Latest news with #taxidrivers
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Angola protests: Dozens of arrests during fuel-price-rise demonstrations
What began as a three-day strike by taxi drivers in Luanda against rising petrol prices has escalated into one of the most widespread and disruptive waves of protest Angola has seen in recent of people joined demonstrations in the Angolan capital on Monday that saw roads blocked, shops looted and clashes between demonstrators and police."The fuel price issue is just the last straw that has reignited widespread public discontent... People are fed up. Hunger is rife, and the poor are becoming miserable," a prominent local activist, Laura Macedo, told the have arrested more than 100 people and condemned "acts of urban terror" including the destruction of 20 buses. One local newspaper said least three people had been killed in the protests, including a police officer, but there has been no official confirmation of any strike was called by taxi operators in response to the government's decision to raise the price of diesel by over 33%, a measure introduced in early July as part of plans to remove fuel subsidies in the oil-rich only has this resulted in higher fares for urban Angolans who rely on the taxis, but it has also driven up the price of staple foods and other basics - as suppliers who transport those goods by road are passing on their additional costs to President João Lourenço has dismissed such concerns, saying that protesters are using petrol prices as a pretext to undermine the government. "Even after the increase, the price of diesel in Angola remains around 40 US cents [per litre], and there are not many countries in the world with prices this low," he told CNN Portugal in a recent average monthly wage in Angola is just 70,000 kwanzas ($75; £56), and a promise by the presidency to increase this to 100,000 kwanzas has not frustrations spilled over on Monday, groups of protesters took to the streets in various parts of Luanda, chanting against fuel price increases, nearly five decades of rule by the governing MPLA party and expressing their frustration with the country's current state of affairs. State-run media in Angola came under heavy criticism on social media for continuing with its regular programming and failing to cover the Monday evening, the MPLA warned young people not to join the protests and said that these "acts of vandalism are deliberately intended to tarnish and hinder the joyful celebration" of Angola's 50th anniversary of authorities in Luanda on Monday also issued a public statement expressing "deep concern" over the events, which they described as "disturbances and acts of vandalism associated with the forced halting of taxi services".According to the statement, the strike originally announced by taxi organisations had been called off following negotiations with authorities. However, it said, "groups of unidentified individuals, without any legitimate representation of the taxi sector, resumed the call for strike actions, promoting intimidation and violence, including attacks on vehicles circulating on public roads, even those not providing taxi services". Much of these protests have been spontaneous in nature, and it is not yet clear whether they will continue in coming of Tuesday morning, major shops, banks and other businesses closed their doors. Some civil servants have returned to work, but many people who work for private companies have stayed at home on the advice of their employers. More BBC stories on Angola: Largest pink diamond in 300 years found in AngolaRediscovering the African roots of Brazil's martial art capoeiraEx-Trafigura boss convicted of bribery in landmark caseIsabel dos Santos hits out over UK's 'dirty money' sanctions Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
News24
2 days ago
- Politics
- News24
Violence erupts in Luanda as govt phases out fuel subsidies; taxi fares up 50%
Unrest broke out on the streets of Angola's capital as transport workers began a three-day strike to protest against surging fuel prices. Videos posted on social media showed scenes of shops being looted, garbage bins being used to set up street blockades and tires being burnt on the outskirts of Luanda on Monday. Protesters also forced public buses to unload passengers and attacked non-striking drivers. Luanda's provincial government condemned 'all acts of vandalism, assaults on workers, destruction of public and private property, and any form of coercion against citizens seeking to carry out their activities freely,' according to a statement. The higher prices have been triggered by the Angolan government phasing out fuel subsidies in a bid to cut spending. The allocations cost Angola about $3 billion last year — about the same as its total health and education spending, according to the International Monetary Fund. Taxi fares have increased by as much as 50% this month to accommodate the increased fuel costs. On Saturday, hundreds of people took to the streets in Luanda to protest against the country's rising cost of living. Annual inflation currently stands at about 20%. Videos on social media earlier showed long lines of commuters after informal operators halted services. Their blue-and-white vans are essential to getting around the city, which lacks functioning public transportation. The National Association of Taxi Drivers of Angola said on Facebook the decision to strike was prompted by the daily hardships faced by thousands of its drivers. A decision to cut petrol subsidies in 2023 triggered violent protests in the central Angolan city of Huambo, where clashes between taxi drivers and the police left five people dead.
Bloomberg
21-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Angola Taxi Drivers Plan Three-Day Strike Over Higher Fuel Costs
Angolan taxi drivers will hold a three-day strike at the end of the month over rising fuel prices in the oil-producing African nation. The protests are scheduled to take place July 28-30 in seven of the country's biggest cities, according to the New Alliance of Taxi Drivers of Angola, or Anata. It comes after the government increased fares for public-transport, which includes taxis, by as much as 50% this month as it cuts fuel subsidies.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
46 Wildly Concerning Photos That Sum Up Living In America Right Now
1.I feel so bad for kids nowadays. 2.I mean, I'm not surprised they feel this way. live in the Bad Place. cool, this doesn't sound dystopian at all! Related: if Palantir wasn't a scary enough company without reminding you that it's watching with this massive ad. not really feeling like this is a r/MadeMeSmile situation. It should not have cost $41k to begin with. it should not take two decades to pay off student loans. shouldn't have to donate plasma from our bodies to afford books for school. already costs an arm and a leg, and then they charge prices like this just to access course materials. is not the heartwarming story it's framed as. is this. of the things I hate most about Trumpism is that he's given every misogynistic, xenophobic, racist asshole permission to be a massive misogynistic, xenophobic, racist asshole in public. 14.I heard this ad recently in a taxi. For reference, over 90% of NYC taxi drivers were born outside the US, as of 2020. 15."No one wants to work anymore" for a reason, it seems. Related: want to work. But they're not even getting past the door. me again why people who work part-time (who, btw, are also probably working another job or in school), can't have time off? fact that police violence is so bad that this needs to exist is pretty damning. AI help make the world a better place? Maybe one day. But so far, AI is giving a ton of inaccurate info, creating dangerous situations, and spewing stuff like this. me who said Trump would pay for these tariffs? 21.I feel like there's an easier way to protect kids from death via gunshot wound ( gun laws?), but okay. is the state of American healthcare. is this. Related: denying someone a CANE. case you need a more damning indictment of American healthcare, here ya go. wouldn't need to have cards to remind ICE and law enforcement agents of our rights if they weren't trying to violate those rights. is concerning as hell. 28."I never thought Leopards would eat MY face!!!!" yet this is what rural states voted for. fact that this question is even being landlords deserve jail time. man, we are so, so cooked. about right for America. glad investors can benefit from this. as long as the investors are good! Related: this legal? Why are younger people paid less for the same work? is where we're at now. is why people can't buy homes. happens when we all get priced out of any housing at all? that pretty much sums it up. whole internet's full of paywalls. Since most people get their news from the all pretty much screwed. when we fought a war so that we wouldn't have a king? Look how far we've fallen. is horrifying. in the propaganda...? how is this different from the bus, and why is it more expensive? suspicious. Brother is watching, y'all. Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds:
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
46 Wildly Concerning Photos That Sum Up Living In America Right Now
1.I feel so bad for kids nowadays. 2.I mean, I'm not surprised they feel this way. live in the Bad Place. cool, this doesn't sound dystopian at all! Related: if Palantir wasn't a scary enough company without reminding you that it's watching with this massive ad. not really feeling like this is a r/MadeMeSmile situation. It should not have cost $41k to begin with. it should not take two decades to pay off student loans. shouldn't have to donate plasma from our bodies to afford books for school. already costs an arm and a leg, and then they charge prices like this just to access course materials. is not the heartwarming story it's framed as. is this. of the things I hate most about Trumpism is that he's given every misogynistic, xenophobic, racist asshole permission to be a massive misogynistic, xenophobic, racist asshole in public. 14.I heard this ad recently in a taxi. For reference, over 90% of NYC taxi drivers were born outside the US, as of 2020. 15."No one wants to work anymore" for a reason, it seems. Related: want to work. But they're not even getting past the door. me again why people who work part-time (who, btw, are also probably working another job or in school), can't have time off? fact that police violence is so bad that this needs to exist is pretty damning. AI help make the world a better place? Maybe one day. But so far, AI is giving a ton of inaccurate info, creating dangerous situations, and spewing stuff like this. me who said Trump would pay for these tariffs? 21.I feel like there's an easier way to protect kids from death via gunshot wound ( gun laws?), but okay. is the state of American healthcare. is this. Related: denying someone a CANE. case you need a more damning indictment of American healthcare, here ya go. wouldn't need to have cards to remind ICE and law enforcement agents of our rights if they weren't trying to violate those rights. is concerning as hell. 28."I never thought Leopards would eat MY face!!!!" yet this is what rural states voted for. fact that this question is even being landlords deserve jail time. man, we are so, so cooked. about right for America. glad investors can benefit from this. as long as the investors are good! Related: this legal? Why are younger people paid less for the same work? is where we're at now. is why people can't buy homes. happens when we all get priced out of any housing at all? that pretty much sums it up. whole internet's full of paywalls. Since most people get their news from the all pretty much screwed. when we fought a war so that we wouldn't have a king? Look how far we've fallen. is horrifying. in the propaganda...? how is this different from the bus, and why is it more expensive? suspicious. Brother is watching, y'all. Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds:
