The President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, welcomed Sakuta Makoto as the new Japanese Ambassador to Seychelles during a credential presentation ceremony held at State House on Tuesday. Ambassador Makoto is the first Japanese envoy to be stationed locally, marking a significant milestone in the bilateral relations between the two nations. According to a State House press statement, Ramkalawan congratulated Makoto on his appointment, highlighting the enduring friendship and robust cooperation between Seychelles and Japan. The President commended Japan for its «pivotal contributions» to Seychelles’ development over the years and expressed optimism about further enhancing the partnership. Makoto, expressing gratitude and honour in assuming the role, pledged to deepen the collaboration between the two countries. Discussions during the meeting focused on enhancing cooperation in key areas, including maritime security, fisheries, environmental conservation, and climate change. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties for mutual prosperity. Japan established its Embassy in Victoria, the capital of Seychelles, on November 8, 2019. Previously, diplomatic representation was managed by a chargé d'affaires. The appointment of Ambassador Makoto underscores Japan’s growing commitment to its relationship with Seychelles. Madagascar seeks closer cooperation with Seychelles In a separate ceremony, the President also received Albert Camille Vital, the new Malagasy Ambassador to Seychelles, who presented his credentials also on Tuesday. Vital emphasised the longstanding relationship between Seychelles and Madagascar, noting that the Malagasy diaspora in Seychelles includes a great number of workers contributing to various sectors. “Seychelles and Madagascar’s relationship has always been a good one. We have a large diaspora in Seychelles with 2,000 Malagasy working in the country,” he stated during a press interview. Vital outlined plans to «consolidate and strengthen» the ties between the two nations and explore new areas of cooperation, including tourism, transport, trade, and agriculture. During his visit, Vital also held talks with Ambassador Selby Pillay, director for Bilateral Affairs in the Department of Foreign Affairs, at Maison Queau de Quinssy. They discussed plans to sign a bilateral agreement in 2025 and addressed the need for consular representation for Malagasy nationals in Seychelles. Both parties agreed to identify a suitable candidate to fill the position. Vital also met with members of the Malagasy community in Seychelles, who work in various sectors such as fisheries, education, medicine, and sports. 

A woman is buying dried nuts for Yalda Night which is traditionally celebrated on the last day of the final month of autumn in the Iranian calendar that falls on December 20 this year.

TEHRAN –The 22nd international environmental exhibition started on Wednesday in Tehran with the theme of ‘public involvement, green economy, sustainable future’.

Mogadishu (HOL) — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has confirmed that Turkey will establish a satellite launch base in Somalia, advancing Ankara's ambitions for long-range missile testing and space exploration while cementing its growing ties with the Horn of Africa nation.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia, in partnership with the European Union (EU) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has ramped up its mission to rescue and repatriate citizens trapped in Libya's nightmarish trafficking network. The latest operation brought 147 Somali migrants home, including 31 who landed in Hargeisa and 116 who continued to Mogadishu.

Mogadishu (HOL) — A new report from the SIDRA Institute examines the recent Ankara Declaration between Ethiopia and Somalia, providing a legal analysis of the agreement's impact on maritime access and Somalia's sovereignty. Signed on December 12, 2024, the deal grants Ethiopia conditional access to Somali ports, while ensuring that Somali authorities maintain control over its maritime resources.

[New Times] Multi-award-winning American artiste and producer John Legend, popularly known for his hit song 'All of Me', is set to headline the Move Africa tour both in Kigali and Lagos in February, 2025.

[New Times] As the world continues to grapple with the aftermath of Covid-19 and Marburg virus disease (MVD), scientists are increasingly alarmed by the growing threat of zoonotic diseases--infections that jump from animals to humans.

Honda and Nissan are reportedly exploring a merger to compete with China’s booming electric car production   Read Full Article at RT.com

Keith Kellogg is set to visit Kiev next month, and reportedly also plans to travel to London, Paris and Rome, according to sources Read Full Article at RT.com

The Democratic Republic of Congo has sued Apple for allegedly selling technology made with blood-tainted minerals Read Full Article at RT.com

The rupture of the defense agreement with Chad demonstrates the ineffectiveness of Paris’ foreign policy Read Full Article at RT.com

Health authorities in Congo have identified the mystery illness as severe malaria Read Full Article at RT.com

Foreign Minister Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörður Gylfadóttir attended a meeting of the leaders of the Joint Response Force (JRF) this week. The development of security issues in Europe, increased cooperation between the JRF countries and defense support for Ukraine were discussed at the meeting, which ended yesterday.

The ski resort in Mt Bláfjöll was scheduled to open for the first time this winter at 2 pm today. It was announced on the ski resort's Facebook page early this morning, but since the wind in the area has increased significantly and looks set to pick up even more as the day progresses, Mt Bláfjöll will be closed today.

Finland and Sweden became full-fledged members of NATO and the total number of member-countries reach 32 as a result of the «open doors» policy implementation in the alliance, Valery Gerasimov noted

According to Andrey Kelin, the UK’s official reaction to the launch of the Oreshnik missile was rather vague

The European Commission clarified that the decision to transfer these funds became possible after Kiev fulfilled another package of Brussels' demands on reforming the economy and amending the national legislation

Russian fishermen are now looking for new customers in new places, Chairman of the Fishing Union Alexander Panin noted

According to Valery Gerasimov, more than 240 displays were presented at the thematic sites, including those from friendly countries: Belarus, Iran and China

Get the latest news on the transition to the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump and a new Congress.

TEHRAN –The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in collaboration with the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), has started a project to modernize and update the Instructor Training Center (ITC) and the Technical and Vocational Training Organization (TVTO) of the country.

TEHRAN – Considering the fact that the fertility rate in Iran is stabilized at around 1.6 children per woman, which is much lower than the rate required to replace its aging population, the transition of society from young to middle-aged has become inevitable.

TEHRAN –The fourth Persian Medicine Festival is planned to be held in February with the theme of ‘integration of Persian medicine into the healthcare system’.

TEHRAN –Under the nationality law amended in 2019, a total of 29,045 Iranian identity cards have been issued for children born to Iranian mothers and foreign fathers.

The premier of Canada's most populous province said Tuesday president-elect Donald Trump's plan to impose sweeping 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian products would be a «disaster» that would hurt U.S. stock markets.

In Europe, Christmas tree prices have been falling for the better part of the last decade — in stark contrast to Canada. Why?

After a shark attack took his right leg, professional kiteboarder Lucas Arsenault is back on the water. Lucas Arsenault was on vacation with his family in Turks and Caicos in May when a shark attacked him while snorkelling. He lost his right leg.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's working relationships with women have been part of the conversation around his politics for more than a decade. After Chrystia Freeland's blunt cabinet resignation pushed him to his lowest political moment, the topic is being used against him.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali pirates have issued a $10 million ransom demand for a Chinese-owned fishing vessel and its 18 crew members, amplifying concerns about a resurgence of piracy in the waters off Puntland’s northeastern coast.

Somalia took the ambitious step of banning single-use plastic bags this year, but in a country with many economic challenges, it has proved hard to implement.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Security authorities in Minneapolis, Minnesota, have alerted the management of the Abubakar As-Sadique Islamic Center about credible threats targeting the mosque, reportedly originating from extremist groups. The threats, shared on social media, have led to heightened security measures and temporary suspensions of some educational activities at the mosque.

First lady Jill Biden has taught her last class at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has worked as a professor since 2009.