ANGOLA, PORTUGAL SIGN MEMORANDUM TO TRAIN TRANSPORT TECHNICIANS

Luanda - A memorandum of understanding for training Angolan technicians in the transport sector and exchanging experience was initialled Tuesday in Lisbon, between the National Institute of Road Transport (INTR) and the Mobility and Transport Authority (AMT).

The document initialled by the Acting Director-General of the INTR, Énio Renato de Magalhães Costa, and by the Chairwoman of the Board of the Mobility and Transport Authority, Ana Paula Vitorino, includes the exchange of information and cooperation in terms of regulation, operation and supervision of road transport, particularly in terms of exchanging technological, technical and capacity-building experience.

With the memorandum, it is intended to strengthen and promote, on an equal basis, mutually beneficial cooperation in different areas in the field of road transport system, including road infrastructure, as well as the service of dangerous goods transport, freight and passenger transport, especially with regard to economic regulation of the various modes.

The areas of cooperation between the Parties under this Memorandum will relate to the regulation, operation and supervision of infrastructure and services, in the road mode, concerning passenger and freight transport, infrastructure technology and services, in the road mode, concerning passenger and freight transport.

The cooperation between the Parties provided for in this Memorandum may take forms such as exchange of information and documentation, by means of research reports, publications, consultancy, studies or other instruments.

GOVERNMENT PROVIDES AKZ 100 BILLION FOR ROAD RECOVERY

Ndalatando - The Ministry for Public Works and Territorial Planning has 100 billion kwanzas available to restart work on stalled roads, in order to improve road mobility, the sector's minister, Manuel Tavares de Almeida said Tuesday in Ndalatando, capital of Cuanza Norte province.

Speaking to the press, Manuel Tavares de Almeida said that with this boost to the budget the Ministry for Public Works and Territorial Planning would re-launch the road salvation plan, as well as continuing with work that had been halted due to a lack of financial resources.

Without setting a deadline, Manuel Tavares de Almeida said that the sector urgently needed to rehabilitate the Catete/Maria/Ndalatando sections of around 160 kilometres.

The Cabinet minister also pointed to the restart of the work between the municipalities of Samba Caju, Banga, Quiculungo and Bolongongo, on a route of 90.5 kilometres, which had been at a halt for about two years due to delays in payment.

Started in July 2017, the project, with a 15-month execution period, is budgeted at Akz 11.6 billion.

The section is made up of a package of three lots: Samba Caju/Uiangombe/Banga, over a distance of 46 kilometres, Banga/Quiculungo, over 35.5 kilometres, and Quiculungo/Bolongongo, of nine and a half kilometres.

The platform includes a five centimetre wearing course in bituminous concrete, another base layer in extra granulometry crushed aggregate and a sub-base of granulometrically stabilised soil without mixture, both of 20 centimetes.

DUBAI MARKET OPENS TO ANGOLAN BUSINESSPEOPLE

Luanda - The Angola and United Arab Emirates Chamber of Commerce and Industry today invited Angolan businesspeople to take part from 13 to 15 October, of this year, in a business platform called "Global Business Forum Expo2020Dubai.

The invitation was presented by the chairman of the Angola and United Arab Emirates Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bráulio Martins, on Tuesday in Luanda, during the launch and consultation of the Global Business Forum platform.

The "Global Business Forum Expo2020Dubai," which takes place on the sidelines of Expo Dubai2020, running from 1 October, 2021 to 30 March, 2022, serves to boost business exchange as well as an opportunity to disclose national products in this Middle Eastern country.

On the occasion, the chairperson of the Angola and United Arab Emirates Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bráulio Martins, said that national businesspeople should see this as a unique and opportune time to boost their presence in this market in the Arab world.

With the platform, Bráulio Martins added that Angolan businesspeople will also identify investment and export opportunities, as well as having access to information about the Arab market.

"We expect to have 27 Angolan companies at the event with activities linked to agriculture, fishing, livestock and industry which, as well as exhibiting their products, who will be able to set up new partnerships," he said.

Covid-19: Angola records 579 recoveries and 309 new infections

Luanda- Angola on Tuesday recorded 579 patients recovered, 309 new cases and 7 deaths in the last 24 hours.

According to the daily bulletin, 535 people recovered reside in Luanda, 20 in Bié, 16 in Huambo, 3 in Moxico, 2 in Cunene, 2 in Namibe and 1 in Lunda Sul.

Among the new cases, 192 were diagnosed in Luanda, 53 in Cabinda, 21 in Huambo, 16 in Namibe, 6 in Malanje, 6 in Uige, 6 in Zaire, 4 in Bié, 3 in Moxico, 1 in Bengo and 1 in Cuanza Norte.

With ages ranging from 1 to 88 years old, 190 are male and 119 are female patients.

The deaths were registered in Bié, with 2, Cabinda with 2, Cunene with 1, Malanje with 1 and Luanda with 1, respectively.

In the last 24 hours, laboratories processed 2,469 samples.

In the treatment centres, 282 patients are hospitalised, while 200 citizens are in institutional quarantine and 1,702 contacts of positive cases are under epidemiological surveillance.

Angola has 51,047 cases, of which 1,358 have died, 45,413 have recovered and 4,276 are active. Of the active ones, 29 critical, 46 serious, 151 moderate, 71 light and 3,979 asymptomatic.

Naftali Bennett makes first visit to Egypt by an Israeli PM in a decade

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is holding talks with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

It is the first official trip to Egypt by an Israeli premier for a decade.

The Egyptian presidency said the two leaders would discuss bilateral and regional issues, and ways to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Mr Bennett, who succeeded Benjamin Netanyahu in June, received an invitation to visit Egypt last month.

Mr Netanyahu was the last Israeli prime minister to make an official visit to Egypt in 2011, when he met Hosni Mubarak just over a month before he was ousted by a popular uprising.

He is reported to have also travelled secretly to Egypt in 2018 for unofficial talks with Mr Sisi, who led the military’s overthrow of Mubarak’s democratically elected successor in 2013 following mass protests.

Egypt became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, but relations between the neighbours have often been cool.

Correspondents say tensions surrounding the Gaza Strip are likely to dominate the meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Egypt has always played a major role in efforts to mediate between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the territory.

It brokered a ceasefire that ended an 11-day conflict in May, during which at least 260 people were killed in Gaza and 13 people were killed in Israel.

But its efforts to negotiate a long-term truce have been tested by a rise in cross-border violence in recent weeks.

The Israeli military said earlier on Monday it had struck Hamas militant targets in Gaza after rockets were fired at Israel for the third night in a row

…………………………………………………………

Haiti PM Ariel Henry banned from leaving country amid murder inquiry

Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry has been banned from leaving the country amid an investigation into his alleged involvement in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

A prosecutor is seeking charges against Mr Henry, who has been asked to explain his links with a suspect in the killing, Joseph Felix Badio.

Records show the two men had multiple phone calls just hours after the assassination, prosecutors say.

Mr Moïse was killed at home on 7 July.

He was shot dead after gunmen stormed his private residence in a suburb of the capital, Port-au-Prince. His death triggered a political crisis which was exacerbated when a huge earthquake struck the south of Haiti a month ago.

Prosecutors have said records obtained from phone operator Digicel have confirmed that Mr Badio – a justice ministry official accused of planning the assassination – and Mr Henry spoke twice shortly after Mr Moïse’s killing.

Geolocation data also showed that Mr Badio, who disappeared after the murder and is currently being sought by police, was speaking from the scene of the crime. He has not publicly commented on these claims.

In a letter seen by the BBC on Tuesday, Chief Prosecutor Bed-Ford Claude urged the judge investigating the killing to charge Mr Henry for his “suspected” involvement in the case.

No further details were provided and it is not clear what exact charges are being sought against Mr Henry.

The prime minister recently rejected what he called “diversionary tactics” intended to “sow confusion” without responding to the specific accusations against him.

Mr Henry has previously told local media that he knew Mr Badio and defended him, adding that he did not believe he was involved because he did not have the means.

Mr Henry was given a deadline of Tuesday 14 September to supply the investigation with information..

It comes as authorities double down on their efforts to arrest additional suspects in the assassination.

Police say there are now 44 people held in custody in connection with the plot, including 18 retired members of the Colombian militia

…………………………………………………………