Seychelles has begun updating its National Implementation (NIP) Plan to effectively target Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and stay aligned with the Stockholm Convention. A workshop was held at the Savoy Resort and Spa hotel on Tuesday to receive the input of not only government officials but also those from civil society, academia and the industry. POPs are compounds that are difficult to destroy, keeping their chemical makeup over long periods that have been linked to a number of health problems in humans. The Stockholm Convention, to which Seychelles is a signatory, calls for governments to take measures to reduce or eliminate the release of POPs into the environment. In her address to officially open the workshop, the director of the Division for Waste, Enforcement and Permit Division, Nanette Laure, said that Seychelles signing the Stockholm Convention represents its collective commitment to safeguarding human health and the environment from the adverse effects of POPs. She said that with the «Seychelles' unique biodiversity and reliance on marine and terrestrial resources, the effective management of such substances is not just an obligation but most importantly it is a necessity.» The participants reviewed the objectives and framework of the Stockholm Convention and its implications for Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean. The aim of updating the NIP is to take into account the latest scientific knowledge, technological advancements and most importantly newly listed POPs which in turn Laure said would ensure a comprehensive approach to addressing those polluants. Participants also had the chance to identify challenges, opportunities and priority actions for the updated plan as well as assess progress and achievements made in the existing NIP. Seychelles developed its first NIP in 2007 - where it identified 12 pesticidal POPs that should be eliminated. Local expert Cliff Gonzalves has been appointed as the National Lead Expert for updating the NIP. Over the coming two years, he will be working with the local stakeholders to make an inventory of POPs in the country in an effort to make sure the data available is up to date. The Department of Environment, which is leading the project, also revealed that there will be training sessions as part of the process. The Global Environment Facility (GEF), through the Africa Institute, is providing capacity-building support for updating the NIP.

Kamloops RCMP are asking for the public’s help in locating a man wanted on a country-wide warrant for being unlawfully at large.

[allAfrica]

Ukrainian side had committed to not using the mines in areas populated by civilians

Donald Trump announced that his campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt will be the new White House press secretary

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The Elleston Road police are probing the death of a man whose body was found along the Palisadoes main road in Kingston on Monday. The body is of a dark complexion, slim build, 5 feet 11 inches long, and was clad in a multi-coloured shirt only. The...

Cops assigned to the St Andrew South Police Division today discovered a rifle in the roof of a premises located along Glen Road during an operation in the area. No one was arrested in relation to the seizure. Reports from the Hunts Bay police are...

The 76-year-old was in the running to be the president-elect's pick to be Commerce Secretary but eventually lost out to Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick.

Liam Payne's funeral will take place today, with all four of his former One Direction bandmates expected to pay their respects at the ceremony in the Home Counties.

Russia has signalled it will retaliate with full-scale nuclear war after Ukraine launched US-made missiles over the border on Tuesday. 

SINGAPORE – In a case involving the first prosecution under a new law aimed at addressing risks relating to money laundering, a business called Kim Heng Jewellers and Goldsmiths was fined $35,000 on Nov 19. Two employees of the store, located at People’s Park Complex in Park Road, sold valuables worth more than $313,000 in total to customers, and over $140,000 of that amount was later traced to two Singaporean victims of a malware scam. The women, who were working for the store at the time, had processed the payments without conducting the necessary checks, despite having reasons to suspect that the funds were linked to money laundering activities. The business was convicted of one charge, involving more than $173,000, under the Precious Stones and Precious Metals (Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing) Act. Two other similar charges linked to the remaining amount were considered during sentencing.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Singapore has to be realistic and adapt to the current shape of global trade, as it continues to work with like-minded countries to strengthen support for multilateralism, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Tuesday (Nov 19). This means bringing Asean countries closer together and linking up with other regional groups, such as the Mercosur bloc in Latin America, he told reporters on the last day of the Group of 20 (G-20) Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. «The reality is that trade is continuing, but it is being reconfigured,» PM Wong said in an interview to wrap up his trip, where he spoke on the impact of changes to global trade flows and why the Republic's participation at international meetings like the G-20 Summit makes a difference. Singapore is not a member of the G-20, which comprises 19 major and emerging economies, along with the European Union and African Union. However, it is regularly invited to take part in the group's meetings.

The police chief of Berlin, Barbara Slowik, has advised Jewish and LGBTQ individuals to exercise caution when visiting certain neighborhoods Read Full Article at RT.com

According to th statement, London is promoting new rounds of escalation

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According to the report, the Ukrainian military has sufficient launchers that are capable of firing them

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The Monster of Avignon denied having any knowledge of photographs that showed his daughter, Caroline Darian, aged 20, lying on a bed unconscious and dressed in lingerie.

A young couple fear for the implications for their newborn daughter after she was wrongly listed as male in a bizarre birth certificate error which they have so far proved unsuccessful in rectifying.

Barrie police are on the scene of an ongoing investigation in the area of Bayfield Street and Heather Street.

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

Ukraine’s ATACMS strike in Russia’s Bryansk region marks an intensification of the war amid uncertainty over Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

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The furious rant comes as thousands of farmers and their supporters descended on London today for a mass protest against Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Budget plan.