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Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), Venezuela’s Hydrocarbon Ministry, African Energy Chamber (AEC) Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to Drive Energy Investment, Collaboration

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African Energy Chamber

The partnership deepens energy investment and cooperation by opening pathways for collaboration across oil, gas, refining and broader energy market development

CARACUS, Venezuela, February 27, 2026/APO Group/ –Venezuela’s leading petroleum authorities have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Energy Chamber (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org) – the voice of the African energy sector – aimed at strengthening investment and collaboration across the oil, gas and broader energy sector. The agreement was signed by the Ministry of People’s Power for Hydrocarbons of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the country’s state-owned oil corporation Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), establishing a formal framework for long-term cooperation across the hydrocarbon value chain. Signed in Caracas during a high-level working visit by the AEC, the agreement lays the foundation for structured collaboration in upstream development, refining, training and joint investment promotion, reinforcing a shared vision of deeper integration in the energy sector.

 

Collaboration as a Catalyst for Energy Investment and Development

The MoU recognizes Africa’s growing strategic role in global oil and gas markets as well as Venezuela’s longstanding experience as a major hydrocarbon producer. The primary purpose of the agreement is to strengthen cooperation through the exchange of experiences, perspectives, information and best practices, while identifying and advancing joint projects of mutual interest.

This MoU reflects a shared vision between Africa and Venezuela to strengthen cooperation across the hydrocarbons value chain and ensure that producers work more closely together

Areas of cooperation include joint studies on liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon market dynamics; technology associated with exploration, production and refining; sustainable environmental management; and pathways to guarantee universal access to energy. The parties will also exchange regulatory and institutional best practices, evaluate successful case studies and promote enabling frameworks that facilitate investment across the value chain.

The MoU further provides for coordinated outreach activities, including joint publications, seminars, training programs and site visits, with a specific focus on promoting investment in upstream and midstream assets. Importantly, the agreement outlines plans to evaluate initiatives for asset rehabilitation, infrastructure development and improved commercialization mechanisms.

“This MoU reflects a shared vision between Africa and Venezuela to strengthen cooperation across the hydrocarbons value chain and ensure that producers work more closely together. By combining Venezuela’s deep technical experience with Africa’s dynamic growth and investment landscape, we are creating a structured platform for knowledge exchange, joint project development and long-term collaboration that supports energy security, industrialization and sustainable development,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC.

Institutional Mechanisms and Implementation

To ensure tangible outcomes, the MoU establishes clear implementation mechanisms. A Joint Working Group will be formed within 60 days of the signing, composed of representatives from each party. The Working Group will define work plans, identify specific projects, review progress and evaluate results. Focus areas will include exploration, commercialization and technical training. The parties also agreed to coordinate positions on oil industry issues in the context of global development goals, reflecting a shared commitment to realistic, balanced discussions around hydrocarbons and sustainable growth.

For Africa, the MoU represents a strategic expansion of the continent’s energy diplomacy and commercial footprint, positioning African companies, investors and technical experts as active participants in one of the world’s largest hydrocarbon provinces. It reinforces Africa’s role not only as a destination for capital, but as a source of expertise, structured investment and leadership in oil and gas development. For Venezuela, the agreement strengthens its international engagement at a pivotal moment in its production recovery strategy, opening structured channels to African capital, operators and service providers while amplifying its energy narrative across the continent through the AEC’s institutional and industry platforms.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

Business

Binance Reinforces Industry-Leading Compliance Commitment to Foster a Safer Crypto Ecosystem

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Binance

Global crypto leader Binance continues to set the standard for regulatory compliance and security, driving innovation with transparency and trust

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 3, 2026/APO Group/ –Binance (https://www.Binance.com), the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, highlights the progress it continues to make in strengthening compliance and regulatory excellence, reinforcing its role as a pioneer in building a safer and more transparent crypto industry. Over the past years, Binance has invested significantly in enhancing its global compliance framework by expanding its teams, systems and controls that align with evolving regulatory expectations across its key markets. These ongoing efforts are designed to support responsible innovation while ensuring that user protection, financial integrity and market transparency remain at the core of the platform’s operations.

 

Leading with Robust Compliance Measures

Binance has implemented a multi-layered compliance program that includes advanced transaction monitoring, stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, and continuous enhancements to its anti-money laundering (AML) systems. These efforts are designed to protect users, prevent illicit activities, and ensure adherence to evolving regulatory requirements across jurisdictions.

 

Building the Future of Crypto with Advanced, Measurable Compliance

Over the past several years, Binance has built one of the most robust compliance programs in the digital-asset industry, combining world-class talent, advanced monitoring technology, and strong partnerships with regulators, law-enforcement agencies, and independent analytics providers. These programs include rigorous onboarding and KYC controls, sophisticated transaction monitoring systems, sanctions screening, behavioral analytics, and a dedicated global compliance team of more than 580 professionals, supported by more than 970 employees in compliance-related roles across customer-service, technology, and product teams.

 

The results of these efforts are measurable: Binance’s direct exposure to illicit activity has dropped by 96% between January 2023 and June 2025, while its capacity to detect, report, and help disrupt financial crime continues to grow. Specifically, sanctions-related exposure reduced dramatically and is now marginal (from 0.284% in January 2024 to just 0.009% in July 2025, a 96.8% decrease). This progress reflects daily collaboration with authorities, independent research, and the lived experience of serving over 300 million users safely, demonstrating how modern crypto compliance works in practice and underscoring Binance’s ongoing commitment to transparency, regulatory excellence, and a safer financial ecosystem.

 

Noah Perlman, Binance Chief Compliance Officer, “At Binance we’ve built a system that doesn’t just react to threats, it anticipates them. A 96% reduction in illicit exposure is a testament to our infrastructure and the 1,500+ professionals working behind the scenes to protect our 300M users.”

 

Our mission has always been to increase the freedom of money, but that freedom is only sustainable if it is built on a foundation of trust

Driving Industry-Wide Standards

Binance’s leadership team emphasizes that compliance is a shared responsibility and that the company actively engages with regulators, policymakers, and industry partners to foster a collaborative environment. This engagement helps shape balanced regulations that support innovation while safeguarding users and the broader financial system.

 

Transparency and User Protection

Transparency remains a cornerstone of Binance’s compliance philosophy. The company regularly publishes updates on its compliance initiatives and welcomes dialogue with the community and regulators. By maintaining high standards, Binance ensures that users can trade with confidence on a platform that prioritizes security and integrity.

 

National Cybercrime Units Collaborations

Binance responds to tens of thousands of law-enforcement requests each year. In 2025 alone, Binance responded to more than 71,000 law enforcement requests and assisted in confiscating over $130 million in illicit funds.

 

Binance supports agencies such as Europol (https://apo-opa.co/4coJAx9), INTERPOL (https://apo-opa.co/4b0FCIt), the DEA, the NCA, Homeland Security Investigations, and multiple national cybercrime units. These collaborations have resulted in the takedown of ransomware groups, darknet markets, human-trafficking networks, and financial-fraud rings. The value of our work has been repeatedly recognized by our global law-enforcement partners.

 

Richard Teng, Binance co-CEO, “Our mission has always been to increase the freedom of money, but that freedom is only sustainable if it is built on a foundation of trust. By integrating compliance into our product DNA, we are proving that the world’s largest exchange can also be the most secure.”

 

Binance remains committed to building a secure, transparent, and trusted platform through ongoing investment in compliance, strong global partnerships, and independently validated results. Since its launch in 2017, Binance has focused on protecting users and supporting the responsible growth of digital finance, with measurable progress recognised by law-enforcement agencies and regulatory stakeholders worldwide.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Binance.

 

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Network International powers card tokenization for Apple smartphones in Egypt in latest regulatory rollout

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Network International

The successful launch comes within the third wave of the Central Bank of Egypt’s granting of tokenisation licenses to select banks and is an important milestone for Egypt’s digital payment ecosystem

CAIRO, Egypt, March 3, 2026/APO Group/ —

  • Enablement signifies a critical milestone in Network’s proven execution capabilities for multi-bank payment initiatives
  • The launch of Apple tokenisation deploys the highest standards of security and operational resilience in Egypt’s digital transformation rollout

We are grateful to the Central Bank of Egypt and the participating banks for their trust and partnership as we continue to help accelerate secure and scalable digital payments

Network International (Network) (www.Network.ae), a leading fintech company across the Middle East and Africa, has announced the successful enablement of Apple Pay acceptance by powering card tokenisation for Apple smartphones for four renowned Egyptian banks, as part of the country’s digital transformation initiatives.

The successful launch comes within the third wave of the Central Bank of Egypt’s granting of tokenisation licenses to select banks and is an important milestone for Egypt’s digital payment ecosystem. The initiative reinforces Network’s scale, innovation leadership and proven execution capabilities in the market.

Supporting all four bank go-lives within the same wave underscores the strength, reliability, and agility of Network’s processing platform, alongside the depth of its local delivery and implementation expertise. The achievement reflects Network’s ability to execute complex, multi-bank digital payment initiatives at pace while maintaining the highest standards of security, operational resilience, and service quality.

Dr. Reda Helal, Group Managing Director – Processing, Africa & Co-Head Group Processing at Network International, said: “We are proud to have supported four renowned banks to successfully transform themselves as Egypt strengthens its digital economy. We have been present in the market for over 20 years and delivering multiple simultaneous implementations demonstrates our local teams’ expertise and the robustness of our processing platform. We are grateful to the Central Bank of Egypt and the participating banks for their trust and partnership as we continue to help accelerate secure and scalable digital payments across Egypt.”

This launch also supports Network’s broader focus on expanding its presence and strengthening its brand across the region, underpinned by its long-standing commitment to Egypt’s payments ecosystem. In 2023, Network International announced the investment valued at EGP 1 billion to expand its operations in Egypt, while serving 160+ banks across Africa and 65+ in the Middle East from its Egypt hub.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Network International.

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ES-KO Turns 70: Seven Decades of Integrated Catering, Logistics & Facility Management Services in Challenging Environments

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Founded as an onboard catering business, ES-KO was established in 1955 and has since grown into a multinational group with 6,000 employees operating across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe

LUANDA, Angola, March 3, 2026/APO Group/ –ES-KO (www.ES-KO.com), a global leader in catering, facility management, procurement and supply-chain solutions, along with camp construction for remote environments, proudly celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2026. Founded as an onboard catering business, ES-KO was established in 1955 and has since grown into a multinational group with 6,000 employees operating across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, serving the Energy, Mining, Business & Industry, Defense, Governments, IGOs, and NGOs sectors.

 

A Legacy of Reliability and Growth

From its beginnings serving the maritime industry, ES-KO quickly diversified into large-scale logistics and peacekeeping operations, building a reputation as a dependable partner in difficult times. In 1974, the company managed one of the world’s largest catering and logistics contracts for the Trans-Gabonese railway, and by 1988 it was supporting 8,000 multinational UN troops in Namibia. Throughout the 1990s, ES-KO became a trusted partner for NATO and UN missions across the Balkans and Afghanistan, continuing this mission-driven work into the new millennium in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Israel, Syria, Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan, and Cyprus. Other landmark projects include Madagascar’s national anti-malaria center (2009), a school for 400 children in Haiti after the devastating earthquake (2012), and the fast-track construction of presidential villas for the 2017 Africa-France Summit in Mali. Since the 2020s, the Group has continued to expand strategically, establishing ES-KO Congo, ES-KO Mozambique and ES-KO Gabon, acquiring International Facilities Services (IFS) in 2024 to strengthen its Sub-Saharan footprint, and Campania Alimentare in Italy in 2025.

Trusted by Industry Leaders & Purpose-Driven Organizations

Over seven decades, ES-KO (www.ES-KO.com) has earned the confidence of some of the world’s most demanding organizations. In Gabon and Congo, Perenco relies on ES-KO to deliver nutritious meals, maintain onshore and offshore living quarters, and manage waste and hygiene under harsh conditions. In Mozambique, Coca-Cola entrusts ES-KO with the management of its plant canteens in Maputo and Chimoio, ensuring consistent catering quality and workforce well-being. In Angola, we work with Barloworld, a global leader in earth moving and heavy machinery.

Furthermore, ES-KO has extensive experience delivering robust engineering and camp build-up services in extreme environments. Notable projects include the construction of warehouses, offices, and accommodation facilities for UNMISS in Juba, and the development of the site compound for the Mosul Dam rehabilitation works in Iraq amid ISIS-related security threats. The company’s long-standing partnership with the United Nations — supporting peacekeeping and humanitarian missions since 35 years —demonstrates its proven capability to operate at scale and deliver services to large, complex, multinational communities in conflict zones and infrastructure-limited environments.

For seventy years, ES-KO has been defined by resilience, trust, and commitment to the well-being of those we serve. We are honored to celebrate this milestone and to continue building environments where people thrive, and operations never stop.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of ES-KO.

 

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