One of the vessels from the 45th Chinese naval escort task force docked in Seychelles' Port Victoria on Thursday morning and was welcomed by officials from the Chinese Embassy, the community of Chinese in the island nation as well as teachers from the Confucius Institute. The ETF 18 or Urumqi is a boat named after the city of Xinjiang, China, and its arrival in Seychelles was greeted by a dragon dance. Upon its arrival, an official from the vessel came ashore to meet with the Chinese community, the Chinese Ambassador to Seychelles, Lin Nan and the Chief of Staff of the Seychelles Defence Forces, Jean Attala. They were then invited to visit the ship. An official from the vessel came ashore to meet the Chinese community. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY  Visitors had a guided tour where the officers on board explained the different features of the ship and the different equipment they use. Speaking to the media, the chairperson of the Chinese Association of Seychelles, Rose-Mary Lee-Bluemner said, «We are very happy to be here. There are about 200 of us who came to welcome the ship this morning. I am happy to be able to visit the ship as well, it was very impressive.» The director of the Confucius Institute at the University in Seychelles, Jianmei Zhang, said, «We are very proud to have been invited to visit Urumqi. This ship represents our strong backbone and our strength as the People's Republic of China. The Seychellois are also visiting the ship and we hope this gesture strengthens the relationship between the two countries.» 

Seychelles' national airline, Air Seychelles, and SriLankan Airlines, the flag carrier of Sri Lanka, have announced a new code-sharing partnership, expanding the number of destinations accessible to customers from Mahe and Colombo starting this month. The airline said on Friday, «Over 20 destinations are included in the partnership, which includes much  requested ones such as Sydney and Melbourne in Australia as well as other popular stops in India, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. SriLankan Airlines' passengers will also be able to fly from Colombo to Mahe with the activation of the codeshare partnership.» This new codeshare agreement will allow Air Seychelles and SriLankan Airlines to place their codes on each other's flights and enable passengers to continue their journey conveniently using a single booking and with their baggage checked in all the way to the final destination. It also means passengers can book their travels with both airlines, through online travel agencies, as well as with local travel agents. When Air Seychelles launched the Colombo service in June last year, the two airlines signed an initial interline agreement that introduced multiple cities within the Southeast Asia region to the local market's choice of destinations. Air Seychelles' chief executive, Sandy Benoiton, said, «Now that we have been flying to Colombo for over 9 months, the twice-weekly flights have proven successful. The next step to solidifying our relationship is with this code-share, allowing even more passengers the convenience of a single ticket to more points served by our partner in Asia and Australia.» On his side, Richard Nuttall, CEO of SriLankan Airlines said, «We are pleased to boost our codeshare network and presence in the African region through this new partnership. We look forward to working with Air Seychelles to provide our customers with even more African destination options in the coming years.» Flights under the codeshare agreement are available to book now and will begin operating in April 2024.

SINGAPORE — A 19-year-old student who posed as a Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) official to help scammers defraud a woman here was sentenced to eight weeks in jail on April 18. Chinese national Li Jiarui, a computer science student at the Singapore Institute of Management, pleaded guilty to two charges. They comprise one count of intentionally aiding unknown people with carrying out a domestic money transfer service and another count of engaging in a conspiracy to cheat CIMB bank. Another four similar charges were taken into consideration for his sentencing. The court heard that in October 2022, Li received a call, supposedly from DBS Bank, informing him that his identity had been misused for a credit card application in China. He then got a call from «Chinese police» who told him he was being investigated for money laundering. Li did not verify the authenticity of these claims. As part of the purported investigations, he opened several bank accounts and gave the details to the «Chinese police».

Several police officers outfitted with riot gear and weapons were seen breaching a HDB unit in Lengkok Bahru in a viral TikTok video uploaded by user Zailia7276 on Wednesday (April 17). In the video, officers can be seen positioning themselves outside the flat, with one officer pointing a riot-control weapon, the P4.1, through the grills of the metal gate. The P4.1, introduced into the Singapore Police Force's arsenal in 2015, is a less-than-lethal weapon that can be used to fire pepper spray and mark out rioters. The armed officer then steps aside as other officers bring over an electric saw from the right and begin to cut at the gate, sending sparks flying. Meanwhile, another group on the left stands at the ready with an officer in the front, holding a riot shield. An officer then steps in from the right, pulling the now-broken gate open as officers on the left rush into the flat.

The West has neither the time nor resources to help Ukraine build the same kind of air defense system that Israel has, Macron has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Poland has reported arresting a would-be Russian informant who was willing to assist in a hit on Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky Read Full Article at RT.com

Raiffeisen Bank says it is being pressured by the European Central Bank to more rapidly scale back its presence in Russia Read Full Article at RT.com

Kenyan President William Ruto says two soldiers survived a military plane crash that left ten others dead Read Full Article at RT.com

Read Full Article at RT.com

La Nyanga Indivisible (LA NI), nouvelle structure associative portée sur les fonts baptismaux depuis le 15 février dernier à Tchibanga. Elle a pour objectifs, entre autres de contribuer au développement de l'animation socioculturelle et artistique, insérer des jeunes filles mères désœuvrées à l'apprentissage aux métiers, de promouvoir les activités agricoles et commerciales génératrices des revenues, promouvoir l'éducation et le plaidoyer pour la promotion et la protection des droits des (...) - POLITIQUE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

India exported BrahMos missiles to the Philippines under a US$ 375 million deal, enhancing defence cooperation amid regional tensions. An Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster jet carried the cruise missiles from India to the Philippines. It is the first instance of India exporting the BrahMos missile. The BrahMos missile travels at a speed of 2.8 Mach.

Rajnath Singh criticizes Congress, praises BJP's nation-building. Mentions RBI book, Modi's role in war. Talks Telangana, BRS, Vajpayee, Ram temple, Article 37, Triple talaq, CAA. Asserts minorities retain citizenship under CAA.

Delhi CM Kejriwal seeks insulin access in jail. ED cites type 2 diabetes. AAP reports court hearing. MP accuses PM Modi. Atishi alleges fake diet chart in money laundering probe.

In the early hours of polling on Friday, during phase one of Lok Sabha elections covering 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories, a voter turnout ranging from 16.33 per cent to 34.54 per cent was recorded. The situation was marred by sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal and an IED blast in Chhattisgarh that left a CRPF commandant injured.

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia expressed its regret for at the failure of United Nations Security Council adopting a resolution accepting full membership of Palestine in the UN. In an official statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on social media platform X, the Kingdom said the ‘failure to adopt the resolution allows for the Israeli occupation to continue its violations if international law without deterrence and will not bring the desired peace closer.”

According to IMD data from March 14-April 10, 2024, around 125 districts across 23 states and UTs in India are facing drought-like conditions, marking a significant increase from previous years. Some of the worst-affected states include Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, and Tamil Nadu.

A slew of political leaders and celebrities exercised their franchise in their respective polling stations across Tamil Nadu on Friday for the Lok Sabha polls. Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi cast his vote at a polling booth here while chief minister M K Stalin, former chief ministers, O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami and leaders of political parties exercised their franchise.

Campaigning for the BJP-led NDA candidate in Wayanad, K Surendran, the senior BJP leader alleged that Gandhi was practicing the policy of «divide and rule» and «vote bank politics» in the country. «Rahul Gandhi believes in the politics of appeasement. He represents dynastic rule and engages in vote bank politics,» Nadda said while speaking at a roadshow organised in Sulthan Bathery in this hill constituency.

Jyoti, the world's shortest-living woman, cast her vote in Nagpur for the Lok Sabha elections 2024. She holds the record for being the shortest woman in the world at just 62.8 cm tall. Jyoti urged everyone to come out and vote in large numbers, emphasizing the importance of exercising the right to vote.

[VOA] Nairobi -- Kenya's military chief was among nine people killed in a helicopter crash Thursday, according to Kenyan President William Ruto.

[Premium Times] With a target of 58 hours, Onakoya is determined to make a difference in the lives of millions of children across the world

[allAfrica]

The State House hosted a consultation with representatives of the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs, with a focus on the society objective outlined in the National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP).

Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC), Martin Mahe, said the Public Service Internship Program mainly focuses on tertiary graduates, not high school students.

The groundbreaking of the new Teouma Brige Contruction funded by the Japanese Government at VT1.8 billion will take place today.

The new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Solomon Airlines, Sean Te’o, said they are considering a collaboration with Air Vanuatu to train Air Vanuatu’s cabin crew members to work on Solomon Airlines A320 aircraft.

The government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has made a generous commitment of more than VT300 million for the Kumul Highway upgrade in Port Vila, the Foreign Affairs Director General (DG) has confirmed.

So now we know what one of the brains behind Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves believes is responsible for Britain's economic woes. Blame it on the Boomers.

MOGADISHU (HOL) — Somalia has dispatched its new ambassador to Turkey, marking a significant step in enhancing diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Mogadishu (HOL) - Somalia's federal forces, including the Danab Commandos, 162nd Union, and Jubbaland Security Forces, executed a strategic operation in the Jamame district, effectively targeting the Al-Shabaab group.

Hargeisa (HOL) — Somaliland, a self-declared autonomous region, is advancing the construction of a new port in Lughaya, a historic city in the Awdal region, amid ongoing discussions about its strategic agreements with Ethiopia.

National Development Party (NDP) founder and president, Frank Mwenifumbo, has come out guns blazing says voters from the northern region are tired of political parties that are family owned. He didn’t disclose which parties are ‘family owned’, however, Mwenifumbo made the remarks while crying foul over media revelations that his party is behind a battalion […] The post Accused of sponsoring violence, Mwenifumbo charges that northerners are tired of parties that are family owned.   appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Minister of energy Ibrahim Matola has commended Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and its implementing partners for the launch of “Putting Energy to Work Project” component and roll out of the Productive Use of Energy (PUE) saying this is a game changer in accelerating the adoption of renewable energy for income generating activities. The […] The post Govt commends GIZ, UNCDF as “Putting to Energy Work” project rolls out appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.