Irish rocker and activist Bob Geldof's statement that Angola is a country "run by criminals" unleashed a political storm that could have an impact on Portugal's large investment interests in the largest of its former African colonies.

The game between the teams of Petro de Luanda and 1º de Agosto, scheduled for Sunday in Luanda's Cidadela Stadium, is in the limelight of the 11th round of the first division National Championship of football, Girabola-2008.

Casa Rosa e Produções, in Lobito city, south-western Benguela province, organises next Sunday a social gathering dubbed "friendship in Kamutangre land", aiming at recovering Lobito's citizens customs, according to the director of the promoter, Domingos de Brito.

The President of MPLA, José Eduardo dos Santos, Friday here guaranteed that the government and the ruling party's programme will pay particular attention to women.

UíThe provincial management of Angola's National Institute of Roads (INEA) in northern Uíge province faces a shortage of equipment and human resources in order to rebuild and maintain secondary and tertiary roads in the region.

Portugal's Sport Lisboa e Benfica football team are to arrive in Angola on May 19, for a five-day visit, during which they will play against the Angolan national squad, ANGOP has learnt.

The Angolan musician Dj Callas and the rap group "Zona Cinco" will perform Saturday, in Lubango, southern Huila Province, at the "Red Night" event, a youth party included in the peace tour promoted by Trixú productions.

The northern Bengo Province government is to invest 201 million Kwanzas, from May to December, to execute eight projects in Kissama District, in the ambit of improving citizens' living conditions, announced Thursday, in Cabo Ledo commune the local director of planning office, Garcia André.

Egypt's Zamalek is already in Luanda, where they are to play Interclube de Angola on Sunday, in a second leg match of access to the African clubs champions cup, on Friday announced an Egyptian diplomatic source.

The coach of Clube Náutico da Ilha de Luanda (CNIL), César Ribeiro, said Friday in this city that his team want to win the absolute national swimming championship, in both sexes, to be disputed on 5-6 July in Alvalade's swimming-pool.

The hearing and social concert provincial council of the southeastern Kuando Kubango Province presents this Friday the steering plan for Menongue City, during its first ordinary meeting to be chaired by the local governor, João Baptista Tchindandi.

Angolan painter Hildebrando de Melo "HM" is preparing to participate in the Contemporary Art Festival (Arte Lisboa/2008), happening on 19-24 November, in Portugal, where various artists of the world will be present.

The first broad consultative council of the provincial department of the Interior Ministry in Malanje Province will happen this Friday, in this city, in order to analyse the pace of tasks accomplishment and the engagement of the different organs during the first quarter of this year.

Angola's ladies soccer team qualified for the final of the Cosafa Cup by beating Zimbabwe on Thursday by 3-0, in a match played in Malanje Province, ANGOP witnessed.

Thirteen Cuban physicians, out of the 20 initially expected, will arrive this month in the southern Cunene Province to reinforce medical assistance in this region, on Friday announced the local health department director, Eduardo Haiumba.

The ruling MPLA party's electoral strategy for September's legislative polls, as well as its governance programme for the 2009/2012 quadrennial period will be under debate this Friday and Saturday, in this political organisation's third national conference, to happen in Luanda.

The Angolan Premier's assistant minister, Aguinaldo Jaime, on Thursday evening in Luanda said that the capital market is an important instrument for the consolidation of the country's economic development and growth.

Luanda will get this month five new health centres under a rehabilitation programme of the local government to spread the sanitary network to the surroundings of the capital city, meant to improve medical assistance, ANGOP has learnt.

THE tripartite meeting on the repatriation of Angolan refugees from Zambia has resolved that Zambia should consider absorbing some Angolans that are not willing to return to their home country.

The chief of staff of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), gen. Francisco Furtado, Thursday in Luanda highlighted the engagement and dedication of his counterparts during the meeting of the sub-committee of high ranking officers of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).

Angolan deputy minister of Defence, Gaspar Santos Rufino, said Wednesday in Luanda that the Stand-by Brigade of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) is "an instrument of great value for the support to peacekeeping missions and other operations."

The European Union has invested about 500 million Euros used in various types of undertakings in Angola.

ANGOLA's national director in the ministry of assistance and social reinsertion (MINARS) has implored President Mwanawasa to continue with his efforts in finding a lasting solution to the post-election impasse in Zimbabwe.

A total of 20 citizens from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe were repatriated in April this year to their respective countries, by the Angolan Immigration and Foreigners Services (SME) in eastern Moxico province, for illegally entering the national territory.

The chairman of the Angola National Electoral Commission (CNE), Caetano de Sousa, will be travelling to central Huambo province on Friday, for a few hours working visit meant for an assessment of the organisation and functioning of the organ's structures in the region.