Core Viewpoint - The Arab Financial Services Company (AFS) has launched a "Tap-to-Phone" payment solution in Egypt, following the receipt of a SoftPOS license from the Central Bank of Egypt, aimed at providing low-cost and scalable digital payment access for various merchants [1] Group 1 - AFS's Egyptian subsidiary has received a SoftPOS license from the Central Bank of Egypt [1] - The "Tap-to-Phone" payment solution utilizes NFC technology to facilitate digital payments [1] - The solution is designed to offer low-cost and scalable payment access for a wide range of merchants [1]

Core Insights - Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology has established a National Support Center for Semiconductor Chip Pilot Production to enhance the country's position in the global semiconductor value chain [1] Group 1: Center's Functions and Responsibilities - The center will assist in overseeing Vietnam's semiconductor industry and support chip pilot production, providing comprehensive support services to promote industry development [1] - It aims to become a crucial platform for public services in infrastructure, facilitating semiconductor design, pilot production, and commercialization [1] - The center will offer necessary infrastructure and public services for semiconductor design and prototyping, including pilot production support, access to electronic design automation software, and shared intellectual property design software [1] Group 2: Human Resource Development - A key focus of the center is to cultivate human resources for the semiconductor industry, organizing specialized training courses and supporting universities in chip design activities [1] - The center will promote the development of high-skilled engineering talent and support startups in commercializing semiconductor chip products [1] Group 3: Industry Progress and Achievements - Vietnam currently has over 7,000 skilled integrated circuit design engineers and is transitioning from traditional assembly and testing to higher-end segments of the semiconductor value chain [2] - FPT Group has delivered its first batch of power chips to a top Japanese electronics company, marking a significant breakthrough in Vietnam's chip design export and establishing the country as an emerging destination in the global semiconductor market [2]

Core Insights - The Central Bank of Sri Lanka reported a 13.1% increase in official reserve assets by December 2025, reaching $6.825 billion [1] - As of the end of December, Sri Lanka's foreign exchange reserves rose to $6.734 billion [1]

总统鼓励受灾中小企业尽快登记，政府要加强宣传，确保符合条件的企业获得利率为3%的信贷。此 外，总统表示，阿努拉德普勒和库鲁内格拉将从1月9日起开始对完全受损房屋的赔偿和为受影响家庭建 设新住房。已指示农业部和农业服务部，根据核实数据加快作物补偿支付。灾后干预不仅应将生计恢复 到灾前水平，还应支持向更高生产率和改善生活水平过渡。 斯里兰卡《金融时报》1月8日报道，斯迪萨纳亚克总统主持了第十届议会财政、规划与经济发展部长级 协商委员会第二次会议，讨论重点是实施救助和恢复措施，支持受灾企业和恢复受影响地区的经济活 动。 ...

据蒙古新闻网1月4日报道，"乌兰巴托铁路"股份公司全年完成货物运输3370万吨，创历史最高。按货类 划分，全年运输出口货物1160万吨、进口货物390万吨、国内货物1210万吨、过境货物590万吨。 ...

Core Insights - The total livestock population in Mongolia is projected to reach 58.1 million by the end of 2025, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 445,100 heads, or 0.7% growth [1] Livestock Breakdown - Camels: 501,300 heads, an increase of 2,700 heads, representing a growth of 4.3% [1] - Horses: 5.1 million heads, an increase of 444,100 heads, showing a growth of 9.5% [1] - Cattle: 5.4 million heads, an increase of 365,100 heads, indicating a growth of 7.2% [1] - Sheep: 23.9 million heads, a decrease of 632,600 heads, reflecting a decline of 2.6% [1] - Goats: 2.32 million heads, an increase of 247,800 heads, showing a growth of 1.1% [1] Regional Analysis - Regions such as South Gobi, Sukhbaatar, Khentii, and Ulaanbaatar have seen livestock population increases ranging from 10,700 to 325,000 heads [1] - Conversely, areas including Selenge, Uvs, Khovd, and others have experienced declines in livestock numbers, ranging from 6,300 to 354,500 heads [1]

Core Insights - Mongolia's official foreign exchange reserves reached a record high of $7.005 billion by December 2025, marking a 19% increase compared to the previous period [1] Group 1 - The significant growth in foreign exchange reserves is primarily attributed to an increase in commodity exports, particularly in copper and gold, which are at historical price highs [1]

Core Insights - The Sarajevo Tourism Board expressed satisfaction with the results of the New Year tourism season, reporting a total of 15,110 visitors and 35,534 overnight stays from December 29, 2025, to January 2, 2026, marking a 1.4% increase in visitor numbers and a 4.5% increase in overnight stays compared to the previous year [1] Group 1 - The average length of stay for visitors was 2.4 days [1] - The majority of visitors were from Bosnia and Herzegovina, while international visitors primarily came from Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Turkey, Austria, Italy, Germany, and China [1] - The success was attributed to a rich array of activities, a unique New Year atmosphere, and ongoing promotion of the "Visit Sarajevo" brand by the state government, enhancing Sarajevo's appeal as a competitive tourist destination during the holiday season [1] Group 2 - The director of the Sarajevo Tourism Board, Fazlagic, expressed satisfaction with visitor participation and stated that the achievements laid a solid foundation for future New Year celebrations, which will feature longer and more unique events [1] - Fazlagic thanked all visitors who chose Sarajevo as their New Year travel destination and welcomed them to return [1]

Core Insights - South Africa's preliminary trade surplus for November reached 37.7 billion Rand, more than doubling from October's 15 billion Rand, marking the highest monthly level since 2025 [1] Trade Data Summary - November exports totaled 188 billion Rand, while imports were 150.3 billion Rand, including trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Namibia (BELN) [1] - Month-on-month, exports decreased by 3.6 billion Rand (1.9%), while imports saw a significant decline of 26.4 billion Rand (14.9%) [1] - Year-on-year, exports increased by 4.5% compared to November 2024, and imports rose by 2.9% [1] - Year-to-date trade surplus stands at 178.8 billion Rand, slightly lower than the 182.5 billion Rand recorded in the same period last year [1] Factors Influencing Trade - The decline in exports was primarily due to reduced shipments of citrus, unwrought aluminum, and gold [1] - The drop in imports was mainly attributed to decreased purchases of refined petroleum products (excluding crude oil), capital equipment parts, and passenger vehicles [1] Regional Trade Performance - Excluding BELN countries, South Africa's trade surplus with the rest of the world was 25.7 billion Rand, while the surplus within the BELN region was 12 billion Rand [1] - By region, there was a surplus with Africa (32.7 billion Rand) and Europe (12.8 billion Rand), while deficits were recorded with Asia (27.2 billion Rand) and the Americas (0.9 billion Rand) [1]

南非新闻24小时网站1月7日报道，南非国家能源监管机构(Nersa)发布了新电网接入规则，旨在防止企业 为投机性项目垄断稀缺的电网容量。Nersa于2025年12月底在政府公报上发布了《电网容量分配规 则》，该规则立即生效。简言之，项目开发商需要提供更多证据，证明他们对项目认真负责，并已投入 必要的工作以确保项目能够按计划进行，才能获得电网接入。这些规则旨在遏制所谓的"电网霸占"现 象，即电网接入资源被预留给那些在项目上进展甚微甚至毫无进展的发电企业。此后，电网接入将只保 留给那些能够证明其已完成项目关键里程碑的开发商，包括获得财务担保、获得环境许可，以及已向 Nersa申请或已获得发电许可证。一旦达到这些里程碑，开发商就必须提交详细的定价和技术方案。只 有在网络服务提供商接受该报价且双方达成具有约束力的协议后，才会将电网接入分配给开发商。 ...