In an effort to combat the pervasive crime of human trafficking, government officers and law enforcement agencies in Seychelles attended comprehensive training sessions to gain more insight into how to better identify, investigate and prosecute trafficking in person cases. The three-day training was organised by the National Coordinating Committee against Trafficking In Persons (NCCTIP), in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The training sessions with 33 participants covered a wide array of topics, including identifying trafficking victims, investigation techniques, victim support and protection, legal frameworks, and international cooperation. In her closing address on Friday, the chairperson of the  NCCTIP, Linda William-Melanie said, “It is always important for us to continue to empower the workers in various agencies that deal with this matter, especially those who are on the front line and deal directly with migrant workers.” She explained that most often migrant workers are not aware of their rights, and so some employers take advantage of this to intimidate or mistreat workers. When such cases arise, people who have been trained will be tasked with dealing with these issues and this is why such training is important. Organisations and departments represented in the training included the Departments of Employment, Immigration, Social Services and Foreign Affairs alongside the Seychelles Police Force, the Attorney General’s Office and the Seychelles International Trade Zone. According to the Ministry of Employment, as of July 2022, 25 percent of the workforce in Seychelles were migrant workers, and in recent years, there have been numerous cases of these workers being mistreated and allegedly not being paid their salaries. William-Melanie said added work is being done to tackle human trafficking, especially those aimed at migrant workers. These include educating this particular group about their rights, where they can get help and report cases when they are being taken advantage of. A press release from the Ministry of Internal Affairs on Friday said that by strengthening the capacity of government officers and law enforcement agencies, this initiative not only enhances the immediate response to trafficking cases but also contributes to broader efforts aimed at preventing trafficking and protecting the rights of all individuals. A participant in the training, Samia Ally, a welfare officer from the employment department, said she learned a lot and that will help in the work that she does. “This training has enriched my knowledge of human trafficking and will help me to help the victims better and enforce the laws already in place,” she added. Seychelles is working to continuously make efforts to address recommendations outlined in the 2023 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report released by the United States Department of State, so as to maintain its Tier 1 status. The island nation is the only Tier 1 country in Africa and only two countries, Denmark and Seychelles, were upgraded to Tier 1 in the 2023 report. 

The National Assembly of Seychelles has signed an agreement to implement the next phase of the sexual reproductive health and rights governance project with the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF).  The Speaker of the Assembly, Roger Mancienne, and the secretary general of the SADC PF, Boemo Sekgoma, and Tania Isaacs, clerk of the National Assembly, signed the agreement on Friday. During the event, the SADC PF Strategic Plan 2024-2028 was also unveiled. In his address, Mancienne said, «Today we move on to another level, the new agreement encompasses a lot more than health and related issues. The scope of the agreement has been broadened to include many areas that are of concern to our National Assembly and that encompass issues that we have been working on in that we want to continue working on.» He said that one critical aspect of the agreement is that it involves not just one or two committees but all the committees in the National Assembly.   «I will not forget that health is the basis of this discussion and coincidentally tomorrow is World Health Day. I believe it augurs very well and is a very good message for the launching and the renewal of the agreement,» added Mancienne. Sekgoma said that at the SADC parliament level, the parliament of Seychelles is a crucial partner to all initiatives conducted and implemented by the secretariat.   «As we launch the sexual reproductive health and rights today, I wish to acknowledge the steadfast progress made by Seychelles over the years, especially with regards to the protection of key populations eradicating child marriages, and protecting children already in marriages, domestic violence interventions among others,» she added. Sekgom said, «These achievements resonate with the foreign policy on sexual reproductive health and rights and correspond to the domestication of foreign resolutions and modern laws. While there is room for improvement there is no doubt that the parliament of Seychelles will continue to influence sexual and reproductive health and rights and governance landscape through new laws and policies, budget and oversight initiatives under the revamped project which has been implemented from 2023.» The clerk of the National Assembly, Tania Isaac, said that the signing of the agreement is momentous and that there is a renewed commitment within the National Assembly. She said the project's vision is universal access to integrated sexual reproductive health and rights «including bringing forward social change, gender responsive climate action, improve health and respect for human rights that are enjoyed by all SADC regions within a framework that is conducive to democratic accountability.» Isaacs added that Seychelles is one of 13 countries in the SADC region that has willingly accepted to participate in this project for the third time. After the signing and launch of the Strategic Plan, other local partners made solidarity pledges. While in Seychelles, the secretary general of the SADC PF will also call on President Wavel Ramkalawan at State House.  

The third edition of the Praslin Culinary and Arts Festival will take place on the Seychelles' second largest island with the preliminary round starting on Saturday, April 6. The announcement was made by the chief executive of the Creative Seychelles Agency, Emmanuel D'Offay, on Wednesday. The preliminary round of the culinary competition will take place at the Lauriers Hotel sponsored entirely by the ISPC Seychelles company and will feature nine hotels competing for the prize. Noting the importance of such activities especially how excellent food is integral to the development of the tourism industry, the chief executive of ISPC, Alfred Fourcroy, said. «We have to continue to raise the level here in Seychelles. We've gladly supported this competition during the last three years to allow talents/chefs in Seychelles to access good products with which they can cook and prepare very tasty things.» This year, the contestants will be given a mystery black box of ingredients only 15 minutes before the start of the competition. They will have two hours to do a starter and a main dish for five judges so all dishes will have to be made on the spot without prior preparations. The finals will be held on April 23 at the Mabuya Beach Restaurant on Praslin and four finalists will compete for the prize which includes a set of chef knives and personalised chef jackets. The winner will also get an internship at the Cheval Blanc, five-star hotel soon to be opening a branch in Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean. There will also be a bar competition on April 24 at Tapas Lounge Bar. D'Offay said, «The annual Gala Dinner will be of a much higher standard this year. We've been able to collaborate with the Raffles Hotel, which as many of you know is a five-star hotel. This is a great achievement. We've also decided that the culinary and bar competition winners will receive prizes during the Gala Dinner.» The Gala Dinner is a paying activity in the festival that will continue the following weekend with a musical show dubbed 'Kouler Praslin' (the colours of Praslin) organised by the National Arts and Craft Council at the Grand Anse Praslin Field on Friday, April 26. The celebrations including a fair, musical shows and sporting activities will continue on Saturday, April 27.  The festival will end on Sunday, April 28 with a family fun day and sporting activities as well as a prize giving for the best stall manned by several hotels as well as licensed Praslin businesses. There will also be 12 Praslinois artists who have been chosen to display and sell their art throughout the event. The telecommunication company, Airtel, will be present throughout the competition, and the brand and marketing communications manager, Jude Valmont, said: «We will bring services that so far are only offered on Mahe such as door-to-door delivery to Praslin. We will also have people there who will be able to answer questions. We may be unveiling a new product, but this will be a surprise that the Praslinois will experience first-hand.»

South Africa's former parliament speaker was charged with corruption and money laundering Thursday, piling new pressure on the governing African National Congress (ANC) party ahead of elections in May. Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who resigned her speaker post Wednesday, appeared before a court in Pretoria after she turned herself in to police and was formally arrested. «Charges against Ms Mapisa-Nqakula are 12 counts of corruption... and one of money laundering,» Bheki Manyathi of the National Prosecuting Authority told the court. Wearing a yellow and blue dress and matching head-cover as she sat in the dock, the 67-year-old ANC veteran remained silent, and was later granted release on bail. «I'm not at flight risk,» she said in a statement read by her lawyer Graham Kerr-Phillips. «I will receive a state pension which I cannot afford to lose,» she added, while describing the case against her as weak. Coming just under two months before national elections, the case has added to the woes of the ANC, which is struggling in opinion polls amid a weak economy and accusations of official graft and mismanagement. Mapisa-Nqakula, is the latest in a string of senior ANC politicians, including President Cyril Ramaphosa and his vice president, to become embroiled in corruption scandals. She is accused of soliciting hefty bribes from a former military contractor during her previous tenure as defence minister, from 2014 to 2021. She denies the allegations. - 'Gratifications' - Manyathi said the politician allegedly asked for «gratifications» totalling more than 4.5 million rand ($240,000). A state witness confirmed paying her a 2.1 million rand bribe, he added. The judge set bail at 50,000 rand and adjourned the case to June 4. Mapisa-Nqakula will have to hand in her passport and avoid any contact with state witnesses. On Wednesday, Mapisa-Nqakula resigned as parliament speaker and as a lawmaker with immediate effect, a day after losing a court bid to prevent her possible arrest. In a resignation letter, she maintained her innocence but said she had decided to step down to uphold the integrity of parliament and focus on the investigation against her. «Given the seriousness of the much-publicised allegations against me, I cannot continue in this role,» she wrote. The move followed a March raid carried out by members of a top investigative team at Mapisa-Nqakula's residence, a high-end property in an eastern suburb of Johannesburg. Parliament said she would be replaced by her deputy, Lechesa Tsenoli. But on Thursday, the leading opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, called for a new speaker to be elected immediately. Mapisa-Nqakula was appointed speaker in a move that drew sharp criticism from opposition groups. At the time, she had come under fire for perceived incompetence in responding to a spate of deadly unrest that saw more than 300 people killed. South Africans head to the polls in national and provincial elections on May 29. The ANC is expected to see its share of the vote drop below 50 percent for the first time since the advent of democracy in 1994, potentially forcing it to form a coalition with rival parties to remain in power. B © Agence France-Presse

The staggering suffering, death and destruction of six months of war since Hamas's October 7 attack has widened the gulf between Israelis and Palestinians, leaving both feeling that the prospect of peace is ever more elusive. Israeli farmer Yarden Zemach, 38, said he felt safe when picking avocados with Palestinians on October 5 –- just two days before the attack. But ever since the violence that claimed his brother's life in the devastated Beeri kibbutz some four kilometres (2.5 miles) from the Gaza border fence, he views Gazans as a threat. «Maybe in many years peace will be possible, but not right now,» he said next to burned-out homes. Israeli shelling of Gaza thundered nearby. The bloodiest-ever Gaza war erupted with Hamas's October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,170 Israelis and foreigners, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed over 33,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. «(Our suffering) only increased after October 7, after 33,000 martyrs and after the destruction and siege,» said 27-year-old Palestinian Fidaa Musabih, whose north Gaza home was destroyed by an air strike. She now shares a house with 27 relatives in southern Gaza's Rafah, where she lives in fear of Israel's planned offensive into an area packed with 1.5 million people, most of them displaced. «How can I hope for peace to come? There's nothing more for us to lose,» said Musabih. - 'A terrifying question' - No major Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been held for years. Which means any future negotiations would be in the shadow of this unprecedented bloodshed -- with each side questioning the other's humanity. Graphic video clips and survivors' accounts depict the extreme violence of the October 7 attack on Israel. Of the more than 250 hostages taken, 130 remain in Gaza, including 34 who the army says are dead. In Gaza, dozens are killed per day on average, according to the territory's health ministry, in the constant bombardment that has flattened swathes of the territory. The United Nations has warned that its 2.4 million people are on the brink of famine. Both sides are trying «to portray everything happening in terms of the other side being unfit to be a partner,» said Khalil Shikaki from the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR). Israelis and Palestinians have been asking themselves if the other side «are really human beings. It's a terrifying question to ask,» said Denis Charbit, a political scientist at Israel's Open University. Though the war is being fought in Gaza, violence in the West Bank involving Israeli forces, settlers and armed Palestinian militants -- already rising before the war -- has spiked to levels unseen in two decades. Palestinian Tarek Ali, who works near Ramallah, said the tension and violence, already bad before the attack, have gotten worse. «This shows the depth of hatred between us and them, and therefore further removes the possibility of peace,» the 47-year-old said. - 'Walls not high enough' - An early March poll from the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) put Jewish Israeli support for the «two-state solution» at an «unprecedented» low of 35 percent. That figure marks a sharp drop from support of roughly 49 percent in 2022 for establishing an independent Palestinian state. However, Gazans' backing for the two-state solution has surged, according to a PCPSR survey -– from 35 percent in December to 62 percent in March. «The option for peace at the popular level remains today, as it did in the past, and it will probably be even more so once the war is behind us,» said Shikaki, the PCPSR researcher. Charbit, the political scientist, said the scale of the war and the international community's concern have provided a new opening for the sides to make peace. «There is a very small chance, but a chance nonetheless,» he added. Israeli Hila Fenlon, whose Netiv Haasara community nearly touches the northern border with Gaza, said she feels peace will one day be possible. But in her community, which was hit hard in the opening moments of the attack, it also feels far off. «In the past, I believed that peace would mean that these walls will have to go,» she said standing at towering concrete barriers between Gaza and Netiv Haasara. «On October 7th, they proved to us that maybe these walls are not high enough,» she added. © Agence France-Presse

With the aim to get assistance to help decarbonise the transport sector in Seychelles, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the signing of the Global Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Zero Emission Medium-and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. The MOU was presented at a high-level event in December 2023 at the 28 Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai. The MOU, which is led by CALSTART, a Dutch company based in the United States, commits countries to work together to enable 100 percent zero-emission new truck and bus sales by 2040 with an interim goal of 30 percent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2030, to facilitate achievement of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Vice President Ahmed Afif told reporters on Thursday that the signing of the MOU shows that the Seychelles agrees with the 27 other small island states and will join the group to work with the CALSTART to lead the effort to help all countries to reduce emissions of heavy vehicles. «The agreement presented is zero emission for heavy-duty vehicles like buses and large trucks; like those of 20 tonnes. It is very specific and the group is targetted because they are the ones that consume around 30 percent of fuel vehicles used on the road and three quarters of emissions that go into the environment,» said Afif. He said that Seychelles is a small island state and at COP28, the island nation voiced out that the small islands were being affected by climate change, and «we asked the world to help us reduce emissions and reduce the impact it has on small islands. So as a country, we also have to show what we are doing to fight against emission and that we will do everything we can fight against pollution and dangerous emissions in our country.» By signing the MOU, Seychelles can get help through CALSTART to conduct a study «on how many vehicles we have, how many buses we have and how to replace them with those with less emissions. Like the electric ones, and if electric, where to charge them, how will the infrastructure work, how will it affects the PUC [Public Utlities Corporation] network. The Netherlands has a lot of experience in using electric energy and replacing energy from fossil fuel,» he said. Afif added by joining the group, Seychelles can get help with new technology and advice on how best to use it. The move will help Seychelles push ahead with its plan to have a fully electric transport system, which has encountered some delays. The E-mobility project, launched in November 2022, has faced delays, especially with the search for people with suitable expertise to help with the project. The first part of the project expects to see e-mobility applied to public transportation, where a trial will be done by the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation (SPTC).

At least nine people were killed and more than 1,000 injured Wednesday by a powerful earthquake in Taiwan that damaged dozens of buildings and prompted tsunami warnings as far as Japan and the Philippines before being lifted. Dozens of people were believed safe but unreachable in areas cut off by massive landslides triggered by the quake -- many in tunnels that cut through the mountains that bisect the island from north to south. Officials said the quake was the strongest to shake the island in 25 years, while warning of more tremors in the days ahead. Strict building regulations and widespread public disaster awareness appear to have staved off a major catastrophe for the earthquake-prone island, which lies near the junction of two tectonic plates. «We were very lucky,» said a woman surnamed Chang, who lived next door to a printing press warehouse near the capital that virtually pancaked in the quake. All 50 inside at the time were plucked to safety. «Many of the decorations at home fell on the floor, but people were safe.» Wu Chien-fu, director of Taipei's Central Weather Administration's Seismology Center, said the quake was the strongest since one of 7.6-magnitude struck in September 1999, killing around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history. Wednesday's magnitude-7.4 quake hit just before 8:00 am local time (0000 GMT), with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) putting the epicentre 18 kilometres (11 miles) south of Taiwan's Hualien City, at a depth of 34.8 kilometres. Three people among a group of seven on an early-morning hike through the hills that surround the city were crushed to death by boulders loosened by the earthquake, officials said. Separately, three died while driving when their vehicles were hit by tumbling rocks, while another died at a mine quarry. The National Fire Agency said all the fatalities had been in Hualien county, adding that 1,011 people across Taiwan had sustained injuries without specifying how seriously. - Landslides, crumbled buildings - Social media was awash with shared video and images from around the island of buildings swaying as the quake struck. «It was shaking violently, the paintings on the wall, my TV and liquor cabinet fell,» one man in Hualien told broadcaster SET TV. Dramatic images were shown on local TV of multi-storey structures in Hualien and elsewhere tilting after the quake ended, while a printing warehouse in New Taipei City crumbled. The mayor there said more than 50 survivors had been successfully plucked from the ruins of the structure. Local TV channels showed bulldozers clearing rocks along the main route to Hualien, a mountain-ringed coastal county of around 300,000 people that has been cut off by landslides. The major roads leading to Hualien's main city pass through an extensive series of strongly built tunnels -- some of them kilometres long -- and officials said dozens of people could be trapped in vehicles inside. Dozens of miners were also out of reach at a quarry in Hualien. «We must carefully check how many people are trapped and we must rescue them quickly,» president-elect and current Vice-President Lai Ching-te told reporters in Hualien. By nightfall, the county was still experiencing rolling aftershocks as rescuers continued combing through debris. In Taiwan's capital, the famed Taipei 101 commercial building lit up to memorialise the victims of the quake. «Do not go to the mountains unless necessary,» warned President Tsai Ing-wen in a late-night post. «Aftershocks may occur in the next few days and everyone, please be vigilant and watch out for your own safety.» - Regional impact - In Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines, authorities initially issued tsunami warnings but by around 10:00 am (0200 GMT), the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat had «largely passed». In the Taiwanese capital, the metro briefly stopped running but resumed within an hour, while residents received warnings from their local borough chiefs to check for any gas leaks. Across the Taiwan Strait, social media users in China's eastern Fujian province and elsewhere said they also felt strong tremors. Residents of Hong Kong also reported feeling the earthquake. China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, was «paying close attention» to the quake and «willing to provide disaster relief assistance», state news agency Xinhua said. In Washington, the White House said the United States is prepared to provide «any necessary assistance» in the wake of the disaster. Fabrication at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company -- the world's biggest chip maker -- was briefly interrupted at some plants, a company official told AFP, while work at construction sites for new plants was halted for the day. The company later said in a statement that a «small number of tools were damaged at certain facilities, partially impacting their operations» but that no «critical tools» had been damaged. It said it was deploying «all available resources for full recovery, and impacted facilities are expected to resume production throughout the night». © Agence France-Presse

The number of new prostate cancer cases around the world will more than double over the next two decades as poorer countries catch up with the ageing of richer nations, according to a Lancet report published Thursday. «Our findings suggest that the number of new cases annually will rise from 1.4 million in 2020 to 2.9 million by 2040,» said the medical journal, based on a study of demographic changes. Researchers behind the study said the rise in cases is linked to the increased life expectancy and changes in the age pyramid around the world. Prostate cancer is the most widespread cancer amongst men, accounting for about 15 percent of cases. It mostly emerges after the age of 50 and becomes more frequent as men age. As life expectancy improves in developing countries, the number of prostate cancer cases also increases, the researchers said. They stressed that public health policies could not affect the change as they could with lung cancer or heart diseases. Hereditary factors are much less manageable than, for example, smoking is in the cause of lung cancer. A link with weight has been established but it is not yet known if this a direct cause of prostate cancer. Researchers also said that health authorities had to encourage earlier screening in developing countries as the disease is often diagnosed too late to give an effective treatment. © Agence France-Presse  

Coral samples taken by the Monaco Explorations as part of its Indian Ocean expedition in November 2022 from Aldabra, one of Seychelles' UNESCO World Heritage sites, are flourishing in the Oceanographic Institute in Monaco. This was confirmed by Seychelles' Minister for Blue Economy and Fisheries, Jean-Francois Ferrari,  during the 15th edition of the Monaco Blue Initiative (MBI) last month. The MBI is co-organised by the Oceanographic Institute – Prince Albert I of Monaco Foundation and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.  Ferrari described Aldabra as a living laboratory and said, «The preliminary results from the expeditions are fascinating. We had the opportunity to interact with many scientists.  Aldabra is a living coral bank. They've stated that about 82 percent of corals found elsewhere in the region could originate from Aldabra.» For the successful transfer and preservation of colonies collected from Aldabra Atoll, leading experts such as Dominique Barthélémy from Océanopolis Aquarium in Brest, and Olivier Brunel from the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco, provided invaluable support, ensuring the seamless logistics and preparation for the colonies' transportation. These colonies, destined to be conserved in public aquariums as part of the World Coral Conservatory initiative, are an important stride in coral conservation efforts, underpinned by close scientific collaboration between Seychelles, France, and Monaco. Ferrari emphasised the importance of the samples being stored and propagated in these laboratories. Ferrari at the 15th edition of the Monaco Blue Initiative (MBI) last month. (Ministry of Fisheries and the Blue Economy) Photo License: CC-BY  «It's good that apart from the Oceanographic Institute, they are also being stored in three other laboratories in Europe as well. If one day we lose the corals at Aldabra because of a bleaching event, these samples will be crucial in the rehabilitation of the area,» he said. In a press statement on Tuesday, the Department of the Blue Economy said the results of the conservation efforts have been promising through its positive growth maintained under controlled conditions. «Species like 'Acropora valida' exhibiting a 50 percent growth rate and 'Galaxea fascicularis' showing an impressive 100 percent growth rate in aquariums. Additionally, the successful transportation of 56 out of 58 collected colonies to various public aquariums across Europe marks a significant milestone in the preservation of coral diversity,» said the department. Through this expedition, Seychelles gained access to cutting-edge scientific research and expertise, enhancing its capacity for understanding and managing its marine ecosystems. The transfer and preservation of Aldabra coral colonies for conservation in public aquariums not only contribute to raising awareness about the importance of coral reefs but also bolster the island nation's efforts in promoting sustainable Blue Economy practices. The expedition took place over a period of two months and scientists carried out various research and fields around the Aldabra Atoll, on the Saya de Malha Bank, and around the island of Saint Brandon. «We are expecting positive results from the Saya de Malha part of the expedition as well. Especially about the seagrass research and information about the species found on the sea bed. They've even found a new species of shrimp. These are all information that has been shared with both Seychelles and Mauritius because the area is jointly managed under the Joint Management Agreement,» said the minister. 

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached a staff-level agreement with Seychelles on the second review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). An IMF delegation, led by Todd Schneider, was in Seychelles from March 21 to April 3, to conduct discussions on the second review of the island nation's economic and financial programme, which is supported by the EFF arrangement and the RSF. The team met with the authorities and private sector representatives for the 2024 Article IV consultation. The three-year arrangement for Seychelles under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), in an amount equivalent to $56 million, as well as a three-year arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), amounts to the equivalent of $46 million. The IMF said that Seychelles' economy continued to recover in 2023 and is moving closer to prepandemic norms despite external shocks and a complex disaster from flooding and an industrial explosion. «Following a post-pandemic surge in economic activity in 2022, real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth slowed to an estimated 3.2 percent in 2023, despite a continued increase in tourism activity, with visitor arrivals reaching a level equivalent to over 91 percent of the prepandemic high and tourism earnings continuing to rise,» said Schneider. This was echoed by Seychelles Minster for Finance, Trade and National Panning, Naadir Hassan, who said, «In 2023, we experienced a 3.2 percent growth in GDP, which is in line with the long-term trend that we have experienced in Seychelles, getting back to our pre-pandemic levels.»  Hassam added «We can expect that the economy will continue to grow in the next year, and we are forecast a growth of 3.69 percent,» while noting the impact of the December 7 disasters, of flooding and explosions at a quarrying company, on  Seychelles' economy.  Schneider said Seychelles' real GDP growth is expected to reach about 3.7 percent in 2024 on the back of a continued increase in visitor arrivals together with buoyant activity in IT, construction, and the financial sector. «This outlook incorporates some drag on activity linked to the impact of the December 2023 flooding and explosion at Providence Industrial Estates,» he added. According to the IMF, Seychelles' government made good progress in implementing the EFF and RSF meeting almost all quantitative targets under the programme and making notable progress on macro-structural benchmarks and climate-related reform measures. «The government achieved a primary fiscal surplus of 1.7 percent of GDP in 2023. This was an over-performance relative to the EFF programme target. Underspending on both recurrent and capital budget lines more than offset lower-than-expected revenues,» said Schneider. IMF said that Seychelles' economic outlook is generally positive but given its high vulnerability to external shocks and climate change, continued efforts to reduce public debt, rebuild fiscal and external buffers, bolster the efficiency of public spending, and ensure support for the most vulnerable segments of the population, are critical. «While the outlook remains positive and risks are roughly balanced, the Seychellois economy remains highly vulnerable to external shocks and climate change in the medium- to long-term,» said Schneider. He added that «the downside risks to the outlook include potential upward pressure on commodity and transport prices from the conflict in Israel and Gaza, continued attacks in the Red Sea, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and continued vulnerability to climate-related shocks.»

The Netherlands and Seychelles will work closely on fighting cryptocurrency crimes and a mission from the northwestern European country is expected in the island nation this year, said the outgoing Dutch ambassador on Tuesday. The outgoing Ambassador of the Netherlands to Seychelles, Maarten Brouwer, made the announcement to reporters after his farewell visit to President Wavel Ramkalawan at State House. Brouwer said that during his mandate, one of the strong points was the cooperation between the public prosecutors' offices in both countries working on cryptocurrency. The expected mission from the Netherlands aims to «start talking about what is happening here in Seychelles and what we notice of it,» he said.  He added that cryptocurrency is one of the markets criminals use to finance their needs. «We have a clear interest in trying to fight what are global organisations to attack them by not only confiscating their drugs that come into the ports but also to undermine their financial structure,» said the outgoing ambassador. Brouwer explained that his country needs to consult different countries and regions to understand how they run their operations. Maritime security and the passage of container ships in the Red Sea were also discussed during the meeting. «It is of importance for the Seychelles because if ships cannot sail through the Red Sea and goods need to be delivered to Europe or coming through Europe it will increase the costs quite substantially,» he said. He added that the Netherlands is the sixth shipping nation in the world and «quite a lot of the cargo that we export passes through the Red Sea.» Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, recently joined a US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian to ensure the safety of such vessels passing through the Red Sea. The Netherlands is also part of the operation. Seychelles and the Netherlands established diplomatic relations in April 1977.

Rwanda on Sunday begins sombre commemorations for the 30th anniversary of the 1994 genocide, a mass slaughter orchestrated by Hutu extremists against the Tutsi minority over 100 bloody days. More than 800,000 men, women and children, mainly ethnic Tutsis but also moderate Hutus, were killed in the murderous onslaught that saw families and friends turn against each other in one of the darkest episodes of the late 20th century. Three decades on, the tiny landlocked nation has rebuilt under the iron-fisted rule of President Paul Kagame, but the traumatic legacy of the genocide lingers, reverberating across the region. In keeping with tradition, April 7 -- the day Hutu extremists and militias unleashed their horrific killing spree in 1994 -- will be marked by Kagame lighting a remembrance flame at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where more than 250,000 victims are believed to be buried. Kagame, whose Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) rebel army helped to stop the massacres, will deliver a speech and place wreaths on the mass graves, with some foreign dignitaries in attendance for what has been dubbed «Kwibuka (Remembrance) 30». - 'Never again'  - Sunday's events mark the start of a week of national mourning, with Rwanda effectively coming to a standstill and national flags flown at half-mast. During those days, music will not be allowed in public places or on the radio, while sports events and movies are banned from TV broadcasts, unless connected to the commemorations. The United Nations and the African Union among others will also hold remembrance ceremonies. «This year, we remind ourselves of genocide's rancid root: hate,» UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a message marking the anniversary. «To those who would seek to divide us, we must deliver a clear, unequivocal and urgent message: never again.» The international community was heavily criticised for failing to protect civilians, with the UN sharply reducing its peacekeeping force shortly after the outbreak of the violence. - Shot, beaten or hacked to death - The assassination of Hutu President Juvenal Habyarimana on the night of April 6 when his plane was shot down over Kigali triggered the rampage by Hutu extremists and the «Interahamwe» militia. Their victims were shot, beaten or hacked to death in killings fuelled by vicious anti-Tutsi propaganda broadcast on TV and radio. An estimated 100,000 to 250,000 women were raped, according to UN figures. Hundreds of thousands of people, mainly ethnic Hutu fearing reprisal attacks, fled in the aftermath of the genocide to neighbouring countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Mass graves are still being found in Rwanda to this day. In 2002, Rwanda set up community tribunals where victims could hear «confessions» from those who had persecuted them. A staggering 1.2 million cases were heard over a 10-year period, although rights watchdogs said the system also resulted in miscarriages of justice, with some complainants using it to settle scores. Today, Rwandan ID cards make no mention of whether a person is Hutu or Tutsi. Secondary school students learn about the genocide as part of a tightly controlled curriculum. - 'Scars of the past' - Around two-thirds of Rwanda's population was born after the genocide. Many are eager to help rewrite their nation's painful history and craft a new narrative. «Ever since I was little, Rwanda's story has been one of rebuilding,» project manager Roxanne Mudenge, 27, told AFP. «The scars of the past are still there, but there's a different energy now, a sense of possibility.» According to the Rwandan authorities, hundreds of genocide suspects remain at large, including in neighbouring nations such as the DRC and Uganda. So far, only 28 have been extradited to Rwanda globally. France, one of the top destinations for Rwandans fleeing justice at home, has tried and convicted half a dozen people over their involvement in the killings. At the time, the French government had been a long-standing backer of Habyarimana's regime, leading to decades of tensions between the two countries. In 2021 President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged France's role in the genocide and its refusal to heed warnings of looming massacres, prompting Kagame to applaud the French leader for taking «a big step». Although Macron stopped short of an apology and denied complicity in the bloodshed, Kagame said the rapprochement could pave the way for «a better» relationship between the two nations. Ties between Kigali and Kinshasa have been characterised by even deeper acrimony, with the RPF accused of killing tens of thousands of civilians during its pursuit of genocide perpetrators in the Congo. Kagame's government has been accused of arming Tutsi-led M23 rebels in eastern DRC. Kigali has denied the allegations but says Tutsis in its larger neighbour are victims of persecution. © Agence France-Presse

Left-wing pan-Africanist Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Tuesday became Senegal's youngest president, pledging systemic change after years of deadly turmoil and announcing his mentor, opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, as prime minister. Faye, 44, has never previously held an elected office. He swept to a first-round victory on a promise of radical reform just 10 days after being released from prison. He took the presidential oath in front of hundreds of officials and several African heads of state at an exhibition centre in the new town of Diamniadio, near Dakar. He then returned to the capital, with his motorcade greeted by hundreds of jubilant residents who lined the roads leading to the presidential palace. His predecessor, Macky Sall, symbolically handed Faye the key to the presidential headquarters before leaving the palace. «Before God and the Senegalese nation, I swear to faithfully fulfil the office of President of the Republic of Senegal,» Faye had said earlier in the day. Just hours later, his new administration appointed firebrand opposition leader Sonko prime minister. «Mr Ousmane Sonko is named prime minister,» said Oumar Samba Ba, the general secretary of the presidency, as he read out a decree on the public television station RTS. Sonko, 49, was at the centre of a two-year stand-off with the state that triggered bouts of deadly unrest. He was disqualified from running in the most recent race and picked Faye as his replacement on the presidential ballot. The former tax inspector is Senegal's fifth president since independence from France in 1960 and the first to openly admit to a polygamous marriage. «I am aware that the results of the ballot box express a profound desire for systemic change,» Faye said in a brief speech after taking the presidential oath. «Under my leadership, Senegal will be a country of hope, a peaceful country with an independent judiciary and a strengthened democracy,» he added. Faye and Sonko were among a group of opposition politicians freed from prison 10 days before the March 24 presidential ballot under an amnesty announced by former president Macky Sall, who had tried to delay the vote. «I have painful memories of the martyrs of Senegalese democracy, the amputees, the wounded and the former prisoners,» Faye said Tuesday, referring to the past three years of political unrest that left dozens dead and hundreds arrested. «I will always bear in mind the heavy sacrifices made in order never to disappoint you,» he added. Faye also reiterated to foreign partners «Senegal's openness to trade that respects our sovereignty and meets the aspirations of our people, in a mutually beneficial partnership». Commonly known as Diomaye, or «the honourable one», his promise of radical change won the election with 54.3 percent of the vote. - Reconciliation, sovereignty - Working with his populist mentor Sonko, Faye's campaign set out priorities of national reconciliation, easing the cost-of-living crisis and fighting corruption. He has also vowed to restore national sovereignty over key assets such as the oil, gas and fishing sectors. Senegal is due to start hydrocarbon production later this year. Faye also wants to replace the CFA franc, which he sees as a French colonial legacy, with a new common regional currency, and to invest more in agriculture with the aim of reaching food self-sufficiency. After three tense years in the traditionally stable nation, his democratic victory has been internationally hailed, by Washington, Paris, the African Union and the European Union. On the international stage, Faye seeks to bring military-run Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger back into the fold of the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc. On Tuesday, he urged «more solidarity» between African countries «in the face of security challenges». The military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea all sent representatives to Diamniadio, including Guinean president General Mamady Doumbouya. Burkina Faso's leader Captain Ibrahim Traore wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Faye's mandate represented a «symbol of a new era for an uninhibited, free and sovereign Africa». He added he was ready to work together on «the renovation of sub-regional and international cooperation». UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the inauguration «a testament to the Senegalese people, that they fought for their right to vote». - New generation of politicians - A practising Muslim from a humble background with two wives and four children, Faye represents a new generation of youthful politicians. He has voiced admiration for US ex-president Barack Obama and South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela. However, Faye and the government he will shortly lead face major challenges. The biggest appears to be creating enough jobs in a nation where 75 percent of the 18-million population is aged under 35 and the unemployment rate is officially 20 percent. Faced with such dire economic prospects at home, many young Senegalese have chosen to risk their lives to join migrants trying to reach Europe. © Agence France-Presse

Seychelles is on the right track as it continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the December 7 disasters, said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission chief on Tuesday. Todd Schneider made the statement to reporters after meeting with the President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, at State House.   “We talked about Seychelles’ economic performance in 2023, which was slightly lower than we had anticipated, mainly due to the December disasters, but otherwise it was a relatively stable outcome from 2023,” said Schneider.   The country suffered two major blows on December 7, 2023. Heavy rainfall caused severe damage to roads, flooding, and landslides, with damage to several properties and three people died. The same day, an explosion of four containers of explosives at a quarrying company in the Providence Industrial estate caused massive damage to residential homes and commercial buildings, along the east coast of the main island of Mahe. The IMF mission is in Seychelles to conduct the second review under the new Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which was agreed in May 2023. The three-year arrangement for Seychelles under the EFF in an amount equivalent to $56 million, as well as a three-year arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), equivalent to $46 million. The last review of the EFF was done in December 2023, which allowed for the immediate disbursement of about $12.3 million to help strengthen macroeconomic stability, boost inclusive growth, and strengthen fiscal and monetary policy frameworks. It will also support efforts to build resilience to climate change, exploit synergies with other sources of official financing, and catalyse private financing for climate-related investments. The IMF executive director representing Seychelles, Robert Nicholl, also met with Ramkalawan on Tuesday. He explained that his discussions were mainly about some of the fundamental characteristics that make things challenging for Seychelles, such as its size, which makes it vulnerable to external shocks. “Like many small countries, the after-effects of the pandemic have been quite hard, especially with Seychelles having a been tourism industry, but I would say that Seychelles is doing very well and is in a good position,” added Nicholl.

The Electoral Commission of Seychelles is urging people to ensure that they complete the registration process for the voters' register on time. The chief registration officer, Sheena Boniface, made the statement at the official certification of the Voters' Register 2024 at the National Library on Tuesday. Boniface told reporters that this is due to the registration procedures that include home verification visits. «This is one of the reasons why we ask people to complete the procedures in advance and not to wait for an election year. These visits take time. For example, following a visit to a post-secondary school last year, we received 93 applications for registration in one day, which means 93 home visits that we have to plan according to the applicants' schedule, including other applications,» she explained. Boniface said, «One of the challenges that we've faced in 2023, is a lack of cooperation from the applicants. Some clients make it difficult to conduct verification visits either through the descriptions they give, or they are not available most times. Sometimes our staff are conducting visits until 6.30 p.m. Even though they scheduled a specific time with the client they may have to visit someone two or three times because they are not home.» She added that delaying these procedures may mean that the person in question may not be added to the voters' register on time for the next election. «We always say that you need to be election-ready. An election may be announced at any time. Apart from the main election that happens every five years, if a member of the National Assembly resigns; an election needs to happen,» said the chief registration officer. The official ceremony for the certification of the voters' register was held in the presence of the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Danny Lucas, and other officials of the Commission. The chief registration officer officially certified the register, before presenting a copy to chief electoral officer, Manuella Amesbury. The register applies to transactions recorded between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, and there are 73,343 registered voters on the register, out of which 37,756 are female and 35,587 are male. The district with the greatest number of registered voters is Anse Etoile with 4,008 voters, and the district with the least number of registered voters is Port Glaud, with 1,968 voters. There were also 827 deceased people removed from the register, of which 455 are female and 372 are male. Boniface confirmed that this was done according to information the Electoral Commission received from the Department of Civil Status. Boniface elaborated that according to the National Population Database (NPD), as of December 2023, 1,678 citizens would have turned 18 and therefore are eligible to vote.   She confirmed that only 226 have come forward to register their names on the voters' register. «Most of the people on this list are students so they may be studying abroad or they could have started their first jobs and not have the time to register. We cannot say for sure what are the reasons why the majority of them have not registered. According to the NPD, it is expected that there will be 1,607 people who will be turning 18 years old this year,» Boniface added. Apart from the people turning 18 years old, she said that the Electoral Commission also recorded several first-time voters and they are people of varying ages who had not yet registered even if they were eligible. In total, there were 669 applications. For 2023, there were also 11 applications from people who have naturalised citizenship, 27 from returning residents and 8 applications for re-instatements from prisoners. Boniface said the Electoral Commission also faced several challenges in 2023, namely the reluctance of eligible voters to register and the lack of response and support from political parties in mobilising their supporters to register and conduct transactions accordingly. 

US communities along the path of the April 8 total solar eclipse are preparing for the year's biggest astronomic event, with millions of visitors expected to brighten local economies -- and snarl up logistics. Near the US-Canada border in Burlington, Vermont, which is set to experience the totality just before 3:30 pm (1930 GMT), many hotels have been sold out for months. The few remaining rooms, which typically go for around $150 a night, show online prices of $600-$700 for the night of the eclipse. «I don't know that we'll have anything quite like this again,» Jeff Lawson, a vice president in the chamber of commerce, told AFP. Lawson marveled at his city's «incredible luck» at an opportunity «quite literally falling out of the sky into your lap.» If skies are clear, the small city of 40,000 could see its population double for the day, with visitors arriving by car, train and even private jet, Lawson said. An estimated 32 million people live inside the «path of totality» -- under which the Moon will fully block out the Sun -- with an additional 150 million residing less than 200 miles (320 kilometers) from the strip, NASA says. - Traffic jams - Preparations for the big day began years ago, Matt Bruning of the Ohio Department of Transportation told AFP. He said the agency reached out to counterparts along the last major US eclipse, in 2017, and «one of the things that we heard resoundingly was it's never too early to start planning.» Despite those efforts, there will inevitably «be delays, there will be heavy congestion,» he warned. Businesses are leaping into the bonanza with special events and in Cleveland, where local officials expect some 200,000 visitors, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame plans a four-day «Solarfest» of live music. The Perryman Group, a Texas-based research firm, estimates direct and indirect economic impacts of this year's eclipse could reach $6 billion. This year's path of totality is about 115 miles wide, wider than in 2017. It begins in western Mexico, arches up through the US cities of Dallas, Indianapolis, and Buffalo, before ending in eastern Canada. Many schools along the path will be closed or letting students out early, including in Cleveland and Montreal. Several airlines have advertised flights scheduled to pass under the eclipse, while Delta has even planned two special trips along the path of totality, the first of which sold out in 24 hours, the company said. NASA warns that only in the path of totality -- and only during the few minutes of the actual totality -- is it safe to look at the eclipse without eye protection. - 'Cosmic coincidence' - Almost all of the United States will get to experience a partial eclipse, but UCLA astronomer Jean-Luc Margot says the trip to see the totality is definitely worth the hassle. «If you have a 99 percent partial eclipse, that is a completely different experience than being in the path of totality,» he told AFP. He will be accompanying a group of UCLA alumni to view the eclipse in rural Texas, after similar trips in 2017 to Oregon and to Chile in 2019. When people finally see the eclipse, they «tend to be emotional,» Margot said. «It is such a beautiful event. It's due to this complete cosmic coincidence, that the angular size of the Sun and the angular size of the Moon are about the same.» Scientists have traditionally used the eclipses to observe the solar corona, an outer layer of plasma that's difficult to study due to the Sun's bright light, Margot said. New tools such as the space-based Parker Solar Probe have made such research less eclipse-dependent, but scientists will still be taking full advantage. NASA recently highlighted several studies being planned for the eclipse, from effects on Earth's atmosphere and animal behavior to even human psychology. «Eclipses have a special power,» NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said recently. «They move people to feel a kind of reverence for the beauty of our universe.» © Agence France-Presse  

Several people working for US-based charity World Central Kitchen were killed Monday in an Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip, according to the organisation's founder. World Central Kitchen «lost several of our sisters and brothers in an IDF air strike in Gaza. I am heartbroken and grieving for their families and friends and our whole WCK family,» chef Jose Andres posted on social media site X. Earlier, the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory had said the bodies of four foreign aid workers and their Palestinian driver were brought to the hospital in central Gaza's Deir el-Balah after an Israeli strike targeted their vehicle. Hamas said in a statement that the aid workers included «British, Australian and Polish nationalities, with the fourth nationality not known», and that the fifth person killed was a Palestinian driver and translator. The Israeli military said in a statement that it was «conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident», adding that it had been «working closely with WCK» in the effort to provide aid to Palestinians. At the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah, an AFP correspondent saw five bodies with three foreign passports lying nearby. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was «urgently seeking to confirm reports that an Australian aid worker has died in Gaza. These reports are very distressing.» World Central Kitchen has been involved in delivering the aid arriving by boat from Cyprus, and in the construction of a temporary jetty in Gaza. Since Hamas's October 7 attack, Gaza has been under a near-complete blockade, with the United Nations accusing Israel of preventing deliveries of humanitarian aid urgently needed by 2.4 million Palestinians. UN agencies have warned repeatedly that northern Gaza is on the verge of famine, calling the situation a man-made crisis because aid lorries are backed up on the Egypt-Gaza border awaiting long checks by Israeli officials. Israel has denied responsibility. Two charities have organised aid deliveries by sea from Cyprus, with the second flotilla, setting sail Saturday with around 400 tonnes of supplies, a fraction of Gaza's needs. Hamas's October 7 attack resulted in about 1,160 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 32,845 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Gaza. © Agence France-Presse  

The situation in chaos-wracked Haiti is «cataclysmic», with more than 1,500 people killed by gang violence so far this year and more weapons pouring into the country, the UN said Thursday. In a fresh report, the United Nations rights office detailed how «corruption, impunity and poor governance, compounded by increasing levels of gang violence (had) eroded the rule of law and brought state institutions... close to collapse». This, it said, had left Haiti in «a cataclysmic situation». Impoverished Haiti, which has long grappled with violence, has been rocked by surging clashes since late February when gangs launched a coordinated offensive and demanded Prime Minister Ariel Henry resign. Henry, who has led Haiti since the 2021 assassination of president Jovenel Moise, promised more than two weeks ago to step down after a transitional council is set up -- though reaching that stage has proved exceedingly difficult due to squabbles among party leaders. - Killings, rapes, lynchings - In the meantime, the number of victims is skyrocketing. The UN rights office determined that gang violence left 4,451 people dead and another 1,668 injured last year. And just in the first three months of 2024 alone, up to March 22, 1,554 people were killed and 826 injured, it said. The report described rampant sexual violence, including women forced into exploitative sexual relations with gang members, rapes of hostages and of women after seeing their husbands killed in front of them. And it highlighted the recruitment and abuse of children -- both boys and girls -- who are unable to leave the ranks of gangs for fear of retaliation. «All these practices are outrageous and must stop at once,» UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement. The report also pointed to the so-called «self-defence brigades» set up to counter the intensifying gang violence, warning that they continue to take justice into their own hands. «Individuals accused of petty crime or suspected of association with gangs continued to be lynched, stoned, mutilated, or burned alive» by such brigades, it said. At least 528 cases of lynchings were reported last year, including 18 women, according to the report, while 59 more have been reported so far this year. - 'Shocking' - Despite an international arms embargo put in place to try to stem the violence, the report said that there was still a reliable supply of weapons and ammunition flowing across Haiti's «porous borders». It called for tighter national and international controls to stem the trafficking of weapons and ammunition to the conflict-torn country. «It is shocking that despite the horrific situation on the ground, arms keep still pouring in,» Turk said. «I appeal for a more effective implementation of the arms embargo.» Thursday's report also reiterated the need for an urgent deployment of a Multinational Security Support mission to help Haiti's police stop the violence and protect the population. Kenya, which agreed to lead a long-awaited, UN-approved mission to Haiti to back its security forces as they grapple with the well-armed gangs, has put its plans on hold until the transitional council is in place. Once the mission is established, Turk stressed that it would be «essential» that it «effectively integrates human rights into the conduct of its operations and establishes a compliance mechanism to mitigate and minimise harm”. The rights office report also emphasised that enhancing security alone would not bring long-lasting solutions to Haiti's woes, stressing the need for policies aimed at restoring the rule of law. »Widespread corruption and dysfunction of the justice system greatly contribute to the pervasive impunity for grave human rights violations,” Turk said. «They need to be addressed urgently.» © Agence France-Presse

Sustainability for Seychelles (S4S), a non-governmental organisation, intends to expand on the air quality monitoring project it started last November to gain a clearer picture of how good the island nation's air quality is and determine where action should be taken. One of the board members of S4S, Marie-Therese Purvis, told SNA that initially, to finance this project, the organisation applied to the National Grants Fund and to expand the project they intend to apply for this grant once again this year. «We are thinking about it. We want to install more sensors in public places especially in places with a lot of industry and human activity to get a clearer picture of the actual air quality in the country,» she said. For this project, S4S has installed several sensors on the three main islands of the Seychelles; Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. The project's manager, Laurent Sam, said that S4S «together with the Seychelles Meteorological Authority (SMA), S4) has installed 13 air quality sensors on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. The data is uploaded to a website in real time and is freely available to the general public at https://aqicn.org/station/@421597/). The website also shows the air quality in over 6,000 cities in 118 countries.» Once touted for being the country with the best quality of air in the world as per the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2016, eight years later, Sam said this is no longer the case. Air quality is measured with the Air Quality Index (AQI), which works like a thermometre from 0 to 500 degrees. Instead of showing changes in the temperature, it shows changes in the amount of pollution in the air – classified in colours and is based on measurement of particulate matter (PM).   «The Yale Environmental Performance Index, which once ranked Seychelles as having the best air in the world, has more recently ranked us 97th for PM2.5 pollution, the type of air pollution that is most monitored worldwide, and 36th for air quality in general,» he explained. Sam said the study of S4S is still in its initial phases with only four months of data and therefore it is not enough data to set a baseline. He added that although there is no data over the last eight years since the 2016 EPI study to make a comparison, there are certain factors that could be the cause of a decline in air quality. «Almost all of the PM2.5 pollutants come from combustion activities, and we know that the number of registered road vehicles has doubled over the last 8 years, our electricity consumption has more than doubled since 2000, the number of flights and shipping has all doubled. This is a natural consequence of the growth of our economy, and no one wishes to be 50 percent worse off for sure,» Sam added.  He said that although there is no long-term data «we can see from the initial readings that the air quality in Seychelles spans a large range. The AQI (Air Quality Index) reached a minimum of 5 in December to a high of 91 in February. The WHO recommendation is that the daily average AQI should not exceed 20.» Sam said a lot of that is influenced by the weather as during heavy rainfall, the pollutants are washed out of the air and it is really clean. However, during a dry and hot period, especially when there is not a lot of wind, the air pollutants can accumulate and lead to really bad air quality. He emphasised the importance of mitigating these challenges now rather than later and said, «With the technologies that are now readily available to us, economic development does not have to be linked to increased combustion activities. We have an opportunity to invert this relationship. Actions to improve air quality will increase our economic productivity and growth.»

Pope Francis urged the world to resist «the logic of weapons» in his Easter message at the Vatican on Sunday, easing growing health fears as he greeted thousands of Catholics. The 87-year-old's «Urbi et Orbi» (To the City and the World) blessing came after he led Easter Mass in front of 60,000 worshippers at Saint Peter's Square while appearing in good spirits. In his traditional speech broadcasted worldwide, Francis condemned war as «always an absurdity and a defeat», raising conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar and beyond. He renewed appeals for a ceasefire in Gaza, calling for greater aid deliveries to the devastated territory and the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the war. The civilian population is «now at the limit of its endurance», he said, lamenting the impact on children especially. «Let us not allow the strengthening winds of war to blow on Europe and the Mediterranean. Let us not yield to the logic of weapons and rearming,» he added. The pope prposed a «general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine» as the war between the two countries grinds through its third year. Francis also urged world leaders to «spare no efforts in combatting the scourge of human trafficking» to free its victims. Moments before the blessing, Francis passed through the adoring crowd on his «popemobile» as pilgrims shouted «Long live the pope!», waved flags and strained to take pictures. - Health concerns - Easter Sunday marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is the culmination of Holy Week, a major part of the Catholic calendar followed by 1.3 billion people. The pope on Saturday presided over the Easter Vigil at the Vatican in front of some 6,000 people from around the world, a day after his last-minute cancellation at a major Good Friday procession revived questions about his health. He delivered a 10-minute homily in Italian, speaking without any undue difficulty and condemning «the walls of selfishness and indifference» in the world. At the end of the two-and-a-half-hour service he showed little sign of fatigue, taking time to greet and bless some of the worshippers. In a brief statement Friday, the Vatican had said that «to preserve his health ahead of tomorrow's vigil and the Easter Sunday mass, Pope Francis will this evening follow the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum from the Santa Marta Residence», where he lives. The last-minute decision raised questions about how long Francis can continue to lead the Catholic Church. A Vatican source told AFP on Friday there was «no particular concern» about his health and  the decision to pull out had been «simply a measure of caution». The Argentinian Jesuit had also cancelled his participation in the «Via Crucis» in 2023, but that followed a three-day hospital stay for bronchitis, and was announced well ahead of time. Weeks later, he underwent a hernia operation. Up until Friday, the pope had attended his various engagements throughout the week, but he recently appeared tired and has sometimes delegated speaking roles to colleagues. - No plans to resign - Francis, who never takes holidays, made his last trip in September, to the southern French city of Marseille. In December, he cancelled a much-anticipated attendance at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai. His next scheduled trip is to Venice on April 28. The Vatican has not yet confirmed a planned trip to Asia and Pacific Ocean nations for this summer. Francis has previously left the door open to stepping down if he can no longer do the job. That would follow the example of his immediate predecessor, Benedict XVI, who in 2013 became the first pope since the Middle Ages to voluntarily step aside. But in a memoir published this month, Francis wrote that he did «not have any cause serious enough to make me think of resigning». © Agence France-Presse  

As Christians in Seychelles join others in the world to celebrate Easter, the Roman Catholic and Anglican church leaders in the island nation are bringing a message of renewal and of not being afraid of anything.   Bishop Alain Harel of the Roman Catholic Diocese said, «Happy Easter, as we allow ourselves to be renewed by the death and resurrection of Jesus.»  Harel said that the health of a tree depends to a large extent on its roots and in the same way «the good health of each of our lives, but also of our families, the Church and society, depends on our roots.» «The 40 days of Lent were a privileged time to put down our roots in Jesus and, through him, in the life of the Trinity. By immersing our roots in this source of living water of God's love, we renew ourselves profoundly as individuals, families, the Church and society,» he added.  Harel said there must be renewal «in the way we live together: by taking care of our family so that it becomes an oasis of peace; by participating in the life of our parish so that it is welcoming, close to those who suffer and expresses, with joy, its faith in the Risen Jesus; by behaving as responsible citizens in our canton and on our roads, in our work and in our social life.» «By putting down our roots in Jesus, we are invited to follow him and to cross over into the breach that Jesus opened by his death and Resurrection: a breach in the barriers of indifference and sometimes even hatred that we erect between ourselves; a breach in our individualism that isolates us and leads us to develop a mentality of 'let's make the most of it and after us comes the flood!,» said the Bishop.  He concluded by saying, «Following in Jesus' footsteps, let us pass from death to life, renewing the way we live our human vocation, in keeping with our deepest nature: that of sons and daughters of God in Jesus. Happy Easter.» Anglican Bishop James Wong said that Easter is here and it means for believers is that «we serve a risen Saviour. The grave could not hold Christ; He defeated death. He paid the price for our sins with his own blood. And the consequences for us are huge.  Or if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.» Wong said «Because Christ resurrected and lives, we will to live, both in this life and in the life to come. The message of Easter also tells us: You need not be afraid of anything -not life with all its insecurities, its conflicts, its uncertainties; you should not be afraid of even death itself. You do not need to fear anything - no fear.» The Bishop added that «when your spirit is filled with the unshakable strength of God in the name of Jesus Christ, you get faith so deeply planted within you that when crises hit you, as they sometimes do suddenly, you automatically can face life courageously and not be dismayed and not be afraid.»  He ended his message by saying «As you reflect on the message of Easter, remember: Easter is here. Be transformed. Be resurrected. Be not afraid! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!»

Pope Francis is expected to lead Easter services at the Vatican Saturday and Sunday after his last-minute cancelation of a major Good Friday procession revived questions about his health. The 87-year-old pontiff was still scheduled to preside over a 1830 GMT Easter eve vigil at Saint Peter's basilica in front of thousands of pilgrims from around the world, the Vatican confirmed on Saturday. On Easter Sunday, the pontiff normally holds a mass and his «Urbi et Orbi» blessing that is transmitted around the globe. In a brief statement Friday, the Vatican said that «to preserve his health ahead of tomorrow's vigil and the Easter Sunday mass, Pope Francis will this evening follow the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum from the Santa Marta Residence,» where he lives. The sudden decision -- the Pope's wheelchair was already in place for the procession -- and the lack of detail in the statement has added to doubts about the health of the man born as Jorge Bergoglio, and how long he can continue to lead the Church and its 1.3 billion followers. «The Via Crucis of a fragile Pope», was the Saturday headline in La Stampa while Il Messaggero spoke of a «renunciation of Francis.» A Vatican source Friday told AFP there was «no particular concern» about his health, and the decision to pull out was «simply a measure of caution». The Argentinian Jesuit also cancelled his participation in the «Via Crucis» in 2023, but that followed a three-day stay in hospital for bronchitis and was announced well ahead of time. Weeks later, he underwent a hernia operation. Up until Friday, the Pope had attended his various Holy Week engagements, but he has recently appeared tired and has sometimes delegated speaking roles to colleagues. In December, he cancelled a much-expected attendance at the COP28 summit in Dubai. Francis has previously left the door open to stepping down if he can no longer do the job, as did his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who in 2013 became the first pope since the Middle Ages to voluntarily step aside. But Francis said in a memoir published this month that he did «not have any cause serious enough to make me think of resigning». Resignation is a «distant possibility» that would be justified only in the event of «a serious physical impediment», he said. © Agence France-Presse

The Seychelles Attorney General's Office has launched its strategic plan 2024-2029, which is described as one that charts the course to elevating the office into a centre of excellence for legal services provided to the government and the criminal prosecutions. A copy of the plan on a pen-drive was presented to President Wavel Ramkalawan by the Attorney General, Frank Ally, at the launch ceremony on Thursday. Ally said the new strategic plan will “serve as our compass for transforming our office into an efficient, effective, and transparent institution that embodies the principles of public service.” The AG’s Office has the mandate of providing the government with legal advice and is the country’s criminal prosecution service. The Office is also responsible for ensuring sure legal footing when the government signs international treaties, conventions and agreements as well as other complex contracts government enters. When speaking to the media at the ceremony, Ally revealed that the document will include certain aspects of retention of the younger members of the office. This was highlighted by Ramkalawan in his address and he said “the office often served as a training ground for the younger attorneys, who later moved on to better paid jobs.” Ally said aside from the AG’s Office’s vision, mission, core- values and strategic objectives, the document will be also used as a guiding framework. The re-vamped website of the AG’s Office was also launched and is accessible at  www.ago.sc, for people to access information needed about legal subjects. «We already had a website before, where people could access information about laws and legal cases - but it would sometimes crash when people were surfing it,» said Ally. The new website is one that is more user friendly and already in use, bearing the AG Office's new logo. «We took suggestions from people working at our offices, and pooled the ideas together before handing them to someone to design our new logo,» explained Nisa Thomson, a lawyer at the AG’s Office. As part of its drive to educate members of the public of legal issues, the Office is also planning to launch its social media platform LegalEase to provide accessible legal education to the public, empowering individuals with essential legal knowledge.   Thomson revealed that this will take place in June to coincide with Children's Day, since children will be included in the launching event.

Sixteen young local environmental activists are set to embark on an enriching experience at a week-long environmental camp on D'Arros, one of the Seychelles' Outer Islands, next month. According to the Save Our Seas Foundation(SOSF) in a communique on Wednesday, the young people were chosen after their remarkable achievement of securing top scores in the 2023 edition of the annual competition organised by the SOSF. The programme, which is run by the Save Our Seas Foundation D'Arros Research Centre (SOSF-DRC), provides a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for young people between the ages of 10 and 15 to visit the protected waters of D'Arros Island. The camp has been crafted to blend education, adventure, exploration and discovery, and it features games, presentations and camping.  The rich terrestrial and marine ecosystems of D'Arros serve as an ideal setting for young minds to immerse themselves in hands-on learning about environmental conservation. Sheril De Comarmond, the foundation's education and communications coordinator, said, «Such experiences are pivotal in guiding future mindsets towards environmental stewardship. Participants emerge as youth ambassadors for the environment, empowered with the knowledge to share within their communities upon their return home.» De Comarmond added "Recognising that a shift in our treatment of the environment requires behavioural change, the programme emphasises the transformative power of experiencing nature first hand and engaging in educational activities. The D'Arros Experience effectively fosters this change, and in addition, the students get front-row seats to some of the work the SOSF-DRC does on D'Arros.' Participants competed for a spot on the 2024 trip by spotlighting their local environmental hero in written form, video or poster form, and described how their chosen hero inspired them. Heroes could be family, educators or conservationists across the archipelago. Entries were judged anonymously by experts and the selection of the top 16 was based on a set formula. Among the winners are Anila Gonthier, who chose her grandfather, Dr Victorin Laboudallon, for his lifelong dedication to conservation, Gavin Marie honoured his cousin, Ivan Capricieuse, a recycling advocate, and Ella Moustache highlighted Steven Constance's role as an inspiring educator in fostering environmental awareness. The waters surrounding D'Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll have been an important sanctuary for marine life for decades were declared marine protected areas in March 2020.  Meanwhile, the Save Our Seas Foundation's D'Arros Research Centre (SOSF-DRC) has been active since 2012 and so far, more than 20 targeted research projects have been conducted at the centre in collaboration with numerous international institutions. 

A slow-moving cyclone that unexpectedly turned towards Madagascar has killed 18 people, washing away homes and displacing thousands, officials said Friday. High winds ripped down trees and torrents of water gushed through villages after the cyclone, which was initially projected to skim the Indian Ocean island, changed course and made landfall in the north on Wednesday. According to statistics released on Friday by the national risk and disaster management office (BNRGC), 20,737 people have been displaced and 5,371 households affected. Some victims had drowned, while others were killed by collapsing houses or falling trees, authorities said. A previous death toll had stood at 11. Due to the floods «we have nothing to eat. What's more, our children are sick because of the dirty water,» Pasy, a middle-aged woman in northeastern Sava region, told AFP. «We are asking for help,» she said, dripping from the rain, as locals helped each other out of deep gushing water which for some reached just below their necks. They carried the last of their belongings that could be saved. Numerous routes and bridges were flooded and cut off. «We haven't eaten yet. All our coal stocks are flooded and the sacks of rice are washed away. We don't know what to do,» shopkeeper Fregin said. The cyclone moved slowly, amplifying its destructive impact. «It's rare to have a cyclone like this. Its movement is nearly stationary,» Elack Andriakaja, director general of the BNRGC, told AFP on Thursday. «When the system stops in one place, it devastates all the infrastructure. And that has serious consequences for the population. And significant flooding,» he added. Gamane has been reclassified as a tropical storm and was expected to leave the island on Friday afternoon, according to meteorologists. Cyclone season in the southwest of the Indian Ocean normally lasts from November to April and sees around a dozen storms each year. © Agence France-Presse

December 2023 was a special month for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Port Victoria in Seychelles – 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean. This was when two young Seychellois men were ordained as deacons.  The new deacons are Christian Toulon and Emmanuel Boniface, with Toulon ordained in Victoria and Boniface ordained in France.  Their ordination came one year after the church welcomed a new Seychellois priest, Romeo Bonne, to the clergy. This was in July 2022, 13 years after the ordination of another Seychellois priest, Father Collin Underwood. The island nation is a predominantly Catholic country. SNA caught up with Toulon, who made his promises as a deacon on December 7, at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, to know more about the young man, a university graduate and electrician who felt the call to the priesthood as early as when he received his First Holy Communion.   SNA: Tell us about your background and education. CT: I grew up at Ma Constance, Anse Etoile. My parents originate from Praslin on my mother's side and English River [on Mahe] on my father's side. We were three sons at home and I am the eldest. I did primary and secondary schooling at the Anse Etoile and English River schools respectively. After my A-levels, I was awarded a scholarship in Malaysia. After completing my studies, I returned to Seychelles, and I went to work in the Indian Ocean Tuna (IOT) factory as an electrician.   SNA: When did you feel the vocation for service to the Church? CT: God speaks to us through the different circumstances of life. I felt his call when I took the sacrament of Holy Communion. For me, that was a special day. I was happy. But at that time, I did not understand what God was trying to tell me. Much later, I went through a process of discernment to understand what had happened.  When I went to Malaysia, I started asking questions about life in general, about myself, and especially about happiness. Like everyone else, I wanted to live in happiness. But I realised that the life I was living was not a fulfilling one. This is when I started to question myself on happiness and what I wanted in my life to make me happy. At first, I was not thinking of priesthood, I only wanted to live my life according to the teachings of the Church. I also wanted to get married and have my own family - a big family. But then I realised that God wanted something else for me. After that, I went through another stage where I said maybe the celibate life was what God wanted for me, so I entered a period of celibacy, living as a single person. It was not a burden for me to be single. I lived like this for a while and at the same time, I joined a group called «Cherche ton étoile» («Search for your star»). This group was like a platform, where young people meet to deepen the question of vocation. Those who feel they are being called to either marriage, or religious life, or to become priests. We came together to meet and share our experiences and read the Word of God. It is through these meetings with «Cherche ton étoile» that I can say catapulted me into really thinking of taking the vocation of priesthood, and this is more or less how I got the call to this vocation.  In 2015, after three years of work and discernment, the bishop sent me to the seminary. Toulon said the meetings with «Cherche ton étoile» catapulted him into really thinking of taking the vocation of priesthood. (Deacon Christian Toulon) Photo License: All Rights Reserved    SNA: How did your family react to your vocation? CT: Reactions varied. My parents were surprised. My father was even more surprised because I had quit work. Although to a lesser degree, my mother was also surprised. But with time, they accepted it. As for my brothers, they remained indifferent.   SNA: How was your journey to become a deacon, your theological studies? CT: There are two types of diocesan deacons. Permanent deacons and the ones that follow on to become priests. Training to become a permanent deacon typically takes between five and six years. For deacons on their way to priesthood, their training is between six and eight years and sometimes more. And since I am a deacon who wishes to become a priest, I have completed eight years of training: two years of philosophy, two years of practice and four years of theology. I did all my studies in France.   SNA: Now that you are back in Seychelles, you are ordained as a deacon, what is the next step? CT: The next step is service. The word «deacon» comes from the word 'diakonos' meaning servant. A deacon is a servant of God and a servant of others. You serve God in prayer when you thank God whom you serve and are also a servant during Holy Mass. Towards others: through prayer; sharing the Word of God; and serving the weakest, especially the children, the sick and the poor. You also help others by giving the sacraments, and you encourage them.  The Deacon said he thinks the vocation of the priesthood and religious life are the same, the holiness of priests and nuns must inspire young people. (Deacon Christian Toulon) Photo License: All Rights Reserved    SNA: Why do you think few Seychellois are choosing the vocation of becoming priests and nuns? CT: There are two reasons. First, it is the lack of prayer. The Lord tells us to pray for the harvester to send more workers to harvest (Matthew 9, 37-38). Secondly, it is the lack of inspiration. Young people, especially boys, follow someone who can inspire them, like a role model. Why do a lot of them go for football for example? Because great stars inspire them, the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappe, and the rest. I think for the vocation of the priesthood and religious life it is the same, the holiness of priests and nuns must inspire young people.   SNA: What needs to be done to change this? CT: The faithful need to pray more. The priests and nuns need to live life as good examples of holiness.   SNA: What do you have to say to young people about vocations? CT: Prayer, spiritual direction, the Word of God, and good friends. First prayer: prayer is the first step to God, and if He is calling you, stop and listen. This is important. Take time in prayer to deepen this call. With depth comes spiritual direction. So, it is good to find someone who can help you deepen this call, a spiritual leader, someone with experience, or a teacher who can lead you. And read the Bible, read the Word of God. This is very important. Because for me, one thing that has helped me a lot especially to move forward in my discernment, was the Word of God. Another thing is to have friends around you who can encourage you. Those who have the same thoughts as you, who are 'burning' to find the answer to what God is asking of you and your true purpose in life. 

Entrepreneurs looking to join the value chain in waste management in Seychelles can now apply for a grant under the Challenge Fund, a financing programme developed by the Joint Sustainable Development Goals Fund launched on Thursday. During her address at the launching ceremony, the United Nations resident coordinator for Seychelles and Mauritius, Lisa Simrique Singh said, «The Challenge Fund aims to support businesses working towards diverting the volume of waste being landfilled by opting for reuse, recycle, or reduce wastage. By promoting these 3Rs, the Fund will help not only in creating new jobs for women, youth and disabled but also reduce the reliance of Seychelles on imports.» The Challenge Fund, which is worth $150,000, will be divided into five small grants of $5,000 and six large grants of $15,000 to $20,000. Applicants can find more information at http://www.mofbe.gov.sc/blue-economy The selection will include several components and criteria. Singh clarified that «the candidates whose projects are shortlisted for the Challenge Fund will receive training from UNECA and UNFPA during a boot camp to enable them to better their business pitch for the final round of the Challenge Fund, or to other potential financing partners.» This fund is part of a bigger project that aims to promote a circular economy for waste management in Seychelles. In April 2022, a two-year project entitled «Contributing to establishing an enabling environment to promote sustainable Green and Blue Economy in Mauritius and Seychelles» was awarded by the UN Joint SDG Fund to advance the country's Green and Blue Economy agenda. In Seychelles, the focus is on solid waste management in line with government priorities, which poses a significant challenge. The launching ceremony was held on Thursday. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY  The country generates an average amount of 80,000 tonnes of waste annually, with the primary landfill expected to reach full capacity by 2025. Faced with the problem of scarcity of land, the country will need to adopt a sustainable solid waste management system. To address this problem the Fund will support the government to promote a circular economy to reduce the amount of waste flowing to the landfill along with a financing strategy and strengthen the partnership between the public and private sectors. The project is being implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). At the launch, a validation workshop also took place where many stakeholders from different sectors discussed the Seychelles Circular Economy Roadmap and Action Plan. Singh described the Challenge Fund as a catalyst for innovation in this field, that it will help raise awareness about this concept of circularity to the people and the communities through the award of grants to medium and small enterprises. «It is obvious that our current take-make-dispose approach to production and consumption is not sustainable. This inefficient approach is pushing our planet to the brink, driving the climate crisis, and depleting the resources we need to support more equitable and thriving communities in the future. Addressing these challenges will require a transformative shift to a circular economy - a system that puts sustainability at its core and where waste becomes input,» he added. «For instance, transitioning to the circular economy can help to reduce global CO2 emissions by more than 80 percent by 2060 and the annual volume of plastics flowing to the oceans by over 80 percent. In addition, the circular economy can be a driver of economic growth with the potential of creating 7 to 8 million new jobs worldwide. Ultimately, it would boost resilience, by lessening the dependence on strategic imports and enhance self-sufficiency,» said Singh Seychelles' Minister for Blue Economy and Fisheries, Jean-Francois Ferrari, emphasised the importance of staying on track. «As we gather here today, let us lose sight of our ultimate goal – to create a circular economy that fosters sustainability and inclusivity. Through the development of micro, small and medium enterprises, we aim to empower our communities and drive economic growth that leaves no one behind,»  he said.

Entrepreneurs looking to join the value chain in waste management in Seychelles can now apply for a grant under the Challenge Fund, a financing programme developed by the Joint Sustainable Development Goals Fund launched on Thursday. During her address at the launching ceremony, the United Nations resident coordinator for Seychelles and Mauritius, Lisa Simrique Singh said, «The Challenge Fund aims to support businesses working towards diverting the volume of waste being landfilled by opting for reuse, recycle, or reduce wastage. By promoting these 3Rs, the Fund will help not only in creating new jobs for women, youth and disabled but also reduce the reliance of Seychelles on imports.» The Challenge Fund, which is worth $150,000, will be divided into five small grants of $5,000 and six large grants of $15,000 to $20,000. Applicants can find more information at http://www.mofbe.gov.sc/blue-economy The selection will include several components and criteria. Singh clarified that «the candidates whose projects are shortlisted for the Challenge Fund will receive training from UNECA and UNFPA during a boot camp to enable them to better their business pitch for the final round of the Challenge Fund, or to other potential financing partners.» This fund is part of a bigger project that aims to promote a circular economy for waste management in Seychelles. In April 2022, a two-year project entitled «Contributing to establishing an enabling environment to promote sustainable Green and Blue Economy in Mauritius and Seychelles» was awarded by the UN Joint SDG Fund to advance the country's Green and Blue Economy agenda. In Seychelles, the focus is on solid waste management in line with government priorities, which poses a significant challenge. The launching ceremony was held on Thursday. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY  The country generates an average amount of 80,000 tonnes of waste annually, with the primary landfill expected to reach full capacity by 2025. Faced with the problem of scarcity of land, the country will need to adopt a sustainable solid waste management system. To address this problem the Fund will support the government to promote a circular economy to reduce the amount of waste flowing to the landfill along with a financing strategy and strengthen the partnership between the public and private sectors. The project is being implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). At the launch, a validation workshop also took place where many stakeholders from different sectors discussed the Seychelles Circular Economy Roadmap and Action Plan. Singh described the Challenge Fund as a catalyst for innovation in this field, that it will help raise awareness about this concept of circularity to the people and the communities through the award of grants to medium and small enterprises. «It is obvious that our current take-make-dispose approach to production and consumption is not sustainable. This inefficient approach is pushing our planet to the brink, driving the climate crisis, and depleting the resources we need to support more equitable and thriving communities in the future. Addressing these challenges will require a transformative shift to a circular economy - a system that puts sustainability at its core and where waste becomes input,» he added. «For instance, transitioning to the circular economy can help to reduce global CO2 emissions by more than 80 percent by 2060 and the annual volume of plastics flowing to the oceans by over 80 percent. In addition, the circular economy can be a driver of economic growth with the potential of creating 7 to 8 million new jobs worldwide. Ultimately, it would boost resilience, by lessening the dependence on strategic imports and enhance self-sufficiency,» said Singh Seychelles' Minister for Blue Economy and Fisheries, Jean-Francois Ferrari, emphasised the importance of staying on track. «As we gather here today, let us lose sight of our ultimate goal – to create a circular economy that fosters sustainability and inclusivity. Through the development of micro, small and medium enterprises, we aim to empower our communities and drive economic growth that leaves no one behind,»  he said.

Students in Seychelles who want to pursue higher education but have not qualified for fully-funded scholarships for university studies can now do so through a student loan under the new Educational Loan Scheme.   The statement was made in the National Assembly on Wednesday by the Minister for Education, Justin Valentin, who also announced that the government's Part-Financing Scheme has stopped with immediate effect. The minister said that requests for university studies, including overseas ones by both students and employees, are continuously increasing. «Given Seychelles' economic status as a high-income country, the number of scholarships we get from other countries or organisations has decreased. So the Ministry of Education has a significant challenge to better and more effectively use its scholarship budget. Because of the many demands, the government put in place an Educational Loan Scheme in operation since May 2023,» said Valentin. The student loan under the Educational Loan Scheme is not more than SCR 800,000 ($58,500) and is given to support a study in a field that is a priority for Seychelles and based on the interest rate of the respective banks, the government will subsidise 4 percent of the interest rate. Valentin said «A student will start repaying the loan after having completed the study and has started earning a salary. The government is the guarantor for each student.» The Educational Loan Scheme is supported by five commercial banks as well as the Seychelles Credit Union, the Central Bank of Seychelles, and the Seychelles Bankers Association. The final decision for approval of the loan remains with the banks. Aside from students who have not qualified for a fully-funded scholarship, the loan will also be available for a student who wishes to study in another university and not the one chosen by the Ministry of Education. The loan will help cover the difference in cost but will not exceed the SCR 800,000. Valentin said the Part-Financing Scheme has stopped due to several issues and concerns. «We saw during these past few years that the part-finance option has put a lot of financial pressure on parents. Certain parents did not honour their commitments and finally, the [government] system had to pay for the student to complete the study,» he added. Additionally, more students are expected to qualify for a fully- funded scholarship thanks to adjustments being made to the scholarship policy.

Russia and Mali agreed to strengthen their cooperation over counterterrorism in a telephone call on Wednesday according to both parties, following the attack in Moscow that killed at least 137. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to the head of the Malian junta, Colonel Assimi Goita, and the President of Congo-Brazzaville, Denis Sassou Nguesso, the Kremlin said in a statement. Putin and Goita «agreed to strengthen anti-terrorist cooperation», the Kremlin said. The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility on multiple occasions and published a graphic video of the gunmen carrying out the attack. Colonel Goita echoed the decision on social media: «We have agreed to cooperate more in the fight against terrorism». France was forced to withdraw troops who had been fighting jihadist violence, from Mali in 2022 after coups in 2020 and 2021 saw relations nosedive. The regime moved towards a political and military partnership with Russia. Moscow had steadily gained influence through the dispatch of fighters from the Wagner mercenary group, which has unofficially served the Kremlin's aims in resource-rich Africa since the 2010s. Putin and Goita also discussed strengthening «cooperation in energy, agricultural and mining projects», the Kremlin reported. The Kremlin mentioned Russia's «free» delivery of wheat, fertiliser and fuel to Mali. Russia has also established itself as the main ally of the military regimes of Burkina Faso and Niger, who exited a wider Western African bloc in favour of a joint defence pact with Mali. © Agence France-Presse  

The governing council that aims to oversee a political transition in Haiti vowed Wednesday to restore «public and democratic order» in its first statement to the Caribbean nation wracked by a worsening security crisis. Impoverished Haiti, which has long grappled with spiraling violence, has been rocked by an uptick in clashes since late February when gangs launched a coordinated offensive and demanded Prime Minister Ariel Henry resign. «We are determined to alleviate the suffering of the Haitian people, trapped for too long between bad governance, multi-faceted violence and disregard for their perspectives and needs,» said the statement from the Presidential Council, which has yet to be officially installed. Signed by eight of the nine members of the council, it said that -- once in place -- the body will appoint a prime minister who will assist in forming a government to «put Haiti back on the road to democratic legitimacy, stability and dignity.» The statement ended with a plea for unity, warning that Haiti is at a «crucial turning point.» «Together, we will implement a clear plan of action aimed at restoring public and democratic order» by improving security and holding free elections, the statement said. «The Presidential Council is currently finalizing a document on its organization and mode of operation, including a transparent political agreement between the sectors involved in the process,» it continued. - Gang violence - Henry, who has led Haiti since the 2021 assassination of president Jovenel Moise, promised more than two weeks ago to step down after a transitional council is stood up -- though reaching that stage has proved exceedingly difficult due to squabbles among party leaders. The presidential transition council -- to be composed of seven voting members and two non-voting members -- was first announced on March 11, after emergency meetings between Haitian leaders and several countries and organizations, including the Caribbean regional bloc CARICOM. It is set to draw its members from Haitian political parties, the private sector and elsewhere, and is to name an interim prime minister and government to set the stage for fresh elections. In the meantime, Haiti has faced an ongoing humanitarian crisis, with UNICEF warning that «countless children» could die due to malnutrition and a lack of health care. Nearly five million people -- almost half the country's population -- have been driven into «high levels of acute food insecurity» since a surge in gang-linked violence, according to a report published in March by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). UNICEF chief Catherine Russell called Tuesday for a return of law and order to Haiti's streets in order to protect the nation's schools, hospitals and «humanitarian spaces.» Kenya, which agreed to lead a long-awaited, UN-approved mission to Haiti to back its security forces as they grapple with the well-armed gangs, has put its plans on hold until the transitional council is in place. © Agence France-Presse

In a significant stride towards bolstering its efforts against money laundering, Seychelles has unveiled a groundbreaking judicial manual crafted in collaboration with the European Union (EU) Global Facility on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CTF). Speaking at the unveiling ceremony held at the Eden Bleu Hotel on Tuesday, Chief Justice Rony Govinden described the manual as «a pivotal moment» in the nation's ongoing fight against financial crimes. He said that this manual is a product of over a year of collaboration between Seychelles and the EU and that this was led by a team comprising of the director of legal affairs of the Judiciary, Lionel Garrick, and assisted by senior legal researcher Olya Hetsman. Govinden said that they also worked with the EU Experts and teams from the Attorney General's Office, Financial Investigation Unit (FIU), and the Financial Crime Investigation Unit (FCIU) of the Seychelles Police. This was «to ensure that this document not only met our local needs but also became a comprehensive, workable tool that could serve as an effective guide throughout the prosecution chain, from investigation to trial,» he added. The manual, tailored specifically for Seychelles, is the first of its kind in the country. It comes as a response to the enactment of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act in 2020, which highlighted the necessity for comprehensive guidelines to navigate complex investigations and prosecute such crimes effectively. The manual aims to provide practical support in financial investigations related to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing cases. The director of the FIU, Richard Rampal, emphasised the impact that such a manual will have on the way that Seychelles combats money laundering and said, «This is a significant development for the island, and I am privileged to contribute to this crucial initiative.» Developed with the expertise of EU Global Facility experts from France, the Netherlands, Moldova, and Poland, the manual seeks to ensure seamless coordination among all stakeholders involved in combating financial crimes. David Hotte, EU Global Facility Team Leader spoke about the importance of equipping Seychelles with tangible tools to combat financial crimes effectively. 

Some 16 percent of children aged 11 to 15 were cyberbullied in 2022, up from 13 percent four years ago, a WHO Europe report covering 44 countries said on Wednesday. «This report is a wake-up call for all of us to address bullying and violence, whenever and wherever it happens,» WHO regional director for Europe Hans Kluge said in a statement. Fifteen percent of boys and 16 percent of girls reported being cyberbullied at least once in recent months, according to the study, entitled «Health Behaviour in School-aged Children». The UN agency noted that the pandemic has changed the way adolescents behave towards each other. «Virtual forms of peer violence have become particularly relevant since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, when young people's worlds became increasingly virtual during times of lockdown,» the report said. Other bullying has remained largely stable with just a slight increase. Eleven percent of boys and girls reported being bullied at school at least two or three times a month in the past couple of months, compared to 10 percent four years ago. - Six hours of screen time - The highest levels of cyberbullying were experienced by boys in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Moldova and Poland, while the lowest levels were reported in Spain, the WHO said without providing detailed data. «With young people spending up to six hours online every single day, even small changes in the rates of bullying and violence can have profound implications for the health and well-being of thousands,» Kluge said. One adolescent in eight admitted cyberbullying others, an increase of three percentage points from 2018, the report said. The number of adolescents who engaged in physical fighting meanwhile remained stable over the four-year period at 10 percent -- 14 percent for boys and six percent for girls. The study was based on data from 279,000 children and adolescents from 44 countries across Europe, Central Asia and Canada. In most places, cyberbullying peaked when children were 11 years old for boys and 13 for girls. Parents' socioeconomic status made little difference in children's behaviour, the report found. Canada was however an exception, where less advantaged youths were more likely to experience bullying. There, 27 percent of girls belonging to the 20 percent least affluent families said they had been subjected to bullying at school, compared to 21 percent of girls among the 20 percent most affluent families. Noting that the problem was widespread, the report called for greater efforts to improve awareness. «More investment in the monitoring of different forms of peer violence is needed,» it said. «There is also an urgent need to educate young people, families and schools of the forms of cyberbullying and its implications, while regulating social media platforms to limit exposures to cyberbullying,» it concluded. - Six hours of screen time - The highest levels of cyberbullying were experienced by boys in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Moldova and Poland, while the lowest levels were reported in Spain, the WHO said without providing detailed data. «With young people spending up to six hours online every single day, even small changes in the rates of bullying and violence can have profound implications for the health and well-being of thousands,» Kluge said. One adolescent in eight admitted cyberbullying others, an increase of three percentage points from 2018, the report said. The number of adolescents who engaged in physical fighting meanwhile remained stable over the four-year period at 10 percent -- 14 percent for boys and six percent for girls. The study was based on data from 279,000 children and adolescents from 44 countries across Europe, Central Asia and Canada. In most places, cyberbullying peaked when children were 11 years old for boys and 13 for girls. Parents' socioeconomic status made little difference in children's behaviour, the report found. Canada was however an exception, where less advantaged youths were more likely to experience bullying. There, 27 percent of girls belonging to the 20 percent least affluent families said they had been subjected to bullying at school, compared to 21 percent of girls among the 20 percent most affluent families. Noting that the problem was widespread, the report called for greater efforts to improve awareness. «More investment in the monitoring of different forms of peer violence is needed,» it said. «There is also an urgent need to educate young people, families and schools of the forms of cyberbullying and its implications, while regulating social media platforms to limit exposures to cyberbullying,» it concluded. © Agence France-Presse

Seychelles and the World Health Organisation (WHO) will explore areas the organisation can help in prevention and communication in the fight against substance abuse. The statement was made by the regional director of the WHO, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, after a meeting with Seychelles' President Wavel Ramkalawan at State House on Tuesday. Dr Moeti is in Seychelles attending a meeting of ministers of health from small island developing states (SIDS) of the WHO in the African region. The meeting is focused on SIDS' progress in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), preparedness for the next pandemic, and climate and health. «We talked about universal health coverage, so generally how to ensure that everybody in the population whatever may be his or her economic status has access to the health services that they need and very importantly and have information on interventions that can help them and to preserve good health,» Moeti told reporters. She said that in her discussion with the head of state, it was revealed that the government is interested in addressing certain health issues such as obesity but also the issue of substance abuse. «Alcohol is a big issue for the government and it is working on that and that is an issue that is a growing problem in other countries of the region,» said Moeti. She also had the chance to take part in a walk held on the Beau Vallon beach in the north of Mahe, the main island, on Sunday as part of the ongoing anti-obesity campaign of the Ministry of Health. Discussions also touched on climate change, and Moeti said, «It is very important to a country like Seychelles the direct interest of the government to make sure that the country gets engaged in global discussions and hopefully benefits from some of the experience and some of the financing that could be available for climate change.» The subject of mental health emerging in the world was also discussed and the regional director said, «I think COVID-19 made that worse and made us even more aware about it.» Pandemic preparedness was also raised and Moetis explained that «We are just emerging from a major pandemic of COVID-19 and the whole world is talking about being better prepared together for the next pandemic.» She added that the WHO is coordinating the conversation among the member states about how «they will agree, how they will pool resources where possible and how they will have the same procedures when having an outbreak which could become a pandemic.» This will also include sharing information, and available commodities and acting as one global community to prevent the spread of diseases including those that can turn into a pandemic. Moeti commended Seychelles for having a ministry that deals with family, as it encompasses the work of many other ministries and it also deals with families, which is where children are raised. She reaffirmed WHO's support to a country that is doing quite a lot itself in improving the health of its population and said that the organisation was quite satisfied with the way Seychelles uses the  WHO funding it has received.

Russia on Tuesday sought to shift blame for the Moscow concert hall attack onto Ukraine and its Western backers, despite the Islamic State group claiming responsibility for the massacre of at least 139 people. The Kremlin's security services have been scrambling to explain how gunmen on Friday managed to carry out the worst attack in Russia in over two decades. President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that «radical Islamists» conducted the bloody assault, but suggested they were linked to Ukraine, two years into the Kremlin's offensive on the country. The head of Russia's FSB security agency Alexander Bortnikov said Tuesday that while those who had «ordered» the attack had not been identified, the assailants were heading to Ukraine and would have been «greeted as heroes». «We believe the action was prepared both by the radical Islamists themselves and, of course, facilitated by Western special services, and Ukraine's special services themselves have a direct connection to this,» Bortnikov was cited as saying by Russian news agencies. Ukraine has fiercely rejected any accusations from Moscow that it was tied to the assault, with a top aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky saying the Kremlin was looking to cover up the «incompetence» of its intelligence agencies. - Belarus undermines Kremlin narrative - Russia's closest international ally, Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko, appeared to undermine the Kremlin's main narrative -- saying that the attackers tried to enter his country first before heading to Ukraine. «There was no way they could enter Belarus. They saw that. That's why they turned away and went to the section of the Ukrainian-Russian border,» he said. The Kremlin has expressed confidence in the country's powerful security agencies, despite questions swirling over how they failed to thwart the massacre after public and private warnings from the United States. Islamic State jihadists have said several times since Friday that they were responsible, and IS-affiliated media channels have published graphic videos of the gunmen inside the venue. French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said Paris had information that the jihadists were responsible and warned Russia against exploiting the attack to blame Ukraine. The concert hall massacre was a major blow for Putin just over a week after he claimed a new term after one-sided elections the Kremlin billed as an endorsement of his military operation against Ukraine. Putin on Monday said for the first time that «radical Islamists» were behind last week's attack, but sought to tie it to Kyiv. Without providing any evidence, Putin connected the attack at Crocus City Hall to a series of incursions into Russian territory by pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups, and said they were all part of efforts to «sow panic in our society». - Eighth suspect remanded - A court in Moscow meanwhile on Tuesday remanded an eighth suspect in custody over the attack at the Moscow concert hall. Moscow earlier announced it had detained 11 people in connection with the attack, which saw camouflaged gunmen storm into Crocus City Hall, open fire on concert-goers and set the building ablaze. The court's press service said the latest suspect to be remanded was a man originally from the Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan. Officials said he was ordered to be held in detention until at least May 22, without detailing the exact accusations against him. Four men charged on Sunday with carrying out the attack are citizens of Tajikistan, also in mainly Muslim Central Asia. Three more suspects -- reportedly from the same family and including at least one Russian citizen -- were charged on terror-related offences on Monday. A Turkish official said two of the Tajik suspects had travelled «freely between Russia and Turkey» ahead of the attack. The two had both spent time in Turkey shortly before the attack and entered Russia together on the same flight from Istanbul, the official said. All of those held in custody have been charged with terrorism and face up to life in prison. The Kremlin has so far pushed back at suggestions the death penalty will be re-introduced after the attack. © Agence France-Presse