The Assumption Hotel development project in Seychelles has been submitted to the Planning Authority, which is the final phase before work begins. The announcement was made by Glenny Savy, the managing director of the government-owned Islands Development Company (IDC), in a familiarisation visit by Seychellois journalists to the island. Assumption Island, located some 800 kilometres southwest of the main island of Mahe, is part of the Aldabra group and is managed by the Islands Development Company. The Qatar-based developer, Assets Development Company, which owns several luxury tourist establishments in the Maldives and elsewhere in the world,  plans to build 37 luxury villas and 4 restaurants on the island. «For the time being, we are awaiting permission from the Planning Authority before going ahead with the project,» said Savy. This tourism project is attracting a great deal of interest from the public, and many precautions are being taken to ensure that all aspects concerning the protection of the island's environment are taken into account. For the time being, IDC has planted spikes in the ground to mark out future villas. (Rassin Vannier, Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY          «We came to Assumption last week to gain a better understanding of the project to be developed on this island, and if all goes well in the next six to eight weeks we should be in a position to give an answer,' said Cyril Bonnelame, chairman of the board of the Planning Authority.    For the time being, IDC has planted spikes in the ground to demarcate the future villas and huts have also been installed, ready to house the employees of IDC construction, the company that will be carrying out the work.   To begin with, IDC has already extended the airstrip by 800 metres, bringing the total length to 2 kilometres. Ultimately, the Assumption project will serve to develop tourism in the southern islands of the archipelago, in particular the islands of Astove and Consmoledo, as well as the Aldabra Atoll, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF), which manages Aldabra, has called for the project to be halted so that more detailed studies can be carried out to ensure that there is no danger to the reserve, home to the world's largest population of giant land tortoises. Savy explained that he had had a meeting with the board of directors of the SIF, at which further studies were requested, and all their requests were approved. To begin with, IDC has already extended the runway by 800 metres, bringing the total length to 2 kilometres. (Rassin Vannier, Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY          To carry out such a project, the promoter had to recruit the non-governmental organisation, Island Conservation Seychelles (ICS), to draw up the Class 1 environmental impact plan. »This is the first time we have done a project like this, but we have qualified scientists who have worked on several islands in the region, and we even had to put in place a biosafety and biodiversity plan,' said Norman Weber, chairman of the board of ICS. He said that the plan was submitted to the Ministry of the Environment, which accepted it. According to the environmental impact plan, the villas will be built some 40 metres from the fine sandy beach of Assumption, and Weber said, it is far enough from the shore not to disturb the sea turtles that are present in the lagoon throughout the year to lay their eggs.   Given that Assumption is an island without water or electricity, IDC plans to build all the infrastructure necessary for life on the island to function properly. Assumption's rocky desert soil, after the island was exploited for its guano reserves. (Rassin Vannier, Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY  IDC, which already has this expertise on the island of Desroches, plans to reproduce the same model, namely the construction of a photovoltaic cell producing between 4 and 5 megawatts. This will supply all the electricity and a small desalination plant, an incinerator and a wastewater treatment centre.    Savy said that IDC will build all the infrastructure to accommodate 300 hotel staff and 100 company employees who will be permanently on the island once the project is completed. If all goes according to plan, Savy plans to start work at the beginning of December. «The first phase of the project, which consists of building the infrastructure, is expected to cost between $42 million (SCR562 million) and $45 million (SCR603 million), and a further contract will be awarded to finish the project,» he added. Work is expected to take between 24 and 30 months, with the hotel expected to open between March and April 2026.  Assumption Island is located some 800 kilometres southwest of the main island of Mahe. (Rassin Vannier, Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY 

[HRW] Abuses by the Congolese Army, Rwandan Forces, M23, and Other Armed Groups

[RFI] The NGO Human Rights Watch has accused the Rwandan army and the M23 armed group of «indiscriminately bombing» displacement camps around Goma, the capital of North Kivu, as unrest in the eastern DRC intensifies.

[HRW] Congolese Army Puts Displaced People Around Goma at Greater Risk

Business Partners International (BPI) Malawi, a fund manager that provides business finance and support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), has appointed experienced economist and financial expert Bond Mtembezeka as its new Country Manager to lead its operations in Malawi. Mtembezeka brings extensive experience in Asset Management, Banking, Investments, and Corporate Finance, with over eight […] The post BPI Malawi appoints new Country Manager appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Wes Streeting's repeated claims that the 'NHS is broken' risk 'spooking' patients and putting them off seeking care, health leaders warn.

[Nyasa Times] The Road Safety Alert Foundation (ROSAF) says they will host a Car Free Day this coming Friday, September 27, 2024, in Lilongwe in order to sensitise the public on the alternative modes of transportation to reduce carbon emissions and accidents.

[Africa Check] No evidence that 'shame plant' can cure mpox

[allAfrica] Senegal woke up this Tuesday, September 24, 2024, under an overcast sky, and sad to show its mourning, following the disappearance of the patriarch, Amadou Mahtar Mbow, former director general of UNESCO for 13 years from 1974 to 1987.

On the second day of the East-West Line train disruption, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and transport operator SMRT said that they are aiming for the partial restoration of train services by Friday (Sept 27). In a statement on Thursday (Sept 26) evening, they said: «We are still unable to resume train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations in both directions today.» They are aiming for a partial restoration of train services on Friday, with a single line shuttle service running every 20 minutes between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations. «Restoring train services safely and promptly is our top priority, and we will continue to provide updates as the situation progresses,» they added. Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat also gave an update on the situation on Thursday evening. «The engineers from SMRT and LTA have been working throughout the night to assess and to carry out repairs to the damaged tracks and equipment,» he said.

Le mercredi 25 septembre, le Dr. Jill Biden, Première Dame des États-Unis, a convié un groupe prestigieux de personnalités internationales à un brunch au Pier 57 de New-York, en marge de la 79ème session de l'Assemblée Générale des Nations Unies. Cet événement, haut en couleur, a réuni des leaders d'opinion et des figures influentes, afin de renforcer les liens diplomatiques et culturels entre les nations. Le Dr Jill Biden a chaleureusement accueilli ses invités, dans une atmosphère à (...) - COOPERATION / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

The UN mission in Libya has announced that the country’s rival factions have signed a preliminary agreement to address a central bank crisis Read Full Article at RT.com

The Russian foreign intelligence service has accused the US and the UK of coving up their culpability for the 2022 Nord Stream attack Read Full Article at RT.com

Pavel Durov, whose fortune is valued at around $15.5 billion, has reportedly told police that his annual salary amounts to just one dirham Read Full Article at RT.com

New Delhi has allowed foreign diplomats to witness the long-awaited assembly election in J&K Read Full Article at RT.com

Keir Starmer made the gaffe as he was relaying London’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Read Full Article at RT.com

SINGAPORE — Five pupils who sat the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) were late because of the MRT disruption on the East-West Line (EWL) on Thursday (Sept 26), said the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB). In response to queries, SEAB said that about 41,000 school candidates sat the PSLE English and Foundation English written papers, with five of them affected by the train disruption on Thursday morning. They arrived before the end of the paper and were given time to settle down and get the full duration of the paper. «Of the five candidates, one sat for the examination in a different examination centre,» SEAB said. Candidates have been advised to contact their schools if they are affected by the train disruption, and the board added that it will work with schools to support pupils.

A Russian ship loaded with 20,000 tons of explosive cargo - and has previously been dubbed 'the floating bomb' - has been spotted near the Kent coast today. 

For a couple weeks in June, there was great concern around Parliament Hill that unnamed MPs or senators had been compromised, perhaps even wittingly, by foreign states — fears raised by a startling, if opaque, report by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians.

Changes to the program, in effect as of Sept. 26, are aimed at shrinking the program and pushing employers to invest more in local employees.

Minister of Technology and Innovation Nate Glubish made a pitch to Silicon Valley on a trip last week. But the cost of power in Alberta may hinder these ambitious plans, one data centre CEO argues.

For decades, Canadian governments have avoided thinking about what it would take to fight a long conventional war. Now, NATO is asking members to develop national plans to bolster their defence industrial capacity. Can NATO put Canadian industry on a 'war footing'?

A memorial plaque has been placed near a creek in Pointe-Claire, Que., where a six-year-old boy drowned 50 years ago. His siblings are now hoping to find the Good Samaritan behind this tribute to express their gratitude.

Mogadishu (HOL) — The Somali Council of Ministers appointed General Asad Osman Abdullahi as the country's new police commissioner on Thursday, replacing Major General Sulub Ahmed Firin.

Energy supply security is often defined as the availability of an adequate supply of energy at a reasonable cost. Even a partial supply disruption can have severe consequences, which the European Union has experienced on several occasions. Over the years, energy market developments have affected the EU's economic situation time and again, from the 1970s oil crisis to the 2009 gas crisis and 2022 energy price crisis following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With the exception of coal, the EU's energy resources are limited, leaving it particularly vulnerable to disruption, particularly for oil and gas supplies. The EU has a relatively high dependency on energy imports (62.5 % in 2022) and this rate has been increasing since 1990. The EU has built a legislative framework to ensure the security of its energy supplies. The electricity sector is subject to a regulation on risk-preparedness that mandates Member States to implement tools for preventing and managing potential electricity crises – and to work together once such crises occur. The Oil Stocks Directive requires Member States to hold a minimum reserve and inform the European Commission about the stock they hold. The EU Regulation concerning measures to safeguard the security of gas supply ('Security of Gas Supply Regulation') introduces a solidarity mechanism between Member States and a supply standard ensuring continuous gas supply to protected customers. Despite this comprehensive framework, significant challenges remain on the road towards a fully-fledged EU energy security strategy. The planned revision of the EU regulation, expected for 2025, could provide the impetus to adapt the existing security framework to new challenges resulting from the decarbonisation of the energy market and new import patterns. The security framework could be broadened to reflect a new way of perceiving energy supply security, based not only on energy sources, but also on the ability to produce energy domestically (including through renewable energy). The issue of energy security will likely remain a long-term challenge for the EU. Scope remains for stronger coordination between Member States and legislative intervention to complete the framework. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Amid the rush to secure Malaysia's Vehicle Entry Permits (VEP) before the Oct 1 deadline, some Singapore drivers have fallen prey to scams that offer help with VEP applications.  Several drivers said they've received fake RFID tags after engaging these services, Shin Min Daily News reported on Wednesday (Sept 25). Wang, an employee of Zhou Xiaobao Singapore-Malaysia Towing Services, which helps Singaporean drivers apply for VEP, told Shin Min that the company has received at least three complaints of fake RFID tags over the past three weeks.  His company charges around $200 for VEP application, while the fraudsters are offering the same service for $130.  «When car owners submitted their information [to the scammers], they were given RFID tags. »But when the car owners took the RFID tags to the installation centre, they were told the tags were fake," he said.  Wang explained that his company charges more for services as some car owners also consult them on specific problems regarding the RFID tags, which they will try to resolve. 

The Road Safety Alert Foundation (ROSAF) says they will host a Car Free Day this coming Friday, September 27, 2024, in Lilongwe in order to sensitise the public on the alternative modes of transportation to reduce carbon emissions and accidents. Addressing the press conference in Lilongwe, ROSAF Executive Director Joel Jere said the day is […] The post Malawi to commemorate Car free day this coming Friday appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Renowned businessperson Charles Zimba, chief executive officer for SICO Holdings, and renowned musician Elli Njuchi are set to headline an exciting Mbumba Arts and Cultural Festival this Saturday at Mzuzu Stadium from 10:00 hrs to 19:30 hrs. The festival will include different music performances, cultural dances, cultural food, cultural heritage presentations and cultural clothing. Artists […] The post Businessperson Charles Zimba, Elli Njuchi to headline Mbumba cultural Festival in Mzuzu this Saturday appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.