TAAG receives last Dash 8-400 aircraft

 Luanda – Angolan Airlines “TAAG” received Saturday the last Dash 8-400 aircraft of the set of six bought by the government from the Canadian manufacturer “De Havilland Aircraft of Canada”.

The six aircrafts were acquired in 2020 in the scope of the modernization and restructuring of the national airliner with a total cost of USD 140 million.

 

The payment of the six aircrafts - turbo propeller model, to carry 74 passengers, of which 10 in executive class – is to last seven years with the prospect to extend the deadline by five more years.

 

In the Angola capital, at the 4 February International Airport, the sixth aircrafst named “Dande”, received the first welcome shower by two jets of the Civil Protection Department and Fire Service.

 

On the occasion the director of Flight Operations at TAAG, José Coelho, announced that this aircraft will reinforce the frequencies for routes with the highest demand.

 

“With this aircraft, we will not open new routes, in the first instance, but we will be able to increase the number of domestic and regional routes to meet our customers´demands”, reinforced the official.

 

The director of operations revealed also that the purchase of these aircrafts safeguarded the component related to the training of national staff, by the manufacturer, especifically the handling training (piloting) and technical assistance. 

 

On his turn, the aircraft commander, Olívio Patrício, who flew the aircraft from Toronto (Canada), with a technical stopover in three countries, assured that it was safe, fast and comfortable for all its passengers.

 

The aircraft Dash 8-400, the latest of its type, is easy to deploy into manoeuvres, with lowest level of pollution and consumption of fuel.

It has a flight autonomy of 6 hours, can fly up to 2,500 metres above sea level and can reach a speed of 700 km/hour.

 

The Dash 8-400 is an economy aircraft that reduces operational expenses by 30%; it has great commercial flexibility, as it is  quick and adaptable to short runways.

 

Currently, the TAAG fleet comprises 21 aircraft, namely the Dash 8-Q400 with six aircraft and Boeing 737-700 with seven aircraft, Boeing 777- 200 with three aircraft and Boeing 777-300 with five aircraft.

Display on life, work of Agostinho Neto overcomes expectations

 Huambo - With the objective of divulging the trajectory of the first President of Angola, the exposition on the life and work of Agostinho Neto closed today, Sunday, in a demonstration that the initiative helped to fortify the patriotism.

Running for three days, in the patio of the Provincial Library of the Huambo, the exposition, called "Revir Neto", registered more than a thousand visitors, between children, young and adults, eager in knowing a little more of the trajectory of the Founder of the Angolan Nation.

The initiative, co-organized by the Youth Literature Brigade of Huambo and the Foundation Doctor António Agostinho Neto, is part of the commemorations of the centenary of the first President of Angola, that is celebrated next September 17.

Speaking to ANGOP, the coordinator of the event, Francisco Goi, said that the event exceeded expectations, both in the number of visitors and in the demonstration that initiatives of this kind can unequivocally contribute for the elevation of the patriotic culture.

He informed that the event was marked with the exposition of photographic portraits on the trajectory of the Founder of the Nation and its literary work, with prominence for "Sacred Hope" and "Impossible Renunciation".

António Agostinho Neto was born on the 17th September 1922, in Kaxikane (Icolo e Bengo), and died on the 10th of the same month in 1979.

He proclaimed National Independence, on the 11th of November 1975, from the then Portuguese colonial yoke.

Head of State learns about José Eduardo dos Santos' health

 Luanda - The Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, spoke again on Sunday, with Ana Paula dos Santos about the health condition of the former President of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos.

According to the Presidency Facebook page, this was a telephone conversation as part of the follow up that João Lourenço is doing on the former President's health.

Since the end of June, José Eduardo dos Santos has been in intensive care at a hospital in Barcelona.

José Eduardo dos Santos, the second President of the Republic of Angola, was replaced by João Lourenço in 2017.

João Lourenço visits Angola's stand on ocean conservation

Luanda - The Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, on Wednesday visited the Angolan stand in Lisbon, Portugal, designed as part of the United Nations Conference on the Oceans, which has been held since 27 October.

The space was created in a multimodal perspective for moments of interaction, oral presentations, debates and exhibition of the Angolan oceanographic portfolio, by means of informative, digital and non-digital panels. 

At the time of the visit, the Angolan President, who ends today (Wednesday) his 4-day visit to  Lisbon Portugal, was explained the purposes and objectives of the stand installation, which is visited daily by more than 50 individualities, among national and foreign citizens. 

At the opening of the Conference on Oceans, Monday, President João Lourenço transmitted Angola's message, regarding the way in which the oceans and their enormous resources are to be treated. 

The stand is temporary and is expected to operate only during the Conference on the Oceans, which ends on 1 July. 

The main maritime potentialities of the country are on display there, by means of digital and non-digital information panels. 

Visitors can also access content on blue economy, circular economy, management, conservation and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems. 

Combating marine pollution, managing, protecting, conserving and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems, minimizing ocean acidification, deoxygenating and warming, and promoting sustainable fishing are some of the goals to be achieved by the United Nations. 

The measures also include scientific knowledge and the development of marine technological research, the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the promotion of sustainable ocean-based economies. 

Objectives of the Conference 

The first UN Oceans Conference took place five years ago in New York (USA), but it was not until 2021, at the 26th Climate Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow, that the ocean was introduced in the articles of the Final Declaration, which represented an advance on the Paris Agreement. 

The conference plenary takes place daily at the Altice Arena, and features eight Interactive Dialogues throughout the week. 

In addition to the plenary sessions and dialogues, there are hundreds of side events on the conference program, including four special events. 

These include the high-level event on Local Governance, the Youth and Innovation Forum, the High Level Symposium and the Forum on Blue Sustainable Economy. 

Military support reduces deaths in Mozambique - Ambassador

Luanda - The Mozambican ambassador to Angola, Osvalda Joana, said in Luanda that the support of the SADC and Rwandan military made it possible to reduce the number of deaths in the country, between 2020 and 2021, by 82 percent.

In a recent interview with ANGOP, on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of Mozambican Independence, the diplomat said that the figures until 2021 showed that there were at least 3,000 dead and 850,000 displaced, but with the operations to support the Mozambican forces, the numbers were reduced by 82 percent.

According to the ambassador, the success of the military operations has to do with the successful measures on terrorism against the group of extremists, carried out by the Mozambican forces, supported by the Rwandan military and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

In another part of the interview, the diplomat spoke about the need to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, in the areas of oil and gas, in which Angola has extensive experience, as well as agriculture and tourism.

"Mozambique and Angola have excellent political and historical relations of friendship, brotherhood, solidarity and cooperation. Cooperation is based on the General Agreement signed between the two countries on 5 September 1978 in Luanda, which stipulates bilateral exchange in the socio-political, economic and technical-scientific areas," she said.

Italy warns of rising energy prices due to temporary closure of Russian gas pipeline

The Italian Minister for Ecological Transition, Roberto Cingolani, warned this Saturday that a new increase in the price of energy is expected in Italy after Russia announced the closure of the Nord Stream gas pipeline for maintenance, EFE said.

 

“The two-week closure of Nord Stream for maintenance will result in an increase in the price of gas and this means that there will be even less gasoline and prices will risebecause the gas market is speculative and there will be more accumulation,” Cingolani said in a televised interview quoted by EFE.

 

Pipeline operator Nord Stream announced that it will close the two channels carrying Russian gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea for 11 days in July to carry out planned repairs.

 

According to Cingolani, this is on top of the 15% less gas Italy already receives from Russia, where Italians import about 40% of the gas they need.

 

Even so, the minister assured that Italy already has 60% of the stocks stored and wants to reach 90%, which he considers “an achievable goal”.

 

Cingolani said that if Russia decided to stop exports, “Italy would suffer less than other European countries”, even if it had to face “a difficult winter”, but ruled out that for now “restrictions will have to be imposed”.

 

For his part, the Italian minister defended the proposal to put a ceiling on the price of gas that is being studied in the European Union.

 

“Europe imports three quarters of russia’s gas through its gas pipelines: who is it going to sell it to if europe doesn’t buy it, it’s a lot of work to liquefy and sell it, so we can afford to create market conditions, which doesn’t mean strangling it but avoid crazy price spikes,” he said.

 

He added that the reference under discussion “is between 80 and 90 euros per megawatt/hour” and that “the challenge is to convince the most skeptical European countries, starting with the Netherlands”.

Museveni rival granted bail weeks after arrest

Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has been granted bail following his arrest on 14 June.

The 66 year old was detained as he urged his supporters in the capital, Kampala, to protest against the high cost of living.

It happened a few hours before the country’s president presided over the reading of the budget.

He and activist Samuel Lubega were both charged with inciting violence. They must return to court on 29 July for the next hearing in their case.

Dr Besigye launched the People’s Front for Transition – a coalition of political parties and activist groups – last year, several months after President Yoweri Museveni won a sixth term in office.

Dr Besigye has been arrested on numerous occasions since entering opposition politicsImage caption: Dr Besigye has been arrested on numerous occasions since entering opposition politics

The 81-year-old president has managed to stay in power since 1986 and has defeated Dr Besigye on four occasions.

Dr Besigye – who used to be Mr Museveni’s personal physician – has been arrested on numerous occasions since going into opposition politics.

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