Conservation efforts on Platte Island in Seychelles have been significantly bolstered with the recent opening of a new conservation centre managed by the Island Conservation Society (ICS).     According to a press communique from ICS, less than a year after the Waldorf Astoria Hotel of the Hilton Group opened on the island, it was established to ensure the protection and preservation of the island's unique biodiversity. This includes the largest nesting population of hawksbill turtles in Seychelles. The recent opening of the Conservation Centre coincided with a visit by the trustees of the Platte Foundation, a registered not-for-profit organisation based in Seychelles. During their visit, the trustees, which included representatives from ICS, Islands Development Company (IDC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment met with the management of the Hilton Group on the island. The delegation also visited the facilities available for a conservation team and discussed the roles and responsibilities ĺof each partner on the island. Located 140 kilometres from Mahe, the main island, Platte Island, known for its low topography and proximity, has a history of guano excavation, which modified much of its natural biodiversity. The island was the first refuge for leprosy sufferers in Seychelles and a designated quarantine island for ships. The new staff interacting at the centre. (Island Conservation Society) Photo License: All Rights Reserved    The new conservation centre aims to safeguard what remains of the island's natural environment and implement projects that will benefit both the island and its visitors. Gregory Berke, director of Conservation and Science at ICS, said the new centre «will allow ICS to begin documenting the wildlife on the island and implement necessary conservation activities. Prior to the opening of the centre we had very little information on the flora and fauna of the island. We can now devise the proper management measures to ensure the effective conservation of the different species.» A highlight of the conservation work on the island will be the monitoring of a large lagoon teeming with marine life that serves as a feeding ground for various marine species, most notably for hawksbill turtles, a critically endangered species. As part of its annual conservation plan, ICS intends to monitor seabird populations, including lesser noddies, which will contribute valuable data to the national census. Several species, including sooty terns, have become extinct or have not been recorded on the island in recent years, and the team is keen to monitor, record and witness their return. The ICS considers this project an exciting time as much is still unknown about the island. «We are proud to be the first conservation organisation to have a permanent presence on the island and contribute towards the national database for several species,» added Berke. This is the 7th Conservation Centre that the ICS is managing in Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean. The society currently has one centre in all Seychelles' six groups of islands. The centre on Platte Island comes a year after opening a centre in the Aldabra Group, where a team is stationed for six months on both the Astove Atoll and Cosmoledo Atoll. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a rally in Haryana, accused the Congress party of planning to abolish reservations for Dalits. He pledged to safeguard these quotas while in office. Modi criticized the Gandhi family and former Congress leaders for opposing reservations, referencing statements from Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi as evidence.

A viral video showing water leakage from the Taj Mahal's main dome led AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi to criticize the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for poor upkeep. ASI officials attributed the issue to rust and heavy rainfall, promising repairs to prevent future leaks and dismissing concerns about structural damage.

Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy lauded AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi's efforts for marginalised communities at a book launch. He highlighted the necessity of a robust opposition and called on the Union government to offer financial relief for flood-impacted regions in Telangana, noting issues with accessing NDRF funds due to stringent regulations.

The identity of a party girl linked to England defender Kieran Trippier has been revealed for the first time, after the breakdown of his marriage. 

La 3ème édition de la Makatea Vertical Adventure débute lundi à Makatea. Aujourd'hui, le matériel a été embarqué sur le Tahiti Nui qui appareillera demain soir vers les Tuamotu. A son bord, près de 200 participants et organisateurs et un peu plus de 70 tonnes de fret.

Aujourd'hui, les pluies ont provoqué des inondations sur la côte Est de Tahiti mais aussi sur la côte Ouest. L e tarmac de l'aéroport international a été en partie inondé. Heureusement, il ne devrait pas y avoir d'incidence sur les vols prévus ce soir.

Teiki Teiho a vu sa vie basculer le 26 juin dernier. Après une soirée entre amis, ce défenseur de l'environnement se fait violemment agresser. Aujourd'hui handicapé, sa vie se résume à des séances de kinésithérapie et de sport en attendant une opération des cervicales. En rééducation au centre Te Tiare, il a livré un témoignage poignant de son combat pour la vie.

One of the suspects, Mukhammad Zoir Sharipzoda, «may contact other unidentified co-conspirators in the crime» if he is not placed in pretrial custody

The US accused RT television and Russia in general of attempts to ‘destabilize’ the government of Argentinian President Javier Milei, but Russia has never intervened into sovereign affairs of other countires, Dmitry Feoktistov said

Experts interviewed by Newsweek believe that longtime Republicans who openly campaign against Trump could sway portions of the electorate in tight battleground states

An unknown number of people were wounded

The event will be attended by heads of media outlets and government officials from Venezuela, India, Iran, Russia and Switzerland

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned roadshow in Jamshedpur has been cancelled because of heavy and continuous rainfall. The event, which included inaugurating new Vande Bharat trains and rural development schemes, was postponed as announced by Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi on Twitter.

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Roadside explosions in the Somali capital killed five people and wounded eight others Saturday, according to a city official.

Somalia's minister of foreign affairs has said Somalia will consider establishing contacts with and support rebels fighting in Ethiopia if the Ethiopian government attempts to implement the deal it signed with Somaliland.

During their meeting, both sides agreed on the importance of intensifying efforts and continuing consultations to achieve stability in Sudan an support its national institutions. They also emphasized the importance of preserving the unity of Somalia and its sovereignty over its entire territory.

There is no cover-up amid Berlin’s Nord Stream pipeline sabotage investigation, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has asserted Read Full Article at RT.com

Suvendu Adhikari accuses Kolkata police of tampering evidence after the CBI arrests Abhijit Mondal, officer-in-charge of Tala police station, related to the rape and murder case at RG Kar Medical College. Junior doctors continue their protests while chief minister Mamata Banerjee assures them that their demands will be addressed and promises action against those responsible.

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — On Day One of Pope Francis' visit to the Asia-Pacific, I called him «Your Holiness», unsure of how he would react if I misspoke. But on Day 12 — the last day of moving as a unit of about 150 as part of his entourage — «Papa Francesco» and «Santita» are no longer awkward terms for me. «Papa Francesco,» I said, my words opening a press conference that would round up the arduous 12-day tour with Singapore as its last leg. I was the first reporter to ask a question. We are not in a room somewhere in the Vatican City, but 10km above ground on a chartered Singapore Airlines flight conveying the pontiff — who has not been away from the Vatican City this long in his 11-year tenure — from Singapore back to Rome, Italy.  A few minutes earlier, the rear section of the plane was abuzz with activity as some among the approximately 80 Vatican-accredited media personnel rolled out wires across the floor of the Airbus A350-900 plane to catch a clean audio feed. Portable speakers were also brought out and placed on overhead stowage bins to combat the loud droning sounds of a plane in motion.

The family of a man who was killed in July while attempting to help an injured motorcyclist is looking for witnesses to the accident. Muhamad Sabri, 35, was travelling along Seletar Expressway (SLE) towards Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) on the early morning of July 28 when he exited his vehicle to assist a man who had collided with a private hire vehicle. The private hire driver surnamed Zhang told Shin Min Daily News then: «I think the motorcyclist was trying to switch lanes and somehow hit my right rear door and then fell to the ground. I immediately got out of the car to help.» He added that «the situation was quite hectic» and that another motorcyclist had helped him move the injured man to the road shoulder. «Unexpectedly, about three minutes later, I heard a loud sound and realised that the male driver who had just gotten out of his car was hit by another black car and had fallen on the rightmost lane,» the 43-year-old added.

Get the latest news from the 2024 campaign trail in the contest between Vice President Harris and former president Donald Trump.

They were taken to hospitals

Detainees looking to avoid deportation were told to pull their own teeth to be transferred from Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre, as well as being told which jobs were easiest to escape from.

Washington’s “freedom of speech” in practice only applies to itself while silencing opposition in the US, RT editor-in-chief has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Donald Trump has warned that casting a ballot for Kamala Harris equates to voting for a war with Russia Read Full Article at RT.com