Daniel Craig Reportedly Offered $150m To Reprise James Bond’s Role In Two More Films

Who will play the tuxedo-clad secret agent in the next James Bond movie? This is one question that has been playing on the minds of fans and there have been numerous rumours suggesting various stars could step in actor Daniel Craig’s shoes. However, a latest report has claimed that the actor, who could be cast in the coveted role, is none other than Craig himself.

The news will sure surprise fans of the spy series as the 48-year-old English actor had earlier rejected the idea of reprising the role of the secret agent and said, “I would rather break this glass and slash my wrists [than do another movie].”

Craig has been seen in the role of agent 007 since 2005 and has been reportedly offered a whopping $150m 113m) to return to the thriller franchise for two more films. “The studio is desperate to secure the actor’s services while they phase in a younger long-term successor,” a source told gossip website Radar Online.

As per the report, Craig’s reluctance to reprise the role seems to have worked in his favour. Shedding further light on the scenario, the source explained, “[Craig] has played a genius hand. Everyone knows how much executives adore him, and the idea of losing him at such a crucial time in the franchise isn’t an option as far as all the studio honchos are concerned.”

“Daniel’s the key for a seamless, safe transition as far as Sony and Bond bosses are concerned, and they’re prepared to pay a king’s ransom to make it happen,” the report mentioned.

As far as the role of the spy agent is concerned, several frontrunners have surfaced in recent times with names such as Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston, Adian Turner and even Tom Hughes making the rounds. While neither Sony nor Craig have officially announced anything about the role, if the report turns out to be true, the Spectre actor could be seen in two back-to-back films.

“Then they will shoot two more films, which will be made virtually back-to-back, preferably featuring Daniel as 007 before he passes the figurative baton to someone else for a third movie that will mark the start of the new era,” the source added.

Credit: ibtimes

Nigeria Offered $6bn Chinese Loan, Agrees Currency Swap To Shore Up Naira

China has offered Nigeria a $6 billion loan to fund infrastructure projects, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyema, said yesterday in Beijing the Chinese capital.

“It is a credit that is on the table as soon as we identify the projects,” he told reporters travelling with President Muhammadu Buhari to China.

“It won’t need an agreement to be signed; it is just to identify the projects and we access it,” he said.
The confirmation by Onyema coincided with an agreement reached between Nigeria and China yesterday on a currency swap deal, as it looks for ways to shore up the naira and fund a record budget deficit, possibly by issuing yuan-denominated bonds in China, reported Reuters.

Nigeria is facing its worst economic crisis in decades as sinking oil prices eat into its foreign reserves and the naira weakens against other currencies.

Nigeria has been for months looking for sources to help plug a projected 2016 deficit of N2.2 trillion ($11.1 billion) as Buhari plans to triple capital spending in the 2016 fiscal year.

According to Reuters, during Buhari’s visit to Beijing, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC), the world’s biggest lender, and Nigeria’s central bank signed a deal on yuan transactions.
“It means that the renminbi (yuan) is free to flow among different banks in Nigeria, and the renminbi has been included in the foreign exchange reserves of Nigeria,” Lin Songtian, Director General of the African Affairs Department of China’s foreign ministry, told reporters.

The agreement was reached following a meeting between Buhari and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Credit: Thisday