The owners of Denis Island in Seychelles and conservationists are finalising the consultation phase of its Marine Sustainable Use Area Management plan and members of the public are invited to make comments until May 12.   The island has a luxury eco-retreat called Denis Private Island, owned by the Seychellois Mason family. The general manager of Green Island Foundation (GIF), a not-for-profit organisation, Wilna Accouche, told SNA that this is part of the Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan Initiative. The SMSP is an initiative approved in October 2020 focused on planning for and managing the sustainable and long-term use and health of the Seychelles' ocean. It covers the  1.4 million square kilometres of Seychelles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)  and is expected to support the island nation's  Blue Economy. The SMSP also includes the demarcation of more than 410,000 square kilometres which amounts to 30 percent of Seychelles' ocean as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). There are 13 MPAs divided into Zone 1 - High Biodiversity Protection Areas where almost no extractive human activities are allowed. Zone 2 is Medium Biodiversity Protection and Sustainable Use Areas designed to conserve natural ecosystems while allowing some economic activities, including fishing, tourism charters, renewable energy, and others. Significant new conditions will regulate businesses operating in these areas. Denis Island falls under Zone 2 with five others, the Amirantes group to Fortune Bank, the Cosmoledo as Astove atolls, the Farquhar group, and Desroches and Poivre atolls.   The Denis Island Sustainable Use Area is approximately 29 square kilometres and encompasses a distance of 2 km long around the island  Accouche said, «These zones consist of 15 percent of Seychelles EEZ and Territorial Sea and have been chosen for medium marine conservation and biodiversity goals, for representative habitats and species they harbour. These areas are also suitable for some level of extraction and seabed alteration, with appropriate management direction, depending on the objective of each designated area.» She added that GIF has worked with Bee Ecological Consulting, the University of Seychelles and Denis Private Island Company to conduct baseline work necessary; for the drafting of a management plan for the sustainable use area with financial support from Seychelles Conservation and Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT). The Denis Island Sustainable Use Area is approximately 29 square kilometres and encompasses a distance of 2 km long around the island up to the high-water mark and Acclouche said, «This area is rich in marine biodiversity with perhaps the most important green turtle population in inner Seychelles. There are also fishing activities that are conducted within this zone.» The plan will guide the managers, stakeholders, and users on allowable activities, management strategies and actions to protect and conserve its identified values. It will provide reasonable opportunities to access and use the area for economic growth, education, recreation and scientific purposes. «The implementation of this plan is to be undertaken per other national policies, laws and obligations of international conventions. It does not supersede any existing legal framework in place and should be amended accordingly as and when necessary to follow newly enacted laws,» added Accouche. The activities to be carried out within the area will be regulated under the new Nature Reserves and Conservancy Act, of 2022. Accouche said that before the public review process, Bee Ecological Consulting and GIF consulted other stakeholders and users of the Denis Sustainable Use Area. «This included artisanal fishers, sea cucumber fishers, sports fishers, the owners and management of Denis Island, the Fishing Authority, the Ministry for Environment, and the Marine Spatial Planning team. Feedback from these partners has been incorporated. It is now the turn of the general public to view and give their feedback on the plan.» «So concerned individuals are invited to send their input through an online form. Simultaneous to this process, selected parties have been asked to send their comments. These comments will be compiled at the close of the public review window set on the 12th of May,» she added.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Thursday indicated that the UK would not follow the United States in warning Israel that it would halt sales of arms that could be used in an assault on the Gaza city of Rafah. US President Joe Biden has said Washington could cut supplies of weapons if Israel goes ahead with an attack on the city, where the UN says some 1.4 million people were sheltering. But Cameron told reporters following a speech in which he urged NATO partners to boost defence spending that there was «a very fundamental difference» between the UK and United States. «The US is a massive state supplier of weapons to Israel,» he said. «We do not have a UK government supply of weapons to Israel, we have a number of licences, and I think our defence exports to Israel are responsible for significantly less than one percent of their total. »That is a big difference.« Cameron added that UK arms sales would remain subject to »a rigorous process« so they are not complicit in any violations of international humanitarian law. He also reiterated that the UK would not support a major Israeli operation in Rafah »unless there was a very clear plan for how to protect people and save lives«. »We have not seen that plan, so in the circumstances we will not support a major operation in Rafah,« he added. Israel has already defied international objections by sending in tanks and conducting »targeted raids« in eastern Rafah, which it says is home to the last remaining battalions of Hamas militants. Cameron's comments came after he made a major address advocating for a more muscular approach to Western foreign policy. The former UK prime minister said countries need to take more assertive action to protect their interests from emerging threats, including from Russia and Iran. »We are in a battle of wills. We all must prove our adversaries wrong: Britain, and our allies and partners around the world,« he added. Cameron used the speech at the National Cyber Security Centre in central London to call for NATO countries to boost defence spending above a two percent of gross domestic product target agreed 10 years ago. He called on countries in the 32-member Western defence alliance to »out-compete, out-cooperate and out-innovate« adversaries. - 'Harder edge' - »The upcoming NATO summit must see all allies on track to deliver their pledge made in Wales in 2014 to spend two percent on defence. «And we then need to move quickly to establish 2.5 per cent as the new benchmark for all NATO allies.» Last month, UK leader Rishi Sunak announced during a visit to Poland that London would gradually boost defence spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2030. Cameron argued that the UK needs to invest in old alliances, including the G7 of the world's richest nations and the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network with the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. But he added that Britain also needs, post-Brexit, to forge new partnerships, like the AUKUS alliance with the US and Australia. «We need to adopt a harder edge for a tougher world. If Putin's illegal invasion teaches us anything, it must be that doing too little, too late, only spurs an aggressor on,» he said. Cameron, who resigned as prime minister in 2016 after Britons voted to leave the European Union, was last November plucked from the political wilderness by Sunak to be foreign secretary. He has spent much of that time touring the globe, giving a higher profile to the UK on the world stage than in recent years, when the country's focus was on Brexit and its chaotic aftermath. © Agence France-Presse

Somalia has asked the United Nations to end its political mission that has been present in the country for more than a decade when its mandate expires in October, according to a letter seen Thursday by AFP. UNSOM was established in 2013 by the UN Security Council to support Somali authorities in the transition to democracy and the rule of law after more than 20 years of conflict between militias, Islamist groups and criminal gangs. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is still seeking to extricate Somalia from chronic instability. In the letter to the Security Council, Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi requested «the termination of the mandate of the United Nations assistance mission in Somalia (UNSOM), following a thorough consideration of our strategic priorities.» Praising the mission, which «has played a crucial role in promoting peace, stability and development in our country,» he wrote that «it is now appropriate to transition to the next phase of our partnership.» «We are confident that the achievement and lessons learned during the mission's presence will continue to guide our efforts towards sustaining peace and prosperity,» he wrote. When UNSOM's mandate was renewed last October, the Security Council called on the mission to «maintain and strengthen its presence across Somalia» and expressed «serious concern» about the humanitarian situation. UN missions can only be deployed with the agreement of the host country. In Africa in particular, the UN has been facing hostility in recent years. Several countries have forced the departure of UN missions -- in Mali, for example, where MINUSMA pulled out last year. December also saw the Security Council end the political mission to Sudan at the request of authorities there. © Agence France-Presse  

Team Seychelles won another two gold medals in the girls' swimming event on Wednesday at the 2024 Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA ) Games for Zone 7, which the island nation is hosting. Angelina Smythe, holder of the 2023 Young Athlete of the Year title, clinched two gold medals to bring her tally to four gold medals in the Games taking place from May 6-11. She won the girls' 200m backstroke in 2 minutes 33.75 seconds. In second place was Andrianaivo Ony from Madagascar in 2 minutes 34.13 seconds, followed by Mauritius' Alysson Yene Teck in 2 minutes 43.06 seconds. Smythe won her 4th gold medal of the competition in the girls' 200m freestyle race in a time of 2 minutes 18.63 seconds, ahead of second-placed Miranda Razafindrandretsa of Madagascar in 2 minutes 20.01 seconds. Mauritius' Yene Teck won bronze medal in 2 minutes 21.42 seconds. Swimmer Thierry Payet won a silver medal in the boys' 200m freestyle event with a time of 2 minutes 03.20 seconds. The gold medal went to Malagasy swimmer Baritiana Andriampenomanana who finished first in 2 minutes 01.54 seconds with Matteo Tin Wan Yuen of Mauritius finishing third for a bronze medal with a time of 2 minutes 04.07 seconds.   Team Seychelles also won four additional bronze medals on the second day of the swimming competition. Amos Ferley in the boys 200m backstroke event, finishing with a time of 2 minutes 24.28 seconds. The winner of the race was Cappite Baptiste of Mauritius and in second place was Tendry Rakotobe of Madagascar.   Seychellois Nael Barreau was another bronze medallist finishing third in the girls' 200m breaststroke in 3 minutes 23.76 seconds. Eunice Ramdhum of Mauritius and Razakatiana Finaritra of Madagascar came out first and second respectively. Seychelles also won bronze medals in both the 4x100m medley relay for boys and girls. After Day Two of the swimming event at the ANOCA Games, Madagascar leads the medals standings with 16 medals - 6 gold, 9 silver, and 1 bronze. Mauritius has climbed to second place with 19 medals - 6 gold, 5 silver and 8 bronze medals while Seychelles is third with 13 medals - with 4 gold medals, 2 silver, and 7 bronze.

Israel bombarded Rafah on Wednesday as the military said ground troops conducted «targeted raids» in the southern Gaza city's east, with negotiations to halt the seven-month war underway in Cairo. Israel has defied international objections and sent tanks into Rafah, which is crowded with Palestinian civilians sheltering near the Egyptian border, seizing early Tuesday a crossing that is the main conduit for aid into the besieged territory. The White House condemned the interruption to humanitarian deliveries, with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin later confirming reports that Washington had paused a shipment of bombs last week after Israel failed to address concerns over its long-threatened Rafah operation. The Israeli military said Wednesday it was reopening another major aid crossing into Gaza, Kerem Shalom, as well as the Erez crossing. But the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said the Kerem Shalom crossing -- which Israel shut after a rocket attack killed four soldiers on Sunday -- remained closed. Late Wednesday, the army said a soldier was lightly wounded when Kerem Shalom was again targeted by rockets. It came after a night of heavy Israeli strikes and shelling across Gaza. AFPTV footage showed Palestinians scrambling in the dark to pull survivors, bloodied and caked in dust, out from under the rubble of a Rafah building. «We are living in Rafah in extreme fear and endless anxiety,» said Muhanad Ahmad Qishta, 29. «Places the Israeli army claims to be safe are also being bombed,» he told AFP. Displaced Gazan Marwan al-Masri, 35, said «the streets are empty» in Rafah's western areas, and «life has completely ceased». In devastated northern Gaza, Al-Ahli hospital said it received the bodies of seven family members killed in a strike on an apartment in Gaza City. The Israeli military said in a statement that its «troops are conducting targeted raids on the Gazan side of Rafah crossing in the eastern part of Rafah». A later statement said that Hamas naval commander Mohammed Ahmed Ali was killed in an air strike «in the past day». Hamas did not immediately comment. - 'Catastrophic' - An emergency doctor working in Rafah and nearby Khan Yunis said that with humanitarian access compromised, the health situation was «catastrophic». «The smell of sewage is rife everywhere,» said the doctor, James Smith. «It's been getting worse over the course of the last couple of days.» World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that hospitals in southern Gaza had only «three days of fuel left» because of the border closures. «Without fuel all humanitarian operations will stop.» Meanwhile the Hamas-run government media office said health workers had uncovered at least 49 bodies from Gaza City's Al-Shifa hospital, the territory's largest which was devastated by two weeks of fighting in March. The bodies were in «a third mass grave», where some 30 corpses were found last month, said Motassem Salah, head of the hospital's emergency department. There was no immediate comment from Israel, which accuses Hamas militants of operating out of hospitals -- a charge denied by the Palestinian group. The war was sparked by Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel in response vowed to crush Hamas and launched a military offensive that has killed at least 34,844 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. Militants also took about 250 hostages. Israel estimates 128 of them remain in Gaza including 36 who officials say are dead. Talks involving Qatari, US and Hamas delegations aimed at agreeing a ceasefire were ongoing Wednesday in Cairo, said Al-Qahera News, which is linked to Egyptian intelligence. It note that there were «points of contention» during the discussions, but also reported some «convergence» without elaborating. A senior Hamas official said the latest round of negotiations would be «decisive». Hamas «insists on the rightful demands of its people» said the official on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the negotiations. In Jerusalem, CIA director Bill Burns met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the «possibility of Israel pausing the operation in Rafah in exchange for hostage releases», an Israeli official said also on condition of anonymity. The Hamas official had previously warned the talks would be Israel's «last chance» to free the hostages still in militants' hands. - Incursion condemned - Qatar, which hosts Hamas leaders and has been mediating between the two sides, appealed «for urgent international action to prevent Rafah from being invaded and a crime of genocide being committed». Palestinian analyst Mkhaimar Abusada said Israel's seizure of the Rafah crossing could be an attempt to create new facts on the ground, or a bid to «sabotage the truce talks». Israel's seizure of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing came after Hamas said it had accepted a truce proposal -- one Israel said was «far» from what its own negotiators had previously agreed to. Netanyahu has described the Rafah operation as «a very important step» in denying Hamas «a passage that was essential for establishing its reign of terror». Washington's decision to hold back last week a shipment of more than 3,500 heavy-duty bombs, according to a senior US official, was the first time the Biden administration acted on a warning to Israel that US policy on Gaza would depend on how Israel treats civilians. «We paused one shipment of high-payload munitions» for Israel but have not «made a final determination on how to proceed with that shipment,» Austin told US lawmakers on Wednesday. © Agence France-Presse

Russian President Vladimir Putin will address the annual Victory Day parade in Moscow on Thursday, an event he hopes will rally patriotism as his forces advance in Ukraine. The May 9 parade marks the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II and has become one of Russia's most important public holidays under Putin. The Russian president has repeatedly framed the current fight against Ukraine as an existential battle against «Nazism». The Kremlin leader typically uses his May 9 speech to shower his troops and army veterans with praise, as well as show off Russia's military hardware to audiences he hopes will be watching from around the world. The parade takes place on Red Square, featuring columns of Russian military equipment, including advanced missiles and air defence systems, as well as thousands of military personnel dressed in ceremonial attire. Russia often invites representatives from countries it deems «friendly» to the event, though attendance had dwindled even before it sent troops into Ukraine amid a stand-off with the West. Eight world leaders will attend Thursday's parade, Russian state-media reported this week, citing a Kremlin aide. They are the heads of five ex-Soviet countries -- Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan -- as well as the leaders of Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bissau. In a high-profile snub, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has signalled he will not attend amid a spat between the two allies, even though he was in Moscow on Wednesday evening for a regional summit. The Kremlin scheduled a summit of leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union -- a regional bloc of some ex-Soviet states -- the day before the parade. Putin will deliver this year's address buoyed by his troops' advances in Ukraine and a fresh six-year mandate in office after winning elections in March devoid of opposition. Russia's army held off a much-hyped Ukrainian counter-offensive last year, and it has since made gains on the front lines as Kyiv struggles with ammunition and manpower shortages. - 'Victory' - Authorities in the capital have heightened security ahead of this year's parade, which comes amid a spate of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory. The parade, which starts at 10:00am (0700 GMT) in Moscow, is one of the largest events of the year in the Russian capital. Night-time rehearsals take place weeks in advance, swathes of central Moscow are closed off for the military traffic, and huge scaffolding and banners are erected along the walls of the Kremlin on Red Square Other parts of Russia, including the western Kursk and Pskov regions, have cancelled their parades due to security concerns. The festivities come two days after Putin vowed at a lavish inauguration on Tuesday to deliver «victory» to Russians, embarking on a record-breaking fifth term with more power than ever. Putin's 87-percent landslide victory in the presidential election was panned by most international observers and dismissed as rigged by opposition and rights groups. Putin has also upped his nuclear rhetoric, earlier this week ordering the Russian military to hold nuclear weapons drills involving the navy and troops based near Ukraine. Last year Russia ditched its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and pulled out of a key arms reduction agreement with the United States. © Agence France-Presse

The top priority for the Seychelles Disaster Risk Management Division (DRMD)  is to establish a disaster information management system, a tool designed to support agencies and organisations in preparing for and responding to disasters, said a top official on Wednesday. Robert Ernesta, the director general of DRMD spoke to reporters at the second regional workshop of a Regional Cooperation Mechanism on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) for the Indian Ocean region that took place in Seychelles from May 7 to May 8. «Our priority area in Seychelles at the moment is having a detection mechanism that not only alerts people of possible disasters and floods but also the extent of the damage such a disaster is expected to cause when it is happening,» said Ernesta. The workshop was organised by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), in collaboration with its partners, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the European Union and the Indian Ocean Regional Response Platform (PIROI). The meeting was to discuss ways to mitigate and manage disasters in the IOC countries. Building resilience and reducing disaster risk is one of the main thrusts of the IOC's new Strategic Development Plan 2023-2033, given the region's growing vulnerability to climate change. The participating countries were Mauritius, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles. During the second meeting, following one held in Mauritius last year, it was determined that there was a need to create a mechanism and a community under the aegis of the IOC that would enable ongoing exchanges between member states on DRR. The participants including Seychelles had the chance to present their top priorities in the field as well as discuss the manner through which they may assist one another. Ernesta said, «All the work we do where risk and disaster management is concerned in Seychelles is done with the assistance of our partner countries.»   He added, «Here in Seychelles the main disaster we deal with is flooding, as has been the case recently.» At the end of the meeting, the IOC countries are expected to be well on the path of establishing regional and sub-regional cooperation initiatives in DRR to better identify possible synergies with the IOC DRR platform initiative as well as determine concrete work plans for 2024. The delegates also had the chance to conduct a site visit.

Ukraine said Tuesday it had unravelled a Russian plot to assassinate senior Ukrainian political and military figures, including President Volodymyr Zelensky. Two Ukrainian security officials were arrested for their links to the group, which had aimed to carry out high-profile killings ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inauguration on Tuesday. «The terrorist attack, which was supposed to be a gift to Putin for his inauguration, was in fact a failure of the Russian secret service,» Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), said in a statement. Kyiv says Zelensky has been targeted by Russia on multiple earlier occasions, including at the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022. The SBU said it had exposed a network of agents set up by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) tasked with identifying individuals close to Zelensky's security detail who could take the Ukrainian leader hostage and kill him. «The network, whose activities were supervised by the FSB from Moscow, included two colonels of the State Department of Protection who were leaking classified information to Russia,» the SBU said. Ukraine's State Department of Protection is in charge protecting the president and other senior officials and their families. A source in Ukrainian law enforcement told AFP that the suspects were detained «a few days ago». «They were really highly placed men. One of them was a head of department,» the source said. - 'Five or six' attempts - The SBU published photos of masked operatives in camouflage uniform arresting several suspects at night. In a video posted on the SBU's website, a man with his face blurred said his task was to «test the mood» among the presidential office's security guards, and select someone ready to detain the president, possibly as he went to give his nightly broadcast. The SBU said Russia also planned to eliminate Maliuk, as well as the head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov and other officials. Budanov was due to be assassinated before Orthodox Easter, which fell last weekend, the SBU said. The service's spokesman Artem Dekhtyarenko said the assassin had been promised a reward of up to $80,000. It published video footage purportedly of an FSB handler telling an agent to surveil a house linked to a target, apparently Budanov, and text when he arrived. «You'll most likely hear a loud blast,» the man says, telling the agent to then use a drone to carry out a secondary strike. The SBU published what it said were phone messages between a FSB handler and a colonel in the Ukrainian State Department of Protection, who it said personally brought drones, rounds and anti-personnel mines to Kyiv. It also gave names of three men it said were FSB handlers working with Ukrainian moles. Those detained are suspected of treason and preparing a «terrorist act», punishable by life in prison. Zelensky told The Sun in November that he had survived at least five or six assassination attempts. Polish and Ukrainian prosecutors announced last month they had detained a man suspected of aiding a Russian plot to assassinate Zelensky. And the SBU said last August that a woman had been arrested for over a plot to kill the Ukrainian leader by trying to uncover details of his movements outside Kyiv. © Agence France-Presse

Rescue workers reported on Tuesday making contact with 11 people under the rubble in a race to save dozens still unaccounted for after a building collapsed in the South African city of George killing at least seven. Thirty-three people have been pulled out of the debris of the five-storey apartment block, which caved in Monday afternoon while under construction, municipal authorities said. Seven of those have died, the authorities said in George, 400 kilometres (250 miles) east of Cape Town. Forty-two people were still unaccounted for, including the 11 with whom contact had been established, the authorities said. With the second night of rescue work underway, emergency services personnel surrounded a hole where a survivor was pulled out of the rubble and put onto a stretcher, an AFP correspondent saw. As they emerged, slight cheers of relief were heard. Another body was retrieved and wrapped in a blanket. Crowds of onlookers stood behind the barricade tape. «We are in contact with 11 people» trapped under rubble, Colin Deiner, head of rescue operations, had told reporters. Life had been detected under three areas of the site. - 17 hours work to rescue one survivor - On the sidelines of the site, Deiner told AFP it was a «long, involved operation with so many complexities» and an «extensive search with dogs, with systemic equipment» required. He added it took rescue personnel 17 hours to bring one of the victims out of the rubble after they were initially located. Recalling that the international standard for such operations is three days, George mayor Leon van Wyk told a local television station in the early evening that «over the next 40-odd hours we are hoping to rescue as many people» as operations entered a second day. The main focus is to get everyone out, Deiner said. «Once we have got all the people that we know about out, we are going to start a process called delayering,» he added. «We would then start lifting the different floors off each other,» he said, adding it would be «tricky» to remove the concrete trapping the building workers. A construction crew of 75 people was on site at the time of the collapse at around 2:00 pm local time (1200 GMT) on Monday, authorities said. Three rescue teams were working on three different areas of the collapsed building, which included an underground car park. The reasons for the collapse were still unknown. The construction plans for a 42-unit apartment block had been approved by the city in July. President Cyril Ramaphosa offered his «deep condolences to the relatives and friends» and said his thoughts were with the families of the dead and missing. He called for an investigation, saying it must «bring closure to the community and prevent a repeat of this disaster». George, which has a population of about 160,000, is a picturesque coastal city located on the tourist trail along South Africa's southern coastline. - Diggers, sniffer dogs - Photos shared by the city council showed a flattened construction site with emergency services on the ground. The broken roof of the building was still clearly visible atop the pile of rubble. Rescue operations had continued throughout Monday night with floodlights illuminating the cordoned-off site. A coordination post was set up to run the operations, which involve numerous emergency services and over 200 personnel. More diggers and sniffer dogs were dispatched from Cape Town, emergency services said. Officials said relatives of those trapped had been asked to gather at the city hall near the construction site, where they would be taken care of. Religious leader and social workers were present to assist and comfort emotional families. Men, women and children sang and prayed at the city hall as they awaited news on their loved ones, an AFP correspondent saw. One pastor told AFP they were offering «spiritual support» to those affected by a tragedy. «Our thoughts are with the families and all those affected, who continue to wait for word of their loved ones,» van Wyk said. George is run by the Democratic Alliance, the leading opposition party, which also controls the Western Cape province. © Agence France-Presse

Seychelles' Ministry of Lands and Housing is updating its digital platform, which is expected to be up and running by May next year, said a top official on Tuesday. Speaking to the media, the principal secretary for Lands, Denis Barbe, said the Ministry is currently working with the Department of Information, Communication and Technology (DICT) to ensure product quality. «The Lands Department already has a platform. However, it is outdated and it does not compile all the information needed. After it is updated, the platform will include different types of pertinent information such as the amount of land available in the Land Bank and will also include a way for applicants to check the progress of their application in the future. It will also help us with long-term planning, especially in terms of the types of land available, whether residential or other types,» said Barbe. He added that developers working on the platform will be given six months to complete this project but given the complexity of this project, there might be delays. Barbe said the platform will be linked to work already being done to compile a comprehensive and credible list of land available and interested applicants. «Any applicant who did not participate in the previous Land Point System exercises will be allowed to come forward and confirm their interest in land allocation. This will also be the case for applicants who had already started some form of transaction after the Land Point System and the process fell through somehow. At the time of the announcement the Ministry will extend a grace period of three months for them to confirm their interest,» said the principal secretary. Barbe explained that the exercise is meant to streamline and clean the current list of applicants so that this is a credible and comprehensive list that can be linked to the digital platform. «This is necessary because we need a credible list. Once we have that, everyone can be given a realistic wait time regarding their application. Applicants will simply be able to interact with this system and not need to contact the department's staff, thus making the procedure more efficient. This will re-establish trust with the public and promote more transparency for this process,» he added. With the phasing out of the Land Point System in 2022, the updated list of applicants will be based on two main criteria. The first will be the length of time since the application was made, and the second will be based on financial ability. «This means that the oldest applications on the list will be considered first, taking into account they have the financial ability to buy the land and build a house, that is SCR 1.2 million,» said Barbe. The Minister for Lands and Housing, Billy Rangasamy said, «We want to make sure that people who have been on the list for so many years, in some cases more than 20 years are finally considered.» He added that someone does not need to have SCR1.2 million ($83,000) outright, they just need to be able to prove that they can get a loan around that amount. This also applies to people who wish to purchase land from the Land Bank next to their parent's land. In their case, they must prove financial ability up to SCR500,000 ($34,000). The criteria for financial ability remains at SCR1.2 million because it covers both the sale of the land and the construction of the house. Apart from these revisions, Barbe added that they are also exploring the possibility of creating a framework that allows people with the ability to contribute towards the infrastructure components to be able to do so, to reduce the amount of time they have to wait on the list.

Team Seychelles won two gold medals, one silver, and three bronze medals on the first day of the 2024 Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA ) Games for Zone 7, taking place in the island nation from May 6 to 11 for athletes under 18 years of age. Both medals came in swimming from Angelina Smythe and Thierry Payet, who dominated their races to take first place.   Smythe gave Seychelles its first gold medal of the games in the 400m freestyle race for girls, which she won in 4 minutes 53.34 seconds. In second place with a silver medal was Mauritian Chloe Ah Chip in 4 minutes 55.97seconds followed by another Mauritian, Alysson Yene Teck, in 5 minutes 00.47 seconds.   «I am really and happy with my performance today. I just want to keep trying my best and we'll see what happens,» Smythe told reporters. Thierry Payet dominated the boys' 400m freestyle, winning gold in 4 minutes 21.06 seconds. Mauritius took silver with Matteo Tin Wan Yuen in 4 minutes 26.31 seconds followed in third place for a bronze medal by Madagascar's Baritiana Andirampenomanana in 4  minutes 29.47 seconds. «I wasn't expecting to win today, because my entry time was the third fastest among the athletes, but training has gone really well, so I anticipated a good result today,» said Payet. Seychelles claimed a silver medal again through the efforts of Angelina Smythe. She finished second in the girls' 100m backstroke event in 1 minute 14.37 seconds behind Malagasy swimmer  Andrianaivo Ony, who took the gold medal in 1 minute 11.32 seconds. Team Seychelles won an additional three bronze medals. Nael Barreau came out third in the girls' 50m breaststroke, and both the girls' and boys 4x100m freestyle relay teams finished third.   After the first day of the ANOCA Games, Madagascar leads the medals standings with a total of 8 medals - 5 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze with Seychelles in second place. Mauritius is third with 10 medals, 1 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze medals.  

In a continuous effort to deal with the large number of stray dogs in the country, Seychelles has sought the assistance of a well-known Swedish zoo and wildlife veterinarian and academic, Dr Therese Hård, and her team. Hård's expertise and experience will be used to conduct a comprehensive analysis on the stray dog population in Seychelles and recommendations and training will be held afterwards. This will help equip the local authorities with the necessary tools to carry out the stray dogs' programme in a humane manner. The team arrived in Seychelles on Tuesday and will be spending a week making site visits and discussions with local authorities. Hård met with the Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Flavien Joubert, on Tuesday.  She told reporters, «The purpose of our visit is to discuss how to work together and provide training to deal with the feral dog situation in Seychelles.»   Hård added, «We want to be able to work with the latest techniques in long-distance capture, to work on anaesthesia protocols, to meet the needs of animal welfare.» Dr Therese Hård (middle) and a member of her team met with Minister Joubert. (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY. While she will be working primarily with the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Hård and her team will also be working closely with non-governmental organisations to build a long-term relationship. The head of the Animal Welfare Unit, Girra Pierre, explained that bringing Dr Hård and her team to Seychelles will help them to be able to implement the stray dog control programme more humanely. The dog control programme started in 2023 after the country's stray dog situation was alarming. Through the Dog Control Programme, the department seeks to prevent unwanted litters, which will directly reduce the stray dog population and save up on the resources of the department and its partners. Dog shelters in the country were operating at capacity and were understaffed. This comes after an uproar last year when the killing of stray dogs sparked outrage among animal rights activists, who felt that the killing of these dogs was not the right way to deal with the situation. According to Pierre, the killing of these dogs will now not happen, but they will instead focus on neutering the dogs, to stop them from breeding and increasing their population. «With this programme, people might not see the population of stray dogs decrease drastically, but over the long term, we will see that it will decrease, as they will not be able to re-populate,» adds Pierre, assuring that killing the dogs is now not an option. She also spoke of their work with the two animal shelters in Seychelles, where through their close collaboration, they can also capture the dogs and use the shelters as a means to give the dogs a home through adoption. After the initial week in the country, Hård will return in the future for further work and training as the programme continues. 

The first High Commissioner of Kenya to Seychelles pledges to continue building on the robust relationship between the two countries. Isaac Njenga Gatitu presented his credentials to President Wavel Ramkalawan on Tuesday. «We hope to be able to give impetus to these relations that are in existence, we hope to bring more impact to our governments and our people as we build our economies, as we build our cultural and social ties,» he told reporters. Kenya and Seychelles have a long shared history as both countries are members of the Commonwealth and the African Union. «We have commonality in our governance system and some of the education systems because of some of our shared history,» he added. There is a significant Kenyan community in Seychelles working in different sectors such as fisheries, education sector and tourism, among others. Gatitu revealed that there are possibilities for further cooperation in tourism, where visitors could visit Kenya and Seychelles as part of a package. «We can complement each other, with the safaris that Kenya is known for, the world-renowned Masai Mara and the wild game reserves we have,» he said. The two countries are also cooperatiing in the field of defence and security since the region has suffered from piracy scourge for many years. However, with a recent resurgence in piracy, the two countries are examining «how we can enhance the cooperation that already exists between the two countries in maritime security, defence, and intelligence sharing that would help us to have the capacity to deal with this vice,» said the newly accredited high commissioner. He said that the two countries will also work together to fight the «menace of drug trafficking and drug use in the region.» The high commissioner added that «allowing our population to be involved in drugs would mean a national security threat to our country.» As illicit drug trafficking is also linked to other crimes, he stressed that transnational crimes cannot be fought as a country alone and that «you can only do it in partnership with others and particularly those who are in close proximity.» In the agriculture sector, Kenya has managed to «maximise output with the amount of arable land it has, this is an area we will also be able to share with the Seychellois community,» said Gatitu. He also revealed talks on cooperation between the School of Agriculture and Horticulture in Seychelles and the Edgerton University in Kenya and said that« This can only help to enhance the capacity that already exists here.» The first Kenyan High Commissioner to Seychelles admitted that Kenyans can also learn from Seychelles in the areas of fisheries and Blue Economy - an area it excels in. Other sectors the two countries plan to further cooperate in are health, education and student exchanges. In regards to the agreements the two countries signed in July 2022 during the State Visit of the Kenyan President, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, Gatitu said he will be visiting various top officials in the country during the day to put to action the words of the MoUs. Gatitu will be based in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Air Seychelles, the national carrier, has clinched two accolades - the Indian Ocean's Leading Airline - Economy Class and the Indian Ocean's Leading Cabin Crew at the World Travel Awards 2024. According to the airline in a press statement on Monday, Sandy Benoiton, the airline's chief executive officer accepted the awards with much pride and gratitude. «To win these accolades knowing they are awarded through public vote is proof that Air Seychelles is on the right track. The airline industry is as exciting as it is volatile and we do what we do with passion. Although we did not win as many awards as we did last year, I am immensely proud of my team whose relentless dedication has culminated in clinching these this year. We build on experiences and we will use this as motivation for even better output this year and beyond,» said Benoiton. Air Seychelles falls in the Indian Ocean category battling against other regional airlines such as Air Austral and Air Mauritius. Winners within each region will then go head to head in the Grand Final at the end of the year. The Grand Final nominations will be announced during the last quarter of the year, and as was done for the regional awards, a public vote will be called in support of the national airline at this time. Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, also emerged victorious as the 'Indian Ocean's Leading Beach Destination' and 'Indian Ocean's Leading Nature Destination.' The Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island took the newcomer title of 'Indian Ocean's Leading New Resort'. According to a press communique from the World Travel Awards on Monday, Graham Cooke, founder of the World Travel Awards, said, «Our winners represent the very best of the Indian Ocean's travel and tourism, and my congratulations to each of them. They are all playing starring roles in driving the region to new heights.» The World Travel Awards ceremony is regarded as one of the most prestigious award events around the world, celebrating and rewarding excellence in key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. 

President Vladimir Putin vowed at a lavish inauguration on Tuesday to deliver victory to Russians, embarking on a record-breaking fifth term with more power than ever. Putin, however, conceded that Russia was going through a «difficult» period, an apparent reference to the unprecedented sanctions packages the West has imposed on Moscow for having launched full-scale military hostilities in Ukraine more than two years ago. The 71-year-old Kremlin chief has ruled Russia since the turn of the century, securing a fresh six-year mandate in March after winning presidential elections devoid of all opposition. The highly-orchestrated inauguration ceremony, which included a military procession and Orthodox prayer service, was broadcast live on major Russian television channels. European countries including Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic signalled they would not send representatives amid soured tensions over the conflict in Ukraine. «We are a united and great nation, and together we will overcome all obstacles, realise everything we have planned, and together, we will win,» the Russian leader said after being sworn in to office. Putin, who has said that his forces will be victorious in Ukraine, whatever the cost, said the country would emerge «with dignity and become even stronger». After standing alone in the rain and overseeing columns of armed guards and calvary parade in ceremonial uniform, Putin was blessed by the leader of the Orthodox Chuch, Patriarch Kirill. «May God help you continue carrying out your servitude that he himself has entrusted on you,» the Orthodox leader said. He compared Putin to medieval ruler Alexander Nevsky and wished him eternal rule. «Serving Russia is a huge honour, responsibility and sacred duty,» Putin had said in the Kremlin's gilded Saint Andrew's Hall. He was greeted by applause by Russian officials and military top brass, who sang the national anthem and applauded him. Government officials and foreign diplomats in Moscow were invited to the ceremony, including French ambassador Pierre Levy. Putin's 87 percent landslide victory in the presidential election was panned by most international observers and dismissed as rigged by opposition and rights groups. The inauguration comes two days before Russia marks Victory Day on May 9, an event that has taken on renewed symbolism as Putin compares his offensive in Ukraine to Russia's fight against Nazi Germany in World War II. Authorities erected barriers throughout Moscow's city centre ahead of both events. - Shake-up - Putin kicks off his six-year term emboldened by advances on the battlefield in Ukraine and sustained economic growth, despite a barrage of Western sanctions. On the domestic front, he saw off a rebellion last June from paramilitary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin -- who later died in a plane crash -- and in February his main political rival Alexei Navalny died in prison. In a video minutes before the inauguration, Navalny's widow Yulia Navalnaya described Putin as deceitful and said Russia was doomed to remain in a state of conflict so long as he remains in power. His victory in March means that he is likely to become the longest-serving ruler of Russia in a century, beating out Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. Russia's army held off a much-hyped Ukrainian counter-offensive last year, and it has since made gains on the front lines as Kyiv struggles with ammunition and manpower shortages. But as the conflict stretches into a third year without an obvious resolution and the economy teeters towards overheating, Putin faces significant challenges in his fifth term. Inflation -- a historic source of angst amongst the Russian population -- remains persistent as Moscow adopts what analysts have called a «military Keynesianism», pouring billions of resources into the war effort. The Kremlin has also failed to quell fears it will announce a new round of unpopular mobilisation in Putin's new term, and discontent among the wives of men who have been drafted continues to simmer. Some analysts have suggested Putin may use the inauguration to shake up his government, which is obligated to resign ahead of a new presidential term. © Agence France-Presse

Hamas on Monday said it accepts a proposal for a truce in the seven-month-old war in Gaza, as Israel renewed an order for Palestinians in Rafah to evacuate ahead of a long-threatened invasion of the city. The Hamas announcement brought cheering crowds onto the street amid tears of happiness, chants of «Allahu Akbar» («God is greatest») and celebratory shooting in the air. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the proposal «is far from Israel's essential demands», but the government will send negotiators for talks «to exhaust the potential for arriving at an agreement». Close Israel ally the United States said it was «reviewing» the Hamas response. Hamas member Khalil al-Hayya told the Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel the proposal agreed to by Hamas includes a three-phased truce. He said it includes a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the return of Palestinians displaced by the war and a hostage-prisoner exchange, with the goal of a «permanent ceasefire». Israel's military meanwhile reiterated an earlier call for residents of east Rafah to evacuate as it prepares for a «ground operation» in the southern Gaza city. Renewing the call for people to leave, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israeli «aircraft targeted more than 50 terror targets in the Rafah area» on Monday. In response, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad said its militants launched rockets from Gaza towards southern Israel. Hamas in a statement said its leader Ismail Haniyeh had informed mediators Qatar and Egypt «of Hamas's approval of their proposal regarding a ceasefire agreement». A senior Hamas official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Israel must now decide whether it accepts or «obstructs» a truce after seven months of war. Israel called on Palestinians to leave eastern Rafah amid increasing global alarm about the consequences of an Israeli ground invasion of the city bordering Egypt. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, condemned the order, saying it would be «impossible to carry out safely», and the world body's human rights chief Volker Turk called it «inhumane». Later, Dujarric said that Guterres called on both Israel and Hamas to «go the extra mile needed» to seal a truce. The evacuation call followed disagreement between Israel and Hamas over the group's demands to end the war, during weekend negotiations in Cairo. Egyptian state-linked media said the talks stalled after a rocket attack claimed by Hamas's armed wing killed four Israeli soldiers on Sunday. Netanyahu has vowed to send ground troops into Rafah regardless of any truce, defying international concerns. In the statement responding to Hamas's announcement, Netanyahu's office also said the Rafah offensive will go ahead «to exert military pressure on Hamas in order to advance the release of our hostages». - 'Thousands' leaving - Cairo's foreign ministry warned of «grave humanitarian risks» for more than one million Gazans sheltering there and urged Israel to «exercise the utmost restraint». Joe Biden and Netanyahu spoke with the US President restating «his clear position» on Rafah, the White House said. It also said Netanyahu «agreed to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for humanitarian assistance for those in need». Israel closed the crossing on Sunday after the four soldiers were killed there by rockets fired from the Rafah area. Gaza's bloodiest-ever war began following Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel estimates that 128 of the 250 hostages abducted by militants on October 7 remain in Gaza, including 35 whom the military says are dead. Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has conducted a retaliatory offensive that has killed at least 34,735 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. About 1.2 million people are sheltering in Rafah, the World Health Organization says. Hamas said Israel was planning a large-scale offensive «without regard for the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe» in the besieged Gaza Strip or for the fate of hostages held there. Israel said its «limited» and temporary evacuation order aimed «to get people out of harm's way». The Palestinian Red Crescent said «thousands» of Gazans were leaving eastern Rafah. - 'Where can we go?' - Israel's military in a statement urged eastern Rafah residents to head for the «expanded humanitarian area» at Al-Mawasi on the coast. But aid groups said Al-Mawasi was not ready for such an influx. Asked how many people should move, an Israeli military spokesman said: «The estimate is around 100,000 people.» The Red Crescent said the designated evacuation zone hosts around 250,000 people, many of them already uprooted from elsewhere. Palestinian man Abdul Rahman Abu Jazar, 36, said the area «does not have enough room for us to make tents» because it is already full. «Where we can go?» he asked. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell called the evacuation orders «unacceptable» and urged Israel to «renounce» a ground offensive. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi posted on X: «Another massacre of the Palestinians is in the making... All must act now to prevent it.» UNICEF warned that around 600,000 children packed into Rafah face «further catastrophe». The main aid group in Gaza, UNRWA, said an Israeli Rafah offensive would mean «more civilian suffering and deaths», and that it was «not evacuating». - 'Return all hostages' - Soon after the war started, Israel told Palestinians in northern Gaza to move south to «safe zones» –- including Rafah. But Rafah has been repeatedly bombed and Palestinians say nowhere in Gaza is safe. Emergency workers said air strikes killed 16 people in Rafah on Sunday, hours after Hamas rockets killed the Israeli soldiers. The strike led Israel to close the crossing. Qatar-based Haniyeh accused Netanyahu of sabotaging the truce talks, which the prime minister's office on Monday called «an absolute lie». Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv late on Monday, calling on their government to accept a truce deal and hostage release. The Hostage Families and Missing Families Forum said in a statement Hamas's announcement must lead to «a deal for the return of all the hostages». © Agence France-Presse

The 2024 Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA ) Games for Zone 7 have officially begun in Seychelles and athletes will compete in four disciplines. The Games will take place from May 6 to 11 and are open to athletes under 18. In the opening ceremony at Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort on Monday, the young athletes were urged to not only do their best but also enjoy the experience. The vice president of the Seychelles Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (SOCGA), Michel Bau, officially declared the games open and expressed his joy that all these nations have been brought together to compete. «We are united to celebrate sports in all its forms today. I remember a time when it was difficult to get us all together, but today I am very happy that we are all here,» he said. The ceremony saw each of the five countries taking part in the competition parade their athletes in front of the guests present, with all the athletes in good spirits. Seychellois Luthra Elizabeth from the beach volleyball team and swimmer Thierry Payet took the athletes' oath for the games. And for the officials, table tennis player Ryan Lepere and basketballer Jana Malbrook did the same. Hosted by SOCGA, the Games aim to promote Olympism and its values of universality, diversity and friendship, as well as its goal; which is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, to promote a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity. It features table tennis, beach volleyball, swimming and 3x3 basketball, with five nations competing, including Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros, Djibouti and Seychelles. The Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa is an international organisation that unites Africa's 54 National Olympic Committees. Its headquarters is in Abuja, Nigeria, and it serves as the successor to the standing committee of African Sports or Comité permanent du sport Africain, founded in 1965 in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. 

French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen pressed Xi Jinping at a summit in Paris on Monday to use Beijing's influence to halt the Russian war against Ukraine, also telling the Chinese leader to accept fair global trade rules. Xi's two-day state visit to France is his first visit to Europe since 2019 on a trip that will also see him hold talks in Serbia and Hungary. He has said he wants to find peace in Ukraine even if analysts do not expect any major breakthrough. Opening an initial trilateral meeting attended by von der Leyen, Macron said coordination with Beijing on «major crises» including Ukraine was «absolutely decisive» and urged «fair rules for all» in Europe-China trade. «The future of our continent will very clearly depend on our ability to continue to develop relations with China in a balanced manner,» Macron said. Xi said China and the EU should «remain partners» and «carry out strategic coordination» and thus «make new contributions to world peace and development». - 'Flooding European market' - Europe is concerned that while officially neutral in the Ukraine conflict, China is essentially backing Russia which is already using Chinese machine tools in arms production. «More effort is needed to curtail delivery of dual use goods to Russia that find their way to the battlefield,» von der Leyen said after talks, adding that «this does affect EU-China relations». She added that France and the EU also «count on China to use all its influence on Russia to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine,» saying both Europe and China «have a shared in interest in peace and security». Von der Leyen also said she was «confident» Xi Jinping would continue to play an «important role» in de-escalating tensions over nuclear threats made by Russia, hours after President Vladimir Putin ordered nuclear weapons drills involving troops based near Ukraine. Both Macron and von der Leyen have indicated that trade was a priority in the talks, underscoring that Europe must defend its «strategic interests» in its economic relations with China. «Europe will not waver from making tough decisions needed to protect its economy and its security,» she said. Von der Leyen said there were «imbalances that remain significant» and «a matter of great concern», singling out Chinese subsidies for electric cars and steel that were «flooding the European market». - 'One of the great predators' - Rights groups are urging Macron to bring up human rights in the talks, accusing China of failing to respect the rights of the Uyghur Muslim minority and of keeping dozens of journalists behind bars. «President Macron should make it clear to Xi Jinping that Beijing's crimes against humanity come with consequences for China's relations with France,» said Maya Wang, acting China director at Human Rights Watch. Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders denounced the visit, installing a truck in central Paris with the names of 119 journalists it says are held by China and describing Xi as «one of the great predators of press freedom». Tuesday will see Macron take Xi, who is accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, to the Pyrenees mountains to an area he used to visit as a boy for a day of less public and more intimate talks. However analysts are sceptical that Macron will be able to exercise much sway over the Chinese leader, even with the lavish red-carpet welcome and a trip to the bracing mountain air of the Col du Tourmalet over 2,000 metres (6,560 feet) above sea level on Tuesday. The other two countries chosen by Xi for his tour, Serbia and Hungary, are seen as among the most sympathetic to Moscow in Europe. Both Macron's messages on trade and Ukraine «are unlikely to have a significant impact on Chinese behaviour,» said Janka Oertel, director of the Asia programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. © Agence France-Presse

Chadians voted Monday in a presidential election aimed at ending three years of military rule but dismissed by opponents of junta leader Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno as a fix. They will decide whether to extend three decades of Deby family rule, in a country crucial to the fight against jihadism across the Sahel desert region. Chad is the first of four military regimes in the Sahel to hold an election after successive coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger since 2020. The nation is also France's last military foothold in the Sahel region, with 1,000 soldiers. The three other junta-led regimes drove out French anti-jihadist forces, cutting ties with Paris in favour of closer links to Russia. The United States says it will temporarily withdraw some of its 100 troops from Chad, after agreeing to pull out of Niger. Deby's main rival is former opposition leader and now prime minister Succes Masra, denounced as a stooge by critics in the absence of other serious challengers. Both men have vowed a first-round win in polls that international rights groups have warned will be neither free nor fair. «All those who have shown they want massive change must go and vote in massive numbers, peacefully,» Masra, dressed in a blue boubou, said after voting. While turnout seemed slow shortly after polls opened in the capital N'Djamena, it had picked up by mid-morning in the more than 20 polling stations visited by AFP journalists. «I've come here today to make my choice now, to take on a good president who can change the country now and even help young people to evolve,» said Angeline Goltoua, an unemployed 24-year-old. Early in the campaign, observers predicted a massive win for Deby, 40, whose main rival has been killed and others banned from standing. However, economist Masra, also aged 40, has ramped up considerable support on the stump in recent weeks and could force a second round. - Proclaimed by generals - Surrounded by armed presidential guards, Deby declared his «commitment» to a «return to the constitutional order» after voting. He was proclaimed transitional president by 15 generals in 2021 after his father, Idriss Deby Itno, was killed in a gun battle with rebels after 30 years in power. Known as MIDI for his initials and as «the Man in Dark Glasses», Mahamat promised an 18-month transition to democracy but then extended it by two years. Opposition figures have since fled, been silenced or joined forces with Deby, while the junta has eliminated any attempts by civil society to campaign against it. On October 20, 2022, the army and police opened fire on demonstrators protesting the transition extension, including members of Masra's party, The Transformers. At least 300 young people died according to international NGOs, or, according to the regime, about 50. Deby's cousin and chief election rival Yaya Dillo Djerou was shot point-blank in the head in an army assault on February 28, according to his party. Masra was among the opponents driven out of the country but later returned and was named prime minister in January. Eight other candidates are not expected to win many votes. - Not 'free or democratic' - The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has warned that the election appears «neither credible, free nor democratic». It noted «increasing human rights violations», including Dillo's killing. The International Crisis Group (ICG) also warned that «a number of problems in the run-up to the balloting cast doubt on its credibility». These include measures that allow officials to publish only regional tallies of votes rather than posting the results at individual polling stations -- making it impossible for observers to verify the vote count. ICG also cited Chad's Constitutional Council excluding 10 rival candidates from the vote in Deby strongholds. As for Masra, it said: «A significant proportion of his constituency now considers him to have become a stooge of those in power.» If Masra wins the election, it could be the first peaceful handover of power in Chad, which underwent several coups even before Deby's father seized power in 1990. More than 8.2 million people are registered to vote in the largely desert central African nation, ranked by the United Nations as the fourth least-developed country in the world. With a third of the population aged between 10 and 24, many are voting for the first time. Voting is due to end at 5:00 pm (1600 GMT), with results expected on May 21 and a possible second round on June 22. © Agence France-Presse

Tourism Seychelles, the marketing branch of the tourism department, is participating in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) from May 6 to 9 at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the UAE with the aim of strengthening its position in the Middle East. Renowned as a premier travel event, the Arabian Travel Market draws in over 28,000 influential buyers and travel trade visitors, standing as a cornerstone of the global travel industry for over three decades. In a press communique on Monday, Tourism Seychelles said that the island nation's delegation is headed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, and several high officials along with its Middle East representative, Ahmed Fathallah. Also part of the delegation are representatives of the local trade in the island nation in the western Indian Ocean. The Tourism Seychelles director general for Destination Marketing, Bernadette Willemin, said, «We have an exciting few days ahead of us. The ATM provides a unique opportunity to network and stay updated on the latest travel trends shaping the Arabian Travel Market. In the coming days, we will be focused on strengthening our position in the Middle Eastern Market, ensuring Seychelles remains a highly sought-after holiday destination.» Tourism Seychelles will engage with industry leaders throughout the event, showcasing the irresistible allure of the island destination. The United Arab Emirates remains one of Seychelles' top 10 markets, with 5,302 visitors recorded as of April 28, 2024. 

The Islands Development Company (IDC), a state-owned company, is calling on local authorities to regulate recreational fishery urgently amid concerns being expressed by fishermen on stock depletion. The IDC, which manages the outer islands of Seychelles and also the inner island of Silhouette, has over the years put guidelines in place for recreational fishing in the outer islands.   According to Seychelles' Fisheries Act, recreational fishing refers to any fishing activity undertaken by a vessel under 10 metres in length for recreational rather than commercial purposes, like trading or selling. Sport fishing is defined as any fishing activity undertaken for sport or recreation, which involves the hiring, chartering, or leasing of a vessel, and its annexes not exceeding 40 metres in length overall but which does not result in trading, offering for sale, or selling of fish. The chief executive of the IDC, Glenny Savy, said the the company has established its standards on the islands. «For example, on Alphonse, we only allow 12 fishermen at a time, on Farquhar it's 10, on Cosmoledo it's 8 and on Astove it's only 4. We don't allow more than that number of people to go and fish on those islands. In addition to that, the lagoons are divided into sectors and not every sector is fished everyday, as we rotate these sectors,» he explained. He said IDC realised the danger of unsustainable fishery in the 1980s when the reef of Silhouette, the only granitic inner island managed by IDC, was being heavily exploited for sea turtles, lobster and rabbit fish among others. «We lobbied the government in the eighties to declare Silhouette a marine national park. This was done in 1987 and it is the largest marine park in Seychelles.  But although we managed to get the waters around Silhouette protected the authorities have never enforced it. At least our island manager and rangers of the Island Conservation Society (ICS) on Silhouette caution people that they cannot fish around the island because it is a marine park,» Savy added. IDC confirms that it is currently in discussion with a couple of associations on a possible code of conduct, but even if members of these associations abide by that code, the fact remains that many boat owners are not part of any association and will probably continue with business as usual. He emphasised that the longer the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) takes to put regulations in place, the more time people who are not practising sustainable fishing have to destroy the fish sock. Although there are no specific regulations governing recreational and sports fishing activities in Seychelles, certain restrictions have been put in place by the Fisheries (Mahe Plateau Trap and Line Fishery) Regulations 2021. These restrictions include a minimum size limit of 32cm for two key species, namely emperor red snapper and green job fish. Additionally, there is a bag limit of 20 fish per person per day for recreational fishers, and a ban on the sale of fish caught by recreational and sport fishers, unless authorised by the SFA.  There are no specific regulations governing recreational and sports fishing activities in Seychelles. (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY SFA is currently working towards introducing a regulatory framework by the end of 2024 to further define these fisheries. SFA confirmed that currently there are no licensing schemes for recreational fishing but «the law prescribes that anything recreational and for sport shall have a permit system,» said Karyss Auguste, SFA's assistant manager for the License and Permit System. She said, «On the Mahe plateau, the law makes provision for fishermen to either have a commercial license or a recreational permit. Therefore, for someone to engage in any fishing activity, that person will have to be a registered fisherman with a commercial license or a holder of a recreational permit.» SFA acknowledges the difficulty in managing resources with open access such as the seas and they do not know who is fishing and the type or size of species that they fish, which makes it difficult to ensure sustainable fishing. Vincent Lucas, SFA's head of department fisheries management and technical coordination, said this is a concern and the authority worries about the sustainability of fishery if such practices continue. The idea of having regulation and a code of conduct is also supported by non-governmental organisations such as the Island Conservation Society (ICS). Gregory Berke, the director of conservation and science at ICS, said a code of conduct is necessary. «Some operators such as Blue Safari Seychelles already implement a code of conduct using guidelines from studies already undertaken in Seychelles and based on international best practices. It would be beneficial if there were a regulatory framework in place so that all recreational or sports fishing have a code of conduct in place,» he said. A Seychellois fisheries expert, Dr Ameer Ebrahim, told SNA that he feels there is not enough information to state what impact the recreational fishery is having on fish stock. «We haven't taken into consideration the social aspect of the fishery for example would you penalise a father and child who goes fishing on the rock on a weekend, or would they need a license? In other parts of the world, they would need a license to carry out any form of recreational fishing whether it is for a hobby or not,» said Ibrahim. He said this needs to be documented and discussed on a larger scale before deciding on a fee. Ebrahim also pointed out other aspects to consider such as foreign workers who work in Seychelles under a  the Gainful Occupation Permit (GOP) and their involvement in this type of fishery. « GOP workers are fishing during the weekend in various areas and they fish whatever they can catch. From my understanding under their GOP condition food is supposed to be supplied by their employee. If they are fishing for food external to their GOP condition this needs to be looked at because we have no control over the quantity of fish being removed and the way it being done, for me it seems quite significant. If they are fishing recreationally, as a hobby, there needs to be some sort of mechanism on how to regulate that,» he added.

Pop idol Madonna gave it all in Rio de Janeiro as she looked back on her four-decade career in a historic show before throngs of joyful fans jammed onto Brazil's famed Copacabana beach on Saturday night. The 65-year-old singer walked down an elevated bridge from the Copacabana Palace hotel shortly after 10:30 pm (0130 GMT Sunday) to a massive stage for one of the most important shows of her career. Dressed all in black, Madonna broke into her hit «Nothing Really Matters» at the start of a burst of brute energy. «Rio, here we are in the most beautiful place in the world,» she said at the start of a performance that brought the giddy Brazilian audience to its feet. The show marked the final stop on her «Celebration Tour» noting her 40 years atop pop charts, in a free event that was estimated to draw upward of 1.5 million fans from across Brazil. Billed as a «historic» show, it blended music and dance with cabaret. Madonna showcased her versatility with dozens of set and costume changes, spectacular lights and many giant screens along the beach. She went from being dressed as a schoolgirl in a miniskirt to an irreverent Christian in a black cape while luminous crosses circled around her during «Like a Prayer,» a song that cost her excommunication from the Catholic Church. - 'Live To Tell' - Madonna was joined on stage during the performance of her hit «Vogue» by Brazilian singer Anitta, who is known for taking Carioca funk -- the soundtrack of Rio's favelas -- to the rest of the world. With «Live To Tell», she paid tribute to AIDS victims, including Freddie Mercury and the legendary Brazilian musician Cazuza. US electronic dance music master DJ Diplo opened the show as thousands jostled to get a view of the stage. Boats bobbed in the water offshore, letting those onboard enjoy the show. «I'm a mess, I haven't slept well, I've been listening to Madonna all week,» 29-year-old sociologist Ina Odara told AFP. Tattooed on her shoulder was Madonna's phrase: «All that you ever learned, try to forget.» «Madonna helped me leave the Catholic Church, think about many things and change my relationship with my family,» said Odara, a transgender woman, standing near the huge stage that was twice the size of any other used on the tour. Police patrolled almost every corner to minimize the usual mass robberies. After 80 performances across Europe and North America, the Rio concert provided a crowning touch to a tour that took on sudden urgency when the singer suffered a life-threatening bacterial infection in June last year. Madonna has released an album every two or three years since the 1984 release of «Like a Virgin.» Her shows, with their spectacular productions, set a high bar. But the ever-provocative Madonna has also provided unforgettable moments, such as when she kissed Britney Spears at 2003's MTV Music Video Awards. Her irreverence led to a tumultuous relationship with the Catholic Church, with Pope John Paul II urging fans to boycott her over her provocative 1989 video «Like a Prayer,» which was seen as blasphemous. - 'Oi, Rio!' - Madonna's concert should provide an economic boost to Rio, which contributed 20 million reales ($4 million) toward the $12 million production cost. Authorities expected it would pump a far larger sum -- 293 million reales, or $57 million -- into the local economy. On every corner in the Copacabana neighborhood were billboards, souvenirs or T-shirts bearing images of Madonna or of the conical corset designed by Jean Paul Gaultier and made famous by the diva. Hundreds of her fans swarmed outside the Copacabana Palace since her arrival on Monday. The excitement spiked Thursday night when Madonna unexpectedly appeared for a sound check, her face almost completely hidden behind a colorful balaclava. That scene was repeated on Friday. «Oi, Rio!» she called out in Portuguese to fans. The response on Saturday night from more than a million voices: «Oi, Queen Madonna!» © Agence France-Presse

A first-ever lagoon-wide drone survey of the waters around the Aldabra Atoll in Seychelles using drones to capture images of dugongs, including juveniles, has started. The ongoing project is being implemented by the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF), which manages the atoll, in order to monitor the dugong population and provide data to better inform SIF's decisions on the species' conservation. Dugongs - sometimes called sea cows - are shy and gentle creatures that survive solely on a diet of seagrass. Early settlers on the islands and sailors hunted and slaughtered them for their meat and oil. Today, they are a protected species under Seychelles law. «Initial analysis of the collected images revealed 19 dugong sightings. The largest group captured in a single photograph included six individuals, featuring two juveniles. Overall, juveniles were observed with one or two adults on more than three occasions. However, ongoing analysis is still in progress, and the final estimate has not been firmly established as of yet,» said the chief executive of SIF, Dr Frauke Fleischer-Dogley. Fleischer-Dogley added that by the end of this project, SIF aims to provide new information on the dugong population estimate and provide valuable insights to guide SIF's decision-making, government authorities, and conservation managers in the region to strengthen dugong conservation efforts.  Furthermore, the project outputs will support Seychelles' commitments under the Convention on Migratory Species and the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their Habitats throughout their range. Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the habitat for the only known remaining population of dugongs in Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean. Classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, dugongs in East Africa are thought to be highly threatened. SIF's two-year project is being implemented through a Seychelles Climate Change Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT) grant. Specialised fixed-wing drones manufactured by Wingtra,a company based in Switzerland, were procured.  Through this project, the foundation's staff now has capacity in drone piloting, and following the completion of this project, SIF will be exploring options to use drones elsewhere on Aldabra. The project will end in mid-2024, however, research and monitoring of this mammalian species will continue.  For this project, the Seychelles Islands Foundation is collaborating with Christophe Cleguer of the James Cook University and Amanda Hodgson of the Edith Cowan University, both based in Australia. 

The death toll from floods and mudslides triggered by torrential storms in southern Brazil has climbed to 56 people, with 74 injured and another 67 missing, the country's civil defense agency said Saturday. Fast-rising water levels in the state of Rio Grande do Sul were straining dams and threatening the metropolis of Porto Alegre, one of the largest cities in southern Brazil. Authorities there were scrambling to evacuate some neighborhoods that had been submerged -- in some cases using helicopters to rescue people stranded on roofs. And heavy rains of «very high severity» are expected to continue into Sunday, Civil Defense authorities said. The rapid rise of the Guaiba River, which runs through Porto Alegre, brought serious flooding to the city's historic center. - 'Going to be much worse' - With waters starting to overtop a dike along another local river, the Gravatai, Mayor Sebastiao Malo issued a stern warning on social media platform X, saying, «Communities must leave!» That warning came a day after the Rio Grande del Sul governor, Eduardo Leite, warned on X that «in the metropolitan region it's going to be much worse.» Leite called it the worst disaster in the state's history. Residential areas found themselves underwater as far as the eye can see, with roads destroyed and bridges swept away by powerful currents. Rescuers faced a colossal task, with entire towns -- some left without electricity or drinking water -- made inaccessible. At least 300 municipalities have suffered storm damage in Rio Grande do Sul since Monday, according to local officials, displacing more than 24,600. - 'Water up to my waist' - Roughly a third of the displaced have been brought to shelters set up in sports centers, schools and other facilities. «When I left the house, I was in water up to my waist,» a haggard-looking Claudio Almiro, 55, told AFP in a cultural center converted to a shelter in a suburb north of Porto Alegre. «I lost everything.» The rains also affected the southern state of Santa Catarina, where one man died Friday when his car was swept away by raging floodwaters in the municipality of Ipira. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited the region Thursday, vowing «there will be no lack of human or material resources» in responding to the disaster, which he blamed on climate change. Climatologist Francisco Eliseu Aquino told AFP on Friday that the devastating storms were the result of a «disastrous cocktail» of global warming and the El Nino weather phenomenon. South America's largest country has recently experienced a string of extreme weather events, including a cyclone in September that claimed at least 31 lives. Aquino said the region's particular geography meant it was often confronted by the effects of tropical and polar air masses colliding -- but these events have «intensified due to climate change.» © Agence France-Presse  

The road to the 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Seychelles has officially begun with the launch of the event one year-ahead, which took place on Friday. The 2025 tournament will take place between May 1 to May 11, with 16 nations set to compete, including the hosts, Seychelles, who will be participating in a first ever global football tournament. The event to launch the World Cup took place at the Kempinski Resort in the south of the main island of Mahe, where guests included the President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, who is also the patron for of the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF), the SFF's president, Elvis Chetty, and the director of competitions at FIFA (the football world governing body), Jaime Yarza.  Young Seychellois beach soccer players take part in the ceremony to launch the world cup (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC:BY During his address at the event, Chetty explained the importance of the tournament that will take place in Seychelles, stating that this sporting event is a beacon of opportunity for Seychelles. “Hosting an event of this magnitude brings along a significant impact, promising to usher in an era of unparalleled growth and development for our islands and football community at large,” said Chetty, highlighting the expected surge in tourism from the games. He also noted the various infrastructure developments that this tournament will also bring. In fact, a new beach soccer stadium is expected to be constructed in Roche Caiman, near the existing venue, with a 4,000-capacity arena to be built, which will then be dismantled and put into other areas in Seychelles as two smaller stadiums, that will be used to continue the development of beach soccer in Seychelles. On his part, Yarza joked that when FIFA announced that the tournament would be held in Seychelles, they received more volunteers than ever to join the tournament. “Attending a world cup is a very special moment and we want to honour the people that love this sport, by bringing them the best teams, the best organisation and we are convinced that Seychelles can offer that,” Yarza added.  With Seychelles set to host the event almost exactly one year from now, the preparations for the games have already begun, where during the ceremony, the official logo was unveiled, along with the winner’s trophy, and tournament theme song, which is called “Kot mon ne” in Seychellois Creole or “Where is was born”, in English, sang by popular local artist known as Mercenary. Meanwhile, President Ramkalawan said that the people of Seychelles need to understand that this tournament is much bigger than anything Seychelles has hosted before. “We are now overtaking the Indian Ocean or a zone in Africa, now we are going global,” he said, adding that “with Seychelles' size, we will never be able to host a normal football world cup, but as small as we are, we can host the Beach Soccer World Cup.” He added that he hopes that the Seychelles team can do well, and that the tournament will be the catalyst that re-invigorates our local 11-a-side football and brings us back to the heights of previous years.

The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has confirmed that uncharacteristically high ocean temperatures have triggered the fourth global mass coral bleaching event and Seychelles is already being affected. Nirmal Shah, chief executive of Nature Seychelles, a non-profit organisation, said this event poses a significant threat to the ocean's ecosystem and the millions of individuals who rely on reefs for sustenance, employment, and coastal security. «The elevated ocean temperatures represent the result of the growing emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as carbon dioxide and methane, which have been increasingly trapped in the atmosphere. Consequently, the oceans have absorbed almost 90 percent of the excess heat, resulting in warmer waters,» Shah told SNA. In March, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported that the average sea surface temperature reached a record monthly high of 21.07 degrees Celsius. «These developments are deeply concerning and require immediate attention from the international community to reduce GHG emissions and safeguard oceanic health,» said Shah In Seychelles, coral bleaching was detected first at Aldabra in March and is now widespread around the granitic islands. Shah elaborated that Nature Seychelles, which has been working on large coral restoration projects for almost 15 years, has had experimental shading mechanisms in the water for a few weeks now. The Coral Shading Initiative (CSI) is derived from indigenous knowledge in Seychelles by weaving palm leaves and putting them in bamboo frames. He confirmed that preliminary results show promise and that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which is funding Nature Seychelles' current reef restoration efforts, has agreed to provide $5,000 to expand this system. «However, this is inadequate to save reefs. Seychelles needs massive national mobilisation like a war effort otherwise we will lose our reefs which supply food, sand for our beautiful beaches, barriers to storms and surges, and assets for dive tourism,» he added.  Shah, who expressed concern regarding Seychelles' future, especially when facing extreme climate change, has recently been appointed to the Advisory Board of the Coral Restoration Consortium (CRC). The CRC is a unique global community of practice composed of thousands of dedicated scientists and members of reef-rich communities, volunteer divers and local fishermen, climate change activists and government officials, university professors and leaders from the business world. «The Advisory Board's role is to listen actively to what the community needs, then advise how to create and share the products and resources they need to work more strategically and rapidly,» he said.      

Pro-Palestinian protests that have rocked US campuses for weeks were more muted Friday after a series of clashes with police, mass arrests and a stern White House directive to restore order. Police in Manhattan cleared an encampment at New York University after sunrise, with video posted to social media by an official showing protesters exiting their tents and dispersing when ordered by loudspeaker. The scene appeared relatively calm compared to crackdowns at other campuses around the country -- and some worldwide -- where protests over Israel's war in Gaza have multiplied in recent weeks. University administrators, who have tried to balance the right to protest and complaints of violence and hate speech, have increasingly called on police to clear out the protesters ahead of year-end exams and graduation ceremonies -- and some clashes with counter-protesters. More than 2,000 arrests have been made in the past two weeks across the United States, some during violent confrontations with police, giving rise to accusations of over-use of force. President Joe Biden, who has faced pressure from all political sides over the Israel-Hamas war, gave his first expansive remarks on the protests Thursday, saying that «order must prevail.» «We are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent,» Biden said in a televised statement from the White House. «But neither are we a lawless country. We're a civil society, and order must prevail.» His remarks came hours after police moved in on demonstrators at University of California, Los Angeles, which had seen a violent confrontation when counter-protesters attacked a fortified encampment there. A large police contingent forcibly cleared the sprawling encampment early Thursday while flashbangs were launched to disperse crowds gathered outside. Schools officials said that over 200 people were arrested. On the opposite US coast Thursday, protesters at New Jersey's Rutgers University agreed to take down their camp after reaching a compromise with administrators, like a similar deal at other institutions, including Brown University. - Worldwide - Republicans have accused Biden of being soft on what they say is anti-Semitic sentiment among the protesters, while he faces opposition in his own party for his strong support for Israel's war on Gaza. «There should be no place on any campus, no place in America for anti-Semitism, or threats of violence against Jewish students,» Biden said. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona echoed the condemnation in a letter to university leaders on Friday and pledging to investigate reports of anti-Semitism «aggressively,» CNN reported. Meanwhile, similar student protests have popped up in countries around the world, including in Australia, France, Mexico and Canada. In Paris, police moved in to clear students staging a sit-in at the Sciences Po university. An encampment has grown at Canada's prestigious McGill University, where administrators on Wednesday demanded it be taken down «without delay.» However, police had yet to take action against the site as of Friday morning. The Gaza war started when Hamas militants staged an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 that left more than 1,170 people dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel estimates that 128 hostages remain in Gaza. The Israeli military says 35 of them are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 34,600 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. © Agence France-Presse

International Criminal Court prosecutors warned on Friday against «individuals who threaten to retaliate» against the tribunal or its staff, saying such actions might constitute an «offence against its administration of justice». The ICC did not say if the comment related to its investigation into possible war crimes by Israel or Palestinian groups in Gaza and the West Bank. US media reports have suggested that the ICC's Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) could issue warrants against both Israeli politicians and Hamas leaders. Israeli officials have said in recent days that any attempt by the court to take any action against Israel would be «outrageous». On Friday, the Hague-based office of ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan said on X, former Twitter, that it sought to «engage constructively with all stakeholders whenever dialogue is consistent with its mandate». «That independence and impartiality are undermined, however, when individuals threaten to retaliate against the court or against court personnel», it added. «Such threats, even not acted upon, may constitute an offence» against the ICC's «administration of justice», it warned, calling for an end to such activity. Khan's office declined to say where the threats had come from and which investigation was concerned, when questioned by AFP. - 'Blatant disregard' - But one legal expert said it was likely related to the «ongoing investigation in Palestine» given recent Israeli government statements about «threats to the Palestinian Authority in response to the potential issuance of arrest warrants». Israel's reported retaliatory steps were aimed at the Palestinian authorities, «not at the ICC or the OTP», said Gabriele Chlevickaite, a researcher at the Hague-based Asser Institute for international law. However, «some statements by Israeli officials could be interpreted as threatening the OTP officials indirectly and, or, interfering with the investigation,» she told AFP. This would not only be an offence under the court's founding Rome Statute «but a blatant disregard of the rule of law,» Chlevickaite added. The ICC opened a probe in 2021 into Israel, as well as Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups, over possible war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories. Khan has said this investigation now «extends to the escalation of hostilities and violence since the (Hamas) attacks that took place on October 7, 2023». - 'Outrageous' - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X on Wednesday that the ICC was «contemplating issuing arrest warrants against senior Israeli government and military officials as war criminals». «This would be an outrage of historic proportions,» he said, alleging that the ICC was «trying to put Israel in the dock». The United States said on Monday it also opposed the ICC's probe into Israel's conduct in Gaza. The ICC is the world's only independent court set up to probe the gravest offences by individual suspects, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. It has previously issued warrants for national leaders -- most recently Russian President Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine. The war in Gaza started after Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel's relentless retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,568 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the besieged Hamas-run enclave. © Agence France-Presse 

Seychelles has gone down three places on the World Press Freedom Index going from 34th to place in 2023 to 37th in 2024 published by the Reporters Without Borders (RWB), a Paris-based non-governmental organisation. The ranking is released every year to coincide with World Press Freedom Day on May 3, a date that celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom around the world. The ranking is based on five indicators - political, economic, legislative, social and security. The political indicator has fallen the most, registering a global average fall of 7.6 points. In 2022, the island nation was ranked 13th out of 180 countries and was the highest ranking in Sub-Saharan Africa - a ranking it lost last year when it fell 21 places on the index. The chairman of the Association of Media Practitioners in Seychelles (AMPS), Rassin Vannier, told reporters on Friday morning that the AMPS plans «to hold consultative meetings with the authorities to stop a further decline.» Vannier was speaking at a half-day seminar AMPS held in collaboration with the French Embassy in Seychelles at L'Escale Resort and Spa to mark World Press Freedom Day. The seminar was organised jointly by AMPS and the French Embassy in Seychelles. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY «What is important for the Association is to establish what has us continually going down in the rankings. Once we have determined the causes, we will approach the authorities concerned to see how we can find solutions for the problems so that we can go back up in the RWB ranking released annually,» he added. Reporters Without Borders defines press freedom as «the ability of journalists as individuals and collectives to select, produce, and disseminate news in the public interest independent of political, economic, legal, and social interference and in the absence of threats to their physical and mental safety.» Vannier said, «It is important that we have a dialogue and come up with a solution together.» The World Press Freedom Index compares the level of freedom enjoyed by journalists and media in 180 countries and territories.  Vannier added that with the «harassment of our journalists, something we see every day, there is a dialogue that needs to take place between the authorities and the profession.» At the seminar which took place on Friday, Vannier said, «As elections are coming up next year, and we have had some issues when working with the Commission in the 2020 elections, we felt it would be beneficial for both parties to have a dialogue now.» Representatives from the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), TeleSesel, Seychelles Nation, Today in Seychelles and The People were among the media houses present. Also present, was the chief elections officer, Manuella Amesbury and her team that made presentations on the role and mandate of the Electoral Commission of Seychelles (ECS). It was also a chance for the journalists in attendance to voice their concerns on reporting on the election process as well as receive clarifications about issues concerning ECS. 

The Court of Appeal has allowed the application made by the Seychelles Human Rights Commission, the Ombudsman and the Bar Association of Seychelles for the recusal of a panel of judges on the Constitutional Court hearing of a controversial case. The three entities lodged a joint petition with the Constitutional Court on September 13, 2022, asking that the constitutionality of the 10th amendment of the Constitution be reviewed. The 10th Amendment to the Constitution empowers the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) to carry out internal law enforcement in Seychelles outside the context of a public emergency. The panel hearing the case in the Constitutional Court comprises Chief Justice Rony Govinden and justices Mohan Burhan and Brassel Adeline. The three entities made the application for the recusal of the panel of judges on the Constitutional Court on the grounds that there is evidence indicating that the judiciary was involved in the preparation of the 10th Amendment. Additionally, that one of the judges of the Constitutional Court recently benefitted from a land transfer from the government. The Constitutional Court on January 24, 2023 dismissed the case and the judges ruled that the motion appears to be frivolous and vexatious and an abuse of the process of the court and dismissed it on this basis. The three Justices of Appeal on the case were Janak De Silva from Sri Lanka, Lillian Tibetemwa-Ekirikkubinza from Uganda and Karuna Gunesh-Balaghee from Mauritius. In a unanimous judgement, the Court of Appeal found that the application for the recusal of the judges had been wrongly decided by the Constitutional Court in its decision of January 24, 2023.  In its ruling on Friday, the three judges of the Court of Appeal, said: «The  Constitutional Court was of the view that the Recusal Guidelines applied only for situations where recusal of a presiding Judge or a bench is sought not where the recusal of all current Judges and Justices in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal is sought. On a plain reading of the Recusal Guidelines, that may well be a sustainable interpretation.» «However, it overlooks the fact that the doctrine of bias which disqualifies a Judge from hearing a case is a particular application of the fundamental human right and freedom recognised in Article 19(7) of the Constitution,» said the Court of Appeal.   Quashing the Constitutional  Court decision, the Court of Appeal directed that the recusal application should be heard anew by a panel of judges who were not in any way involved with the preparation of the 10th  Amendment. The Court of Appeal gave specific directives as to how this panel of judges should be set up to meet the imperatives of impartiality in the circumstances of this case. It also ordered that if it is not possible to set up this panel according to its directives, the Chief Justice should request the President of Seychelles to appoint temporary judges in terms of the Constitution for the purpose of hearing the recusal application. The Court of Appeal also ordered that the judges who dismissed the recusal application must not haveanything further to do with that application. 

The President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan sent a message of condolence to President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan following the recent passing of Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, the ruler's representative in the Al Ain region. He was 82 years old. According to the Foreign Affairs Department in a press communique on Thursday, Ramkalawan, said, «I would like to offer our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to Your Highness, to the Al Nahyan family, as well as to the government and the people of the United Arab Emirates on this sad occasion.» «The late Sheikh Tahnoun was a prominent national figure who played an instrumental role in the establishment of the United Arab Emirates. He will be fondly remembered for his unwavering commitment and tireless work in the service of his country,» added Ramkalawan. Seychelles' head of state said, «At this time of bereavement, our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the late Sheikh Tahnoun, the Government of the United Arab Emirates and the Emirati people. May his soul rest in eternal peace.»

Seychelles' President Wavel Ramkalawan officially handed over six second-hand ambulances to the Minister for Health, Peggy Vidot, gifted by an anonymous donor in a ceremony on Thursday. The six Toyota Hiace ambulances are expected to improve the emergency services in the island nation. Ramkalawan said, «Depending on if the Ministry of Health is satisfied with the ambulances, we will purchase six more to add to the fleet.» Vidot welcomed the donation that she described as an opportune gift that will help her ministry «provide an immediate response when called – which is the difference between life and death.» The ambulances are second-hand vehicles with very high roofs, engines of 2,700cc, and equipped to cater for the emergency services the health authorities provide. The total cost of the ambulances is $94,000 (SCR1.3 million). Vidot explained that the latest additions will help revitalise the current fleet. The chief executive of the Public Health Agency, Danny Louange, said that the new ambulances are very welcomed as the current fleet of 16 has some vehicles that are beyond 15 years old and maintenance costs are high. The Beau Vallon, Grand Anse Praslin and Anse Royale health centres are expected to benefit from the donation.

Doubts grew on Thursday over the fate of a Gaza truce plan that, as the week began, had raised hopes of an end to nearly seven months of war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants. Israel was still waiting for Hamas's response to the latest proposal, said an Israeli official not authorised to speak publicly. Mediators have proposed a deal that would halt fighting for 40 days and exchange Israeli hostages for potentially thousands of Palestinian prisoners, according to details released earlier by Britain. Any such deal would be the first since a one-week truce in November saw 80 Israeli hostages exchanged for 240 Palestinian prisoners. The war started with Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel estimates that 129 captives seized by militants during their attack remain in Gaza, but the military says 34 of them are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive, vowing to destroy Hamas, has killed at least 34,596 people in Gaza -- mostly women and children -- including 28 over the past day, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Much of Gaza has been reduced to a grey landscape of rubble. The debris includes unexploded ordnance that leads to «more than 10 explosions every week», with more deaths and loss of limbs, Gaza's Civil Defence agency said on Thursday. - 'Get this done' - Humanitarians are struggling to get aid to Gaza's 2.4 million people, hundreds of thousands of whom have fled to Rafah, the territory's southernmost point, the United Nations says. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told AFP late Wednesday that the movement's position on the truce proposal was «negative» for the time being. The group's aim remains an «end to this war», senior Hamas official Suhail al-Hindi said -- a goal at odds with the stated position of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Regardless of whether a truce is reached, Netanyahu vows to send Israeli troops into Rafah against Hamas fighters there. US officials reiterated their opposition to such an operation without a plan to protect the civilians. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged the Islamist movement to accept the truce plan. «Hamas needs to say yes and needs to get this done,» Blinken said Wednesday while in Israel on his latest Middle East mission. In early April there had also been initial optimism over a possible truce deal, only to have Israel and Hamas later accuse each other of undermining negotiations. Following a meeting with Blinken, Israel's opposition leader Yair Lapid insisted that Netanyahu «doesn't have any political excuse not to move to a deal for the release of the hostages». Netanyahu faces regular protests in Israel calling on him to make a deal that would bring home the captives. On Thursday protesters set up over-sized photos of women hostages outside Netanyahu's Jerusalem residence. In Tel Aviv they again blocked a highway. - On trial - Demonstrators accuse the prime minister, who is on trial for corruption charges he denies, of seeking to prolong the war. Fallout from the Gaza fighting has spread throughout the Middle East, including to the Red Sea region where commercial shipping has been disrupted. US and allied warships have regularly shot down suspected drones and missiles fired by Iran-backed Yemeni rebels who say they act in solidarity with Palestinians. Criticism of the war has intensified in the United States, Israel's top military supplier. Demonstrations have spread to at least 30 US universities, where protesters have often erected tent encampments to oppose Gaza's ever-increasing death toll. Talks on a potential deal to pause the bloodiest-ever Gaza war have been held in Cairo involving US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators. Mairav Zonszein, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group think-tank, said he was pessimistic Hamas would agree to a deal «that doesn't have a permanent ceasefire baked into it». A source with knowledge of the negotiations said on Wednesday that Qatari mediators expected a response from Hamas in one or two days. The source said Israel's proposal contained «real concessions» including a period of «sustainable calm» following an initial pause in fighting, and the hostage-prisoner exchange. The source said Israel's withdrawal from Gaza remained a likely point of contention. - A mother's tears - Egypt was involved in a flurry of calls «with all the parties», the country's state-linked Al-Qahera News reported, citing a high-level Egyptian official who spoke of «positive progress». Martin Griffiths, the UN aid chief, this week said «improvements in bringing more aid into Gaza» cannot be used «to prepare for or justify a full-blown military assault on Rafah». The US military since last week has been building a temporary pier off Gaza to assist aid efforts. The pier is now more than half finished, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. In Khan Yunis city near Rafah, foreign aid and borrowed equipment helped to «almost completely» restore the emergency department at Nasser Medical Complex, said Atef al-Hout, the hospital director. Intense fighting raged in mid-February around the hospital, which Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles later surrounded. Israel's army on Thursday said that among strikes over the previous day, a fighter jet hit «a military structure in central Gaza». Witnesses and an AFP correspondent on Thursday reported air strikes in Khan Yunis and artillery bombardment in the Rafah area, while militants and Israeli troops battles in Gaza City to the north. Also in north Gaza, workers unloaded boxes of aid at Kamal Adwan hospital where Alaa al-Nadi's son lay motionless in the intensive care unit, his head almost completely swathed in bandages. Nadi, her own arm bandaged after they were wounded in a strike, feared the hospital's power could go out, cutting the boy's oxygen and killing him. «I call on the world to transfer my son for treatment abroad. He is in a very bad condition,» she said, breaking down in tears. © Agence France-Presse

French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed he did not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, saying the issue would «legitimately» arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian front lines and Kyiv made such a request, in an interview with the Economist published Thursday. The Economist said Macron gave the interview after delivering a keynote speech last week where he declared that Europe is «mortal» and could «die» partly due to the threat posed by Russian aggression after its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. «I'm not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out,» said Macron when asked if he stood by comments earlier this year not excluding the sending of Western troops that sent shockwaves around Europe. Some analysts believe that Russia could be on the verge of launching a major new offensive in Ukraine. Macron said «if Russia decided to go further, we will in any case all have to ask ourselves this question» of sending troops, describing his refusal to rule out such a move as a «strategic wake-up call for my counterparts». He described Russia as «a power of regional destabilisation» and «a threat to Europeans' security». «I have a clear strategic objective: Russia cannot win in Ukraine,» Macron said. «If Russia wins in Ukraine, there will be no security in Europe. »Who can pretend that Russia will stop there? What security will there be for the other neighbouring countries, Moldova, Romania, Poland, Lithuania and the others?" he asked. © Agence France-Presse

Seychelles offers breathtaking landscapes, pristine beaches and vibrant culture and is a dream destination for honeymooners, family and retirees who wants to relax and enjoy what the island nation has to offer. However,  it is essential to remember that Seychelles' tropical climate can present unique challenges when it comes to oral health. Many times holiday are interrupted as tourists and travellers have to sit at the casualty room of the main Seychelles Hospital or at the private dental clinic. They must have not thought in their wildest dream that they would have to visit a dentist while vacationing in Seychelles. Here are seven tips to help you have a toothache-free holiday in Seychelles.   Stay Hydrated Seychelles' tropical climate means warm temperatures and mostly sunshine year-round so while enjoying the sun and sea, it is easy to become dehydrated. Dehydration can contribute to various oral health problems. Hydration is key to saliva production, which helps protect your teeth from decay and gum disease so carry a reusable water bottle to stay refreshed throughout the day. Tropical fruit juices and cocktails are delicious, but they can be high in sugar and acids that harm your teeth so consume them in moderation and rinse your mouth with water afterward. (Dr. Bibhakar Ranjan) Photo License: All Rights Reserved    Protect Your Lips and Gums  Seychelles' strong sun can lead to sunburn, not only on your skin but also on your lips and gums so to safeguard your oral health choose a lip balm with sun protection to prevent sunburn on your lips. When spending extended periods in the sun, wearing a hat provides additional protection for your lips and gums. (Sara Beckwith, Flickr) Photo Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0   Make Tooth-friendly Choices to Preserve Your Oral Health Enjoy Seychelles' abundant fresh fruits and vegetables, like papaya, pineapple, and coconut as they provide essential vitamins and minerals for healthy gums and teeth. While tempting, try to reduce your consumption of sugary treats and opt for healthier snacks like nuts or yogurt when hunger strikes. (Dr. Bibhakar Ranjan) Photo License: All Rights Reserved    Stay Prepared for Dental Emergencies Accidents can happen anywhere, so it is wise to be prepared. In a conversation with a private dentist practicing in Seychelles, he said that he often gets calls from resorts and hotels to see tourists in pain. Some tourists get toothache from previously untreated cavities or fracture in the tooth while eating or falling down. Remember to bring a dental first aid kit, which includes items like dental floss, pain relievers, and an emergency contact number for a local dentist in your travel kit. (Dr. Bibhakar Ranjan) Photo License: All Rights Reserved    Maintain Oral Hygiene Avoid chewing ice or hard objects although it might be tempting to cool down with ice cubes. Avoid chewing on the bone of chicken found in local dishes or ice cubes as it can lead to dental emergencies. Local dentist also highlighted many individuals report to the clinic with tooth fracture, while the patient attempted to open a beer bottle with their teeth, be advised to use a bottle opener. While savouring a cocktail or a local Seychelles beer can be part of the island experience, excessive alcohol consumption can harm your oral health. Alcohol can dry out your mouth, reducing saliva production, which is essential for protecting your teeth. Consume alcohol in moderation and drink water between alcoholic beverages to stay hydrated. (Gerard Larose) Photo License: CC-BY   Protect Your Teeth During Water Activities Seychelles offers fantastic opportunities for water activities such as snorkelling, diving, and swimming. If you're engaging in these activities, consider wearing a mouth guard to protect your teeth from accidental impacts. You can obtain a mouth guards prior to travel or can buy one at pharmacies and private clinics and in some places can be custom-fitted by dental professionals for added comfort and protection. Your time in Seychelles should be a harmonious blend of adventure and relaxation; maintaining good oral health is vital to that equation. Remember, a healthy smile is your best companion for exploring this tropical paradise. (Gerard Larose) Photo License: CC-BY