Author: damazah@gmail.com

Africa’s first continental credit rating agency will launch in Mauritius on October 6, marking a major step in the continent’s push to reshape how global investors assess its sovereigns and companies and reduce reliance on international rating firms. The African Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA) is being established as an independent, private sector-led institution that will provide sovereign and corporate credit ratings based on African market realities while operating on a commercial basis. Speaking to CNBC Africa on Wednesday, Misheck Mutize, lead expert at the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), said preparations for AfCRA have progressed faster than initially expected following…

Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is trying to sell investors on his prediction for the future — one where billions of people will have their own personal AI agents in the next five years. (Let’s hope that future also comes with data centers efficient enough to power all those agents — without triggering a fresh wave of climate disasters.) “I think that it’s extremely unlikely if you look out five years from now, for example — whatever period of time you want — that you don’t have billions of people with a personal agent that understands your goals and…

Presidential candidate of the Accord Party, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, may now possess a strategic advantage in one important respect: he has become the opposition figure whose political trajectory is generating increasing curiosity, closer scrutiny and more intensive political calculations within the ruling establishment. Chuks Okocha writes. With less than a month to the commencement of full-scale campaigns for Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, political calculations are rapidly changing. While much of the public discourse has focused on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, a quieter but increasingly significant political development…

Fresh from winning a historic bronze medal in the men’s 100m at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi has turned the spotlight away from himself and onto the community that shaped his journey. The 21-year-old sprinter, who became the first Nigerian man in two decades to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the blue-riband event, says he hopes his success will inspire young people from Ikorodu and other communities across Nigeria to dream big. “It doesn’t matter where you come from. You can do it,” Ajayi told PREMIUM TIMES after receiving his bronze medal in Glasgow on Wednesday. His…

A few dozen people in Seattle showed support for Cunningham and state initiatives that would bar trans athletes from girls’ sports

Reel Citrus has acquired North American rights to the Vietnamese period drama “Mesdames Thanh Sắc,” which it will release as “Madame in Saigon,” through a partnership with Ho Chi Minh City-based production and rights partner Live On. Directed by Thắng Vũ, “Madame in Saigon” is set in 1960s Saigon and follows dancer Cầm Thanh (Thanh Hằng) as she rises through the city’s nightlife into a power struggle with Madame Sắc (Hồng Ánh), owner of the Kim Đô nightclub. The cast also includes Lương Thế Thành and singer-actor Văn Mai Hương. The film opened in Vietnam in June. Reel Citrus will…

Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare has admitted he initially thought his agent was joking when he was informed of Ajax’s interest, describing his move to the Dutch giants as a dream he never imagined would become a reality. The 25-year-old completed a season-long loan move from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Ajax on Wednesday, with the Eredivisie powerhouse retaining an option to make the transfer permanent next summer for a fee believed to be around £17 million. Speaking to Ajax’s official website after sealing the move, the Nigerian forward could not hide his excitement about joining one of Europe’s most historic clubs.…

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 09, 2024: A closeup view of the New York Yankees logo on the jersey worn by Aaron Judge #99 prior to a game against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium on May 09, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images)Diamond Images/Getty ImagesThe New York Yankees have some holes to fill on their 26-man roster.The Yankees need upgrades at third base, shortstop, and catcher.The Yankees are in the midst of a heated American League East Division pennant race with the pesky Tampa Bay Rays. The surging Boston Red…

Microsoft is in a unique position as AI overtakes the tech industry. It’s one of the world’s largest cloud providers and software-as-a-service companies, while also holding valuable stakes in the two biggest AI labs, OpenAI and Anthropic. Those incentives are starting to clash as Microsoft posts blockbuster financial results. The company just reported an extremely profitable quarter with $90 billion in revenue and net income of $35.8 billion. For the fiscal year, which ended June 30, Microsoft reported $331.8 billion in revenue with a net income of $133.7 billion for the year. And CEO Satya Nadella is not about to…

The UK government and police chiefs are reviewing the process through which US military personnel accused of committing serious crimes on UK soil are avoiding the British justice system.The effort, involving multiple government departments, is examining why UK police forces, which have primary responsibility for investigating such cases, have been ceding jurisdiction to US military investigators.Such decisions pave the way for alleged perpetrators to be tried in a US military court martial process, an alternative justice system in which victims are often not given the same protections as they would get in a British court.The government and police reviews were…