Day: March 30, 2023

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Vista Equity Partners Completes Acquisition of Duck Creek Technologies

Boston, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Duck Creek Technologies (“Duck Creek”), the intelligent solutions provider defining the future of property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance, today announced the completion of its acquisition by Vista Equity Partners (“Vista”), a leading global investment firm focused exclusively on enterprise software, data, and technology-enabled businesses, for $19.00 per share, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $2.6 billion.

“We are excited to commence our partnership with Vista Equity Partners and work together to advance the next generation of P&C insurance technology,” said Michael Jackowski, Chief Executive Officer of Duck Creek. “With Vista’s global network and deep sector expertise, we will be better positioned to support and accelerate the industry’s transition to the cloud while continuing to deliver a best-in-class customer experience.”

“Duck Creek is a demonstrated leader in the P&C space, delivering innovative solutions that empower carriers to be faster and more nimble in servicing the digital needs of their customers,” said Monti Saroya, Senior Managing Director and Co-Head of Vista’s Flagship Fund. “We look forward to partnering with Mike and the Duck Creek team as they continue to scale and define the future of P&C insurance technology.”

“We’re excited to welcome Duck Creek to the Vista ecosystem,” said Jeff Wilson, Managing Director at Vista. “Their commitment to excellence and innovation coupled with Vista’s experience in driving sustainable growth will take the business to new heights while delivering solutions that help carriers transform their business.”

Duck Creek has earned the right to partner with and provide its modern technology solutions to an esteemed list of leading carriers across the globe, including Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, Hollard Insurance, Northbridge Financial Corporation and Tokio Marine.

With the completion of the transaction, Duck Creek Technologies shares have ceased trading and are no longer listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

J.P. Morgan acted as financial advisor to Duck Creek, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as legal counsel to Duck Creek.

Evercore acted as financial advisor to the Special Committee of the Duck Creek Board of Directors, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP acted as legal counsel to the Special Committee of the Duck Creek Board of Directors.

RBC Capital Markets acted as financial advisor to Vista, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal counsel to Vista.

About Duck Creek Technologies

Duck Creek Technologies is the intelligent solutions provider defining the future of the property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance industry. We are the platform upon which modern insurance systems are built, enabling the industry to capitalize on the power of the cloud to run agile, intelligent, and evergreen operations. Authenticity, purpose, and transparency are core to Duck Creek, and we believe insurance should be there for individuals and businesses when, where, and how they need it most. Our market-leading solutions are available on a standalone basis or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand. Visit www.duckcreek.com to learn more. Follow Duck Creek on our social channels for the latest information – LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Vista Equity Partners

Vista is a leading global investment firm with more than $95 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2022. The firm exclusively invests in enterprise software, data and technology-enabled organizations across private equity, permanent capital, credit and public equity strategies, bringing an approach that prioritizes creating enduring market value for the benefit of its global ecosystem of investors, companies, customers and employees. Vista’s investments are anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions and proven, flexible management techniques that drive sustainable growth. Vista believes the transformative power of technology is the key to an even better future – a healthier planet, a smarter economy, a diverse and inclusive community and a broader path to prosperity. Further information is available at vistaequitypartners.com. Follow Vista on LinkedIn, @Vista Equity Partners, and on Twitter, @Vista_Equity.

Carley Bunch
Duck Creek Technologies
+1 (201) 962-6091
carley.bunch@duckcreek.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8798688

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Moderna Finalizes Agreement with the Government of the Republic of Kenya to Establish an mRNA Manufacturing Facility

Facility to enable access to manufactured mRNA vaccines for Kenya and the African continent, providing health security and building upon Moderna’s global public health commitments

The facility will be capable of producing up to 500 million doses each year

CAMBRIDGE, MA & NAIROBI, KENYA/ ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA), a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, and the Government of the Republic of Kenya have finalized an agreement to establish an mRNA manufacturing facility in the Republic of Kenya. This will be the Company’s first mRNA manufacturing facility in Africa.

In partnership with the Government of the Republic of Kenya, Moderna will build a state-of-the-art mRNA facility in Kenya to produce up to 500 million doses of vaccines each year. The Company expects the new facility to enable drug substance and drug product manufacturing for Kenya and the African continent. In addition, this facility will have surge capacity to rapidly scale and respond to public health emergencies on the continent and around the world.

“The finalization of our agreement with the Government of the Republic of Kenya is a key pillar of our global public health strategy, where we hope to bring mRNA innovation to the people of Africa in areas of high unmet need, such as acute respiratory infections, as well as persistent infectious diseases like HIV and outbreak threats such as Zika and Ebola,” said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. “This also demonstrates our confidence in the investment climate in Kenya and the importance of utilizing mRNA technology to build resilience in healthcare security in Africa. We are also grateful for the leadership of the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, and Samantha Power, in her role as Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development for their instrumental support of this project.”

“We are excited about this milestone that brings to bear our efforts as Government to sustain our economic model of facilitating investments that serve not only Kenya but the African continent. My Government commits to supporting this investment as a critical signal to the investment community that Kenya is open for business,” said President William Ruto.

“This investment creates the momentum to meet the $10 billion annual target under the Government’s manufacturing 20 by 30 vision, where we plan to grow the contribution of manufacturing to GDP to 20% by the year 2030 from the current 7%,” said Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry Hon. Moses Kuria.

The Government of Kenya has championed an accelerated investment agenda to grow foreign direct investment levels from the current levels of $448 million annually to $10 billion annually, making the country’s goal the continent’s most ambitious agenda to attract investments as an enabler to job creation. Moderna’s investment signifies confidence in the business environment in Kenya and readiness to support foreign and local investment in the healthcare sector, as well as Moderna’s ongoing commitment to global public health. Moderna will operate under a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status, signifying Kenya’s increasing focus on the SEZ program as a key enabler of economic growth.

With this agreement, Moderna has commitments to establish mRNA manufacturing facilities in Kenya, the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, furthering health security around the world. Moderna has spent more than a decade refining its mRNA platform to accelerate the pace and success of mRNA medicines. The speed, scale, and flexibility of Moderna’s mRNA platform is uniquely suited for rapid response to serious international epidemics, commonly referred to as Disease X.[i]

Moderna is committed to advancing into clinical studies a portfolio of 15 vaccine programs targeting emerging or neglected infectious diseases by 2025, advancing vaccines that address current diseases of significant impact to low- and middle-income countries, and those that prepare for Disease X. Moderna will prioritize development efforts against pathogens identified as persistent global health threats, including HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, neglected tropical diseases and the priority pathogens of the World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Learn more at https://www.modernatx.com/responsibility/our-commitment.

About Moderna

In over 10 years since its inception, Moderna has transformed from a research-stage company advancing programs in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA), to an enterprise with a diverse clinical portfolio of vaccines and therapeutics across seven modalities, a broad intellectual property portfolio, and integrated manufacturing facilities that allow for rapid clinical and commercial production at scale. Moderna maintains alliances with a broad range of domestic and overseas government and commercial collaborators, which has allowed for the pursuit of both groundbreaking science and rapid scaling of manufacturing. Most recently, Moderna’s capabilities have come together to allow the authorized use and approval of one of the earliest and most effective vaccines against the COVID pandemic.

Moderna’s mRNA platform builds on continuous advances in basic and applied mRNA science, delivery technology, and manufacturing, and has allowed the development of therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and auto-immune diseases. Moderna has been named a top biopharmaceutical employer by Science for the past eight years. To learn more, visit www.modernatx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including statements regarding: the Company’s plans to build an mRNA manufacturing facility in Kenya; the anticipated capacity and output for that facility; the ability of the facility to respond to public health emergencies; Moderna’s aspiration to develop treatments or vaccines against HIV, Zika, Ebola, and other public health pathogens; the ability of Moderna’s mRNA platform to respond to future epidemics; foreign investment in the health sector in Kenya; the advantages of doing business in a Kenyan Special Economic Zone; and Moderna’s plans to establish manufacturing facilities in the United State, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “aims,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. The forward-looking statements in this press release are neither promises nor guarantees, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond Moderna’s control and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, among others, those risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in Moderna’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and in subsequent filings made by Moderna with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Except as required by law, Moderna disclaims any intention or responsibility for updating or revising any forward-looking statements contained in this press release in the event of new information, future developments or otherwise. These forward-looking statements are based on Moderna’s current expectations and speak only as of the date of this press release.

Moderna Contacts:

Media:

Luke Mircea Willats
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
Luke.Mirceawillats@modernatx.com

Investors:

Lavina Talukdar
Senior Vice President & Head of Investor Relations
617-209-5834
Lavina.Talukdar@modernatx.com

[i] “Disease X” was named by the WHO to represent the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease. https://www.who.int/activities/prioritizing-diseases-for-research-and-development-in-emergency-contexts

SOURCE: Moderna, Inc.

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Hitachi Energy and Petrofac secure landmark offshore wind agreement worth approximately 13 billion euros

Largest framework agreement in Hitachi Energy company history, enabling long-term capacity expansion to accelerate the energy transition.Complementary technologies and expertise support TenneT’s offshore wind capacity expansion in the German and Dutch sectors of the North Sea.

Zurich, Switzerland, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all, and Petrofac, a leading international service provider to the energy industry, have been selected by TenneT, the Dutch-German transmission system operator, to supply multiple offshore and onshore HVDC converter stations and associated infrastructure to accelerate the integration of bulk renewables into European power grids.

Hitachi Energy and Petrofac were awarded the multi-year framework agreement as part of TenneT’s ambitious offshore wind “2GW Program”1, based on high-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology pioneered by Hitachi Energy.

The agreement includes an initial commitment to deploy six record-breaking renewable integration systems, five of which will connect offshore wind farms to the Dutch grid and the sixth to the German grid. Each of these connection systems has a capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW) and a voltage level of 525 kilovolts (kV) – a world-first for offshore wind.

This landmark framework agreement is the largest ever for Hitachi Energy. It confirms the opportunity to innovate how state-of-the-art technology can be deployed effectively and how new business models enable the scale needed for the green energy transition. The framework agreement approach allows Hitachi Energy and Petrofac to plan in advance and increase their workforce and manufacturing capacity timely as well as train people to have the skills needed in the industry while also capturing synergies between successive projects to meet the in-service dates.

Hitachi Energy will supply its HVDC Light® converter stations, which convert AC to DC power offshore and DC to AC onshore. Petrofac will undertake the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of the offshore platforms and elements of the onshore converter stations.

The first contract under the framework, for the Ijmuiden Ver Alpha project, was awarded with immediate effect. The second, Nederwiek 1, is expected to be awarded later in the year. The framework also includes projects Doordewind 1, Doordewind 2, Nederwiek 3 and LanWin5, expected to be awarded over a 2024-2026 timeframe.

“This innovative business model will set the course for the integration of a huge amount of offshore wind power and gives visibility of the future.  In fact, we are already hiring to expand our global delivery capacity and effectively fulfill these and other orders,” said Niklas Persson, Managing Director at Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration business. “We’re proud to be part of this journey and, along with our partner Petrofac, we are setting the benchmark for deploying offshore HVDC technology at scale and with speed.”

“Today’s announcement represents an exciting next step in Petrofac and Hitachi Energy’s collaboration. We have already secured key resource and the yard capacity required to expedite the first two projects in TenneT’s ground-breaking program,” said Sami Iskander, Petrofac’s Group Chief Executive. “By combining Petrofac’s industry-leading EPCI expertise and Hitachi Energy’s well proven technology, we look forward to supporting TenneT to connect larger, more effective wind farms to deliver affordable clean energy for millions of European homes.”

“TenneT has the technical know-how, scale, and geographical position to connect wind energy from the North Sea. This is one of the most important infrastructure projects of the century; the green transformation of the energy system is key for the decarbonisation of industry,” said Tim Meyerjürgens, COO of TenneT. “Together with our market partners, we are very proud to have achieved another important milestone. Together we secure decisive acceleration of the offshore grid development and set the course for the future European energy landscape.”

“The new long-term approach goes hand in hand with a fundamental change in values towards a strong partnership. This approach enables both sides with more flexibility, technological progress, and planning security,” said Marco Kuijpers, Director Large Projects Offshore of TenneT.  This benefits all parties and secures employment, growth, and the strengthening of supply chains. We can already see that our partners invest in extra resources and facilities.”

Hitachi Energy and Petrofac began working together in June 2022, to provide joint grid integration and associated infrastructure solutions to support TenneT’s 2GW Program.2

In the same year, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium agreed to install at least 65 gigawatts of offshore wind energy combined by 2030 announced with the inter-governmental Esbjerg Declaration.3 At 40 gigawatts, almost two-thirds of this capacity is accounted for by TenneT, with 20 gigawatts each in the German and Dutch North Sea sectors.

1 TenneT’s 2GW Program
2 Hitachi Energy and Petrofac to collaborate in growing offshore wind market
3 The Esbjerg Declaration

HVDC website:
https://www.hitachienergy.com/offering/product-and-system/hvdc

About Hitachi Energy Ltd.
Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world’s energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 40,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of approximately $10 billion USD.
https://www.hitachienergy.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/hitachienergy
https://twitter.com/HitachiEnergy

About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society with data and technology. We will solve customers’ and society’s challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products, under the business structure of Digital Systems & Services, Green Energy & Mobility, Connective Industries and Automotive Systems. Driven by green, digital, and innovation, we aim for growth through collaboration with our customers. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2021 (ended March 31, 2022) totaled 10,264.6 billion yen ($84,136 million USD), with 853 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 370,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at https://www.hitachi.com.

About Petrofac
Petrofac is a leading international service provider to the energy industry, with a diverse client portfolio including many of the world’s leading energy companies.

Petrofac designs, builds, manages and maintains oil, gas, refining, petrochemicals and renewable energy infrastructure. Our purpose is to enable our clients to meet the world’s evolving energy needs. Our four values – driven, agile, respectful and open – are at the heart of everything we do.

Petrofac’s core markets are in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and the UK North Sea, where we have built a long and successful track record of safe, reliable and innovative execution, underpinned by a cost effective and local delivery model with a strong focus on in-country value. We operate in several other significant markets, including India, Southeast Asia and the United States. We have 8,000 employees based across 31 offices globally.

Petrofac is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: PFC). For additional information, please refer to the Petrofac website at www.petrofac.com

Media contacts:
Jocelyn Chang
Global Head of Public Relations & Content Strategy
Hitachi Energy
jocelyn.chang@hitachienergy.com

Sophie Reid
Group Head of Communications
Petrofac
sophie.reid@petrofac.com

Attachment

Jocelyn Chang
Hitachi Energy
jocelyn.chang@hitachienergy.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8798527

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NGO Angola 2000 launches Kíua Project

A project to promote the rights of women, young people and children, called “Kíua”, was launched this Thursday in Luanda by the Angolan Non-Governmental Organization “Angola 2000”.

The initiative aims to help promote and publicize the rights of this section of society, as well as help denounce sexual abuses, with emphasis on intra-family cases.

In the first quarter of 2023, according to data from the National Children’s Institute (INAC), 296 complaints of violence against children were registered, 16 of which were sexual abuse.

According to INAC data, Luanda is the province that registers the highest number of cases of sexual abuse against girls and children, with a daily average of 12 cases.

According to the president of Angola 2000, Cirilo Mbonge, the project will last for three years and will cover the districts of Luanda, Icolo and Bengo and Quiçama.

“The number of women and children suffering from sexual abuse is appalling, so we want to pay more attention to this issue. Every day we have news about this sad issue”, he defended.

He added that by the end of the project it is expected to support at least two hundred and forty girls who are victims of sexual abuse.

He continued by saying that it will be legal and psychological, as it was found that many of these girls and children do not have any kind of follow-up, which often leads them to depression.

The official appealed for the support of public and private associations, directly or indirectly, in the fight against sexual abuse.

“We know that we cannot put an end to this evil, but if we join together, we add that we can reduce the number of this evil that has affected our society”, he concluded.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Carrinho Buisness Group presents Industrial Complex at Expo-Industry2023

The 5th Edition of Expo-Indústria/2023 is serving for Carrinho Group to present an Industrial Complex, with the capacity to produce 2.4 million tons of various products, said this Thursday the marketing and communication director of the business group, Yuri Rodrigues.

Speaking to ANGOP, at Expo-Industry/2023 venue, he stressed that the aforementioned complex processes rice, wheat, corn and refines oil, in addition to the production of other consumer goods. Yuri Rodrigues underlined that the group’s industry does all of the production, processing of raw materials, finishing of products, which are then sold, through Carrinho group, via its “Bem Baratos” stores.

He said the expo is also serving to present a company that works in the area of agricultural promotion, “Carrinho Agri”, through families.

“We have 58,000 family farmers working with us and promoting maize, wheat, rice, beans and soybeans. At fairs, we make many partnerships with other companies that already produce locally. These companies sell their products in our stores, through our brands”, he stressed.

According to Yuri Rodrigues, with the industrial complex, which has the capacity to produce 2.4 million tons of different products, the company intends to be 100% national.

The group has 17 factories, home to 6,800 jobs, and currently has the largest storage structure in the country, with a capacity of 100,000 tons of cereals and 55,000 cubic meters of storage tanks for oleaginous products.

The 5th edition of Expo-indústria/2023, which started on the 29th of March and is due to end on the 1st of April, in the Special Economic Zone (ZEE) Luanda-Bengo, takes place in an area of two thousand square meters of exhibition space and has 238 exhibitors between national and international ones.

Among the main sectors on display, civil construction stands out with 22%, commerce and distribution (12%), the textile and catering sectors with 11% each, handicrafts (10%), oil and gas and agribusiness with 8%, plus banking and insurance, the furniture industry with five percent each.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Maritime security: Seychelles and Mauritius agree to jointly monitor Mascarene Plateau

Seychelles and Mauritius have signed an agreement to efficiently use the Seychelles Coastguard and its Mauritian counterpart to monitor the Joint Management Area (JMA) of the Mascarene Plateau in the Indian Ocean.

The agreement was signed on Monday by Premode Neerunjun, cabinet secretary and head of the Mauritian civil service, who is the new co-chair of the JMA joint commission on the Mauritian side and Seychelles’ co-chair Ambassador Kenneth Racombo.

Chrissant Barbe, Seychelles focal point for the JMA, told the press on Wednesday that “the agreement is a milestone as we have agreed on how to move forward with surveillance and monitoring of the area.”

The agreement comes as both countries “are particularly vulnerable to illicit activities being undertaken by third parties in our own backyards,” said Neerunjun.

“The benefits this brings to Seychelles is that the resources that are affected by various pressures and illegal activities will be better monitored as this will serve as a deterrent to those who carry out the illegal activities,” Barbe explained.

He added that the agreement will also help in the creation of employment in the region.

Prior to signing the agreement, international and regional organisations were monitoring the area.

“This approach has not been very effective where monitoring the JMA is concerned as it was not specifically tailored for the job,” said Barbe.

He added that with the agreement in place, the authorities will have an approach to do just that.

The technical committee and joint commission of JMA are meeting in Seychelles this week to discuss the various aspects of managing the joint area.

Racombo advised those attending the meeting that both parties need to “be strategic in their efforts in order to effectively attain their core objectives.”

The Joint Management Area is the mechanism of joint jurisdiction between Seychelles and Mauritius over an area of the seabed and its underlying subsoil in the Mascarene Plateau Region. It excludes the water and living organisms above the shelf.

A treaty was signed in 2012 and the two island nations secured rights to additional seabed covering over 400,000 square kilometres in the Indian Ocean.

Earlier in February, both governments launched tenders for sea cucumber fishers in their respective countries to submit their proposals for explorative harvesting of the species in the area.

Three sea cucumber fishers in Seychelles will begin fishing for the species in the JMA soon, according to another agreement between the two countries, while only one contractor from Mauritius has shown an interest.

“Our fisheries sector is not on as big a scale as that of Seychelles. We are looking at the possibilities of having joint ventures in the future, so as to get more contractors in Mauritius taking part,” said Jagdish Koonjul, the permanent representative of Mauritius to the UN.

The discussions on the Mascarene Plateau started in 2002. Mauritius and Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, have met several times a year for joint management discussions since then.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

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United Nations Secretary-General praises Angola´s efforts in DRC pacification

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday in New York praised Angola´s efforts to find solutions for regional peace and stability.

According to António Guterres, the sending of the Angolan troops is a crucial contribution for the achievement of peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as in the region.

In his capacity as mediator in the eastern region of the DRC, the Angolan Head of State made it possible for the parties to come to an understanding which resulted in a ceasefire in that region since March 7, this year.

For the fulfilment of the agreement, in response to a Request for Authorization from the President of the Republic, the National Assembly (Angolan parliament) unanimously approved the sending of a military contingent of 500 soldiers to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Angolan military personnel should assure the cantonment fields of the M23 elements and protect the members of the Ad-Hoc verification mechanism following the ceasefire between government troops and the rebels.

António Guterres, who was speaking at the farewell ceremony from Angola´s ambassador to the UN, Maria de Jesus Ferreira, who is at the end of her mission, took the opportunity to congratulate the diplomat for the work she did during her mandate.

On her turn, Ambassador Maria de Jesus Ferreira, thanked the United Nations Secretary-General and his team for their support during her term.

The diplomat praised the efforts of the UN Secretary-General for his engagement in the search for solutions for world peace and stability, as well as the different reforms he has implemented within the UN system.

Maria de Jesus Ferreira reiterated Angola´s commitment to international peace and security, especially on the African Continent, highlighting the approval by the National Assembly, at the request of President João Lourenço, of sending a contingent to the DRC, for a period of one year, to be renewed, if necessary.

The diplomat said that during the transition period, until the arrival of the new Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Angola to the United Nations, the Deputy Permanent Representative, Ambassador João Gimolieca, will be in charge of the diplomatic mission.

Maria de Jesus Ferreira served as Permanent Representative to the United Nations, in New York, from February 2018 to March 2023.

The diplomat will perform the same function as Angola´s ambassador in the Portuguese Republic

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Head of State appoints new ambassadors

The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, through a decree appointed Tuesday, in Luanda, six new Angolan ambassadors.

According to the decree which ANGOP had access to, the appointees are Agostinho de Carvalho dos Santos Van Dúnem (ambassador to the United States of America), Albino Malungo, for Zambia, Alcino dos Prazeres Izata Francisco da Conceição ( Kingdom of Norway), Emílio Miguel de Carvalho Sobrinho (Serbia), Rui Orlando Ferreira de Ceita da Silva Xavier (South Africa) and Teodolinda Rosa Rodrigues Coelho (Japan).

In another decree, the Head of State dismissed Alcino dos Prazeres Izata Francisco da Conceição from the post of Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia, Joaquim do Espírito Santo from the post of Ambassador to the United States of America and Rui Orlando Ferreira de Ceita da Silva Xavier from the post of Ambassador to Japan.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Angola hosts African swimming event

After the 2015 Edition, Angola will once again host the African Championship in zone VI in swimming, from 3 to 7 May, at the Alvalade swimming pool, in Luanda, said this Wednesday to ANGOP the president of the Angolan Federation of this sport, Joaquim Santos.

The event should count on the participation of more than 14 teams, namely, South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Comoros, and Uganda complete the range of competitors, according to the interlocutor.

The competition that had been initially nominated for Madagascar, which ended up declining, was assigned to Malawi, which also appeared unavailable, so Angola received the task of organizing it, on appeal.

According to the federative programme, from the 3rd to the 6th of May the athletes compete in the pure swimming event (swimming pool), and on the 7th of the same month, the XIX Edition of the biggest event in the region ends with long distance events, in open waters, on the island of Luanda.

Swimmers Pedro Pinotes (individual) Salvador Gordo, Daniel Francisco, Marco Furtado, Silvério Manuel, Carlos Fernandes, Luyane Costa, Yusseni Furtado, Djamel Pires, Enzo Anjos and Yano Elias (1º de Agosto) were pre-summoned.

Also listed are Luciano Afonso (Onda Sport Club), Henrique Mascarenhas, Alex Fortes, Janel Tati, Rafael Bredel, José Cochofel, David Padre, Guilherme Sousa, Kenzo Monteiro, Santiago Guimarães (CNIL).

In females, the shortlist includes Lia Lima, Jasmine Lourenço, Aleksandra Zhukov, Stephanie Jurado, Inês Clemente, Nayara Carvalho, Beatriz Pedro, Kenenise Vongo, all from 1º de Agosto club.

Ana Nunes, Maria Freitas, N’Hara Fernandes, Rafaela Santos, Welwichia Silva, Inara Santos, Milena Lourenço, Nyriam Morais, Rhanya Santo, Chelsea Vunge, Wezza Morais, Wendy Morais (CNIL), Alexia Vieira (individual) and Nelma Janota (OSC) complete the group.

In the field of open water competition, the country will be represented by Guilherme Sousa, Kenzo Monteiro (CNIL), Marco Furtado, Silvério Manuel and Carlos Fernandes (1º Agosto).

In females, they include Nyriam Morais, Rhanya Santo, Wendy Morais, Wezza Morais and Chelsea Vunge (CNIL), Stephanie Jurado, Inês Clemente, Nayara Carvalho, Beatriz Pedro, Kenenise Vongo (1º de Agosto).

In the first event of its kind organized in the country, eight years ago, the National Team placed 3rd in the general classification, with 61 medals, 22 gold, 21 silver and 18 bronze

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Football: Seychelles wins one out of two friendly matches against Bangladesh

The Seychelles men’s national football team on Tuesday won one out of two friendly matches against Bangladesh.

The Seychelles’ side won the second match 1-0 after losing the first game by the same score on Sunday. The team, led by coach Vivian Bothe, was without a win since November 2021 despite playing 10 games.

The winning goal on Tuesday came from Seychellois Michael Mancienne, who plays for the English club Burton Albion, from the penalty spot after 60 minutes of play at the Synthetic District Stadium in Bangladesh.

Seychelles got the penalty after Saad Uddin’s challenge against Seychellois full-back Daryl Louis inside the penalty box in the second half. Saad was lucky not to get a red card for the foul in which he appeared to kick the Seychelles defender on the head.

The game ended with a solitary goal and this was the first-ever international goal for Mancienne with the Seychelles side. He has played five matches with the Seychelles national team.

The win means that the friendly series ended with a win for both teams. In the first match on Sunday, it was Finland-born Bangladeshi defender Tariq Raihan Kazi who scored the winner in the 43rd minute of the game.

The two friendly matches were part of the country’s preparations for the upcoming Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) in Madagascar, which pits nations in the region against each other in a multi-sports event.

One of Seychelles football’s biggest achievements in the competition is winning the gold medal at the 2011 edition of the games held on home soil.

The Seychellois side will be hoping to put in another good performance this time around. All teams in the region are ranked higher than Seychelles on the FIFA men’s football world ranking.

Seychelles is ranked at 199th position with Madagascar having the highest in the region at 102nd. Comoros is at 129th, Mauritius 180th, and Maldives 156th.

Source: Seychelles News Agency