Updated hourlyHourly refreshSun, Oct 25, 2026
Finance · SaaS
OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais will speak at the Libya Energy & Economic Summit in Tripoli (January 23–25), underscoring the organization's support for Libya's next phase of energy growth.
Al Ghais’ participation comes as Libya accelerates efforts to raise production, attract international capital and modernize its upstream sector. The country’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) has laid out ambitious oil production targets in the near term and substantially higher output as investment flows into exploration and field development.
As a leading voice in the global oil community, his participation brings a global market perspective to a summit increasingly focused on execution. OPEC expects oil demand to remain robust, while Al Ghais has repeatedly stressed the need for timely investment to prevent future supply constraints and maintain reliable energy security.
Libya occupies a distinctive position within that outlook because of its substantial resource base and continued production growth. The country holds Africa’s largest proven crude reserves, while its light, sweet crude and proximity to European markets strengthen its strategic investment proposition.
The Ministry of Oil and Gas is driving the policy and diplomatic agenda underpinning this expansion. Under Minister Dr. Khalifa Abdulsadek, Libya is advancing regulatory reforms, international partnerships and investment frameworks designed to support production growth while supporting the country’s role in regional and global energy markets.
The NOC remains the commercial engine of that strategy, converting licensing opportunities into exploration, production and joint-venture activity. Chairman Masoud Suleiman is overseeing an investment drive spanning mature fields, new acreage, infrastructure and international partnerships.
LEES 2027 will provide a direct platform for that strategy to reach global investors. The fifth edition will bring together governments, national oil companies, international operators, financiers and energy service companies to examine upstream opportunities, gas development, infrastructure, power and renewable energy.
The summit has already established itself as a platform for major commercial engagement, with more than $20 billion in energy investments and deals associated with previous editions. With Secretary General Al Ghais joining the Ministry and NOC leadership, LEES 2027 will connect Libya’s investment agenda directly with the global oil market’s most influential institutional forum.
For more information about LEES 2027 visit www.LibyaSummit.com and to sponsor or secure your participation as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
Oct 22 · 09:49·APO Group
Healthcare · Travel
The Spanish capital’s two awards spotlight its corporate travel experiences and cross-sector events industry ahead of a major medical congress. KEY TAKEAWAYS Madrid won both the world and European best incentive destination titles at the 2026 World MICE Awards held in Jamaica on 12 October. Madrid Convention Bureau works with 225 member companies to support... Read the full news article
Oct 22 · 09:42·Travel PR News
Finance · Government & policy
The government has pledged to lobby the Judiciary for immediate interventions to address severe operational challenges hampering justice delivery in Neno District.
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Charles Mhango made the commitment today during an inspection visit to the Neno Magistrate’s Court. During the tour, First Grade Magistrate Margaret Khobili outlined the critical bottlenecks facing the local bench, including poor road networks, difficult terrain, a severe lack of transport, and inadequate court infrastructure.
Khobili noted that while Neno currently operates two magistrate courts, Neno and Lisungwi, communities in remote areas still struggle to access judicial services. To bridge this gap, she proposed establishing additional courts in Dambe, Chifunga, Ligowe, and Matope to bring services closer to the citizens.
The magistrate further explained that transport challenges frequently prevent witnesses from attending court. This often disrupts scheduled proceedings and complicates the fair administration of justice.
In response, Mhango assured judicial officers that many of these issues could be resolved through practical, targeted interventions, promising to engage the Judiciary leadership for swift support.
He emphasised that access to justice is a cornerstone of good governance, the rule of law, and national development. The Minister warned that a lack of effective dispute-resolution mechanisms risks driving frustrated citizens to take the law into their own hands.
To address funding shortfalls, Mhango highlighted the need for closer collaboration between the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, the Judiciary, Parliament, and other key sector stakeholders.
He reiterated that modernising and expanding court facilities remains critical to ensuring all Malawians can access the legal system, regardless of their geographical location.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Justice, Malawi.
Oct 22 · 09:30·APO Group
Education · Food & drink
On October 21, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi participated in a session titled "Food and Water Security: Today’s Challenges and Future Guarantees," held on the third day of the Egypt Forum 2026. The session was attended by Prime Minister Dr. Moustafa Madbouly, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Dr. Sherif Farouk, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Dr. Hany Sewilam, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk, and Head of the Future of Egypt Authority for Sustainable Development Dr. Bahaa El-Ghannam. Also in attendance were MP Ehab Mansour, Deputy Chair of the Manpower Committee; MP Abdel Moneim Imam, head of the Justice Party; Dr. Ahmed Ramadan, a lecturer at the Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University; and Eid Mersal, head of the General Union for Workers in Agriculture, Irrigation, Fisheries, and Land Reclamation.
The Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said the session addressed the Egyptian state's efforts since 2014 to enhance the availability of food commodities and achieve food security. This included expanding and developing agricultural land and land reclamation. The session also reviewed state initiatives to ensure that subsidies reach those who truly deserve them, as well as efforts to strengthen the food subsidy system, maintain a stable strategic reserve of essential commodities, and increase the number and storage capacity of silos.
President El-Sisi made an intervention to emphasize that the cash-based subsidy system the state intends to implement is more equitable, transparent, and well-governed. The President explained that data on citizens has been consolidated for inclusion in this system, ensuring full transparency and robust governance. Regarding matters related to supply agriculture, the President highlighted the importance of striving to maximize livestock production, noting the numerous benefits this would yield. The President emphasized that all governors, officials, head of villages and citizens should work toward the goal of replacing existing livestock breeds with improved ones to boost production.
The President added that Egypt’s strategic reserves of essential commodities are sufficient for a period of six months, taking into account disruptions in supply chains and the geopolitical conditions in the region.
With regard to water consumption topics, President El-Sisi raised the issue of water consumption approaches in Siwa, including well drilling, emphasizing the importance of state intervention to ensure the governance of this situation.
In connection with matters relating to Egypt’s lakes, the President noted that, over the past decades, the lakes had been subjected to encroachments, neglect, and various violations, which had led to a decline in their fish production. The President highlighted the efforts undertaken by the State in this regard and its action to address encroachments and violations affecting the lakes. These efforts had resulted in restoring the lakes to their natural state, including Lake Bardawil, Lake Manzala, and Lake Nasser.
In this context, President El-Sisi reiterated that the deterioration of state agencies and their inability to maintain control over the situation had necessitated the establishment of another entity to address the accumulated, long-standing challenges, particularly those affecting the lakes. The President reaffirmed that the goal was to restore the lakes to their natural state, which had prompted the State to assign responsibility for overseeing the lakes to the Future of Egypt Authority for Sustainable Development. The President expressed hope that fish production from these lakes would return to its normal levels, particularly in light of the substantial population growth. President El-Sisi also mentioned that the lakes had been subjected to various violations, including the discharge of sewage and agricultural drainage water into some of them. The President underscored that the State’s efforts would benefit citizens, particularly those in Port Said, Damietta, and Dakahlia.
President El-Sisi pointed out that Egypt had gained experience in land reclamation over previous decades, but the results had not been as successful as hoped. The President highlighted that the achievements made in land reclamation since 2014 were unprecedented in both scale and significance. The President also indicated that the State was open to allowing the private sector to purchase reclaimed land, provided that the plots were sufficiently large to avoid the fragmentation of agricultural land, which had not been in Egypt’s best interests.
President El-Sisi further highlighted the efforts undertaken since 2014 to reclaim land, affirming that the State was prepared to reclaim ten million feddans, provided that the necessary water resources were available. The President noted that the objective was to achieve tangible results, and for that purpose, the President insisted on implementing the New Delta project. The President outlined the extensive efforts and works undertaken as part of this massive national project, including the construction of large-scale water-lifting stations. In this regard, President El-Sisi underscored the importance of the role played by the Future of Egypt Authority for Sustainable Development.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
Oct 22 · 09:27·APO Group
Finance · AI
Hong Kong, Oct 22, 2026 - Competition in AI has evolved from contests over individual technologies into a new phase defined by coordination across foundational ecosystems and industry value chains. Zhipu, a leading large-model developer, has again expanded its footprint as a limited partner (LP) in the primary market by teaming up with Jiangmen Ventures to establish a cognitive intelligence venture capital fund. QuantGroup (02685.HK), a provider of world foundation models for Physical AI, is among the fund's LPs.
Corporate registration records show that Zhejiang Zhipu Jiangmen Cognitive Intelligence Venture Capital Partnership (Limited Partnership) was incorporated in Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, on 24 September with total subscribed capital of RMB 1 billion. Its business scope covers venture capital, limited to investments in unlisted companies. The fund combines local state-owned capital, industrial investors and specialist investment firms. Two local government-backed limited partners, Hangzhou Shangcheng Linghang Venture Capital Co., Ltd. and Hangzhou Urban Investment Industry Development Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership), hold a combined 60% interest. The other partners are Zhejiang Zhipu Xinpian Technology Co., Ltd., an affiliate of Zhipu; Hainan QuantGroup Technology Co., Ltd., an affiliate of Hong Kong-listed QuantGroup (02685.HK); Hainan Hezun Investment Co., Ltd.; and Hangzhou Jizhi Enterprise Management Consulting Co., Ltd. The latter also serves as the fund's executive partner, and its appointed representative is Du Feng, a founding partner of Jiangmen Ventures. The deadline for partners to pay in their subscribed capital is September 2031.
Industry observers generally expect that collaboration among leading companies raises the success rate of ecosystem-building, reinforcing a Matthew effect in which the strong become stronger. Companies that are first to form ecosystem alliances can secure early access to downstream use cases and early-stage projects. Zhipu has pursued precisely this approach. In 2025, it partnered with Unilumin Group (300232.SZ), a leader in optoelectronic smart display technology, and MetaView to establish Shenzhen Zhixian Robot Technology Co., Ltd., building an innovation ecosystem for AI-powered smart terminals. In the energy sector, iFlytek worked with PetroChina, China Mobile and Huawei to develop the Kunlun large model, helping PetroChina set a new benchmark for AI in energy.
QuantGroup's presence among the LPs has attracted considerable attention. As Hong Kong's first listed "intelligent species" company, QuantGroup positions itself as a provider of world foundation models for Physical AI. It has pursued a two-pillar strategy combining AI-enabled e-commerce solutions with Physical AI, using cash flow from its established consumer business to fund frontier R&D. For infrastructure providers, ecosystem building is a core capability: connecting upstream model developers, midstream embodied-robotics developers, downstream use cases and capital providers to secure a central position in the Physical AI ecosystem during its early development. At the ecosystem level, QuantGroup works with partners including ByteDance's Volcengine, Beijing Ruihong Embodied Intelligence Robot Technology Co., Ltd., an affiliate of Tungkong Inc. (002117.SZ), and Chewujie to build an embodied AI ecosystem. This has extended its commercial reach from restaurant kitchens to brick-and-mortar venues such as car showrooms. Its role as an LP in the cognitive intelligence fund established by Zhipu and Jiangmen Ventures marks another step toward moving upstream in the Physical AI value chain and gaining earlier access to large-model capabilities and early-stage projects.
Building an ecosystem with the first publicly listed large-model company naturally improves the odds of success, as the two sides can combine their strengths, complement one another and develop benchmark industry solutions quickly. Zhipu (02513.HK) listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 8 January, becoming the world's first publicly listed large-model company. In May, Beijing Zhipu Future Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Zhipu, and Guotai Junan Innovation Investment Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Guotai Haitong, jointly established an RMB 540 million AI industry fund in Zhangjiang, Shanghai. Earlier, in 2024, Zhipu led the establishment of the Z Fund (LinkX Capital), an AGI ecosystem fund with RMB 1.5 billion of assets under management at its first close. According to Zhipu's 2025 financial report, LinkX Capital (Z Fund) had an aggregate value of RMB 1.3027 billion at the end of 2025 and had invested in more than 30 AI companies.
Jiangmen Ventures, which is partnering with Zhipu on the new fund, is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on discovering technology-driven start-ups. It primarily invests in foundational AI technologies and their industrial applications, and was one of Zhipu's Series A investors. The two organizations have a long-standing relationship. The "cognitive intelligence" in the fund's name aligns with Zhipu's large-model technology roadmap. The fund's location in Hangzhou also builds on Zhipu's ties with the city. In March 2025, Zhipu raised more than RMB 1 billion in strategic financing, with participation from Hangzhou municipal state-owned investors including Hangzhou City Investment Industrial Fund and Shangcheng Capital.
Venture capital professionals note that, for companies expanding into Physical AI, investing as an LP in an industry fund led by a leading large-model company can generate financial returns and provide early access to upstream model capabilities and early-stage projects. As large-model competition shifts from pure performance to ecosystem strength, more industrial companies are entering the primary market as investors.
Oct 22 · 09:13·ACN Newswire
Healthcare · Education
On October 22, from 3:45 p.m. for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. NAKASONE Yasutaka, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, received a courtesy call by H.E. Mr. Ragui Eletreby, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Japan.
At the outset, State Minister NAKASONE touched upon the recent active exchange of high-level officials and the cooperation between Japan and Egypt in various fields such as agriculture, health, education, and transportation, and stated his intention to work together to further strengthen the traditional friendly relations and strategic partnership between the two countries.
Ambassador Eletreby congratulated State Minister NAKASONE on his appointment and expressed his wish to further develop cooperation in a wide range of areas, including the field of education, such as the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST) and Egypt-Japan School (EJS).
Both sides also exchanged views on regional situations in the Middle East and concurred on working toward further deepening bilateral relations.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Oct 22 · 09:12·APO Group
AI · Government & policy
Press Release
Copenhagen, 22 October 2026
Oct 22 · 08:52·GlobeNewswire
AI · SaaS
COLOMBES, FRANCE, October 22, 2026 / EINPresswire.com / -- ALE , operating under the Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise brand name, today introduces AlcateL-Lucent Rainbow™ Premium , a new sovereign AI layer for its Rainbow platform that is hosted and governed entirely in Europe. Built for public-sector and mission-critical organizations, Rainbow Premium works within customers’ existing Rainbow setup - leaving devices, applic
Oct 22 · 08:16·EIN Presswire
Finance · Government & policy
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia and HOLMDEL, N.J., Oct. 22, 2026 — BIO-key International, Inc. (Nasdaq: BKYI), a global provider of Identity and Access Management (IAM) and biometric authentication solutions, today announced that a new Middle East government institution has selected BIO-key to modernize and strengthen access security while simplifying the authentication experience for its … Continue reading "BIO-key Secures Another Middle East Government Contract for its Passwordless, Biometric, Identity and Access Management Solutions"
Oct 22 · 08:15·PressReach
Healthcare · Food & drink
From August 31 to September 5, 2026, the Resident Representation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Benin, in collaboration with the ECOWAS National Office of Benin, conducted a field monitoring mission to assess the progress of projects and programs funded by ECOWAS Agencies and Institutions, identify challenges encountered, and enhance their coordination.
Organized into two teams covering the Northern and Southern regions of the country, the mission carried out 20 site visits across 7 interventions in 17 municipalities, as well as 18 institutional audiences with local and prefectural authorities.
The visits covered a diverse portfolio of interventions, including revitalizing the local dairy sector, developing forage production, building youth skills and employability in the agricultural and agro-sylvo-pastoral sectors, agroecological training, health, and cross-border cooperation. Field observations highlighted several tangible achievements, particularly improved production and processing capacities for certain dairy units, enhanced technical and entrepreneurial skills among youth, as well as the completion of infrastructure and provision of equipment to support local economic activities. These accomplishments contribute to improving working conditions, strengthening beneficiary capacities, and fostering the growth of production and training activities.
The mission also identified challenges related to equipment availability, post-training support for beneficiaries, inter-stakeholder coordination, and the sustainability of achievements. Discussions with municipal authorities emphasized the need to strengthen their involvement in monitoring interventions and to increase the visibility of ECOWAS support among local populations.
At the conclusion of the mission, the Resident Representation and the ECOWAS National Office, drawing on their findings, formulated recommendations to strengthen close-range monitoring, improve intervention coordination, and promote the sustainability of results for the benefit of the Beninese population. This effort aligns with the momentum of ECOWAS Vision 2050, which envisions an “ECOWAS of Peoples: Fully Integrated, Peaceful, and Prosperous,” as operationalized in the 2023–2027 Community Strategic Framework.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Oct 22 · 07:53·APO Group
AI · Healthcare
(from left to right) Dr. Ricardo Baptista Leite, CEO of HealthAI, and Mr. Tomasz Maciejewski, Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Poland, meet at the AIMed 2026 Conference in Kraków - one of Central Europe's leading gatherings on artificial intel Poland signs MoU with HealthAI, charting course for Poland's full membership in the GRN and reinforcing Europe's growing commitment to responsible AI in health. Pol
Oct 22 · 07:00·EIN Presswire