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Like Riding Through a Masterpiece: Over 2,000 Cyclists Chase Their Dreams in Changping!

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Changping

BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 May 2025 – On May 18, the final race day of the 2025 China Road Cycling League (Beijing Changping) and the Changping International Road Cycling Challenge took place. More than 2,000 professional cyclists and enthusiasts gathered in Changping to compete in the men’s, women’s, and mass-participation individual races along a scenic cycling route that seemed like a living painting.

As a pioneering event that blends a national-level cycling league with locally inspired races, this successful gathering marks a milestone in Changping’s pursuit of becoming the “Beijing Cycling Demonstration Zone.” Jointly hosted by the Chinese Cycling Association and the Changping District People’s Government, with support from the Changping District Sports Bureau, the event aims to use competitive sports as a bridge to connect the district’s ecological landscapes and cultural heritage, setting a new benchmark for the integrated development of “sports + cultural tourism.”

At 8:30 a.m., the sound of a whistle signaled the official start of the race. Participants in each category dashed from the starting line, chasing the wind and their dreams amid Changping’s natural beauty, reveling in the joy of sport. Crowds lined the route, cheering enthusiastically for the riders and creating a vibrant, electric atmosphere.

The day’s route extended up to 181.1 kilometers. Riders in the men’s, women’s, and amateur races set off from the Nanshao Cultural Plaza in Changping and battled along a course that spanned eight towns and subdistricts. The route passed through key roads such as Chaoxin Road, East Reservoir Road, Chichang Road, Huaichang Road, Wangbai Road, and Taoxia Road, linking riverside scenery, tree-lined tunnels, terraced hillsides adorned with wildflowers, and fragrant orchards. It was hailed as a “mobile exhibition gallery” of Changping’s all-encompassing cultural and tourism experience. While cyclists enjoyed the sweeping views of Changping’s natural beauty at full speed, spectators along the route immersed themselves in the region’s cultural charm through themed tourism activities.

According to reports, the event lasted four days starting from May 15. In the earlier stages, the men’s and women’s individual time trials, as well as the mixed team time trial, took place in Liucun Town. The race course, designed to wind through the mountainous terrain of Liucun, started at Liucun Primary School and passed by the shimmering waters of Wangjiayuan Reservoir, the ancient charm of Baiyangcheng Village, and the lush landscapes of the “Hundred-Mile Corridor.” As the cyclists raced through these areas, they were treated to a poetic panorama of the countryside on the outskirts of Beijing.

The urban circuit elimination race for amateur riders was set along the “Round Ming Tombs Reservoir” route. This course blended the lush mountains of the Yanshan range, the sparkling waters of the reservoir, and the profound cultural heritage of the Ming Tombs. It offered participants an immersive experience of Changping’s unique identity as a place of “mountains, waters, city, and tombs.”

The cycling race served not only as a platform for cyclist competition, but also as a key branding event to boost the integration of culture, tourism, and sports in the Changping region. With more than 3,000 participants in total, the event marked a major initiative in Changping’s efforts to establish itself as a “cycling-friendly city.” It also served as a vivid example of integrated development across sectors such as culture, tourism, agriculture, business, and sports.

With 48.7% of its territory covered in forest and over 60% designated as mountainous, Changping offers an ideal terrain for cycling events. In recent years, the district has proposed a strategic goal of becoming a “Beijing Cycling Demonstration Zone,” integrating road accessibility, facility friendliness, industry support, cultural integration, and service excellence into the urban development blueprint.

Leveraging its outstanding geographical resources, Changping has developed a “one-horizontal and four-vertical” cycling route network. It has introduced routes such as the Ming Tombs Reservoir loop and the “Green Oxygen Art Tour of Changping,” and established 141 officially designated cycling service stations. High-level events like the Western Loop Cycling Race have also been successfully held, significantly driving the integrated development of culture, tourism, agriculture, commerce, and sports. The cycling economy in the region is now thriving with new vitality.

As a cycling event that merges a national-level league with regional specialty races, the successful hosting of this event marks a significant step forward in Changping’s journey toward becoming a “Beijing Cycling Demonstration Zone.” In the future, Changping will continue to integrate its ecological, cultural, and industrial resources. Using the demonstration zone as a strategic platform, the district will harness the event’s ability to attract traffic and stimulate consumption, transforming audience engagement into economic momentum. This will inject fresh energy into Beijing’s—and the nation’s—culture-tourism-sports economy, helping the “wheels” of integrated development roll even farther.

Business

SLB commissions new fluids systems plant in Pemba to support Mozambique’s offshore energy development

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Mozambique

New facility expands in-country drilling and completion fluids capability, advancing the next phase of SLB’s growth in Mozambique

PEMBA, Mozambique, October 9, 2026/APO Group/ –SLB (NYSE: SLB) (www.SLB.com) announced the opening of a new fluids systems plant in Pemba, Mozambique. The new facility strengthens in-country capacity to prepare, store and deliver drilling and completion fluids for offshore operations, reinforcing the infrastructure needed as Mozambique’s offshore activity grows and its role as a strategic energy hub for East Africa continues to expand.

The commissioning of the plant, also known as a liquid mud plant, coincides with SLB marking 70 years of operations in Mozambique. It reflects the company’s long-term commitment to investing in people, infrastructure and capability that support the country’s long-term offshore energy development plans.

 




  

With an initial storage capacity of 21,000 barrels, the liquid mud plant provides a scalable platform for future growth, supporting multiple customers and rising offshore activity while improving logistics and enhancing operational flexibility.

As SLB marks 70 years in Mozambique, this investment reflects our confidence in the country’s future and our commitment to supporting its energy ambitions

“As SLB marks 70 years in Mozambique, this investment reflects our confidence in the country’s future and our commitment to supporting its energy ambitions,” said Miguel Baptista, Central, East and Southern Africa, Managing Director, SLB. The new liquid mud plant strengthens local energy infrastructure, expands opportunities for local content development, and enhances our ability to support customers as they deliver some of Africa’s most significant offshore energy resources.”

The liquid mud plant project was delivered with strong local participation and that momentum is expected to continue into operations. During project delivery, more than 100 jobs were created in Pemba with nationals representing 80% of the workforce, reflecting a focus on building local capability.

The project was delivered with a strong focus on safety, operational integrity, and quality, achieving more than 67,000 hours worked without a recordable safety incident.

This key infrastructure strengthens SLB’s ability to support consistent service quality and enhance supply chain readiness for increasing offshore activity across Mozambique, supporting customers execute safely and efficiently while developing local skills and expertise.

Key Points:

  • SLB has commissioned a new fluids system plant in Pemba, expanding in-country drilling and completion fluids capability for offshore operations.
  • With an initial storage capacity of 21,000 barrels, the facility provides a scalable platform to support growing offshore activity in Mozambique.
  • The investment marks the next phase of SLB’s growth in Mozambique, strengthening local capability and supporting long-term offshore energy development.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of SLB.

 

 




 

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South African Energy Storage Association (SAESA) welcomes 4,600 MW battery storage prioritisation and calls for integrated energy planning

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Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming critical system infrastructure, supporting flexibility, reducing avoidable curtailment, shifting energy into periods of demand and strengthening security of supply

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, October 9, 2026/APO Group/ –The South African Energy Storage Association (SAESA) (www.SAESA.org.za) welcomes the prioritisation of 4,600 MW of battery energy storage under the first Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2025 Section 34 determination.

 




  

The timing is significant. Recent Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) modelling and assumptions discussions highlighted a fundamental shift that South Africa’s energy planning now needs to capture: we cannot plan the future power system by counting megawatts of generation alone.

We must plan for when energy is available, where it is available, how it moves through a constrained grid and how it is stored and dispatched when the system needs it most.

The announcement reinforces that shift. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming critical system infrastructure, supporting flexibility, reducing avoidable curtailment, shifting energy into periods of demand and strengthening security of supply.

For SAESA, the message for the IEP is clear: storage, flexibility and system services must be modelled as integral components of South Africa’s future electricity architecture, with their contribution considered from the outset of generation planning.

“The IEP must plan the power system we are becoming, not simply model the power system we have inherited,” says SAESA.

The IEP must plan the power system we are becoming, not simply model the power system we have inherited

Partnership with C&I Energy + Storage Summit

SAESA is an association partner of the C&I Energy + Storage Summit, created by VUKA Group, taking place on 28–29 October 2026 at The Maslow Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg.

The summit brings together commercial and industrial energy users, project developers, financiers, regulators and solution providers to explore practical approaches to energy security, procurement and storage deployment.

For businesses assessing how storage can support their operations, the event offers an opportunity to meet SAESA and engage with the wider energy community on the decisions shaping South Africa’s evolving electricity system.

Commercial and industrial energy decision-makers are invited to apply to attend as hosted buyers. Qualifying buyers receive complimentary summit access and curated opportunities to engage with industry partners.

 

Meet SAESA at C&I Energy + Storage Summit: Join the Hosted Buyer Programme

The Hosted Buyer Programme connects commercial and industrial energy decision-makers with solution providers shaping South Africa’s evolving private energy market.

Qualified energy buyers receive complimentary access to the summit and curated engagement with industry partners exploring energy procurement, storage deployment and project development.

Apply for the Hosted Buyer Programme (https://apo-opa.co/4ehLijJ)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

 




 

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Afreximbank welcomes launch of Africa Credit Rating Agency as an important step in strengthening Africa’s financial architecture

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Expanding credible rating coverage can improve the information available to investors and support the development of deeper domestic and regional capital markets

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, October 8, 2026/APO Group/ –African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) welcomes today’s launch of the Africa Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA), an important milestone in strengthening Africa’s financial architecture and expanding the continent’s capacity to generate credible, independent analysis of African credit risk.

 




 
 

Credit ratings play an important role in determining access to capital, influencing investor perceptions and shaping the cost at which governments, institutions and businesses can finance development. It is therefore essential that assessments of African credit risk are independent, rigorous and evidence-based, while reflecting a complete understanding of the structures, institutions and economic realities being assessed.

The establishment of AfCRA adds an important African-led source of credit opinion to the market. Its value will not be measured by whether it produces more favourable ratings, but by the credibility of its analysis, the quality of its data and transparency of its methodology, and its ability to deepen understanding of African sovereigns, sub-sovereigns and corporate credit.

This is particularly important given that many African issuers remain unrated, while local-currency and sub-sovereign markets continue to have limited rating coverage. Expanding credible rating coverage can improve the information available to investors and support the development of deeper domestic and regional capital markets.

AfCRA must set a new benchmark for the continent, maintain its independence, and remain wholly owned and controlled by Africans

Alongside fellow members of the Alliance of African Multilateral Financial Institutions (AAMFI), Afreximbank has consistently maintained that African Multilateral Financial Institutions should be assessed on the basis of their fundamentals, performance, legal frameworks, mandates and operating models. Ensuring that these institutional characteristics are properly understood is essential to achieving informed, balanced and credible assessments of African risk.

Commenting on the uniqueness of the African market, and need for AfCRA’s rating methodology to reflect this, Mr Denys Denya, Senior Executive Vice President, Afreximbank, said: “The rating methodology AfCRA develops must recognise the uniqueness of our environment and its institutional structures. The Agency must set its own standards and not follow those set elsewhere — it must build a unique identity that conforms to an ‘African best practice.”

Highlighting the need for the autonomy of the Africa Credit Rating agency as it takes off, Mr Denya added: “Most importantly, AfCRA must set a new benchmark for the continent, maintain its independence, and remain wholly owned and controlled by Africans. We must all use it, and in return expect a complete assessment of where we (Africa) stand: the strengths the market has ignored, and the weaknesses we still need to fix.”

AfCRA should therefore be seen as complementary to existing international and regional rating agencies, broadening the range of credible analysis available to investors and issuers while strengthening competition, transparency and analytical capacity within Africa’s credit markets.

As Africa seeks to mobilise the scale of capital required for industrialisation, trade, infrastructure and economic transformation, credible African institutions that improve information, strengthen market confidence and deepen the continent’s financial markets will become increasingly important.

Afreximbank congratulates the African Union, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and all those involved in bringing AfCRA from concept to launch, and looks forward to the contribution the Agency will make to deeper, more transparent and more efficient African capital markets.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

 




 

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