Seychellois and Kenyan experts will soon be able to use a national biological risk assessment tool to identify key areas that would benefit from national biological risk assessment scenarios. A group of 30 experts in various fields from both countries ranging from health to agriculture are attending a five-day workshop at the Savoy Resort and Spa, in the northern Mahe district of Beau Vallon. They are the key players in their respective countries who respond in instances of biological incidents as they already work in the areas concerned with human, animal and environmental health. This is part of the European Union chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) and Centres of Excellence Project 99, which involves building capacity, and ensuring preparedness and containment in Eastern and Central African countries' biological incidents. The 11 member countries, which include Seychelles, Kenya, and Burundi, are currently working on determining areas where biological incidents may occur in the coming five years. «This training will help us map our risks, as we can see there is so much development happening that risks can be chemical or radiology or even biological,» explained Seychelles' representative, Dr. Jimmy Melanie. This workshop is specifically dealing with biological risks, which include illnesses in animals that may affect human health. Melanie said, «We are also taking into account toxins from plants, viruses, or bacteria that may have adverse effects on people's health.» He explained that Seychelles will have to identify the risks that it faces although he mentioned illnesses from animals such as the bird flu that can harm humans. «We have to work on these to prepare ourselves should there ever be a situation, we know that the policies have been decided on so that we as technicians can now take the appropriate steps,» added Melanie. Before the workshop was held in Seychelles, the experts attended a training session in Nairobi, Kenya, in June this year, where the national biological risk assessment tool was introduced. The project will go on until 2026, and it is only then that the experts will «be in a better position to help the authorities to develop a list of the biological risks that we feel we might be faced with,» said Melanie. The European Commission is funding the project and United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) is assisting with the outreach to the national focal points and experts in the eleven project countries. Project 99 team leader, Scott Spence, said that at the end of the workshop, the participants «will be able to identify potential emerging biological threats and risks in the short and medium term.» During the five days, the experts will also think of the worst-case scenarios of outbreaks and how they will deal with them. «Probably one scenario will be what is the likelihood of a pandemic happening in the next five years and what will be the impacts for the Seychelles and Kenya,» said the project's key expert, Joris Sprokholt. He added that the information gathered in the workshop «is very important information for all the different stakeholders such as non-governmental organisations and expert groups like veterinarians.» Sprokholt said that during the workshop the experts will embrace the 'one health perspective'. This an approach that recognises the close connection between the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment.

The police have reported that a student of Carron Hall High School in St Mary is among the three victims who perished in an early morning crash along the White Hall main road in the parish on Sunday. A police report states that, about 3 a.m. Sunday...

Present rules state that anyone with a British 'domicile' has to pay inheritance tax (IHR) on their worldwide wealth even if they live and die abroad.

The report claimed the 7th Duke of Portland, whose ancestors helped establish the university and was one of its 'most distinguished benefactors', gained from 'social capital' of his slave-owning ancestor.

Armed police officers were called to Southern Row in Kensington, at 5.34pm on Sunday following reports of gunfire. Witnesses say they heard 'four or five shots' and screaming.

The PM blamed 'difficult' decisions in the Budget for the huge backlash he has been facing as he appeared on ITV 's This Morning.

The distraught father of a missing 31-year-old photographer has been found dead after he flew into Los Angeles to assist the search. 

Pony and palanquin owners protesting a new ropeway project near the Vaishno Devi shrine clashed with police in Katra, leaving one officer injured. The protesters, concerned about losing their livelihoods, extended their strike after negotiations failed. They are demanding the project's cancellation or financial compensation, leading to tense confrontations with authorities.

Following a significant defeat in the Maharashtra assembly elections, the Shiv Sena (UBT) expressed confidence in a resurgence under Aaditya Thackeray's leadership. The party aims to prioritize youth employment and farmer support. While securing only 20 seats, Thackeray himself won from the Worli constituency and was subsequently elected as the party's legislature party leader.

Tech mogul Bryan Johnson is coming to India! He'll be in Mumbai and Bengaluru from December 1st to 6th to promote his «Don't Die» book and community, focused on extending lifespan and prosperity. Interestingly, he highlighted model Poonam Pandey as a supporter, sparking a wave of reactions online, from excitement about his visit to questions about his choice of collaborators.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar condemned Hamas's terrorism and hostage-taking during the Israel-Hamas conflict. He reiterated India's support for a two-state solution and called for restraint and dialogue. Jaishankar also addressed the Ukraine conflict, urging a return to diplomacy and highlighting the destabilizing global consequences of both conflicts.

Les états généraux du Mapane se préparent pour trouver des pistes de solutions aux problèmes qui minent les quartiers sous-intégrés de Libreville, capitale gabonaise. C'est le quartier Atong-Abé, dans le deuxième arrondissement, qui a accueilli la délégation conduite par Gaël Koumba Ayoune, connu sous le nom du « Général des Mapanes» ce samedi 23 novembre 2023. La restauration des institutions passe inéluctablement par la restauration des mentalités. Les mapanes doivent être aussi (...) - SOCIETE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

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

Hundreds of police officers have cordoned off the Georgian Parliament building amid protests Read Full Article at RT.com

An International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Netanyahu is not enough, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov had previously vowed to unveil a “huge missile program” by the end of the year Read Full Article at RT.com

The EU is divided over whether or not to send its troops to Ukraine, the Kremlin has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Somali migrants have faced a tragedy at sea en route to Mayotte Read Full Article at RT.com

According to Vladimir Artyakov, the Russian Armed Forces are very impressed with the company’s Su-34 frontline bombers, which make it possible for pilots to effectively perform their missions in any theater of war, using guided and unguided aircraft weapons

Falling trees caused power outages in 125,000 residential houses and around 3,000 social facilities

Seychellois entrepreneurs and Chinese suppliers said the Seychelles-China Trade Expo, organised by the Ministry of Investment, Entrepreneurship, and Industry was a good opportunity to establish contacts.   During the event, SNA spoke to several of the entrepreneurs and Chinese suppliers. Joanna Didon, owner of Katiti Seychelles, her brand, said, «The Expo is very well organised and there is a lot of information available for entrepreneurs and investors who wish to develop their business further with a collaboration with China. I am here mainly to look at the manufacturing of textiles. I had planned to go to China early next year to look for suppliers for my project, so this Expo comes at an opportune moment when I can now establish these contacts from here in Seychelles and this benefits us in terms of cost.» James Jean, a farmer emphasised the efficiency of having the suppliers come to Seychelles, and said he attended mainly to look at equipment for hydroponic farming. «It is very interesting, there is a lot of opportunities, different kinds of equipment being offered, and even greenhouse building. It definitely reduces the time it takes to order the equipment by having these suppliers here to speak to them. It also reduces the risk of being scammed online,» added Jean. Many stalls were also displaying typical products made in Chengdu. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY  Some stalls showcased companies that provide technical services, such as greenhouse building, aluminium parts production, equipment for food packaging even engineering among others. Many stalls were also displaying typical products made in Chengdu, such as snacks, flavourings for food, bags, silk embroidery as well as Chinese tea. Zhang Jiao from the Sichuan Tourism University told SNA, «Chengdu is a gastronomy city and Sichuan cuisine is very famous. So, for this Expo, I have brought a lot of Sichuan cuisine to Seychelles.» He brought flavouring for hotpot, ingredients for cooking as well as chutneys that can be eaten with rice and rice wine. One supplier displayed mops that can be used for both wet and dry surfaces at the same time while another was showing different foam products that they produce such as pillows and mattresses. In another stall, visitors were able to taste delicious sweet buns with a variety of fillings. The suppliers also provided visitors with brochures and their contact information for further discussions.   Several Seychellois-owned enterprises were also present and one of them, Leroy Zialor showcased what his business Zhuhai Troy Trading Co. Ltd offers. Zialor told SNA that his company is based in China and trades internationally, however, they also facilitate Seychellois clients' access to Chinese manufacturing. The company trades mainly in construction equipment and machinery, interior design solutions, prefabricated buildings as well as customised sourcing services to meet specific client requirements. «When we started it was difficult to establish our company because we are foreigners and not Chinese, but after some time and a lot of effort, we were able to move forward. We trade internationally but we also connect Seychelles to China. Here in Seychelles, we supply farming equipment, such as tractors, and cultivators to farms on the main islands as well as several outer islands that have operating farms. We also supply food processing equipment among many others.» Zailor said, «This Expo is good for us especially in terms of visibility. We are already well-established but through this, we just wanted to secure our position, to show that we are present. But from what I can see we are alright, even STC (Seychelles Trading Company) visited us today for future collaboration.» 

Kismayo (HOL) — Jubbaland legislators have re-elected Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe as regional state president for a third term despite ongoing disputes and a parallel election held by opposition groups.

According to Elie Tenenbaum, European countries may send troops to east Ukraine to ensure the observation of a ceasefire regime and guarantee Kiev’s security

Only 88 MPs from the ruling Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia party are present in the session hall, as members of opposition parties have refused to recognize the election results and are boycotting the work of the legislature

«We view the approach of the 18 members of the Eastern European Group who demonstratively ignore the positions of the other members to be irresponsible,» Vladimir Tarabrin stressed

Dmitry Peskov noted that Russia is well aware of Romania’s current government’s policy

Commenting on the motivation of Colombian fighters to join the hostilities in Ukraine, Alexander Stepanov explained that it is linked to the situation in the South American drug trafficking market

J&K MP Engineer Rashid, currently held in Tihar Jail on terror-funding charges, pleaded with a Delhi court for interim bail to attend the Parliament session. He emphasized his duty to represent his constituents. The court instructed the NIA to respond by November 27, scheduling the next hearing on the same date.

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav accused the Uttar Pradesh government of orchestrating violence in Sambhal to distract from election irregularities. The violence erupted during a court-ordered mosque survey, initially peaceful but escalating when police allegedly used force. Yadav demanded accountability for those responsible, including officials and petitioners, and justice for the victims.

The Supreme Court upheld GRAP-4 restrictions, directing states to utilise labour cess for worker support during the construction ban. It criticized the Delhi government's non-compliance with truck entry restrictions and instructed CAQM to take action. While allowing physical classes with some relaxations, the court emphasized the need for consistent AQI improvement before further easing GRAP measures.

Telangana's Special Chief Secretary, Jayesh Ranjan, has acknowledged Adani Foundation's Rs 100 crore commitment to the Young India Skills University. However, despite recently receiving the 80G IT exemption, Ranjan stated that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has directed against accepting the donation due to ongoing controversies surrounding the Adani Group. This decision follows Adani Foundation's pledge made in October 2024.

Violence erupted in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, during a court-ordered survey of a mosque, resulting in three deaths and numerous injuries. A mob clashed with police, who responded with tear gas and lathi charges. Union Minister Giriraj Singh blamed the opposition, comparing the incident to Godhra, while Akhilesh Yadav alleged it was a government-orchestrated riot.

All civil servants will receive a 1.05-month year-end bonus, said the Public Service Division (PSD) on Monday (Nov 25). Junior staff in grades equivalent to MX15 and MX16 as well as those in the Operations Support Scheme will receive an additional one-time payment of $600. Together with the mid-year payments, civil servants will receive a total of 1.5-month bonus in 2024, with those in the more junior grades receiving total additional payments of up to $850. «This year-end payment takes into consideration that Singapore's Gross Domestic Product is expected to grow by around 3.5 per cent in 2024 as well as the National Wages Council guidelines for 2024/2025,» said the PSD.