International arrest warrant against Isabel dos Santos confirmed

 Luanda - Attorney General's Office (PGR) has issued an international arrest warrant against businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, with Interpol.

Attorney General, Hélder Pitta Gróz, confirmed this to the press on the sidelines of the Council of PGR management, underway in Luanda on Monday.

There is a criminal case underway since 2018 against Isabel dos Santos, with an attempt by the PGR to notify her at her residence in the Morro Bento condominium, in Luanda, the Magistrate stated.

The Magistrate noted that the businesswoman refused to sign the notification, leaving the country right after.

He also referred to several notifications as having been delivered to the lawyer’s office in charge of the defence of Isabel dos Santos.

Hélder Pitta Gróz said that the notifications were also delivered to companies with which the businesswoman had a connection, namely Unitel and ZAP.

“In April of the current year, when the PGR became aware of her stay in the Netherlands, it issued a rogatory letter in order for Isabel dos Santos to be heard in that European country, having once again refused to sign the notification and be questioned”, he said.

According to the Attorney General, these facts led the institution to issue an international arrest warrant with Interpol, as her current whereabouts remains unknown.

He referred that in Angola there is a representation of Interpol, and this institution is now responsible for the subsequent steps.

Isabel dos Santos is accused of having harmed the Angolan State in the total amount of more than €200 million.

On December 30, 2019, the Provincial Court of Luanda decreed the preventive seizure of Isabel dos Santos' personal bank accounts.

Meanwhile, several operations of the businesswoman are being investigated in Portugal. On January 11, 2020, the Angolan Executive announced that it is preparing a judicial battle for the seizure of Isabel dos Santos' assets in Portugal.

That action is already in place in the form of a rogatory letter sent to Portugal, which prevented the transfer of funds from Banco Comercial Português (BCP) to a bank in Russia.

South Africa police investigate killing of Zulu king’s ally

 Police in South Africa are investigating two murder cases after an ally of King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini and a bodyguard were shot dead.

Prince Mbongiseni Zulu, a senior member of the royal family was one of the people who helped the king ascend to the throne.

Provincial police spokesperson Jay Naicker told the BBC that the men were killed by two unknown suspects in KwaNongoma, northern KwaZulu-Natal where they were apparently visiting family.

“We are investigating a motive and won’t speculate on whether it’s succession related,” he said.

Local media are reporting that Prince Zulu is the third ally of the newly crowned king to be killed in recent months, those other cases are still being investigated.

King Misizulu’s ascension was hotly contested, with some members of the family challenging his appointment as king.

Reacting to the shooting, Nongoma Mayor Thulasizwe Buthelezi said they are “shocked and heartbroken”, TimesLive news site reports.

“We appeal to the police to bring the criminals to book urgently,” it quotes him as saying.

Prince Zulu was also a local political leader, serving under opposition party Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).

Source: BBC

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Crypto Founder Tiantian Kullander Dies At 30

 Young cryptocurrency founder, Tiantian Kullander, has died suddenly at the age of just 30.

Tiantian Kullander, the co-founder of Hong Kong-based digital asset company Amber Group, died in his sleep on November 23.

The sad news was confirmed on the company’s website.

“He put his heart and soul into the company, in every stage of its growth. He led by example with his intellect, generosity, humility, diligence and creativity” the company wrote in a statement confirming his death on their website, commemorating him as a “devoted” husband and “loving” father.

Known affectionately by his peers as “TT,” the company remembered him as a “respected thought leader and widely recognized pioneer for the industry.”

“His depth of knowledge, his willingness to collaborate and his desire to always help others benefited countless start-ups and individuals. His insights and creativity inspired many projects, people and communities.

“We lost a great partner and a true friend in TT and words cannot express our sorrow at this time. TT’s legacy will live on and we will work even harder to make Amber the category-defining leader of our industry, as this was TT’s ambition and dream.”

Further details surrounding Kullander’s death were unavailable, except for the fact he passed while asleep.

Kullander launched Amber in 2017 with a group of finance insiders, including former Goldman Sachs Group and Morgan Stanley workers.

Before that, he worked as a trader at both finance giants, and in 2019 earned a coveted spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Earlier this year, the start-up reached a staggering $3 billion valuation after scoring a $200 million funding round.

The statement continues: “TT’s legacy will live on and we will work even harder to make Amber the category-defining leader of our industry, as this was TT’s ambition and dream.

“TT was a devoted husband, a loving father and a fierce friend. His passing is a tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

“He is survived by his wife and their beloved son. We kindly request that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.”

Source: peacefmonline

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Ukraine war: Merkel says she lacked power to influence Putin

 

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has defended her policy towards Russia prior to the February invasion of Ukraine, saying she had run out of power to influence Vladimir Putin.She said she had tried to convene European talks with the Russian president and French President Emmanuel Macron in the summer of 2021.”But I

 didn’t have the power to get my way,” she told Spiegel news.”Really everyone knew: in autumn she’ll be gone,” she said.After four terms as chancellor Mrs Merkel left office in December. She paid a final visit to Moscow in August 2021, and told the German news magazine that “the feeling was very clear: ‘In terms of power politics you’re finished’.”She added that “for Putin, only power counts”.It was significant that, for their final meeting, Mr Putin brought Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with him, she said. Previously they had met one-to-one, she noted.In light of President Putin’s invasion – preceded by weeks of massive military build-up on Ukraine’s borders – many have argued that Mrs Merkel and other EU leaders should have adopted a tougher approach to the Kremlin.A foreign policy expert in her Christian Democrat (CDU) party, MP Roderich Kiesewetter, is among those who say she knew that Mr Putin was trying to split and weaken Europe, but she believed “soft power” was the right approach. He argued before the invasion that Germany was too dependent on Russian gas.In the Spiegel interview, Mrs Merkel said her stance on Ukraine in the Minsk peace talks had bought Kyiv time to defend itself better against the Russian military.A ceasefire deal was reached in Minsk after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula and during its proxy war in the Donbas region. But key points, including disarmament and international supervision, were not implemented.Mrs Merkel said she did not regret leaving office in December, because she felt her government was failing to make progress not only on the Ukraine crisis, but also on the conflicts in Moldova, Georgia, Syria and Libya, all of which involved Russia.She and Mr Putin both had direct experience of life in communist East Germany – she grew up there and he served there as a Soviet KGB officer, doing secret intelligence work. Mr Putin speaks fluent German and Mrs Merkel speaks some Russian.

Source :BBC

 

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General Geraldo Abreu Muengo "Kamorteiro" dies

 Luanda – Gen. Abreu Muengoa Ukuatchitembo "Kamorteiro", Deputy Chief of General Staff for the Operational Development of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), died on Sunday at the military hospital in Luanda, victim of illness, ANGOP has learnt.

Abreu Muengo Ukwachitembo “Kamorteiro” was one of the co-signatories of the Peace Accords for Angola, signed on April 4, 2002 between the Angolan Government, by Gen. Armando da Cruz Neto, then Chief of Staff of FAA.

Born in 1959, in the central Bié province,  Kamorteiro held, among others, the position of top official in the high command of the Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FALA), then the military branch of UNITA.

After the signature of the Complementary Memorandum of Understanding to the Lusaka Protocol in Luanda, Kamorteiro, who had already joined the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), decided to pursue his studies, having completed a degree in History, and later a Master's in History of Angola, at the Higher Institute of Educational Sciences (ISCED).

Angola calls for OACPS unity

 Luanda - Angolan minister of Foreign Affairs Téte António appealed Monday in Brussels, Belgium, for more unity among the members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), in view of the current international situation.

Speaking at the 115th Session of the OACPS Council of Ministers, the top diplomat said the organisation must remain united and should not stay outside the conflicts that directly or indirectly affects some member States.

Téte António also voiced concern about the issue related to contributions by State Members, but acknowledged that the covid-19 pandemic induced economic slow down in the world.

OACPS session started Monday, and going until Tuesday, in Brussels, is discussing, among other matters, the state of preparation for the Tenth Summit of Heads of State and Government set on 6 - 10 December, in Luanda.

The works which are being guided by Amery Browne, minister of Foreign Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, will also address the partnership with the European Union (EU).

It will also analyse the state of implementation of the revised Georgetown agreement and the 2023 financial year for the functioning of the organisation's Secretariat.

The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States is an international organisation, resulting from the evolution of the ACP Group, which brings together 79 Member States from three continents.

Judo: Angola at Region 5 games ahead of Los Angeles-2028

 Luanda - National Judo Team’s participation in Region 5 Games that started on Monday in Lilongwe, Malawi, is aimed to launch talents ahead of 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (US).

Apart from the young athletes, up to 19 years old, Angola announced the preparation of another team that will seek to qualify for the 2024 edition, in France.

Speaking to ANGOP, shortly before their departure to the  competition stage, the national coach, Alexandre Martins, said that they are athletes aged between 15 and 16 years old, with talent and a Great evolution path.

The men’s team comprises Cláudio Francisco (50kg), Joaquim Luís (55kg), Leonardo Rabaçal, Leonardo Barros (60kg), Augusto Dala, Renato Cesar (66kg), Leonardo Domingo (73kg), Santos Sebastião (81kg) and David Caterça (-90 kg), are the one listed.

Women feature Vânia Kessua (44kg), Vânia Gabriel (48kg), Eldima Segunda (48kg), Belmara Manuel (52kg) and Gresnela Alberto (57kg), Rosa Luamba (63kg), Maria Jaime (-70kg) and Odeth Pedro (-78 kg).

In addition to judo, the national delegation to the event includes adapted athletics, basketball (men and women), soccer, swimming, tennis and Taekwando.

In the last edition, Angola ranked third in the overall ranking.

IMF foresees 15% average inflation for Angola

 Luanda - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) foresees for Angola an average annual inflation of around 21%, in 2022, and 15%, for 2023, said Monday, in Luanda, its resident representative, Marcos Rietti Souto.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony of the IMF report on regional economic prospects for Sub-Saharan Africa, he underlined that, in the latest projections for Angola, which appear in the report released in October, the Fund also forecasts growth of 2.9% for that year and 3.4% 2023.

“The projections are encouraging, but it is important that they remain vigilant regarding economic policy, considering an external scenario of great uncertainty that we are all experiencing”, he said.

He said that agriculture is a natural sector, where "Angola was once a major producer of crops such as coffee, but there is room for the growth of telecommunications, communications, financial services and also for the manufacturing industry".

The IMF representative recognised the efforts of the Angolan Executive to reduce the public debt.

Angola takes over vice-presidency of World Peace Council for Africa

 Luanda – Due to the election of the Angolan Elisa Salvador, Angola assumed this week, in Hanoi (Vietnam), the vice-presidency of the World Peace Council (WPC) for the African region.

According to a press release that ANGOP received Saturday, the official who is also the Chairwoman of the Angolan League of Friendship and Solidarity with the Peoples (ALFSP), was elected as the vice-president of this international body at the end of the 22nd Assembly of the World Peace Council which took place from 21 to 26 November, in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.

 

Representing the Angolan government at the event, Elisa Salvador, considered necessary the action of the World Peace Council in the preservation of a better world without conflicts.

 

Angola is against military conflicts, coups d'Etat and rebel movements, but develops an active international action in search of solutions and unity of the peoples that must always be based on dialogue and the pacification and stability of the countries.

 

At the time, Ms Elisa Salvador highlighted the role of the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, who is committed to seeking unity with Africans, thus distinguishing himself as a champion of peace, a title that demonstrates the work and efforts of the President of Angola to ensure peace.

 

In addition to this, she also mentioned that Angola´s internal plan also stands out for the preservation of people's rights, especially the children and youth.

 

The 22nd Assembly of the World Peace Council, organized by the United Nations (UN) had as its objective the “strengthening of the anti-imperialist struggle and solidarity for a world of peace and social justice.