The Scoop A South African investor group that recently rescued the debt-laden agricultural producer Tongaat Hulett is planning a takeover of rival Illovo Sugar, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The move would consolidate control of the continent’s sugar, ethanol, and bioenergy markets under a single African-owned ...
Category: Semafor
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A trust gap could unravel Nigeria’s financial inclusion winsA trust gap could unravel Nigeria’s financial inclusion wins
For fifteen years, the answer to financial inclusion was more innovation. We built payment rails that clear in seconds, a biometric identity anchor and a licensing regime that brought fintech players, payment service banks, and mobile money operators into the formal system. I helped shape parts of that architecture as ...
Avila Chevalier plans to join Congressional Black CaucusAvila Chevalier plans to join Congressional Black Caucus
Darializa Avila Chevalier, the democratic socialist who ousted New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat in a June primary upset, plans to seek membership in both the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus once sworn in, her campaign told Semafor. That would make her only the second Afro-Latino lawmaker to ...
AI exacerbates ‘class divide,’ progressive poll showsAI exacerbates ‘class divide,’ progressive poll shows
Only one-third of American workers expect AI to improve their jobs, according to new polling from Groundwork Collaborative, a liberal group, and Ipsos. There’s a clear divide across income brackets: Four in 10 of those making $100,000 or more expect AI to make their jobs better, compared with 19% of ...
Rogers tries for a tricky ‘change’ electionRogers tries for a tricky ‘change’ election
The News GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — Standing outside a beachfront restaurant on the shores of Lake Michigan, Mike Rogers didn’t want to talk much about national politics. How would he vote on the multiple Senate-approved measures to condemn President Donald Trump’s tariffs? “I don’t know.” Where does he stand on ...
The AI ‘news’ accounts hyping a blue-state dystopiaThe AI ‘news’ accounts hyping a blue-state dystopia
The Scoop In January, President Donald Trump posted two clips from a popular YouTube account sharing some dramatic news: Walmart was closing hundreds of California stores. It wasn’t true. But as California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s communications team pushed back against the posts on X, what alarmed them more than the ...
Trump calls off Iran strikesTrump calls off Iran strikes
US President Donald Trump abruptly called off a new round of planned strikes on Iran on Saturday after some of Washington’s Gulf allies pushed for deescalation. The pause was contingent upon “rapidly” arriving at a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, as Iran and Oman discussed a ...
US, Japan coordinate yen purchasesUS, Japan coordinate yen purchases
The US and Japanese governments coordinated to stabilize the yen after the currency plummeted last week, a historic intervention aimed at preventing wider economic destabilization. The yen is “very undervalued,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday — Japan’s currency has weakened for months, a phenomenon economists attributed to ...
Trump’s Gaza deal faces resistanceTrump’s Gaza deal faces resistance
US President Donald Trump’s diplomatic push to disarm Hamas has run into headwinds as political resistance in Israel and disagreements with Hamas over implementation cast doubt on the US-backed plan. Trump hailed the agreement last week as a “monumental step” that Israel was “very happy” about, but he dodged key ...
BYD sales rise for third straight month on exports surgeBYD sales rise for third straight month on exports surge
China’s BYD recorded a 22% year-over-year increase in EV sales in July, marking a third straight month of growth, as overseas gains continued to help offset slumping demand at home. The company must sharply lift its second-half sales to meet its annual goal, Bloomberg noted, as a sluggish Chinese economy ...