inside Labour. “The rise of fake news online is a serious threat to our democracy,” a spokesperson said. “The public will be rightly alarmed that democratically elected leaders and institutions are being undermined by bad faith foreign state actors and those seeking to profit from misinformation.
“We’ve already seen attempts from overseas to influence fair elections and manipulate public opinion both here and abroad.
“The government is stepping up its efforts to work with online platforms to tackle this scourge on free and fair democracy. But it’s important that tech bosses take this threat seriously and live up to their obligations to remove this type of content wherever it’s found.”
Dylan Sparks, UK director of Reset Tech, called for YouTube to take swifter action. “Malicious actors are permitted by YouTube to spread synthetic ‘news’ that disrupts political debate in the UK, while also earning revenue from it,” he said. “This AI-generated, low cost content spreads across the platform undetected, revealing clear weaknesses in YouTube’s monetisation and content moderation systems.
“This specific network focuses on the prime minister and Labour government, but the same loopholes could be exploited by any hostile actor to push an agenda. Because social media platforms profit from engagement, their business model creates an in-built tension between enforcing their own policies and reducing the spread of malicious content that drives revenue.
“The rapid spread of AI has also introduced new risks to the online environment, and platforms need to move faster and invest more to address them.”
A YouTube spokesperson said: “Spam and deceptive practices that try to take advantage of the YouTube community are not allowed on the platform, which is why the channels flagged by the Guardian have all been removed.
“We enforce our policies consistently, regardless of political viewpoint expressed, or how the content is generated. Our teams work around the clock to monitor for harmful content, taking swift action as needed.”
YouTube is now working with Reset Tech over its findings. The platform said its systems prominently feature authoritative news content on the YouTube homepage, in search results, and through recommendations. It has removed more than 2.1m channels for violating its community guidelines.
Ministers have already formed an online advertising taskforce to see what action can be taken to address the advertising-based monetisation of harmful and misleading content.
TECHNOLOGY
Ancient lake that vanished 100,000 years ago RETURNS to California due to record rainfall
An ancient lake that disappeared from a California national park more than 100,000 years ago has dramatically returned following record-breaking rainfall.
The massive Ice Age lake roughly 100 miles long and 600 feet deep dried up between 128,000 and 186,000 years ago as the climate warmed in present-day Death Valley National Park, according to Los Angeles Times.
However last week the National Park Service (NPS) revealed the area had its wettest fall season on record, resulting in a rare return of the body of water.
‘These fall storms brought more rain than Death Valley typically receives in an entire year,’ the agency wrote in a news release.
Badwater Basin, one of the hottest places on Earth and the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level, recorded 2.41 inches of rain in just three months.
Death Valley shattered a nearly century-old record in November, receiving 1.76 inches of rain and eclipsing the 1.70-inch mark set in 1923.
‘It’s an attraction, but it’s not really a lake,’ Katt, an employee at the Death Valley Inn, told the LA Times.
‘It’s the size of a lake but it’s not deep,’ she added. ‘It’s more like a very, very large riverbed without the flow – a wading pool maybe.’
Tourists have flocked to visit the newly returned body of water, informally known as Lake Manly, which has sprung up in Badwater Basin, one of the hottest places on Earth, following record-breaking rainfall
A massive Ice Age lake roughly 100 miles long and 600 feet deep which dried up between 128,000 and 186,000 years ago as the climate warmed in present-day Death Valley National Park, California has returned
Last week, the National Park Service (NPS) revealed the area had its wettest fall season on record, resulting in a rare return of the body of water
The lake reappeared more than two years after its last return in 2023, when Hurricane Hilary hit the state and dumped more than 2.2 inches of rain on the valley.
Then, in February 2024, the normally dry basin filled as Hilary’s remnants combined with 1.5 inches of rainfall from an atmospheric river.
Thanks to the continuous rainfall, the basin stayed deep enough for kayaking for several weeks. NASA measured the water at between 1.5 and three feet over six weeks in February and March of last year.
Videos showed visitors strolling through the lake’s shallow waters and reaching down to touch the basin.
Now, the lake – informally known as Lake Manly – has transformed into a smaller and shallower version of the one that formed after Hurricane Hilary swept through the park.
Nevertheless, the phenomenon has boosted business in Death Valley from 20 to 30 percent since the lake reappeared, the inn employee told The Times.
The staffer said that when the lake last returned in 2023, the inn was fully booked for several nights. Following recent storms, the inn has once again seen an increase in visitors, as it is only about seven miles from the park’s entrance.
She recently explored the newly formed lake and noted that in certain spots, the water came up to her knees.
It is not the first time the lake has returned, in February last year after the remnants of a hurricane combined with an atmospheric river to deluge the site. Pictured: Tourists wade in the lake in on February 18, 2024
The lake reappeared more than two years after its last return in 2023, when Hurricane Hilary hit the state and dropped more than 2.2 inches of rain on the valley. Pictured: People relax by the water’s edge during the lake’s last appearance in 2024
Thanks to the continuous rainfall, the basin stayed deep enough for kayaking for several weeks in 2024 before vanishing again
Officials have cautioned that no one can say how long the lake will persist before vanishing again and that it is unlikely to stick around for long.
The lake’s fate hinges on three things: how windy Death Valley gets, how warm it becomes and whether more rain arrives soon.
At such a low elevation, rainfall in the valley typically evaporates almost immediately due to the intense heat.
However, due to recent cooler temperatures, Death Valley park ranger Nichole Andler told the LA Times that visitors can expect to see the lake into the new year and possibly longer.
‘Some of the best views of the lake are from Dante’s View, and sunrise is a great time to see it,’ she added.
Long before the water dried up, hundreds of thousands of years ago, ice cloaked the Sierra Nevada while the vast lake stretched across what is now the Mojave Desert.
Today, the towering Sierra Nevada range blocks moisture from the Pacific, causing most of the rain to fall on the mountains’ western side.
But thanks to mountain rain shadows, Death Valley now averages roughly two inches of rain annually.
Now, the lake – informally known as Lake Manly – has transformed into a smaller and shallower version of the one that formed after Hurricane Hilary swept through
At such a low elevation, rainfall in the valley typically evaporates almost immediately due to the intense heat. Pictured: Visitors walk under the sun at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, near Furnace Creek, during a heatwave impacting Southern California on July 7, 2024.
The recent storms have caused road closures throughout the park, with debris covering paved roads and making them impassable, according to the National Park Service.
Some of the park’s most popular sites – including Zabriskie Point, Dante’s View, Badwater Basin and Mesquite Sand Dunes – remain open and accessible.
‘If traveling on backcountry roads, visitors should proceed with caution,’ the agency wrote.
‘The water is about a mile from the Badwater parking lot and in most places, would not rise above the tops of your shoes,’ the release added.
‘Be prepared to self-rescue and always check current conditions before visiting.’
The National Park Service did not immediately respond to Daily Mail’s request for comment.
As we wrap up 2025 across the tech space, Technext decided to conduct a review of the Nigerian fintech ecosystem.
With that, this article seeks to chronicle outstanding milestones attained by Nigerian fintech startups during the year 2025.
For our methodology, we initially identified the top 20 fintechs in Nigeria in 2025 and tracked their activities throughout the year. While it was a tough pick, we arrived at the top 5 using. the. volume of the noted metrics and the perceived impact on Nigerians.
To add, we spoke to some founders and stakeholders. from the highllighted fintech startups to provided insights on what these milestones mean to their operations and what to expect. in the coming year, 2026.
1. Moniepoint
For Moniepoint, 2025 has been the year of accelerated growth built on the trust it has earned in the last 4 years.
Early in the year, the company processed over 1 billion transactions processed monthly. The number demonstrated rapid growth from the 800 million figure in October 2024, the month it raised $110M Series C funding and achieved a unicorn status.
Speaking with Technext on the milestone, Edidiong Uwemakpan, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Moniepoint Inc, explained that the company has grown in the number of businesses it serves, which is reflected in its numbers. She added that Monipoint’s goal “is to ensure that we maintain that level of reliability as we get into the new year.”
If the exchange rate has been fair, the fintech’s monthly roundup would be much similar to what Safaricom’s M-Pesa does monthly.
, Edidiong Uwemakpan, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Moniepoint Inc
Edidiong mentioned that when businesses adopt Moniebook, it will help the company to “reliably serve them better, help them record their sales better and provide efficient bookkeeping and inventory management.”
With a surge in transactions facilitated per month and other milestones, Moniepoint is focused on growing its customer base, revenue and credit product in 2026.
“We’re giving to a lot more businesses around Nigeria, because we believe that’s the one way that Nigeria’s economy can really grow. If we have more people taking credits, expanding their business, and just boosting production as a whole,” Edidiong added.
Further proof of how the fintech company is its use of digital payment to drive financial inclusion. A recent report indicates that 7 in 10 fuel stations now use Moniepoint’s POS terminals.
You can read the full report here.
MILESTONES IN 2025
1. Now processing about 1 billion transactions in a month, worth N1 trillion.
2. Now serving 7 million businesses per month and 10 million active customers every month.
3. 7 in 10 POS nationwide use the Moniepoint POS terminal.
4. 20% or revenue comes from Credit offering.
5. Raised $90 million in a Series C funding round, pushing its valuation above $1 billion.
6. Launched Moniebook to help businesses manage daily operations.
2. Kuda Nigeria
In its Q1 2025 results, announced in July 2025, Kuda Nigeria recorded a milestone in its history.
The fintech company saw 300 million transactions worth N14.3 trillion ($9.3 billion) across its retail and business banking arms that quarter. In breakdown, retail banking accounted for N8.5 trillion ($5.5 billion), while business users processed N5.8 trillion ($3.7 billion).
Kuda bank imposes charges of N50 on deposits above N10,000 or above
While its cross-border payment offering had earlier failed, the company relaunched the cross-border remittance with a multi-currency wallet that allows Kuda users outside Nigeria to send money directly to Nigerian bank accounts. The company earlier paused its remittance offering to strengthen its product in-house with Kuda’s core banking application.
In the same period, Kuda saw its paid transfers surpass free transfers for the first time. For free transfers, the fintech company processed almost N1 trillion in transfers, while it facilitated N3 trillion on non-free transfers.
In addition to its key milestone in Q1 2025, Kuda Nigeria saw rapid customer base expansion and successful funding rounds. As of mid-2024, the company reported 7.5 million users.
MILESTONES IN 2025
1. Processed over 300 million transactions worth N14.3 trillion in Q1 2025
2. Witnessed steady growth in transactions on the app.
3. Recorded more paid transfers than free transfers.
4. Relaunched cross-border remittance with a multi-currency wallet
3. Middleman
Earlier in the year, TechNext spotlighted 10 Nigerian startups to watch out for in 2025. And, Middleman made the list. So, it is no surprise the startup has done so much so far.
From an increase in user base to the launch of Middleman AI and the Version 2 (V2) rollout, the fintech company has witnessed tremendous growth in 2025. Its most popular offering, ‘Remit by Middleman’, is a channel for e-commerce entrepreneurs who import from China and pay their suppliers in RMB – Renminbi (China’s currency),
Speaking with Technext, Adeola Owosho, Co-founder of Middleman, noted that a shift from payments to doing more was a major game changer for Middleman in 2025.
“We soon learned that our customers wanted more than just payments. They wanted an end-to-end procurement platform that offers more in terms of factory checks, customisations, consolidation, packing, shipping and so on,” he said.
Adeola Owosho, Co-founder at Middleman
At that point, the company upped the game by building an end-to-end stack. It also launched an AI sourcing assistant that provides customers with a more intelligent system on Chinese marketplaces.
Another milestone, according to Adeola, is that its procurement service raised the company’s gross margin from 2% to around 7%. “We’ve seen tremendous growth this month, and we’re pretty excited about our future,” he added.
Going into 2026, Middleman pictures an increased growth. “Next year is going to see us doubling down on our procurement service, building our agent network and also moving our procurement service fully in-app so that our users can have a more seamless experience,” Adeola said.
MILESTONES IN 2025
1. Rebranded and Launched procurement service.
2. Now processed almost ₦2 billion ($1.38 million) in total transactions.
3. Launch of Middleman AI with API integration
4. Crossed N2 billion in Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV)
5. Getting backed by Google
6. Now serving 12,000 users.
4. LemFi
The Nigerian-based Fintech company has had its hands full in 2025, including a lineup of new product launches and partnerships.
The startup kicked off the year with a $53 million Series B fundraise in January, bringing its total funding to over $86 million. It deepened its operation outside the shores of Africa, expanding to India, China, Pakistan, Brazil, and Mexico. With its acquisition and expansion in 2025, LemFi now operates in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia.
In another notable partnership, LemFi collaborated with GCash to offer instant transfers for millions of Filipinos. The move saw LemFi connect the Filipino diaspora in North America and Europe to a trusted local financial tool.
LemFi processes $1 billion monthly, up from $2 billion in 2023, driven by $160 million monthly in its Asian corridor, which grew by 30 % month‑on‑month in its first year.
To wrap up 2025, the fintech company launched a “Global Accounts” product for Nigerians, enabling users to operate real USD and GBP accounts directly within the LemFi app and receive international payments.
MILESTONES IN 2025
1. Expanded to Egypt and Europe.
2. Secured $53 million in a Series funding round.
3. Acquired Pillar, a UK Credit Card Issuer.
4. Secured 14 U.S. State Money Transmitter Licenses (MTLs).
5. Now in 27 send-from markets and 20 send-to countries.
5. Palmpay
In 2025, Palmpay continued its driving force by topping its user base, which surpassed over 15 million in Q1. The fintech company has crossed 35 million subscribers, with each user doing about 50 transactions monthly.
The fintech company also announced a N4 billion interest payout to users of its PalmPay Wealth Product, signalling the increased trust and usage rate among customers.
PalmPay
In March 2025, the company also launched Debit Cards, extending its digital banking ecosystem beyond the mobile app. Four months later, Palmpay received notable recognition, making CNBC’s top global fintechs for the second year in a row.
As the fintech company heads into its 7th year in 2026, it will be looking to increase its numbers and fuel its expansion plans into more African countries.
MILESTONES IN 2025
1. Crossed 40 million users while daily transaction volumes surpassed 15 million in Q1 2025.
2. Completed the first live transaction with Wema Bank on the Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement System (NIBSS) National Payment Stack (NPS).
4. Named in CNBC and Statista’s “Top 300 Global Fintech Companies” list for the second consecutive year.
5. Launched physical debit cards in partnership with Verve and AfriGo.
Honestly, if we were to select the top 10 Nigerian fintechs, we wouldn’t have exhausted the initial list. With respect to other fintechs, the above have excelled to merit the slot.