As retailers expand into mid-market and beyond, the manual reconciliation of payments becomes increasingly complex and costly. Automated reconciliation provides a single, accurate view of transactions the next morning, empowering quicker decision-making and problem resolution. This eradicates the typical 1 to 3% margin of error associated with manual reconciliation. From various payment methods to intricate VAS scenarios, automation ensures accurate reconciliation and facilitates seamless settlement instructions with banks. With robust data governance and compliance measures in place, automated reconciliation emerges as a strategic imperative for retailers aiming to thrive in an increasingly digitized marketplace.

The project will link solar and wind farms spread across the desert in Morocco - Fadel Senna/AFPA project to power Britain using solar farms thousands of miles away in the Sahara is moving a step closer to fruition as its backers prepare to commission the world’s biggest cable-laying ship. The 700 ft vessel will lay four parallel cables linking solar and wind farms spread across the desert in Morocco with a substation in Alverdiscott, a tiny village near the coast of north Devon. There, they will connect with seven solar farms and up to 1,000 wind turbines built across an area of Moroccan desert roughly the size of greater London. Simon Morrish, co-founder of the Xlinks project and group chief executive, said the aim was to overcome the intermittency of UK wind and solar. However the wind and solar farms in North Africa would be experiencing very different weather, of near-constant sunshine during the day and strong winds during afternoons and evening.

The telecommunication industry is swiftly embracing Artificial Intelligence and ML technologies. Let’s explore a few examples of AI and ML applications in Telco service operations:Predictive MaintenancePredictive maintenance is made easier for the telecommunications sector by AI and ML. AI and ML enable Telco to schedule maintenance, avoiding service disruptions properly. ML algorithms also optimize network configurations based on changing demands and environmental factors. Smart Scheduling and ForecastingTeleco uses AI algorithms to schedule its employees smartly.

Officials agreed to acquire Carlyle’s Assala Energy after it used its right to pre-empt the sale of the business for $1.3bn to France’s Maurel & Prom, the firms said on Friday. Maurel & Prom had agreed in August 2023 to acquire Assala Energy for $730m, a deal which also included rolling over a $600m credit facility. The office of Gabon’s presidency said the deal would allow the country to secure and manage its natural resources and boost its finances. Carlyle’s non-US energy arm CIEP first invested in Assala in 2017 when it acquired Shell’s ageing operations in Gabon for $628m. Gabon produces about 200,000 barrels a day (bpd) of crude oil, making it the second-smallest Opec producer.

It’s also Africa’s largest, but critics view the mosque as a vanity project for a former president who tried to name it after himself. Algeria has inaugurated the world’s third-largest and Africa’s largest mosque, which had been delayed for years amid political shifts, ahead of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. Known locally as the Djamaa El-Djazair, it features the world’s tallest minaret at 265 metres (869 feet), can accommodate 120,000 people, and is the world’s largest mosque only after Islam’s holiest sites in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca and Medina. The vast mosque reportedly cost close to $900m to build and was constructed by a Chinese firm. Algeria now boasts the largest mosque outside of the holiest sites in Islam, but the project has been marked by years of delays and cost overruns.

His Excellency Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile will on Tuesday, 27 February 2024, deliver a keynote address on the launch of principles and guidelines for the use of digital and social media in African elections at the Protea Hotel, Wanderers in Illovo, Johannesburg. These guidelines seek to create awareness among Election Management Bodies and other stakeholders on the benefits and threats of digital and social media to the electoral process and integrity. The Electoral Commission of South Africa provided secretariat support and facilitated the process for the development of these guidelines. These guidelines are relevant to the South African context as they are aligned to our appreciation of the pivotal role that social media plays in strengthening our democracy, and the importance of social media as a source for credible and factual information to the public. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency: Republic of South Africa.

Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations Ambassador Muhammad Hussein Muhammad Bahr Al-Ulum, received the Director-General of the Department of West Asian and North African Affairs in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Wang Di, with his accompanying delegation, at the Ministry’s headquarters. The meeting was attended by the Chinese Ambassador to Iraq Mr. Cui Wei, and the head of Asia and Australia Department Dr. Hamid Al-Jubouri. At the end of the meeting, Mr. Bahr Al-Ulum congratulated the Chinese delegation on the occasion of the Chinese New Year, and stressed respect for the one China principle. On his part, Mr. Wang Di, thanked Undersecretary Bahr Al-Ulum, for the warm hospitality, stressing the importance to further encourage cooperation between the two sides, to serve the common interests of both countries and find a permanent solution to the Palestinian issue. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of Iraq: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The UAE, for instance, announced a $4.5 billion investment in clean energy in Africa during a landmark climate summit in Kenya last September. Africa’s significant economic potential – including its vast uncultivated arable land, solar resources, fast-growing economies and critical minerals – presents a substantial opportunity for Gulf countries to unlock. Last year, Gulf countries funded more than $53 billion of projects in Africa, surpassing the US investment of $10 billion during the same period. A “GCC-Africa Corridor” makes sense from a logistical perspective. Closer ties benefit both regions, and the increased trade and investment flows highlight the potential of this partnership.

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Nigerian startup Pirano Energy is delivering reliable and affordable solar solutions to residential and commercial customers across the country, reducing their reliance on generators and grid usage, and empowering businesses to cut energy costs by between 20 and 60 per cent. Launched in 2018, Pirano Energy allows customers to purchase a solar system outright, or take advantage of its five-year rent-to-own scheme. It’s a win-win for everybody,” Bola Ogidan, founder and CEO of Pirano Energy, told Disrupt Africa. Ogidan founded Pirano in December 2018, with its first installation being in April 2019. It just so happens that it also dramatically reduces greenhouse gases at the same time – making it an even better solution.”Africa has a power problem, Ogidan said, and “power has a funding problem”.

The recent appearance of the Spur-Winged Lapwing at Ammavaripet Lake near Warangal has unravelled a captivating chapter in ornithological exploration. The Spur-winged Lapwing is named for the distinctive spurs located on its wings. In the case of the Spur-winged Lapwing, the spurs are not only ornamental but also play a role in territorial defense and courtship behaviour. Would the Spur-Winged Lapwing choose to thrive in its newfound habitat, or was this merely a transient exploration? The unfolding narrative holds the promise of enriching our understanding of avian migration patterns, leaving an indelible mark on India’s wildlife records.

It has once again brought to the fore the vulnerabilities of global supply chains, highlighting the need to revisit alternate routes for global trade. Why is the Red Sea route important? The Red Sea owes its strategic importance for global trade to the Bab el-Mandab Strait which lies between Yemen and Djibouti. An immediate consequence of the Red Sea conflict has been that major container and oil carriers have been forced to re-route shipments via the Cape of Good Hope. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which was announced during the G-20 summit in 2023, is another alternative which is not receiving much attention.

Press release from the issuing companyFESPA has announced that the second edition of FESPA Middle East will return to the Dubai Exhibition Centre in 2025. FESPA’s decision to host this event in 2025 follows the positive response to the launch of the inaugural FESPA Middle East 2024. Taking place at the Dubai Exhibition Centre at the end of January 2024 (29 – 31 January 2024, Dubai Exhibition Centre), the event featured a line up of 150 brands and a comprehensive feature programme. Bazil Cassim, FESPA Regional Manager, Middle East & Africa, comments, “The exhibitor and visitor feedback to the launch of FESPA Middle East has been overwhelmingly positive and reaffirms our decision to expand our offering into the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region. In the meantime, we will continue supporting our growing community in this region through our FESPA Direct membership.”Further details of FESPA Middle East 2025 will follow on www.fespamiddleeast.com.

Algeria has inaugurated a gigantic mosque on its Mediterranean coastline after years of political upheaval transformed the project from a symbol of state-sponsored strength and religiosity to one of delays and cost overrunsALGIERS, Algeria -- ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Algeria inaugurated a gigantic mosque on its Mediterranean coastline Sunday after years of political upheaval transformed the project from a symbol of state-sponsored strength and religiosity to one of delays and cost overruns. The third largest mosque in the world and largest outside Islam's holiest cities, its prayer room accommodates 120,000 people. Throughout the delays and cost overruns, the project never stopped feeding Algerians’ anger, with many saying they’d rather have four hospitals built throughout the country. He wanted it to be his legacy and called “Abdelaziz Bouteflika Mosque” much like Mosque Hassan II in Casablanca, Morocco. That mosque, named after the former King of Morocco — Algeria's neighbor and regional rival — was once marketed as Africa's largest.

Participants in a scientific conference, held in Kampala, Uganda, Feb.24-25, highlighted the role and action of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema in the achievement and preservation of spiritual security in Africa. Ugandan Deputy Prime Minister, Lukia Isanga Nakadama, who attended the opening of the conference, hailed the action of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema, as well as its objectives which consist of achieving spiritual security in Africa. Lukia Isanga Nakadama made the remarks while receiving a delegation from the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema. The President of the Foundation’s Uganda Section, Sheikh Ibrahim Sali, affirmed in an opening address that achieving spiritual security requires complementary and comprehensive efforts on the part of individuals, ulema, institutions, and society. The conference, held under the theme “The role of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema in achieving spiritual security in Africa,” was attended by several religious figures, politicians, and diplomats.