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Sista Afia Appoints Edward Aganesh As Publicist

Ghanaian media personality and publicist, Edward Aganesh, has been appointed as the new publicist for celebrated Ghanaian musician Sista Afia.

Aganesh will be in charge of the artiste’s publicity and media relations as she strengthens her presence in Ghana’s competitive music industry.

Aganesh is a versatile media and entertainment professional with experience spanning public relations, blogging, television presenting, acting, event hosting and film production. He has been associated with B.O Productions and previously worked as a props and set designer, and as a commercial model.

Interestingly, his professional background also includes training and work as a registered nurse.

He has been vocal about the importance of strategic publicity for artistes, noting in August 2025 that effective media promotion helps increase visibility, strengthen personal brands, engage audiences and create opportunities for recognition and financial growth.

He has also urged artistes to leverage the evolving digital media landscape, including TikTok, Snapchat, influencers, trends and viral content to reach new audiences.

With his new role, Aganesh is expected to use his experience to enhance Sista Afia’s visibility, coordinate media engagements and strengthen her relationship with the media.

Sista Afia has established herself as one of Ghana’s notable female musicians, and the appointment is expected to bring a strategic publicity push to her brand and upcoming projects.

Sri Lanka, Japan step up efforts to address investor concerns and develop export-oriented industrial corridor

The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) has stepped up efforts to address operational challenges faced by Japanese investors, with the fifth working-level meeting of the Sri Lanka-Japan Business Environment Committee providing a platform for companies to raise concerns directly with relevant government agencies.

The quarterly meeting brought together representatives of the Embassy of Japan, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), Japanese companies operating in Sri Lanka, the BOI and other relevant government institutions.

Japanese companies were given the opportunity to present issues affecting their respective operations, with government agencies providing clarifications and responses during the discussions.

The concerns covered a broad range of sectors, reflecting the diversity of Japanese investment in Sri Lanka. These included manufacturing and industrial production, consumer and health products, value-added trade, environmental services, infrastructure, logistics and energy.

The BOI said discussions between Government officials and Japanese business representatives were productive and constructive, reaffirming the importance of sustained dialogue and coordination in addressing investor concerns.

The meeting also reiterated the BOI’s role as the principal liaison between investors and the Government, with participants stressing the Committee’s importance in identifying and resolving operational issues, whilst strengthening bilateral economic cooperation.

Meanwhile, the first meeting of the Sri Lanka-Japan Joint Working Group on Export-Oriented Industrial Corridor Development was held concurrently.

The establishment of the working group marks a further step in broadening the focus of Sri Lanka-Japan economic cooperation beyond individual investor concerns towards potential industrial and export-oriented development.

Biometric SIM Verification To Begin Before End Of 2026 – Sam George

The Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has announced that the government will introduce biometric verification as part of Ghana’s SIM registration process before the end of 2026.

Mr. George made the announcement at the Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday.

According to the Minister, Parliament has passed the Legislative Instrument (LI) on SIM registration, paving the way for the next phase of the exercise.

Under the new system, subscribers will be required to provide biometric information, such as fingerprints, as part of the registration process.

Subscribers are expected to be given a specified period to complete the verification, with possible sanctions for those who fail to comply.

The biometric verification system is expected to strengthen subscriber identification, improve the integrity of SIM registration data and help create a more secure telecommunications environment.

The sector minister said the government was committed to ensuring that Ghana’s regulatory framework kept pace with developments in the digital space.

‘The work is far from finished, and I will not pretend otherwise. But the direction is unmistakable, the results are measurable, and the resolve of this Ministry is unshaken,’ he said.

The new requirement comes after several challenges with the SIM registration exercise, which began in October 2021.

The initial process required subscribers to link their SIM cards to their Ghana Cards and subsequently complete biometric registration at the customer care centres or authorised agents of their network providers.

By October 2022, about 28.96 million SIM cards had been linked to Ghana Cards, representing 67.28 per cent of the total number of SIM cards issued. However, only 18.93 million, representing 44.28 per cent, had completed both stages.

The exercise officially ended on May 31, 2023, following several extensions. However, more than 10 million subscribers had only partially completed the registration process.

At the end of the exercise, telecommunications operators began blocking unregistered SIM cards, with MTN Ghana alone blocking about 5.4 million.

The Ministry and the National Communications Authority (NCA) have since acknowledged gaps in the previous registration exercise, particularly in achieving its objectives of reducing fraud and improving public confidence in communication services.

The new biometric verification system is therefore intended to ensure that SIM cards are linked to verified identities through biometric data, making it more difficult for individuals to use fraudulent identities to register SIM cards.

Shuttlers moves beyond bus stops with new door-to-door car service

Shuttlers, a technology-enabled shared mobility platform, has expanded its bus service by launching Shuttlers Pod, a door-to-door car service that provides scheduled rides for commuters.

The service applies Shuttlers’ scheduled bus model to private vehicles, replacing the traditional bus stop with door-to-door pickups and drop-offs.

According to the company, Shuttlers Pod offers commuters a scheduled, shared ride from doorstep to destination, with the option to book privately, at an affordable fare for a planned journey.

The service matches commuters travelling the same route with a single scheduled trip, picking up three to four riders and dropping each at their exact destination.

Every trip comes with a named driver, known as a Pilot, a fixed fare and a guaranteed pickup, with no surge pricing or roadside negotiation.

It offers an alternative to conventional car hire and on-demand journeys, with each Pod trip costing roughly 50 percent less than typical ride-hailing fares, enabled by its advance-booking and fixed-pricing model.

Damilola Olokesusi, CEO and Co-Founder of Shuttlers, noted that Nigeria’s cost of living is rising faster than incomes, and, given this reality, Olokesusi said the smartest way to move people is through shared mobility.

‘We’ve spent the last decade making scheduled, shared transport reliable and affordable; and Shuttlers Pod brings that same thinking to scheduled private and shared trips that are safe, premium and affordable, from your doorstep to exactly where you need to be,’ Olokesusi said.

Pod expands Shuttlers’ existing mobility services, which include Shuttlers Daily, a scheduled shared commute service for working professionals; Shuttlers for Business, for employee transportation with live trip tracking; Shuttlers Rental, which offers vehicle rentals for individuals and companies; and Shuttlers EventGo, which provides shared transportation for events.

The company currently serves more than 600,000 monthly trips across more than 1,000 itineraries in 400 routes, operating more than 430 buses daily across Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.

The company noted that they are serving more than 50,000 professionals through its daily work commute services and reports a 99 percent trip completion rate since launching in 2016.

FOOTBALL-TRINIDAD-Wales to officiate in Saudi Pro League

Trinidadian referee Caleb Wales has been selected to officiate in the Saudi Pro League.

Wales, who recently took part at the FIFA World Cup, was invited by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to officiate in the match between sixth placed Al-Ahli and third placed Al-Qadsiah at the EGO Stadium in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation formally requested Wales’ services through the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, via a letter to General Secretary Kareem Paul, with the local official scheduled to be in Saudi Arabia from September 7 to 9.

The fixture carries added importance with both Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah looking to remain within touching distance of the early leaders. Both teams enter the match on the back of victories without conceding, with Al-Ahli particularly impressive in a 5-0 win in their previous outing.

There is also some recent history between the two sides. In their meeting last season, Al-Ahli raced into a 2-0 advantage before Al-Qadsiah produced a dramatic turnaround to claim a 3-2 victory.

With both clubs boasting strong squads and important points at stake, the contest is expected to be a fiercely competitive one and represents another high-profile appointment for Wales.

The TTFA congratulated Wales on the appointment and wished him well for the assignment as he continues to represent T and T at the highest levels of international refereeing.

PM Anutin maps path to resilience

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday emphasised the importance of strengthening the country’s resilience from within to ensure steady advancement amid rapidly changing geopolitical and technological contexts.

The statement was delivered during a symposium organised for the 68th class of the National Defence Course (NDC), held on Monday under the theme “Resilient Thailand”.

Mr Anutin said in his speech that Thailand must not only survive amid changing global trends, such as geopolitics, trade, artificial intelligence (AI), and demographic shifts, but also strive for stronger, sustainable development in the global context.

Mr Anutin then proposed the government’s three main focuses in enhancing internal resilience: economic upgrade, state agency reform, and human resource development.

The government aims to create new economic engines while strengthening existing ones by promoting future industries, including digital technology, AI, semiconductors, advanced electronics, future automotive, clean energy, biotechnology, food, and medicine, the prime minister said.

He said civil service reform is not just about reducing the number of civil servants, but about changing mindsets, working methods, and the government’s role. This involves using technology to streamline processes and reduce the burden on citizens.

On human resource development, Mr Anutin said Thais must keep pace with technology, not just as workers in large-scale investment projects, but to become engineers, system developers, entrepreneurs, and capable of leveraging new infrastructure to create businesses and contribute to Thailand’s higher income, and upskilling and reskilling initiatives must continue.

Mr Anutin also touched on Thailand’s defence, saying national security is no less important than economic prosperity.

He said the government has a duty to ensure the safety of its citizens, and that Thailand must be prepared to respond to any further aggression or incidents.

He affirmed that the government and the military’s defence actions over the past period have been necessary and appropriate to the situation, and that maintaining this readiness is essential because diplomatic relations have not yet returned to normal.

While the country must remain prepared in terms of security, citizens and the private sector can continue their lives and economic activities as usual, including investment, business expansion, and national development planning. Thailand must balance responding to threats with advancing the economy, he said.

Mr Anutin also said developing the domestic defence industry would earn respect from other nations and help deter potential threats. He said it is important to build confidence, especially among those living in seven provinces along the Thai-Cambodian border.

“This is what I want to emphasise to everyone to reassure them that Thailand today is ready to move forward with ‘Resilience Thailand’ with a stable and strong driving force. Even cracks can be mended with stability,” he said.

2027: Lagos APC begins mobilisation support for candidates

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has formally begun mobilisation for the 2027 general elections, committing its candidates, campaign and electoral prospects to God while calling for discipline and peaceful polls.

At an interfaith prayer session held on Tuesday at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, the APC leadership sought for unity and cooperation among the candidates and party faithful.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who led prayers for the party and its candidates, urged APC members to seek divine guidance and remain confident in the party’s prospects.

Sanwo-Olu prayed for the success of the APC presidential candidate, the party’s Lagos governorship candidate, as well as its candidates for the National Assembly and Lagos State House of Assembly.

He also prayed for peaceful elections, urging that the electoral process be free from clashes, accidents, loss of lives and other disasters.

According to the governor, the gathering was an opportunity to commit the candidates and the 2027 elections to God and seek divine intervention for a peaceful and successful electoral process.

Sanwo-Olu expressed confidence that Lagos voters would support the APC candidates and prayed for victory for the party at the polls.

Musiliu Obanikoro, the director-general of the Hamzat Campaign Organisation, said the prayer was necessary because, despite extensive political preparations, human efforts alone could not determine the outcome of every circumstance.

Obanikoro, however, urged party members to subordinate personal ambitions to the interests of the APC, warning that internal disagreements could undermine the party’s chances in 2027.

He called for dialogue, reconciliation, discipline and unity among party members and candidates, urging them to focus their campaigns on their capacity to serve rather than personal attacks.

He said the campaign organisation would take the APC’s message across Lagos State, its local government areas and the wider South-West, expressing confidence that the party would retain its political strength in the region.

He also projected victory for APC candidates at the presidential, National Assembly and state levels, including the emergence of Dr. Obafemi Hamzat as the next governor of Lagos State, with Damilola Sonayon James as deputy governor.

Hamzat, speaking at the prayer, said the gathering provided an opportunity for the party to commit its candidates and the electoral process to God.

He prayed for peaceful elections without clashes, accidents or loss of lives, while expressing confidence in victory for the APC.

Hamzat also expressed confidence in the performance of the party’s candidates contesting the three senatorial seats, 24 House of Representatives seats and 40 Lagos State House of Assembly seats.

The interfaith gathering brought together Christian, Muslim and traditional worshippers, who offered prayers for the candidates, the APC and peaceful conduct of the 2027 elections.

The event effectively marked an early phase of the APC’s mobilisation ahead of the 2027 polls, with party leaders combining calls for divine guidance with appeals for unity, discipline and a coordinated campaign.

Energy conservation in governor’s mind

Cebu is turning to energy conservation as consumers continue to experience rotational brownouts lasting at least two hours at a time in some areas, while the Department of Energy (DOE) targets significant relief from the Visayas power supply crisis before Christmas.

Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro has ordered provincial government offices and facilities to observe a weekly hour of reduced electricity consumption, joining broader efforts to ease pressure on a grid that continues to operate under tight supply conditions.

Baricuatro issued Executive Order 47 on September 4, establishing the ‘Takna Pagpawong sa Suga’ (TAPS) Program.

Under the order, provincial government offices will reduce non-essential power consumption from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. every Monday.

The directive covers departments, offices, economic enterprises, field offices and other facilities owned, leased, operated or controlled by the Cebu Provincial Government.

The initiative comes as the Visayas grid remains vulnerable to supply disruptions.

The Capitol’s TAPS program seeks to institutionalize conservation within the provincial government. Non-essential lighting-including decorative, architectural, landscape, signage and display lights-will be switched off or reduced when safe and practical.

Unused computers, monitors, printers, chargers and other equipment must likewise be shut down or unplugged, while devices that need to remain operational may be placed in energy-saving mode. Air-conditioning units in unoccupied rooms are to be switched off, while occupied spaces should maintain temperatures of at least 24 degrees Celsius when operationally feasible.

The order also allows for the temporary reduction of non-essential electrical systems, but expressly protects critical services.

Healthcare, emergency and disaster operations, public safety, communications, information technology, water supply, sanitation, laboratory operations and other frontline services are excluded from the conservation measures.

Medical equipment, emergency lighting, fire protection systems, medicine refrigeration, servers, closed-circuit television monitors and other essential systems must remain operational.

The provincial government is also urging local governments, national agencies, schools, utilities, businesses, malls, hotels, industrial establishments and households to voluntarily participate in the weekly conservation effort.

Earlier, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin has said the DOE is working toward resolving the Visayas power supply problem before Christmas, although she acknowledged that restoring stability to the grid would not be easy.

DJ Mensah, Streetbeatz Clash Over $5,000 Setlist Fee

Disc Jockey, DJ Mensah, and Streetbeatz have clashed on social media over a disagreement about a $5,000 setlist fee.

A setlist is a list of songs an artiste, band or DJ plans to perform during an event.

The issue started on Monday, September 7, 2026, after Streetbeatz questioned DJ Mensah’s decision to charge him before providing a setlist.

He tagged rapper Sarkodie on X and asked him to intervene.

‘King Sarkodie, please let DJMENSAH1 know that demanding payment from me before providing your setlist is really unfair. We all have bread sitting somewhere for years now. Thank you,’ Streetbeatz wrote.

DJ Mensah responded by referring to a previous business deal between them.

He said Streetbeatz had earlier charged him $5,000 for production work.

‘I approached you about doing a few projects, and you quoted me $5K per production. I didn’t argue… I simply moved on,’ DJ Mensah said.

According to DJ Mensah, Streetbeatz later asked him for setlists for international shows, prompting him to charge the same amount.

‘I gave you the same energy… $5K per setlist. Now you’re online looking for public sympathy because business didn’t go your way,’ he said.

DJ Mensah also told Streetbeatz, ‘Massa shift,’ while accusing him of seeking public sympathy over the matter.

He further said Streetbeatz should use professional platforms that provide setlist information instead of contacting artistes, DJs and entertainment platforms.

Streetbeatz rejected Mensah’s argument and said the two transactions were different.

‘Asking me to pay you before providing a setlist so that I can properly register the works performed and ensure the appropriate rights are accounted for is, in my view, completely uncalled for,’ he said.

He explained that the $5,000 he previously charged DJ Mensah was for production services, while his request for a setlist was aimed at properly documenting songs performed and ensuring rights holders receive their royalties.

Streetbeatz also denied that he was looking for publicity.

‘Do I look like someone who needs five minutes of fame? I have absolutely no interest in creating publicity from this,’ he stated.

Agri ventures get bulk of state-backed loans

Government-backed loans for cooperatives reached P2.41 billion as of June, expanding financing support for agriculture, small businesses and electric cooperatives.

State-run credit guarantor Philippine Guarantee Corp. (PhilGuarantee) reported on Tuesday that it facilitated P2.41 billion in cumulative outstanding guaranteed loans for cooperatives, helping 24,386 beneficiaries.

The bulk of the financing went to cooperatives involved in rice production and other agricultural activities, which accounted for P1.76 billion in outstanding guaranteed loans from 2019 to June 2026 and aided 24,255 beneficiaries.

Guarantee support was also extended to cooperatives serving micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). From 2024 to June 2026, cooperatives supporting MSMEs accessed P28.48 million in cumulative outstanding guaranteed loans, benefiting 113 beneficiaries.

Furthermore, 18 electric cooperatives had availed themselves of financing under the Electric Cooperative Partial Credit Guarantee (ECPCG) Program as of June.

The program provides guarantee support to electric cooperatives in securing financing for their operations and other sustainable requirements. It had a cumulative outstanding guaranteed loan value of P622.60 million as of June, according to PhilGuarantee.

The agency said cooperatives remain an important part of its development financing efforts as it seeks to broaden access to credit for productive sectors of the economy.

Of its 206 partner lending institutions as of June, 46 were cooperatives, it said.

‘As a key partner in development financing, PhilGuarantee empowers cooperatives to expand their lending capacity and provide financing support to communities engaged in productive activities,’ it added.

PhilGuarantee provides credit guarantees in support of trade and investments, exports, infrastructure, energy, tourism, agricultural business, housing, small businesses and other priority sectors of the economy.