The Seychelles Port Authority (SPA) conducted a successful operation to remove a cargo vessel, MV Spil Ningsih, that was grounded near Ste Anne Island on Saturday. President Wavel Ramkalawan has issued a message of appreciation and encouragement to everyone who was involved in the operation. In a press statement on Monday, the Authority said when the incident happened, the harbour master, the chief executive and the deputy chief executive of SPA were immediately informed. According to the press statement, «The Harbour Master activated the emergency response team of approximately 30 members of the operations team and all available marine assets were mobilised to assist in the operation.» The Seychelles Maritime Safety Authority (SMSA), Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG), and National Information Sharing and Coordination Centre (NISCC) were also alerted. By the time these authorities were notified, SPA pilots, tugs, and mooring personnel were already on-site, initiating efforts to free the vessel. The Authority said given that the grounding occurred within the Ste Anne Marine Park, a protected area, all resources needed to be mobilised swiftly. «Due to the vessel's size and location, time was of the essence to prevent the ship from turning parallel to the land, which could have increased the risk of pollution and complicated recovery efforts. SPA deployed all available marine assets and resources to manage the situation,» added the statement. A preliminary risk assessment of the vessel and its surroundings showed no visible signs of pollution or leakage. The vessel remained stable, which helped mitigate the risk of an oil spill during recovery operations. After several attempts, the vessel was successfully refloated at 1.10 am on Sunday during the early stages of the rising tide. It was then towed to a safe anchorage for further inspections before being cleared to dock at Mahe Quay. The SPA personnel continued to monitor the vessel's draft for an hour after the operation to ensure there was no water ingress and MV Spil Ningsih was safely docked at Mahe Quay at 5.47 pm. 

Among the mission’s recommendations was «to increase the resilience of and citizens’ confidence in electoral processes in the country»

Under the scenario of the drills, the notional enemy crossed the state border in several directions, the report specified

The current US policy «ditches the possibility of resuming the dialogue on the Gaza ceasefire, jeopardizes the security and sovereignty of Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and exacerbates the risk of plunging the entire region into the abyss of conflict»

Over the day, the Russian troops have repelled a Ukrainian counterattack in the area of Novoivanovka, the Defense Ministry reported

Anton Kobyakov is confident that this coperation «will contribute to the further development of relations»

Addis Ababa (HOL) – The Ethiopian government has sentenced 60 members of the al-Shabab militant group to prison terms ranging from 2.5 years to 18 years after they were captured during clashes with Ethiopian troops.

New Brunswickers will cast their votes today in what is being predicted to be a tight provincial election.

The Alberta government is set to reveal on Monday its plans for interim housing in Jasper, which saw about 800 housing units destroyed in a wildfire in July.

Fifteen years after filing a lawsuit against the Canadian government over his detention in Sudan, Abousfian Abdelrazik is getting his day in court.

Ontario's provincial parliament will be a hive of activity today, as the legislature resumes sitting following a 19-week summer break.

Allies of Angela Rayner had voiced anxiety that she was being sidelined after she was only given a temporary post on the crucial committee.

Champion horse Think About It suffered a catastrophic internal haemorrhage during the running of the Sydney Stakes in Australia on Saturday

Storm Ashley was still bringing 55mph wind gusts across Scotland today before moving northwards past Iceland later - after a top speed of 102mph when it hit yesterday.

West Jerusalem has reportedly given Washington a list of conditions for a diplomatic solution to the Lebanon conflict, the outlet claims Read Full Article at RT.com

A veteran British commando involved in the training of Ukrainian soldiers has died in Wales Read Full Article at RT.com

A decision by French President Emmanuel Macron to bar Israeli firms from a military expo is “undemocratic,” Israel’s FM has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Two allies of a top Mozambican opposition leader have been assassinated ahead of their party’s legal challenge to a disputed election Read Full Article at RT.com

At least seven people were killed after suspected terrorists opened fire at a camp housing construction workers in India’s Kashmir region Read Full Article at RT.com

Former Workers' Party (WP) member Yudhishthra Nathan admitted in court on Monday (Oct 21) that he had disregarded clear instructions not to discuss evidence that he was supposed to provide to the Committee of Privileges (COP). Nathan was cross-examined by Pritam Singh's lawyer, Andre Jumabhoy, on the sixth day of the WP chief's ongoing trial. During his cross-examination, Jumabhoy asked the ex-WP cadre if he remembered speaking to fellow member Loh Pei Ying about which text messages to redact when providing evidence to the Committee of Privileges regarding former Sengkang MP Raeesah Khan's conduct in Parliament. Nathan said he and Loh spoke about the overall redaction process, adding that he had told her that he believed private views expressed to Khan after Oct 4, 2021 were «immaterial». The defence lawyer then asked Nathan if he was aware Loh had been told not to discuss her evidence with anybody, and whether Nathan had also been explicitly warned not to do so. «And you leave Parliament, and you do exactly that?» he asked, to which Nathan answered: «Yes.»

SINGAPORE - A 50-year-old man was arrested in connection with the death of another man, aged 41, who was found unconscious at the void deck of a housing block in Clementi on Oct 21. The 41-year-old man was taken to hospital, where he died, said police. The men knew each other, according to preliminary police investigations. Police had received a call for assistance at 5pm in Clementi Avenue 4. The 50-year-old suspect was detained at the scene and arrested in relation to the case, they added. MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Sim Ann was seen comforting a tearful elderly man and woman at the scene. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance at Block 311B Clementi Avenue 4 around 5pm and took one person to Ng Teng Fong Hospital. Another person was assessed for minor injuries by an SCDF paramedic but declined to be taken to hospital, it added. More to follow.

The session of the Nordic Council will be held in Reykjavík from October 27 to 31. Bryndís Haraldsdóttir, president of the Nordic Council, says she does not believe that the upcoming parliamentary elections in this country and the election campaign related to them will affect the work of the parliament.

Get the latest news from the 2024 campaign trail in the contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump.

The U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who built a powerful Islamic movement in Turkey and beyond but spent his later years mired in accusations of orchestrating an attempted coup against Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan, has died. He was 83.

Cubans expressed rage and disappointment in their government on Sunday, as they dealt with day three of a near-total nationwide power outage, with residents of the island nation running short on cash, watching their food spoil and carrying water in buckets. «What is going to happen to my daughter?» asked a desperate Adismary Cuza, worried for the 21-year-old whose medication for a chronic kidney disease needs to be chilled. «My refrigerator has been down for three days and I am afraid everything is going to go to waste,» she said on her way to work in Havana's old quarter. «What is going to happen in this country?» asked Cuza. Residents of Communist-run Cuba have grown used to sporadic blackouts, but Cuza questioned how authorities could have allowed the entire grid to go down. The power grid failed in a chain reaction Friday due to the unexpected shutdown of the biggest of the island's eight decrepit coal-fired power plants, according to the head of electricity supply at the energy ministry, Lazaro Guerra. Crews have been scrambling to restore power, but while some customers were back online, the blackout remained near total on Sunday, according to officials. - 'No life here' - Serguei Castillo, a 68-year-old retired construction worker, was as worried as Cuza. He went out in search of cigarettes, although he had no cash since banks had been closed since Friday and ATMs were down. «There is no life here. This country gives nothing,» said Castillo, who retired three years ago and receives a monthly pension that is equivalent to about $38. He said he had been living on junk food for two days. Cuba was already dealing with its worst economic crisis in 30 years, battling sky-high inflation and shortages of food, medicine, fuel and water, plus increasingly frequent power outages. «Two days without electricity? What is this, sir? What is going to happen? Cubans are tired of so many problems,» said Castillo. In recent months some provinces have had to put up with blackouts lasting as long as 20 hours per day. - 'Paralyzed' - The blackout has had knock-on effects, too. Among other things, no electricity means many buildings cannot pump water. In the Vedado neighborhood, Isabel, 51, said her husband had just carried 20 buckets of water up to their second-floor apartment. She said they were able to tolerate power outages that lasted a few hours, but the extended blackout was unacceptable. «This is a lack of respect for people. I have no other way to describe what is happening,» said Isabel, who declined to give her last name. «A country paralyzed for three days is too much,» she said. Luis Jimenez, a 22-year-old university student, said he frets over the future -- the next few days, and over the longer term. «If this is not resolved soon I don't know how we will live in the next few days,» he said. «This is a country in ruins. It is destroyed,» said Jimenez. © Agence France-Presse

Air Seychelles has announced several new flights as part of its service expansion for the busy upcoming festive season to provide passengers with even more options when choosing their holiday destinations. Starting in December and continuing to early January, Air Seychelles will add a new flight on Wednesday resulting in an average of four flights per week. The Seychelles' national carrier will also increase its services to Johannesburg to meet the high demand during peak travel times. A fourth weekly flight will include a new Saturday evening departure with a return journey available early Sunday morning. There will be an expanded schedule for Mumbai in India from December 18 to January 1st next year. Three additional flights on Wednesdays will be added, facilitating a twice-weekly service to Mumbai. Additionally, the Saturday flight to Colombo in Sri Lanka will now depart Seychelles at 5.30 pm to provide a significantly faster connection to multiple destinations offered by Air Seychelles' codeshare partner SriLankan Airlines. Air Seychelles said this will be particularly beneficial for visitors exiting Bangkok in Thailand as it allows for a quick one-hour connection without the need for a visa. A seasonal service to Reunion Island, a French overseas department, will be launched from December 30 to January 18 next year. Charles Johnson, chief commercial officer of Air Seychelles, said, «We are excited to announce additional flights for the upcoming festive season, allowing passengers even more options for their favorite destination. Additionally, our new nonstop flights to La Reunion provide significant time savings over previous indirect flight options. As this will be a very busy holiday period, we recommend everyone to book their flights as soon as possible.»

The winners of the Antoine Abel Prize, a writing contest that encourages the production of literature in the Seychellois Creole language, were rewarded on Friday at the International Conference Centre of  Seychelles  (ICCS). Marie Clarisse, Aneesa Vel, Rita Julie, Lourra Barra and Marie Hoareau produced the best works this year, while Robert Mondon received his prize posthumously. The prize-giving ceremony allowed the authors to sign copies of their books on sale in local book outlets. The Antoine Abel Prize is named after Seychelles' renowned poet and writer Antoine Abel, who passed away in 2004. The literary contest was first launched by Seychellois artist Leon Radegonde, as a regional competition in 1997, promoting literary works in the Indian Ocean region. The competition encourages Seychellois writers to submit work in various categories, in the native Seychellois Creole language. The fourth edition of the literary contest saw the participation of writers in five categories: short story, poetry, novel, translation and play. The prize-giving ceremony allowed the authors to sign copies of their books on sale in local book outlets. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY  This year the prize-giving ceremony coincides with the 39th edition of the Creole Festival, a month-long event, which is an annual celebration of the various aspects of the country's culture. An assistant researcher at the Literature Unit at the Creole Academy, Jenny Saminadin, told SNA that the quality of work received this year has been very good. «Usually the literary contest is held every two years, however, we launched this one last year as we are catching up with the delay caused by COVID,» she said. While all the given categories open to prospective writers had submissions, Saminadin explained that it was only for translated works that they did not receive enough submissions. The winners received monetary prizes for their efforts - SCR 20,000 ($1,500) for the first prize, SCR 15,000 ($1,100) for the second, and SCR 10,000 ($700) for the third. The entries for the sixth edition of the Antoine Abel competition have already been submitted to the Creole Academy, while Saminadin explained that they have already launched the seventh. 

The Seychelles' honorary consul general in Bulgaria, Maxim Behar, visited the Beau Vallon Administration office last week and presented on his behalf an expensive, super–powerful laptop with all necessary software preloaded, sports equipment, footballs, tennis rackets, balls, and specially produced t-shirts for the children with the sign «Mon Kontan Beau Vallon.»  Behar, together with the Seychelles' honorary consuls in Israel, Jordan, and Bangladesh, had «adopted» the district as part of a programme initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism. The donation was accepted with thanks by the elected member of the National Assembly for the Beau Vallon district, John Hoareau, and also by the district administrator, Mirenda Cardovillis, at a special ceremony in the building of the Administration office. «This is an honour and responsibility to be able to donate such useful equipment to my lovely Beau Vallon district where I come for decades and I think I know personally almost all inhabitants. I am really sorry that my other three colleagues could not join me on this visit, but I am sure that their donations will be presented soon,» Behar said. Two years ago, Behar also donated a huge quantity of sports equipment to Marie-Celine Zialor, the Minister for Youth, Sports Family to help the preparation of the Seychelles football team for the Indian Ocean Games. Years before he also donated a set of musical instruments to the Seychelles School of Music, Dance and Drama. Last week also, Behar was awarded a special plaque for his long-term service to Seychelles by President Wavel Ramkalawan.

Firebrand Indigenous politician Lidia Thorpe has interrupted King Charles ' address at Parliament House in Canberra with a foul-mouthed rant, after he finished a speech praising his welcome to Australia.

Parking wardens across the country are being attacked by angry motorists with frightening regularity with some unfortunate inspectors being doused in urine and pelted with eggs.

Ferguson reportedly received £2.16million-a-year to serve as a global ambassador for the club but recently lost his contract after a face-to-face meeting with minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe .