Rosa Cruz e Silva, Culture Minister, Hails Importance of Angola Music Awards

Luanda — After the homage paid to King Elias Dia Kimuezo, the Culture minister, Rosa Cruz e Silva, considered Angola Music Awards/2013 gala to be a moment of sheer exaltation to the national music hall.

She said that the show will also enable the singers of the provinces of Cabinda and Cunene to be committed more and more, despite their difficulties.

The minister said that the moment that she spent in the stage with the veteran musician Elias Dia Kimueko served to thank him for what he has been doing toward the development of the Angolan music.

On the other hand, the official said that the Ministry of Culture will give a band to King Elias Dia Kimuezo.

King Elias was born in Marçal ward in Luanda on 2 January in 1936.

The gala distinguished "Best tracks of Semba, Kizomba, R&B, Afro-Beat/House, Rap/Hip-Hop, Kuduro", "Best Electronic album", "Best Acoustic album", "Best Video Clip", "Best DJ's album", "Best Composer", "Best Instrumentalist", "Best Musical Producer", "Best Musical DVD", "Best New Artist", "Best Female and Male Voice".

Angola Music Awards (AMA) has as primary objective the cultural appreciation of music of Angola, the promotion of new values and tribute to creators and performers who have made the history of country music.

Via|Angop

ANGOLA BIG ECONOMIC: Producers Harvest Over 3000 Tons of Coffee

Libolo — About 3.150 tons of coffee were harvested by the producers of the Kwanza Sul province during the 2012/2013 agricultural campaign.

This was said to Angop on Saturday by the vice-governor of Kwanza Sul province, Mateus Alves de Brito, during the opening of the harvest campaign.

Mateus Alves de Brito said that the re-launching of coffee culture in large scale will contribute to the socioeconomic development of the country.

Moreover, the official said that this campaign will permit to learn about the production in the province, provided that the local government is committeed to re-launching coffee culture in all producing municipalities, namely Amboim, Libolo, Conda, Kilenda, Kassongue, Kilenda, Seles and Mussende.

"It is very important to increase the areas of production because the the Angolan government has a national plan for the development of the agrarian sector, which includes the culture of coffee as one of the main priorities in our country", said Mateus de Brito.

The act was attended by officials of the government, members of the municipal administration of Calulo and INCA, coffee producers, chieftains and farmers.

COOPERAZIONE ITALIA ANGOLA | Eni vende al Brasile il gas prodotto in Angola

Eni & C hanno iniziato a vendere il gas prodotto in Angola dalla joint venture Angola Lng, partnership che vede il Cane a sei zampe tra gli azionisti col 13,6% assieme ai padroni di casa di Sonangol (22,8%), Chevron (36,4%), Bp (13,6%) e Total (13,6%). Il primo cargo, con un carico di 160 mila metri cubi di gas, è partito in questi giorni alla volta del Brasile, diretto agli impianti di Petrobras. Secondo il ceo di Angola Lng, Artur Pereira, il debutto della jv è avvenuto in un momento in cui il mercato del gas naturale liquefatto offre buone prospettive.

La partnership, secondo fonti di mercato, ha un orizzonte temporale garantito di almeno 30 anni, con una media di 5,2 milioni di tonnellate annue di gas. L'Angola è uno dei Paesi di riferimento per Eni ed è tra i maggiori produttori di petrolio dell'Africa. Nel corso dell'anno gli avvii e l'entrata a regime dei giacimenti angolani (assieme a quelli russi ed egiziani) hanno compensato i declini di produzioni mature. In particolare, nel blocco offshore 15/06 (Eni 35%) il gruppo sta sviluppando il giacimento di Vandumbu con un potenziale produttivo di oltre 5 mila di barili di petrolio al giorno.

Via|IO

ANGOLA 2013 | University Students Invited to Research in Bicuar Game Reserve

Lubango — The administrator of the Bicuar National Park, in southern Huila province, César Santos, Saturday in Luanda, invited university students from the 6th academic region to conduct research in the reserve, in order to elevate their academic and scientific knowledge.

Speaking to ANGOP, in Luanda, said César Santos said it is relevant that students, mainly those in the specialties of Biology, Geography and Environment, conduct research in the Bicuar National Park, as it is a rich area in terms of scientific resources.

Cesar Santos said that the administration of the Bicuar National Park is open to any such a request, adding research can enrich the students' levels and help develop the reserves and ensure the discovery of new species of animal and flora.

The administrator stated that the park went through a few problems with the research and location of some species that disappeared during the armed conflict, a situation he said students might help resolve.

On the other hand, Cesar Santos said that under a programme of assistance to the natural reserve, the Government has invested about three billion Kwanzas, used in the rehabilitation of the administrative building, in the park and research.

"We managed to implement the programme of putting salt in main sites where the animals feed and drink water, and this is causing a return of some species, such as the red buffalo, red antelope and others," stressed he administrator.

Regarding the situation of poaching, the official said it is has not reached worrying proportions, as the place has been reinforced with 150 guards, administrative workers, transportation and communication equipment.

With a land area of 7,900 square meters, Bicuar National Park was created in 1938 and is the home to such species as elephants, red antelope, hyenas, lions and others.

ASIA ECONOMY NOW | Small cities play growing role in film market

LUANDA - Movie goers line up to purchase tickets at a theater in Wuhan, Hubei province. China accounted for 8percent of the global film market with annual box-office receipts of $2.7 billion last year, according tofigures from the Motion Picture Association of America. Provided to China Daily

1,000 digital movie theaters with 3,000 screens in county-level sites

Movie ticket sales have gone crazy in the city of Panjin.

Compared with two years ago, in one of the fourth-tier city's "cineplexes" there are now nearlyas many tickets being sold in a month as there were in a whole year.

Annual box-office revenues in the city — in the southwest of Northeast China's Liaoning province — surged to 25.6 million yuan ($4.17 million) in 2012 from 2.65 million yuan the yearearlier, a year-on-year growth of 867 percent, according to statistics from EntGroup Consulting, a Beijing-based entertainment industry consultancy.

In April alone, the city's CJ CGV cineplex, owned by a South Korean theater operator, sold twomillion yuan's worth of tickets to 50,000 customers, said Guo Jinsheng, the manager of thetheater, which opened in January.

"And that performance is growing month-on-month," added Guo.

Panjin is now one of the fastest-growing third- and fourth-tier cities in terms ofbox-office receipts, and others cities enjoying similar growth include Langfangin Hebei province, and Yueyang in Hunan province.

Ticket sales are also gaining momentum in small cities in a countrythat is now the world's second-largest film market.

After the United States, China accounted for 8 percent of the globalfilm market with annual box-office receipts of $2.7 billion last year,according to figures released in March by the Motion PictureAssociation of America.

By May 12, China's total box-office revenues for the year exceeded8.1 billion yuan, up 39 percent.

Via|China Daily

THE BIGGEST | Gold rises on weaker Chinese economic data

CHICAGO -- Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange roseslightly on weaker-than- expected Chinese economic data Monday. 

The most active gold contract for August delivery rose $3, or 0.22 percent, to settle at $1,386per ounce.

Chinese government released a series of economic data over the weekend: China's producerprice index fell 2.9 percent in May from a year earlier, quicker than a 2.6 percent decline inApril year on year; total social financing dropped by about a third to 1.19 trillion yuan ($194billion=) in May from April; total property investment in China in the first five months of this yearrose 20.6 percent to 2.68 trillion yuan, compared with a 21.1 percent rise in the first fourmonths; fixed-asset investment in non-rural areas rose 20.4 percent in the January-May periodyear on year, slower than the 20.6 percent increase recorded in the January-April period;value-added industrial output in China rose 9.2 percent in May year on year, slowing slightlyfrom a 9.3 percent increase in April; and exports rose 1 percent in May from a year earlier,much slower than April's increase of 14.7 percent. Disappointing Chinese economic figureswere nevertheless positive to gold prices.

Gold market is still waiting for directions, which will hinge heavily on when the US FederalReserve will scale down its bond- purchase program.

Though the underlying physical demand for gold remains strong, gold prices have registered a17-percent decline so far this year.

WORLD CUP 2014 | Fees stay same for Uganda-Angola

Fans will pay the same as they did for Uganda against Liberia when Angola come to town for another World Cup weekend this Saturday.

Many will welcome the news as it had been feared that Fufa would ride on Uganda’s 1-0 victory over Liberia at the weekend to rake more money from increased rates.

“The entry charges remain the same (UGX 12,000 and 33,000) and tickets will go on market Wednesday morning from the same selling points used last week,” reads in part a statement released by Fufa publicist Rogers Milindwa on Monday.

“Fufa extends gratitude to the fans for showing up in bigger numbers (about 25,000 in a 42,202 seater) at Namboole last Saturday.

“We believe, the results would perhaps not have been the same without their presence and support.”

Uganda are second in Group J on five points, one behind Senegal. The Cranes must beat Angola and Senegal away to progress to the final round of the 2014 World Cup qualification.

Elsewhere, the Liberian national team will stay in Kampala till Wednesday, according to Mulindwa, although, no further explanation was given to that effect.

However, match officials of the game between Uganda and Liberia have all returned home.