DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Best Practices for Supplier Qualification in Life Science Training Course (May 6th - May 7th, 2026)" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Certifications:CPD: 12 hours for your records12 hours for your records Certificate of completionKey Topics CoveredDay 1Supplier Qualification IntroductionWhat is supplier qualification? International guidelines and directives for supplier qualification Overview of legislation, health authority expectations International Trade LawsIs the ISO 9001 certificate only sufficient for supplier qualification? Medical device suppliersMedical device supplier qualification process (21 CFR Part 820, MDR, GHTF, ISO 9001, ISO 1497, ISO 13485) PIP breast implant scandalFlow of supplier qualification & documentationHow does the relationship between audits and supplier qualification begin? Supplier qualification and digital technologiesGroup exercise: Review of an existing supplier Quality AgreementCritique of formatCritique of contentWorkshop: Supplier Quality AgreementBreakout groups to review and suggest improvement in supplier quality agreements.

Application Deadline: March 1st, 2026Applications are now open for the 2026 Boston Consulting Group (BCG’s) ASPIRE Women’s Workshop. BCG ASPIRE Women’s Workshop is a 3-day women’s professional development event where over 90 talented students from Europe, Middle East, South America and Africa get to meaningfully engage with each other, explore consulting and connect with BCGers from around the world in the same location, Barcelona. Application RequirementsApplications to our ASPIRE Women’s Workshop are open to university and PhD students (undergraduate, master’s, or PhD programs). Depending on the country/office you are applying for, certain languages or documents may be required, such as copies of your most important diplomas (high school degree, undergraduate degree, graduate degree, PhD). For More Information:Visit the Official Webpage of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG’s) ASPIRE Women’s Workshop

Morocco’s dam reserves rose sharply between 16 and 19 January, with total stored volumes increasing by 210 million cubic metres to reach 8.017 billion m³, pushing the national filling rate from 46.5% to 47.8%. Al Wahda Dam, the country’s largest, recorded the biggest volume gain, rising from 2.090 to 2.133 billion m³ (+43 million), with its filling rate improving from 59% to 60%. Al Massira Dam, supplying Casablanca, increased from 229 to 250 million m³ (+21 million), raising its filling level from 8% to 9%. Bin El Ouidane also added 21 million m³ to reach 340 million m³, improving its filling rate from 26% to 28%. Idriss I moved from 517 to 528 million m³ (+11 million), pushing its filling rate from 45% to 46%.

Morocco’s security management during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, was executed “without any major incident or breakdown” across six host cities and nearly a month of competition, French media wrote. According to the French weekly JDD, Morocco’s success reflects a long‑term national security strategy developed under King Mohammed VI. JDD notes that AFCON 2025 involved 51 matches and the movement of hundreds of thousands of fans in an atmosphere of continuous celebration. Urban video‑protection networks, high‑definition stadium cameras, real‑time command centres, and aerial surveillance using drones formed the backbone of the monitoring system. According to JDD, Morocco views the tournament as a “general rehearsal” for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co‑host with Spain and Portugal.

NEED TO KNOWLebanon Begins to Find Its Footing as Threats to Reforms – and Peace – LoomLEBANONA year ago, Lebanon finally got a president. But for more than two years, Lebanon existed in a political stalemate with the powerful Shiite group Hezbollah and its allies wanting one candidate, while almost everyone else wanted Aoun. Lebanese officials say that while they are making progress, they know they are on a tight clock and that the countdown to the May elections has begun, an event that could disrupt their momentum. “You need economic reforms, but you also need security and political reforms. Meanwhile, the 2023–2024 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah devastated southern Lebanon, and the country needed donor funds to rebuild.

A North Korean film is captivating audiences with scenes and storylines they have never seen before in a state-approved movie. Kyodo News/Getty ImagesBecause of the tightly controlled nature of North Korean society, independent accounts from ordinary moviegoers are impossible to obtain. It borrows the visual grammar of Hollywood thrillers in ways North Korean cinema long avoided. In Korean War epics like “Wolmi Island,” villains are foreign and obvious, while North Korean characters remain ideologically pure. via Magnolia PicturesWhat Kim Jong Il did not anticipate was that Sheen and Choi were secretly recording their meetings with him.

Energy Transition & SustainabilityAfrica is a resource-abundant continent, but there is a wide disparity in the energy profiles between North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. The former enjoys universal access to electricity, while 50% of the latter’s population lacks access. In this episode of the “EnergyCents” podcast, S&P Global Energy experts Silvia Macri and Anastasia Pantazopoulou joined hosts Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss infrastructure hurdles and other energy poverty challenges facing many of Africa's less developed countries.

CMA CGM files fresh FAK levels ex-Indian SubcontinentCMA CGM has announced a new round of Freight All Kinds (FAK) rates for dry cargo moving from the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East Gulf and Red Sea to North Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa, effective 1 February 2026 until further notice. ​From North West India, the carrier has set FAK levels at around USD 2,200 per container to North Europe, USD 2,100 to the Mediterranean and USD 3,100 to North Africa, with the quantum applicable on both 20‑foot and 40‑foot dry boxes on a gate‑in basis at origin ports. For cargo loaded in South East India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the Middle East Gulf, FAK rates are in the region of USD 2,300 to North Europe, USD 2,200 to the Mediterranean and USD 3,200 to North Africa, calculated on the vessel sailing date. ​For shipments originating in the Red Sea, CMA CGM has filed lower numbers, at about USD 1,300 per 20‑foot and 40‑foot unit to North Europe, USD 1,200 to the Mediterranean and USD 2,200 to North Africa, again effective 1 February. The revised tariff covers base ocean freight and bunker‑related charges only, with terminal handling, peak‑season, safety/security and other local surcharges remaining applicable on top of the headline FAK levels.

Amethis Investment Fund Manager, in partnership with Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity, has completed the final closing of Amethis Fund III at its target size of €406 million, marking a major milestone for Africa-focused private equity. Rather than focusing primarily on upstream oil and gas producers, Amethis Fund III is positioned to back local and regional companies that underpin Africa’s energy ecosystem. “Amethis Fund III exemplifies our shared conviction that long-term, responsible investment can unlock extraordinary potential across Africa. Amethis says the fund will help connect global investors with African entrepreneurs, supporting business growth, job creation and wider economic development across the continent. With Fund III, Amethis is positioning itself as a long-term partner to Africa’s energy value chain, backing the companies that enable large-scale energy projects to operate efficiently while building durable local capacity.

Lombard and Credeq have become among the first companies in Africa to successfully deploy Gemini Enterprise, Google’s newest enterprise-grade AI enabler service. This breakthrough is the result of a collaboration between Synthesis, Google Cloud Africa, and the two pioneering businesses, marking a bold step forward for the region in advanced Artificial Intelligence adoption. As global interest accelerates around Gemini Enterprise, this deployment represents a timely and significant milestone. The deployment of Gemini Enterprise at Lombard and Credeq demonstrates the partners’ shared ambition to make advanced AI real, secure, and impactful across African industries. “This is a brand-new enterprise offering from Google, and we are proud that Lombard and Credeq are one of the first to deploy it in the African region,” said Paul Spagnoletti of Synthesis.

On Monday, Nov. 25, 2030, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the Southern Hemisphere. Related: What's the difference between a total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse? What's special about the Nov. 25, 2030 total solar eclipse? Path of totality for the Nov. 25, 2030 total solar eclipseImage 1 of 4 The path of totality for the total solar eclipse on Nov. 25, 2030 (Image credit: Created using MapHub.net. Where to see the partial solar eclipse on Nov. 25, 2030The HESS telescope in Namibia will get a 99.9% partial solar eclipse.

Battery warning after bin lorry wrecked in fireThe bin lorry caught fire due to a lithium battery being in the waste, a council spokesperson saidA bin lorry has been destroyed after a lithium battery dumped as part of a household's rubbish caught fire, a council says. During an early morning collection this month in north Warwickshire, bin workers found the fire had started in the back of their vehicle while on a round. The damaged vehicle will cost about £250,000 to replace or £125,000 to fix just the back end of the truck, a North Warwickshire Borough Council spokesperson said. No injuries were reported but they urged residents to properly dispose of batteries at local shops or recycling centres.

According to a statement by Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy, the deal with GCL will involve investments of over US$500 million. Kemet's battery manufacturing deal will inmvolve another US$200 million while details on the TBEA inverter deal were not shared. JA Solar had earlier confirmed start of work on a solar PV cell, module and energy storage manufacturing hub in the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The setup is a joint venture between JA Solar, the Egyptian firm AH, the UAE investor Global South Utilities, and Infinity Capital from Bahrain. In response to the surge in demand, the region is rapidly adopting a vertically integrated model for solar manufacturing, similar to China’s successful approach.

“To speak figuratively in simpler words, he was like a goat yoked to pull an ox cart. North Korea’s economy suffered major setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. North Korean congress expected to touch on economy and nuclear weaponsThe party congress is likely to open later in January or February, according to South Korea’s spy service. During the congress, Kim would likely strengthen a policy of cooperation with Russia, China and other nations to bring out gradual economic developments, Kwak said. Moon said Kim would likely use the congress to formalize his stated goal of simultaneously advancing nuclear and conventional weapons programs.

In her book, which is exactly that—a biography—Conybeare reclaims Augustine’s North African identity, exploring how his cultural context set the stage for his writings. In doing so, she challenges centuries of scholarship and thinking on Augustine that dismiss his North African context. AdvertisementNow, Augustine’s Africa was, of course, North Africa, not the whole of the continent of Africa. People acknowledge that Augustine was born in North Africa, and most people know that he went back to North Africa after having a really formative period in Italy. So that’s one distinctively North African practice that Monica brings into the family, which Ambrose encourages her to end and Augustine eradicates from North Africa.