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Daily Brief: Business, Law & Tech — 2026-02-09

Your daily intelligence briefing on the stories shaping business, law, and technology across Africa and the world.

Editorial Team••7 min read

## The Big Picture

Today's headlines span AI regulation tightening in Europe and the US, fresh capital flows into African startups, and Big Tech navigating antitrust headwinds. Here's what matters for business, law, and tech — 2026-02-09.

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Africa

1. More than 150,000 people evacuated in northern Morocco due to heavy rains and floods

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated in northern Morocco due to heavy rains and flooding.

[Read more →](http://www.africanews.com/2026/02/09/more-than-150000-people-evacuated-in-northern-morocco-due-to-heavy-rains-and-floods/)

2. El-Sissi reaffirms Egypt's support for Somalia's territorial integrity at Cairo meeting

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi welcomed his Somali counterpart, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, to Cairo on Sunday, and reaffirmed Egypt's support for Somalia's territorial integrity.

[Read more →](http://www.africanews.com/2026/02/09/el-sissi-reaffirms-egypts-support-for-somalias-territorial-integrity-at-cairo-meeting/)

3. South Africa to withdraw troops from UN mission in DR Congo

It said the decision to leave MONUSCO was influenced by the need to consolidate and realign the resources of the national defence force.

[Read more →](http://www.africanews.com/2026/02/08/south-africa-to-withdraw-troops-from-un-mission-in-dr-congo/)

4. Catholic Pope Leo XIV calls for an end to violence in Nigeria

Gunmen killed three villagers and abducted 11 people Saturday, including a Catholic priest, while at least 170 were killed in Woro earlier in the week.

[Read more →](http://www.africanews.com/2026/02/08/catholic-pope-leo-xiv-calls-for-an-end-to-violence-in-nigeria/)

5. Haiti's presidential council steps down with no succession plan

Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé will now be solely in charge of the country and faces the task of organising elections on his own.

[Read more →](http://www.africanews.com/2026/02/08/haitis-presidential-council-steps-down-with-no-succession-plan/)

Global Tech & Startups

6. OpenAI’s supposedly ‘leaked’ Super Bowl ad with ear buds and a shiny orb was a hoax

As if OpenAI didn't have enough drama around the Super Bowl and advertising, as the game wound down, word spread of a "leaked" ad that actually wasn't leaked at all; it was just a fake. Screenshots of a now-deleted Reddit thread told the tale of a frustrated employee who, while posting about how ups

[Read more →](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/875615/openai-super-bowl-ai-hardware-leak-hoax-fake)

7. Super Bowl LX ads: all AI everything

Super Bowl LX is nearly here, with the Seattle Seahawks taking on the New England Patriots. While Bad Bunny will be the star of the halftime show, AI could be the star of the commercial breaks, much like crypto was a few years ago. Last year’s Super Bowl featured a Google Gemini ad that fumbled [

[Read more →](https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/874504/super-bowl-lx-ads-big-game)

8. YouTube Music starts putting lyrics behind a paywall

Free YouTube Music accounts are now seeing their access to lyrics limited, according to multiple reports. Google started testing lyrics as an exclusive feature for Premium users in September, but it appears that it's now receiving a wider rollout. It seems that free users will be limited to viewing

[Read more →](https://www.theverge.com/streaming/875511/youtube-music-lyrics-paywall)

9. New York is considering two bills to rein in the AI industry

New York's state legislature is set to consider a pair of bills that would require labels on AI-generated content and would put a three-year pause on new data center construction. The New York Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Requirements in News Act (NY FAIR News Act, for short) would require th

[Read more →](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/875501/new-york-is-considering-two-bills-to-rein-in-the-ai-industry)

10. You need to listen to the new Mandy, Indiana record: URGH

Often, I focus on recommending older media that isn't currently getting a ton of attention. But this week, I can't stop listening to the new Mandy, Indiana album long enough to even think about anything else. It's early still, obviously, but URGH is my favorite release of 2026 so far. The band that

[Read more →](https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/875469/mandy-indiana-urgh-review)

11. Sixteen Claude AI agents working together created a new C compiler

The $20,000 experiment compiled a Linux kernel but needed deep human management.

[Read more →](https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/02/sixteen-claude-ai-agents-working-together-created-a-new-c-compiler/)

12. Malicious packages for dYdX cryptocurrency exchange empties user wallets

Incident is at least the third time the exchange has been targeted by thieves.

[Read more →](https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/02/malicious-packages-for-dydx-cryptocurrency-exchange-empties-user-wallets/)

13. AI companies want you to stop chatting with bots and start managing them

Claude Opus 4.6 and OpenAI Frontier pitch a future of supervising AI agents.

[Read more →](https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2026/02/ai-companies-want-you-to-stop-chatting-with-bots-and-start-managing-them/)

14. OpenAI is hoppin' mad about Anthropic's new Super Bowl TV ads

Sam Altman calls AI competitor "dishonest" and "authoritarian" in lengthy post on X.

[Read more →](https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2026/02/openai-is-hoppin-mad-about-anthropics-new-super-bowl-tv-ads/)

15. Increase of AI bots on the Internet sparks arms race

Publishers are rolling out more aggressive defenses.

[Read more →](https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/02/increase-of-ai-bots-on-the-internet-sparks-arms-race/)

Business & Markets

16. Japanese stocks surge as Takaichi secures historic election victory

Japanese stocks jumped as markets opened on Monday morning, after prime minister Sanae Takaichi won a landslide victory.

[Read more →](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjd9k852zdjo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)

17. In the AI gold rush, tech firms are embracing 72-hour weeks

In the race for AI, tech firms are asking for their staff to work long hours. But there are risks, experts say.

[Read more →](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgn2k285ypo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)

18. Plane makers chase Asia's super-rich with luxe new private jets

Parts of the aviation industry are shifting towards wealthy customers and selling a more luxurious type of international travel.

[Read more →](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm24j1dpexvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)

19. How Britain became a fried chicken nation

An internet craze for American-style chicken has come to the UK, but what does it mean for traditional chippies?

[Read more →](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yvnqqv9n2o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)

20. Voluntary student loan repayments rise in England

Campaigners have criticised the terms of loans that were issued in England and still exist in Wales.

[Read more →](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr7jgjgyl45o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)

---

What to Watch

  • **Japanese stocks surge as Takaichi secures historic election victory** — follow developments at [BBC News](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjd9k852zdjo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)
  • **More than 150,000 people evacuated in northern Morocco due to heavy rains and floods** — follow developments at [Africanews RSS](http://www.africanews.com/2026/02/09/more-than-150000-people-evacuated-in-northern-morocco-due-to-heavy-rains-and-floods/)
  • **El-Sissi reaffirms Egypt's support for Somalia's territorial integrity at Cairo meeting** — follow developments at [Africanews RSS](http://www.africanews.com/2026/02/09/el-sissi-reaffirms-egypts-support-for-somalias-territorial-integrity-at-cairo-meeting/)
  • **OpenAI’s supposedly ‘leaked’ Super Bowl ad with ear buds and a shiny orb was a hoax** — follow developments at [OpenAI’s supposedly ‘leaked’ Super Bowl ad with ear buds and a shiny orb was a hoax](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/875615/openai-super-bowl-ai-hardware-leak-hoax-fake)

## Sources

  • [Japanese stocks surge as Takaichi secures historic election victory](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjd9k852zdjo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) — *BBC News*
  • [More than 150,000 people evacuated in northern Morocco due to heavy rains and floods](http://www.africanews.com/2026/02/09/more-than-150000-people-evacuated-in-northern-morocco-due-to-heavy-rains-and-floods/) — *Africanews RSS*
  • [El-Sissi reaffirms Egypt's support for Somalia's territorial integrity at Cairo meeting](http://www.africanews.com/2026/02/09/el-sissi-reaffirms-egypts-support-for-somalias-territorial-integrity-at-cairo-meeting/) — *Africanews RSS*
  • [OpenAI’s supposedly ‘leaked’ Super Bowl ad with ear buds and a shiny orb was a hoax](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/875615/openai-super-bowl-ai-hardware-leak-hoax-fake) — *OpenAI’s supposedly ‘leaked’ Super Bowl ad with ear buds and a shiny orb was a hoax*
  • [In the AI gold rush, tech firms are embracing 72-hour weeks](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgn2k285ypo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) — *BBC News*
  • [Super Bowl LX ads: all AI everything](https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/874504/super-bowl-lx-ads-big-game) — *OpenAI’s supposedly ‘leaked’ Super Bowl ad with ear buds and a shiny orb was a hoax*
  • [Plane makers chase Asia's super-rich with luxe new private jets](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm24j1dpexvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) — *BBC News*
  • [YouTube Music starts putting lyrics behind a paywall](https://www.theverge.com/streaming/875511/youtube-music-lyrics-paywall) — *OpenAI’s supposedly ‘leaked’ Super Bowl ad with ear buds and a shiny orb was a hoax*
  • [New York is considering two bills to rein in the AI industry](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/875501/new-york-is-considering-two-bills-to-rein-in-the-ai-industry) — *OpenAI’s supposedly ‘leaked’ Super Bowl ad with ear buds and a shiny orb was a hoax*
  • [You need to listen to the new Mandy, Indiana record: URGH](https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/875469/mandy-indiana-urgh-review) — *OpenAI’s supposedly ‘leaked’ Super Bowl ad with ear buds and a shiny orb was a hoax*
  • [South Africa to withdraw troops from UN mission in DR Congo](http://www.africanews.com/2026/02/08/south-africa-to-withdraw-troops-from-un-mission-in-dr-congo/) — *Africanews RSS*
  • [Catholic Pope Leo XIV calls for an end to violence in Nigeria](http://www.africanews.com/2026/02/08/catholic-pope-leo-xiv-calls-for-an-end-to-violence-in-nigeria/) — *Africanews RSS*
  • [Haiti's presidential council steps down with no succession plan](http://www.africanews.com/2026/02/08/haitis-presidential-council-steps-down-with-no-succession-plan/) — *Africanews RSS*
  • [How Britain became a fried chicken nation](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yvnqqv9n2o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) — *BBC News*
  • [Voluntary student loan repayments rise in England](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr7jgjgyl45o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) — *BBC News*
  • [Sixteen Claude AI agents working together created a new C compiler](https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/02/sixteen-claude-ai-agents-working-together-created-a-new-c-compiler/) — *Biz & IT - Ars Technica*
  • [Malicious packages for dYdX cryptocurrency exchange empties user wallets](https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/02/malicious-packages-for-dydx-cryptocurrency-exchange-empties-user-wallets/) — *Biz & IT - Ars Technica*
  • [AI companies want you to stop chatting with bots and start managing them](https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2026/02/ai-companies-want-you-to-stop-chatting-with-bots-and-start-managing-them/) — *Biz & IT - Ars Technica*
  • [OpenAI is hoppin' mad about Anthropic's new Super Bowl TV ads](https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2026/02/openai-is-hoppin-mad-about-anthropics-new-super-bowl-tv-ads/) — *Biz & IT - Ars Technica*
  • [Increase of AI bots on the Internet sparks arms race](https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/02/increase-of-ai-bots-on-the-internet-sparks-arms-race/) — *Biz & IT - Ars Technica*
#AI#crypto#Africa#tech

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