News - Pison Public Relations

Brussels Airlines starts summer season with 26 new destinations

Brussels Airlines launches 26 new destinations this summer. It is the biggest network expansion in the history of the company.

Besides an increase in flight frequencies to different holiday regions, the airline also welcomes new leisure destinations in Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Macedonia, Greece, Montenegro, Morocco, Portugal and Spain to its summer schedule, which runs from the 25th of March until the 27th of October.

The significant growth of the airline’s destination offer is mainly due to the integration of the Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium activities and two of their Airbus A320 aircraft and herewith the closer cooperation with tour operators Neckermann, Thomas Cook and Pegase, leading to almost 1,700 weekly flights to short-and medium-haul destinations (+9.67% seats compared to 2017) and over 200 weekly flights on the long-haul this summer (+1.53% seats compared to 2017).

Short- and medium-haul destinations

Within Europe, the company welcomes several new leisure destinations this summer. Brussels Airlines sets sail for Burgas and Varna (Bulgaria), Cyprus, Sharm-el-Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam (Egypt), several Greek destinations and Islands, Ohrid (Macedonia) and Tivat (Montenegro).

The flight offer to holiday regions in Spain, Morocco, Greece and Croatia also grows significantly thanks to the addition of, among others, Lanzarote, Agadir, Santorini, Zadar and Split. Besides new destinations there will also be an increase in flight frequencies to French cities Ajaccio, Bastia, Bordeaux and Nice, as well as to Athens, Tel Aviv, Florence and Malaga.

NEW DESTINATIONS

Burgas (Bulgaria) 2 x week

Varna (Bulgaria) 2 x week

Boa Vista (Cabo Verde) 2 x week

Sal (Cabo Verde) 2 x week

Split (Croatia) 2 x week

Zadar (Croatia) 1 x week

Chania (Crete) 3 x week

Girona (Spain) 1 x week

Paphos (Cyprus) 2 x week

Corfu (Greece) 3 x week

Mikonos (Greece) 1 x week

Santorini (Greece) 1 x week

Kos (Greece) 3 x week

Kalamata (Greece) 1 x week

Zakynthos (Greece) 2 x week

Sharm-el-Sheikh (Egypt) 1 x week

Marsa Alam (Egypt) 1 x week

Hurghada (Egypt) 3 x week

Tivat (Montenegro) 1 x week

Agadir (Morocco) 3 x week

Ohrid (Republic of Macedonia) 1 x week

Lanzarote (Spain) 3 x week

Fuertaventura (Spain) 1 x week

Almeria (Spain) 2 x week

Menorca (Spain) 1 x week

Reus (Spain) 1 x week

INCREASED FLIGHT FREQUENCIES

Ajaccio (France) 2 x week

Bastia (France) 2 x week

Bordeaux (France) 6 x week

Nice (France) 21 x week

Athens (Greece) 5 x week

Tel Aviv (Israel) 14 x week

Florence (Italy) 7 x week

Malaga (Spain) 15 x week

16th April 2018/0 Comments

News

Centenary bank introduces new Mobile loans service

Centenary Bank has rolled out a new innovation where customers can get instant and fastest loans through their mobile phones dubbed the CenteMobile loans on the banking platform.

This service was enabled through the banks partnership with Craft Silicon a technology provider who came up with the application and the product will now be available for low income earners who desire convenient and self-service options through which they can access micro loans for emergencies.

Through the CenteMobile Loans, a self-service opt in product, customers registered on CenteMobile shall be in position to borrow instant loans from as low as UGX. 5,000 up to a maximum of UGX. 2 million. The loans are meant to carter for emergency needs like paying school fees, purchase of goods and services, paying medical bills, buying fuel among others. Customers shall access the service anytime, anywhere using their mobile phones and there is no need to pay loan application and processing fees. The loan is payable within 30 days from the day of disbursement, at a low interest rate and customers do not need to worry about security in order to borrow, since credit scoring shall be based on their credit history and banking activity.

Speaking at the launch of the service, Mr. Fabian Kasi the managing director of Centenary Bank said the introduction of CenteMobile Loans, an additional feature on the existing CenteMobile banking platform is part of the Bank’s efforts to promote financial inclusion. “We serve over 1.4 million customers, majority of whom are low income earners located in the rural areas. This service has been designed to enable our customers access small instant loans, conveniently using mobile phones wherever they are, without the need to visit a branch.” There is no paper work required to access the loan, the customer only has to be registered on the CenteMobile banking platform, then dial *211# or use the CenteMobile App to get money instantly on their accounts, added Kasi.

CenteMobile loans, an additional feature on the CenteMobile banking platform, shall initially be accessed by only Centenary Bank customers registered on the CenteMobile, then later extended to the public. The CenteMobile banking platform has undergone several enhancements since its launch in 2012 in partnership with Craft Silicon, with the addition of bill payments, push and pull, school fees payment and Inter-Bank transfer service options to meet the changing needs customers.

“Data is the new oil and for CenteMobile Loans we use data and artificial intelligence to give safe and secure lending to Ugandans,” stated Mr. Kamal Budhabhatti, chief executive officer, Craft Silicon in his address to the media during the launch.

5th April 2018/0 Comments

News

Uganda set for common wealth games

Sixty-nine athletes will carry the Ugandan flag at the Commonwealth Games for the next 10 days. This is an improvement from the 65 athletes, who represented the country in Glasgow, Scotland in 2014.

For the first time in the history of the Games, Uganda has a netball team, She-Cranes. The team’s recent performances have stirred huge excitement and anticipation that they could bag one of the three medals at the games.

She-Cranes, who are ranked seventh in the world, open their account against second-rated New Zealand tomorrow. It will be an uphill task for the She-Cranes against New Zealand, the runners-up at the last edition of the Club Games.

She-Cranes captain Peace Proscovia said recently they are bracing for the big stage to face the world’s best. To qualify for the Games, She-Cranes won the Africa Netball Championship in June last year.

So, by now, they must be psychologically prepared to take on New Zealand, England, Malawi, Wales and Scotland. Top-ranked Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica respectively won top honours in 2014.

The Rugby Cranes, making their second appearance at the Games in the Sevens event, also have good momentum. However, with top guns such as England, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, South Africa and Kenya, the Rugby Cranes could be reduced to simply improving on their performance four years ago.

They finished twelfth out of 16 nations at the 2014 games. Yet, as history has shown, boxing, and track and field events have offered more medals. This is compared to shooting, weight-lifting, badminton, cycling and swimming, the other disciplines in which Uganda is represented.

Netball

Thursday@11am: Uganda v New Zealand

Saturday@7am: Malawi v Uganda

Sunday@10am: Uganda v England

Tuesday@10am: Wales v Uganda

Boxing Action starts Thursday

Swimming starts Thursday

Athletics

Cycling starts Thursday

Badminton Starts Thursday

Weight lifting Starts Thursday

Shooting Sunday

Courtesy: The Observer Uganda

5th April 2018/0 Comments

News

Starlets edge closer to AWCON qualification after beating Uganda

Harambee Starlets have received a boost in their bid to qualify for the African Women’s Cup of Nations after solitary strike handed them victory over Uganda Cranes.

Lilian Adera hit the back of the net to lift Starlets with the only goal of the match. It implies that they now have an edge over the neighbours going into the second leg after the Machakos Stadium tie.

The left-back pulled the trigger from a far-off distance of almost 40 yards beating the Uganda Cranes keeper.

A win against Uganda in the second leg will present a great opportunity for David Ouma and the ladies to book a meeting with Equatorial Guinea in June.

As it stands, their qualification is well on course. Their win comes after an impressive performance against Zambia in a recent friendly match. Striker Corazon Aquino proved clinical infront of the hosts’ goal bagging two goals against the Zambians in the process.

5th April 2018/0 Comments

News

Super sport to broadcast World Cup matches live

Super Sport will broadcast an unprecedented offering of World Cup football, beginning in June.

Addressing media at the MultiChoice Head office , Phoebe Nakabazzi , DStv Marketing Manager said , ” In mid-April, the switch will be flipped to a 24-hour World Cup channel (SuperSport 13), allowing fans an appetiser of the 2018 FIFA World Cup – to come two months later from the heart of Russia. Packed with legacy content, highlights, documentaries, FIFA films, classic matches and interviews, the channel will also feature warm-up matches to prepare every football fan for the tournament that traditionally gets the world talking.”

From June 14 until the final in Moscow on July 15, MultiChoice will present an unparalleled viewing experience of the 2018 FIFA World Cup for DStv and GOtv customers across all platforms. Senegal, Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco will be spearheading the African challenge come June. All 64 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be available on all DStv packages.

Phoebe Nakabazzi added, “What’s more, DStv customers will be treated to two 24-hour pop-up channels (SuperSport 13 and 14) dedicated entirely to the tournament with live match commentary options in Pidgin and Swahili. Coverage will be integrated into a multi-platform offering that includes traditional television, on-the-go via the DStv Now app and online at supersport.com. There will also be regular news updates on the popular Blitz channel.”

Also at the press conference, Albert Nga, GOtv Marketing Manager said, “GOtv Max, Plus and Value packages will show 64 matches and 56 matches respectively while GOtv Lite customers can also highlights on Blitz”

This is a comprehensive offering that reflects the global reach and excitement on the world’s number one game. Few events enthral people in every corner of the earth, but the World Cup does so. We’ll be pulling out all stops to tell the story of the 2018 edition in rich colour and language.

5th April 2018/0 Comments

News

Argentina’s dependence on Messi shown

Argentina’s Lionel Messi looked on from the stands for as long as he could, but with 10 minutes remaining he had seen enough.

Cameras captured the injured captain leaving his seat, presumably to head for the dressing room to console his distraught teammates, but the image was symbolic as his struggling team were humiliated 6-1 by a rampaging Spain side.

“They’ve really given us a slap in the face,” was how stunned Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli summed up the humiliating World Cup warm-up defeat in his post-match news conference.

“I feel bad for the boys, I take the responsibility. In the second half we didn’t have balance or solidity and we were all at sea.”

Argentina may have swept Italy aside 2-0 on Friday without Messi, who has a muscle injury, but context is required given that the Italians failed to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1958 after a 1-0 playoff defeat by Sweden.

Granted, there was no Angel di Maria or Sergio Aguero for Argentina on Tuesday either but when it came to the crunch, the players wilted. Too often they rely on their Messi ‘get out of jail’ card.

It was Messi who fired a hat-trick in their final qualifier against Ecuador – after they went 1-0 down inside the first minute – to secure their spot at the World Cup in Russia.

Without him against top level opposition in Madrid, Argentina wilted and to describe their defending as haphazard is generous.

Sampaoli may have a squad that allows him the luxury of leaving the likes of forwards Mauro Icardi and Paulo Dybala at home but on the other hand neither of their goalkeepers – Sergio Romero and Willy Caballero – play regularly for their clubs.

“Argentina is going to be living in torment from now until the World Cup,” former international Jorge Valdano said on Spanish radio station Onda Cero.

“Messi’s the only reason that anyone is even giving Argentina a sliver of hope of winning the World Cup. (Striker) Gonzalo Higuain is a marked man in Argentina and I wouldn’t like to be in Sampaoli’s shoes either.”

Many pundits suggest Messi cannot be considered a truly great player until he achieves something with Argentina. However, judging by Tuesday’s performance he has already achieved a lot in helping Argentina reach the finals.

How far they go in Russia will surely be dictated by the form and fitness of the Barcelona forward as they prepare to face Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria in the group stage.

***End***

29th March 2018/0 Comments

News

NUDIP strategizes to raise device funds for the disabled

National Union for the Disabled People of Uganda (NUDIPU) on Wednesday held 21^st March 2018 held a fundraising dinner to help the disabled people get devices to use in their daily lives.

This move comes after learning of the so many difficulties and challenges faced by the disabled in the country foristance those that can’t hear, walk properly, the blind, among other vulnerable groups and this is aimed at helping them attain devices that can help them compete with life and everyday lifestyle.

Over UGX500M is needed to ship these devices so NUDIPU under it’s good will ambassador, Ugandan Hip-hop Artiste Navio and the CEO for the organisation have ventured in full efforts in abid to reach the milestone for the good cause.

Speaking at the Fundraising Dinner, NUDIPU head, Mr Edson Ngirabakunzi, said ‘’We are advocating for the rights of the disabled citizens of Uganda and NUDIPU is an organisation has seen the conditions of these people fairly improve from where we started. Approximately 12.4% of Ugandans are persons with disabilities meaning 6 Million Ugandans are disabled and they need to live independently, go to school, get jobs and are able to support themselves though this at times becomes a big challenge that we are here to battle’’

National Union for the Disabled People of Uganda (NUDIPU) started as measure to curb down challenges that are faced by the disabled in Uganda.

***End***

29th March 2018/0 Comments

News

Emirates Announces Attractive Offers to Dubai

Emirates is offering Ugandan travellers the opportunity to visit Dubai with a special Economy and Business Class return airfare that includes attractive fares, a free third piece of luggage of up to 23 kg and a one-month tourist visa.

Under the special offer, an Economy Class ticket from Entebbe to Dubai costs $399 and Business Class $1499. The fare offer is for a limited time only and tickets must be booked between 4th April 2018 and 17th April 2018, while travel must take place between 4th April 2018 and 10^th December 2018. The cost of the ticket includes airport taxes.

Voted by travellers as the Best Airline in the World in the 2017 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards, Emirates is also offering a 3^rd piece of luggage of up to 23kg for Economy Class and up to 32kg for Business Class, as well as a My Emirates Pass, which can be used for exclusive offers and discounts across Dubai.

My Emirates Pass has also expanded the programme with more partners – customers can now enjoy special discounts at over 250 world class restaurants and hotel dining outlets in Dubai. Exclusive offers are also available on a range of leisure activities including visits to championship golf courses, thrilling theme parks or luxury spas across the city. To see all My Emirates Pass offers.

Dubai provides a great escape for visitors. Its year-round sunshine, world-class shopping and restaurants, stunning beaches and iconic buildings offers something for the whole family. Visitors to Dubai can use My Emirates Pass to enjoy some of the city’s must-see places like Global Village – multi-cultural festival park and shopping destination – as well as theme parks such as Wild Wadi Waterpark and IMG World of Adventures.

The city also offers a wide range of accommodation to suit all budgets.

On all Emirates’ flights, customers can look forward to hours of entertainment on the award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice Digital Widescreen, which offers over 3,000 channels of on demand audio and visual entertainment, from the latest movies, music, audio books and games, as well as family friendly products and services for children, including complimentary toys, kids’ meals and movies, priority boarding for families and the use of free strollers at Dubai International Airport.

In addition to the on-board comforts and products, customers will experience the world famous hospitality from Emirates’ multinational cabin crew who come from 135 nationalities and speak over 60 languages, while enjoying chef prepared regional and international cuisine, using the freshest ingredients, accompanied by a wide range of complimentary wines and beverages.

29th March 2018/0 Comments

News

Ethiopian Airlines increases new destinations with DRC

Ethiopian Airlines launched three new flights to Kisangani and Mbuji Mayi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Nosy-Be in Madagascar on March 27, 2018.

The launch of the flights was announced by Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, at an inaugural ceremony attended by H.E. Prof. Alain Tehindrazanarivelo, Ambassador of the Republic of Madagascar, H.E. Mr. Victor Mwania, First Secretary of the Democratic Republic of Congo and other invited dignitaries.

With the launch of the new flights, Ethiopian now serves 58 destinations in Africa and more than 100 destinations globally, solidifying its stature as a veteran Pan- African airline with the largest number of destinations in the continent.

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29th March 2018/0 Comments