Visitors to Seychelles and locals had the chance during the weekend to appreciate the Creole culture during a cultural tourism event called the «Rendez-Vous Praslinois» on Praslin, the second most populated island. The initiative, called «Creole Rendez-Vous, that was launched by the Department of Tourism last year, is also held on La Digue Island to give the local community a place to market and sell their locally made products. Artisans and entrepreneurs on Praslin mounted their stalls all around the Berjaya Praslin Beach Hotel's beachfront area while various local handicrafts, drinks and dishes were also on sale. Bernadette Sofola, a well-known entrepreneur from Anse Kerlan, in the district of Grand Anse, showcased her products in her stall that day. »Kot Dadette« - the name of her business, produces an assortment of jams made with various fruits, coconut nougat (coconut fudge), cassava cake, pickles and curry powder. »I acquired these skills from my great grandparents so I decided to put into practice what I have learned,« she said. Bernadette Sofola, a well-known entrepreneur from Anse Kerlan, in the district of Grand Anse. (Mandy Bertin) Photo License: CC-BY   Mikaela Marie, owner of Chaquell tailoring, sold her locally-made products but decided not to stick to only tailoring but to venture into another avenue. For the past two years, the young artisan has been working with resin, a semi-solid natural and synthetic compound that can be hardened into a durable plastic material. She uses resin to make a selection of jewellery items such as necklaces and earrings and the main attraction at her stall was the handbag she has sewn with the map of Praslin on it. There were also various stalls selling scrumptious dishes such as the fruit bat curry, cooked in coconut milk and the much-loved salted fish chutney. Another stall that attracted a lot of visitors was one belonging to Florette Barbe and her 89-year-old mother Eloise Barbe. Both artisans were weaving dried up leaves of a type of palm tree called Latanier or Seychelles stilt palm. Aside from Latanier, they also use coconut leaf sheath, which is known as tanmi koko in the local language. With latanier leaves, handbags, table mats in the form of the famous coco de mer nut and the giant tortoises of Aldabra are made. An artisans were weaving dried up leaves of a type of palm tree called Latanier or Seychelles stilt palm. (Mandy Bertin) Photo License:  CC-BY  Handmade coconut soy wax candles, coconut wax melts and coconut vegan reed diffusers were also on sale by Sey Glow, a local business owned by Beverley and Craig Green. Sey Glow focuses on natural, clean and sustainable handmade products that bear Creole names such as Moutya, kanmtole, Dan Marmit and Fanm Kreol. The cultural experience would not be complete without the traditional Moutya dance, which has been added to UNESCO's list of intangible heritage, and this is exactly what was on the programme to close the curtains on this event. Speaking to SNA, the director general for Destination Planning and Development in the Tourism Department, Paul Lebon, said the event falls under the Creole Rendez-Vous umbrella that the Tourism Department is promoting, to enhance visitor experience in terms of cultural tourism activities. »Many visitors have voiced out that there is a lack of cultural experience and activities that will enable them to enjoy and learn about the Seychellois culture, so we have taken the lead through these series of events," he said.

The number of Americans who don’t like both Trump and Biden is historically high, a new survey has found Read Full Article at RT.com

An eight-year-old boy is fighting for his life after being shot in the head by a rampaging gunman at a family splashpad as seven others were also gunned down. 

It was certainly a birthday to remember for King Charles as he attended his first Trooping the Colour since his cancer diagnosis.

The excitement of moving into a new home quickly died down for one family, as they fell sick one after another.  Song Hongjun, 52, told Lianhe Zaobao that he purchased a 1,615 sq ft condo unit at Normanton Park in June 2023, and hired Far East Service Centre to handle the unit's renovations and furnishing.  The Songs moved into the apartment on March 13 this year, after renovations were completed.  Trouble began that very day, as Song's eight-year-old daughter developed dry eyes and a sore throat. The 52-year-old businessman and his wife didn't think too much of their child's discomfort, until they also developed similar symptoms.  After losing her voice for two weeks, Song's wife visited the doctor and was told that she might be suffering from formaldehyde poisoning. Formaldehyde is a colourless, pungent chemical that is found in adhesives, composite wood and paint, which are used in furniture such as cabinets. High levels of exposure to formaldehyde can irritate the skin, throat, lungs and eyes, while long-term exposure can potentially lead to cancer.

We, therefore, decided to undertake concrete steps in the future in the above-mentioned areas with further engagement of the representatives of all parties," agency said, citing the draft document

«I believe they are in a state of war with Russia,» Sergey Tsekov said

Ex-US President repeatedly stated earlier that he would be able to stop the conflict in Ukraine in case of his return to the White House

«They are fully under external control of the collective West,» Viktor Medvedchuk said

US military also said that it counters China in the information space

JEDDAH: Every year, more than 2 million people visit Saudi Arabia to perform the sacred ritual of Hajj, leading to challenges in transportation, crowd management and communication. In response, Saudi Arabia has leveraged hackathons and adopted innovative technological solutions to tackle these obstacles. A hackathon is a collaborative event, typically a multi-day challenge, in which programmers, designers and project managers work intensively on software projects.

RIYADH: The Saudi Water Authority announced on Friday that nearly 1 billion liters of water would be pumped to Makkah and the holy sites during the Day of Tarwiyah, as part of its operational plan to secure the supply for pilgrims and all beneficiaries during the Hajj season, the state news agency SPA reported. The authority said it is preparing to keep pace with the water needs for the Day of Arafah, Eid Al-Adha, and the Days of Tashreeq, after announcing its readiness to raise the supply to record levels over last year.

JEDDAH: Not so long ago, the very notion of flying cars was considered pure science fiction. However, a recent public demonstration in Saudi Arabia has shown that the technology is not only real, but could soon become a staple of the public transport and logistics network. Officials from the Kingdom’s Ministry of Transport and Logistics, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, and the Ministry of Hajj gathered in the Saudi city of Makkah on June 12 to watch what was billed as the first successful test flight of a self-driving aerial taxi.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday met today with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, on the sidelines of the Ukraine Peace Summit, being held in the Swiss city of Lucerne. During the meeting, they discussed developments in the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, opportunities to enhance cooperation between the Kingdom and Ukraine, and ways to support and develop it in many fields, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Interior and chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud has inspected the special security forces participating in this year's Hajj security forces in Makkah, the Saudi Press Agency said early Sunday. As part of the visit, Prince Abdulaziz met with the commanders of the forces and discussed their preparations for their assigned tasks. Prince Abdulaziz was accompanied by several high-ranking officials and senior officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and State Security.  

BBC DJ Liz Kershaw has hit out at protesters targeting Barclays' sponsorship of summer music festivals, warning their woke opposition will be 'potentially devastating for our culture'.

The celebrity chef, 57, told his 17.4 million Instagram followers to 'wear a helmet', as his saved his life in the crash.

EXCL: Teresa Marshall de Paoli, the partner of the Marquess of Ailesbury for 37 years, said she was shunned at his funeral after he was found bleeding from the head last month.

As 40,000 fans in red and white descended on Germany, where tournament favourites England take on Serbia today, expectations in the host nation and at home were reaching fever pitch.

A tense standoff has erupted on a residential Detroit street after a gunman opened fire on up to 10 people at a family splashpad before fleeing to a nearby home. 

Late Friday afternoon, the City of Calgary held a media availability to deliver an update on the status of the 16 Avenue water main break that delivered shocking news.

Environment Canada says storms tracking over British Columbia's south coast brought hail to the region today, with one witness reporting pellets the size of large peas blanketing his local streets.

Toronto police are appealing for witnesses and information as they deploy a “significant amount of resources” into the investigation of the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy in Scarborough on Saturday afternoon.

American men lose interest in military service, driving the US Army’s recruiting shortfalls, report says Read Full Article at RT.com

French President Emmanuel Macron argues that Ukraine must not capitulate to end its conflict with Russia Read Full Article at RT.com

Ankara has warned against the escalation of the standoff between Russia and the West Read Full Article at RT.com

The Saudi foreign minister has said that reaching a peace agreement in Ukraine is not possible without involving Russia in the talks Read Full Article at RT.com

Three people involved in a collision along the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) have been accused of fleeing the scene by the driver of the car they hit. A series of pictures posted to Facebook group SG Road Vigilante on Friday (June 14) showed two men and one woman exiting a dark blue car, which had rear-ended a silver car. One of the men can be seen holding a pink paper bag, while the second is seemingly taking pictures of the collision. The driver of the silver car, surnamed Yeo, said that he is looking to identify the three people who fled on foot after the accident, which took place on Friday morning along the PIE towards Tuas, before Exit 12. «[They] did not even stop to exchange contacts. Spotted [them] carrying some pink bags and [they were] later observed to have crossed the expressway no longer carrying the bags,» Yeo wrote. He added that no record of the car's license plate number could be found on the One Motoring portal, attaching a screengrab of his search.

ARAFAT: Amid strict security and health measures, this year’s Hajj pilgrims arrived in Arafat early Saturday morning, the ninth day of Dul Hijjah, and attended the annual Hajj sermon at Namirah Mosque. As the sun rose, pilgrims camping in the tent city of Mina performed dawn prayers, then began their journey to Arafat, where Prophet Muhammad gave his final sermon more than 144 decades ago. On Saturday, one could hear nothing louder than the crowd chanting supplications.

ARAFAT: The General Authority for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque translated the Arafat Day sermon on Saturday into 37 international languages, including live translation into 20 and non-simultaneous translation into 17 further languages. This allowed Muslims to follow the sermon through the Al-Haramain platform, the authority’s YouTube channel, the Nusuk platform, and FM radio frequencies in the Arafat region.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday received cables of congratulations from leaders of Islamic countries on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, which begins on Monday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The king and crown prince sent messages of thanks to the leaders for their congratulatory cables. Hajj pilgrims arrived in Arafat early Saturday morning, the ninth day of Dul Hijjah, and attended the annual Hajj sermon at Namirah Mosque.