A national strategy for intellectual property (IP) is currently being developed for Seychelles and once completed it is expected to guide all application of the law and policies regarding intellectual property going forward, said a top official on Monday. The principal secretary for trade, Francis Lebon, made the statement at the opening of a three-day workshop to get the feedback of different stakeholders done jointly with the Department of Trade and experts from the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO). «We want to ensure that Seychelles has an IP strategy in place that is strong and is developed with enough foresight to help the development of our economy. The trade department and the Registrar's Office are working very closely to create this strategy,» he said. Lebon added that apart from the national strategy, the Trade Department along with other stakeholders are also working on reviewing several laws concerning intellectual property. «Intellectual property is relatively new to Seychelles, there are a lot of frameworks that need to be set in place. It is something that cannot be put to the side. The protection of intellectual property is important for all aspects of economic development. We are ensuring that all bases are covered and are linked to each other properly,» said the principal secretary. The registrar general, Wendy Pierre, said that it is important to address targets that have been set regarding intellectual property not only as a legal tool but as a tool that can be used in different ways. «The development of a national strategy for the IP, we see it as one of the most important targets we've set that we need to realise. We intend to be in a position to consolidate all efforts and maximise all potentials, which for years have existed without a clear vision, resulting in many lost opportunities,» she said. Pierre said there have been attempts at developing such a strategy but the process was flawed given the absence of key partners. «We cannot develop a strategy in limbo, the strategy would need to be implemented, it has to become the backbone of the IP sector, guiding the decisions we make, ranging from capacity building, law reviews, regional and international cooperation, trading and commerce,» she explained. The director of intellectual property for ARIPO, David Njuguna, said that this session is meant to create a roadmap for developing a National Intellectual Property Strategy. «At ARIPO, we are aware that there is a lot of creativity and innovation taking place in our countries, including in academic and research institutions. However, the benefits of creativity and innovation may not be fully realised or adequately rewarded due to a lack of awareness of the crucial role that intellectual property management plays in supporting and promoting creativity and innovation. Therefore, an IP strategy provides a framework for enhancing intellectual property awareness for the nation,» he said. This workshop also coincides with World Intellectual Property Day which falls on Friday, April 26. 

Seychellois boxer Joshua Cousin has claimed a gold medal at the first-ever Mandela African Boxing Cup, after beating his opponent in the final on Sunday. Cousin, who competed in the men's 71-75kg category, went up against Ethiopia's Neka Mitiku in the final and won the bout after the referee stopped the count. To reach the final, Cousin had to defeat three boxers. In the round of 16 stage, he grabbed victory over Nkosinathi Dvuba of Eswatini and eliminated Jon William in the quarter-final.   In the semi-final, the Seychellois boxer got a walkover over David Tshama from the Democratic Republic of Congo to make it to the final. Aside from Cousin, who won gold, Seychelles was represented by three other boxers, with Keddy Agnes winning the bronze medal in his +92kg category, losing in the semi-final to Anthony Bweluzey form the Democratic Republic of Congo. Arshild David lost in the quarter-final against Alayu Mekonne in the 51-54kg weight class, while Dasheil Fanchette also his quarter-final bout in the 80-86kg category, against Peter Pita also from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The results placed Seychelles 10th on the medal table. The Democratic Republic of Congo came out first on the medal table with 10 gold medals, two silver and six bronze followed by Mozambique with two gold medals and three silver. Neigbouring island nation in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius came out third with two gold medals and three bronze. The introduction of the new tournament in memory of the late South African President Nelson Mandela was organised by the International Boxing Association (IBA), the African Boxing Confederation and the South African Boxing Organisation. It took place in Durban, South Africa, from April 15-21. Monetary rewards will be given to winners and gold medallists will receive $5,000 (SCR68,000), silver $3,000 (SCR 41,000) and $1,500 (SCR20,000) for bronze, courtesy of IBA. Five of the boxing giants from Africa did not participate in the competition namely Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco, Zambia and Ghana. Twenty-four countries participated in the tournament with around 101 competitors.

French wines, cheeses and traditional dishes with all aspects of French cuisine and produce are being given centre stage at the Gout de France (Taste of France) International Festival in Seychelles this year. French Ambassador to Seychelles Olivia Berkeley-Christmann gave the official go-ahead at the French Residence at La Misère on Monday. The festival will take place from April 22-30 and patrons at participating establishments will be treated to French delicacies such as cheeses, Ricard liqueur and purely French dishes as part of the event. Present at the kick-off were representatives from Delplace Restaurant and the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) from the main island of Mahe, and the Club Med resort on Sainte Anne Island. They are all taking part in the festival along with Four Seasons Resort, Gou Notik, Hilton Northolme Resort, Story Hotel and La Belle Tortue. Initiated by the French diplomatic network in the world to promote its cuisine and produce, the competition has been held in Seychelles since 2015, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism. Pierre Delplace, owner of Delplace restaurant, told reporters that this time, people will «have a glimpse of French culture through a dish, entrée and even a drink. I have given the chef at my restaurant my mother's recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon to give people a taste of how it is done.» Delplace also explained that another aspect of French gastronomy that will also be apparent at his establishment is the tradition of an aperitif. «When you are invited to eat in France, the first thing you get is an aperitif, so we will have Ricard and two others for patrons to enjoy as part of the festival,» he said. This year, although the countries will be linking French Gastronomy with the Olympic Games to be held in Paris from July to August, the chefs taking part have had a bit more liberty in the dishes they wished to present. STA instructor Ryan Marie explained that while the establishment is only taking part in the event on Monday, «we have used our traditionally Seychellois ingredients to make typically French dishes.» Among the ingredients transformed into French dishes were vanilla and cinnamon used in pastries. The Club Med Seychelles representative, Adrien de Robillard, described a buffet of around 25 French cheeses and charcuterie as «being at the forefront at Club Med since we do not really have a set menu.» The establishments that have taken part in the event, will all receive a certificate of participation for promoting French gastronomy at the end of the event. 

Seychelles' fisheries officials held discussions with high-level government officials of the fisheries sector from Tanzania, Kenya, Zanzibar, Madagascar, Comores and Mauritius in an online meeting to discuss draft proposals for the upcoming Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) meeting.  The South West Indian Ocean representatives of the sector gathered at L'Escale Resort and Spa on Friday to prepare a common position to present at the next session of IOTC, due to be held next month in Bangkok, Thailand. The Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Jean-Francois Ferrari, told the press in an interview that the meeting aimed to «build and implement a common strategy among like-minded coastal states, to counter the risk of disproportionate burden in the conservation and management of the stocks on some states, and to ensure that the tropical tuna stocks of the Indian Ocean recover.» A total of 24 resolutions were tabled during the meeting, of which Seychelles had put forward in three. «Two are based on information as we have seen in scientific reports that there are countries that are not submitting information or are not submitting all the necessary information,» said the principal secretary for fisheries, Roy Clarisse, to the press on the day of the meeting. An area of concern to the Seychelles' authorities is pull and line fishing. «A lot of live bait is used in this form of fishing, although the other countries are not providing the information of this type of fishing, and when we are managing a form of fishing, we have to ensure that the ecosystem is also well managed,» he said. He explained that where tuna fishing is concerned in Seychelles, the authorities say they ensure that the by-catch is also well managed - which is why the country's first two proposals target the issue. Seychelles' third proposition is based on the laws governing by-catch. «In the IOTC there is a resolution that prevents purse seiners from discarding their by-catches in countries where there is a large volume of human consumption of the products,» said Clarisse. As Seychelles has been advocating for this cause since 2009 until its eventual adoption, Clarisse added that they now wanted to «broaden this proposal as we know that there are other forms of tuna fishing that also take fish fit for human consumption and throw them back at sea». «What we are asking is that all these vessels that have caught fish fit for human consumption - keeping in mind that protected species are not caught - should be kept on board and eventually help with food security,» he expanded. Fisheries is the second top contributor to the economy of Seychelles and adopting such a stance would not only help the island nation but also help develop additional economic activities in those countries. Another pertinent resolution the delegations discussed was the introduction of a fish aggregating devices (FADs) closure. «We have held our own economic analysis to determine how much this would affect Seychelles to have such a closure,» he said. To recall, Seychelles voted against the banning of FADs in the IOTC session last year. Other topics discussed were the redistribution of yellow-fin tuna fishing quotas. «There are countries that have objected to the resolution and have not made the necessary contribution to ensure that this form of fishing is rebuilt,» said Clarisse. «We have to ensure that any such resolution brought to the table is discussed in a manner that is equitable, we need to seriously look at the fishing, the various economies to make sure that no one is disfavoured for another,» «We also have to ensure that Seychelles' interests are put first, as you know our economy is very much dependent on the fisheries sector,» he concluded.

Israel's war in Gaza has from the start been a «war on the right to health» and has «obliterated» the Palestinian territory's health system, a UN expert said on Monday. Tlaleng Mofokeng, the United Nations special rapporteur on the right to health, accused Israel of treating human rights as an «a la carte menu». Just days into the war that has been raging in Gaza since Hamas's unprecedented attacks inside Israel on October 7, «the medical infrastructure was irreparably damaged», she told reporters in Geneva. Amid the unrelenting Israeli bombardment of Gaza, healthcare providers had for months been working under dire conditions with very limited access to medical supplies, she said. «This has been a war on the right to health from the beginning,» said Mofokeng, who is an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but who does not speak on behalf of the United Nations. «The health system in Gaza has been completely obliterated and the right to health has been decimated at every level». There has been growing global opposition to Israel's offensive in Gaza, which has turned vast areas of the densely populated territory into rubble and sparked a dire humanitarian crisis including warnings of famine. The Israeli offensive began after the October 7 attack, which killed 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. - 'Intentionally imposing famine' - Its hospitals, which are protected under international humanitarian law, have repeatedly come under attack. Israel has accused Hamas of using them as command centres and to hold hostages abducted on October 7, claims denied by the militants. On Sunday, Gaza's civil defence said its teams had discovered 50 bodies buried in the courtyard of the Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza's main southern city of Khan Yunis. And the World Health Organization said earlier this month that Al-Shifa, Gaza's largest hospital, had been reduced to ashes by an Israeli siege, leaving an «empty shell» with many bodies. «The destruction of healthcare facilities continues to catapult to proportions yet to be fully quantified,» said Mofokeng, a medical doctor from South Africa. The expert said she had received no response from Israel to the concerns she had raised about the situation, and that she had not been able to visit the Palestinian territory, nor Israel. But she said it was obvious that Israel was «killing and causing irreparable harm against Palestinian civilians with its bombardments». «They are also knowingly and intentionally imposing famine, prolonged malnutrition and dehydration», the expert added, accusing Israel of «genocide». The current situation in Gaza, she said, «is completely incompatible with the right to health». © Agence France-Presse

Despite gloomy weather, Ukrainians in the capital Kyiv were cheerful and cautiously optimistic on Sunday after their biggest ally Washington approved $61 billion in new war-time aid. The package, which the US House of Representatives passed Saturday after months of infighting, comes as Ukrainian forces face a critical shortage of munitions on the battlefield and air defences to protect civilians. «It's finally happened,» 50-year-old nurse Oksana told AFP. «We're really looking forward to it. It will help a lot,» she added. «The most important thing is to have something to defend ourselves with. Both civilians and our guys.» Washington is Kyiv's leading financial and military backer, delivering much of the hardware it uses on the battlefield. The bill passed Saturday would provide Ukraine with nearly $14 billion to train, equip and finance the needs of its army. But Kyiv would also receive $10 billion in «forgivable loans» for vital economic and budgetary support, including for badly-damaged energy and infrastructure sectors. «People and architecture are suffering,» said 19-year-old barber Dmytro. But despite the delay, he was optimistic. «Of course, it's not too late,» he said. «With the amount of weapons we've been given», he added, «We won't give up any more territory and will definitely not go back.» - 'It will save our lives' - Afer the vote passed, analysts warned it would take time for Ukraine to feel the benefit. The bill still needs to pass the Senate and be signed off by US President Joe Biden, and only then can the lengthy process of transporting aid to the war-torn country begin. This «will likely mean that new US assistance will not begin to affect the situation on the front line for several weeks,» the Institute for the Study of War said in its daily assessment Saturday. Highlighting the pressure facing Kyiv's outgunned army, Russia said Sunday it had captured another village near the key battleground town of Chasiv Yar, where it has been concentrating its offensive. «Help should be provided to Ukraine immediately. Because the guys are suffering at the front line,» 61-year-old railway worker Stepan told AFP in Kyiv. Moscow has made a string of gains on the front in recent months, pressing its advantage as Ukraine lacks the artillery needed to push back invading Russian troops. «Shells are really needed at the front line,» Stepan said. «We've been waiting for this for long, long bloody years.» But he added: «The guys are very happy about it -- those who are fighting.» Kyiv has also urgently asked for air defences, which President Volodymyr Zelensky has said are desperately needed as Moscow ramps up air strikes. But for now, most were relieved the aid was on its way. «It will save our lives,» Oksana said. © Agence France-Presse

Voting got under way in the Maldives Sunday in a parliamentary election likely to test President Mohamed Muizzu's tilt towards China and away from India, the luxury tourism hotspot's traditional benefactor. Among the first to vote was Muizzu, 45, who cast his ballot at the Tajuddin school in the capital Male. Election chief Fuad Thaufeeq urged the 284,663 eligible voters to cast their ballots early. Polling stations across the archipelago will be open for nine and a half hours. Primarily known as one of the most expensive holiday destinations in South Asia, with pristine white beaches and secluded resorts, the atoll nation has also become a geopolitical hotspot in the Indian Ocean. Global east-west shipping lanes pass the nation's chain of 1,192 tiny coral islands, which stretch around 800 kilometres (500 miles) across the equator. Muizzu won last September's presidential poll as a proxy for pro-China ex-president Abdulla Yameen, freed last week after a court set aside his 11-year jail term for corruption. This month, as campaigning for the parliamentary elections was in full swing, Muizzu awarded high-profile infrastructure contracts to Chinese state-owned companies. His administration is also in the process of sending home a garrison of 89 Indian troops who operate reconnaissance aircraft gifted by New Delhi to patrol the Maldives' vast maritime borders. The current parliament, dominated by the pro-India Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) of Muizzu's immediate predecessor Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, has sought to stymie his efforts to realign the archipelago's diplomacy. «Geopolitics is very much in the background as parties campaign for votes in Sunday's election,» a senior aide of Muizzu told AFP, asking not to be named. «He came to power on a promise to send back Indian troops and he is working on it. The parliament has not been cooperating with him since he came to power.» Since Muizzu came to office, lawmakers have blocked three of his nominees to the cabinet and refused some of his spending proposals. Splits in all the main political parties, including Muizzu's People's National Congress (PNC), are expected to make it hard for any single party to win an outright majority. But Muizzu's prospects received a fillip with the release of his mentor Yameen from house arrest on Thursday. A court in the capital Male ordered a retrial in the graft and money laundering cases that saw Yameen sent to prison after he lost a re-election bid in 2018. Yameen had also backed closer alignment with Beijing while in power, but his conviction left him unable to contest last year's presidential poll himself. He instead put forward Muizzu as a proxy, and after leaving the High Court, Yameen vowed to continue the anti-India campaign that helped his ally to victory. © Agence France-Presse

Researchers from the University of Oxford in the UK and conservationists from Seychelles have published a pioneering study. For the first time, this study employs both genetics and oceanographic modelling to quantify the intricate network of coral connectivity in regional waters.  Amid the challenges posed by climate change and limited budgets, small island developing states (SIDS), housing tropical reef systems, are confronted with tough decisions regarding preserving their coral reefs. According to the Seychelles Island Foundation (SIF), this research reveals a surprising connection among isolated coral reefs across Seychelles, showing that a complex system of ocean currents disperses substantial quantities of larvae among these far-flung islands, effectively functioning as a coral superhighway. In this context, prioritising management efforts and strategically allocating resources becomes imperative, focusing on productive reefs that serve as significant exporters of larvae to other reef ecosystems. Dr April Burt, a lead author of the study and SIF's consultant, said, «Coral larvae have been dispersing via ocean currents for millennia, but understanding how allows us to potentially exploit these natural processes to safeguard these larval supplies, which are so vital to the recovery of coral reefs after bleaching events.» By pinpointing major larval sources and delineating larval dispersal patterns, conservation strategies such as marine protected areas and reef restoration initiatives can be prioritised to bolster regional reef resilience. The project was a collaborative effort between conservation organisations and entities across Seychelles, the government and the University of Oxford, with the financial support of the Blue Grants Fund through the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT). Marie-May Jeremie, SeyCCAT's chief executive and SIF Trustee, said, «In the face of a changing climate SeyCCAT is pleased to have funded such a project.  Researches such as these are important in guiding decisions that will safeguard the integrity of coral reefs within the Seychelles and in the region.» Another outcome is a newly developed app that allows stakeholders to visualise larval dispersal simulations. (Dr Noam Vogt-Vincent) Photo License: All Rights Reserved  Coral collections from so many far-flung reefs posed an enormous logistical challenge but conservation organisations and practitioners stepped up to facilitate this. The Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority (SPGA) provided boat and diver support for sites around Praslin and Mahe, Seychelles' two most populated islands. The Marine Conservation Society Seychelles (MCSS) facilitated dives, while the Island Conservation Society (ICS) provided access and staff who collected coral samples on behalf of the wider team, as did Fregate Island. SIF made huge in-kind contributions to cover diving extensively at Aldabra and Assumption, and even cruise ships helped out with lifts to the other outer islands; showing what can be achieved with collective effort. Another outcome is a newly developed app that allows stakeholders to visualise larval dispersal simulations with a single click, offering unprecedented access to critical data for informed decision-making. The chief executive of SIF, Dr Frauke Fleischer-Dogley said, «It is research like this that allows us to realise the importance of places like Aldabra. Although geographically distant from us, the wealth of Aldabra's reefs enriches the reef ecosystems in the whole of Seychelles, and beyond.»

Seychelles expects a donation of a new patrol ship from China in October this year, which will help in combatting maritime crimes, according to a top official. Seychelles' Minister for Internal Affairs, Errol Fonseka, announced during a reception on Friday on board the ETF 18, one of the three boats from the 45th Chinese Naval Escort Taskforce docked in Port Victoria. Fonseka described this donation from China as a continuation of the excellent Sino-Seychelles relationship. «Our defence cooperation has always been a key component of our bilateral relations. This donation will add greater efficiency to the Seychelles Coast Guard in combatting and deterring maritime crimes such as piracy, which has seen a worrying resurgence off the coast of Somalia,» said the minister. He said, «The Seychelles government holds in high esteem the invaluable role played by the People's Liberation Army Navy in fortifying maritime security. Through commendable initiatives such as the escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and active engagement in multinational naval drills, the Navy has been pivotal in safeguarding essential maritime corridors.» Fonseka emphasised the relationship between the two countries and described the various collaborations that have taken place. The Chinese Ambassador to Seychelles, Lin Nan, spoke about the strength of the diplomatic ties between the two countries established over 48 years ago. She added that this relationship has been well maintained over the years «as evidenced by deepening the practical cooperation in various fields including trade, business, Blue Economy, fisheries, climate change, culture, military security.» Participants in the cultural show in a souvenir photo with guests. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY  The ambassador said, «In the meantime, we are living in an interdependent world, facing common challenges. In this regard, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Security Initiative, aiming at addressing both traditional and non-traditional threats effectively. We are ready to explore cooperation with the Seychelles side under the framework of this initiative to jointly uphold international and regional peace and stability, and build a maritime community with a shared future.» She added that this visit is another demonstration of traditional friendship and practical cooperation concerning maritime security and safety between the two countries and that the commanders of the task force had an in-depth and fruitful exchange with Fonseka and the Chief of Defence Forces, Brigadier Michael Rosette. «The two parties underlined the importance of further deepening cooperation in maritime security, tackling transnational crimes at sea such as the resurgence of piracy, combating drug trafficking and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. I am convinced that we will reap more and more new fruits in the military security and safety in the future,» she said. The formal portion of the reception was followed by a cultural show in which officers from the ship performed various cultural and traditional art forms. After the four-day visit, the 45th Chinese Naval Escort Task Force is expected to leave Seychelles on April 22. 

Iran has dismissed as akin to child's play the reported Israeli retaliation for an unprecedented Iranian strike, as both sides on Saturday appeared to step back from wider conflict stemming from the war in Gaza. But a deadly blast at an Iraqi military base emphasised the high tensions which persist, and witnesses in Gaza reported more strikes there. Fears of a wider Middle East war escalated this month. Israel had warned it would hit back after Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones one week ago in retaliation for a deadly April 1 air strike -- which Iran blamed on Israel -- that levelled the Iranian consulate in Damascus and killed seven Revolutionary Guards. The Israeli retaliation appeared to come on Friday, when Iranian media reported blasts in the central province of Isfahan. Fars news agency reported «three explosions» close to Qahjavarestan, near Isfahan airport and the 8th Shekari army airbase. «What happened last night was no attack,» Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told NBC News in a Friday interview. «It was the flight of two or three quadcopters, which are at the level of toys that our children use in Iran.» He added that, «As long as there is no new adventure on behalf of the Israeli regime against Iran's interests, we will have no response.» - No Israeli comment - Israeli officials have made no public comment on what, according to a senior United States congressional source who spoke to AFP, were retaliatory Israeli strikes against Iran. Tensions soared after the attack on Iran's consulate, but violence involving Iran-backed groups had already surged throughout the Middle East alongside the Gaza war. Officials in Iraq on Saturday said one person was killed and eight wounded in an explosion at an Iraqi military base housing a coalition of pro-Iranian armed groups. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Last weekend, Iran launched its first-ever attack directly targeting Israel. With the help of the United States and other allies, Israel intercepted most of the more than 300 missiles and drones it said Iran had launched. Only minor damage was reported and there were no fatalities. Iran said its attack was in retaliation for the April 1 strike on its Damascus embassy consular annex. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been under international pressure over the civilian toll in Gaza's war. According to Iranian political expert Hamid Gholamzadeh, Netanyahu needs «further escalation and another war to distract the world attention» from Gaza. However, foreign ministers of the G7 group of developed economies, meeting in Italy on Friday, kept up that pressure. The group said they opposed a «full-scale military operation in Rafah», where most of Gaza's population is sheltering, because it would have «catastrophic consequences» for civilians. Israel has for two months threatened to send troops in against Hamas militants in Rafah, but even without such an operation Rafah is under regular bombardment. On Saturday Gaza's Civil Defence agency said an overnight Israeli strike in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost point, killed nine members of a family including six children. - 'Hard night' in Rafah - «It has been a very hard night,» the agency spokesman, Mahmud Bassal, said in a statement that reported several other areas of Rafah hit. With mediator Qatar reporting that Gaza truce talks were «stalling,» Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was to host Qatar-based Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday to discuss the conflict. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said «the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East» must end, and analysts said further tit-for-tat violence could be avoided. Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at Britain's Chatham House think tank, said the reported Israeli strike had been «calibrated to avoid damage and further Iranian aggression». Gholamzadeh, the Iranian analyst, said the incident in Isfahan, while «insignificant», needs to be seen in the context of the «fight for balance of power» between the two countries. «The region is on fire and an all-out war can be ignited any moment and such activities are making it more imminent,» he said. There were mixed feelings on the streets of Tehran and Israel. «If Israel wants to attack our country, our goal is to defend it,» said Ali, a 48-year-old Iranian construction worker. Retired firefighter Behrouz, however, said: «We are against war.» In Jerusalem, antique dealer Amitay Bendavid, 37, said Israel's reported retaliation against Iran wasn't firm enough but rather, «a game of children». At the wheel of his taxi, driver Yossi Basher said he believes «Israel doesn't want war» with Iran. In Gaza, there was no letup to the war which began October 7 with Hamas's attack on southern Israel. The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has responded with a retaliatory offensive that has killed at least 34,049 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the latest toll from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The toll included at least 37 deaths over the previous 24 hours, it said. - Facing famine - Israel' military said it struck dozens of militant targets over the past day, including the site in north Gaza from which a projectile was fired into the Israeli city of Sderot. In Gaza, the population «faces famine, malnutrition, and infectious disease outbreaks», the International Rescue Committee charity said. Yet, a UN report on Friday said «multiple obstacles» continue to impede delivery of urgently needed aid. Over the past week, however, convoys facilitated by the World Food Programme were able to enter northern Gaza through the Erez crossing, other convoys entered Gaza via Israel's Ashdod port, and Israeli authorities facilitated an increased number of food missions into northern Gaza, the UN said. Despite some immediate improvement in access, the WFP cited «the real possibility of famine» there. Reflecting the dire situation, images on social media showed men in the sea off Gaza City trying to recover boxes of airdropped aid. © Agence France-Presse

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Energy have signed an agreement to work together on the establishment of a national One Health platform aimed at making the identification of potential diseases in Seychelles more effective.  The signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two ministries is described as a commitment to integrated approaches to human, environmental and animal health. «This MoU will create the platform for both parties to work closer together, where it can now be a more structured collaboration, which will allow us to share resources, being physical resources and human resources towards a common goal,» said Rodney Philo, the chief animal health and livestock officer.  Philo explained that research shows that 85 percent of diseases come from animals and therefore by working together, it will allow quicker decision-making for necessary action to take place.  «The inseparable links between agriculture, nutrition and health, those between health and climate change, those between health and bio-security, the growing health threats at the centre of animal and human ecosystems and the challenges to be met in terms of antimicrobial resistance, all require a common approach to which we are committed today, clearly and resolutely,» said the Minister for Health, Peggy Vidot, in her address, during the signing ceremony, which took place the Savoy Resort and Spa, Beau Vallon, on Friday.  She added that «Collaboration between our two ministries to safeguard human health, animal health and environmental health, means safeguarding our survival as a nation.» The Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Energy, Flavien Joubert said that the MoU signing is an important step towards strengthening the One Health approach.  «By working together, we more effectively address complex health challenges and protect the health of humans and animals...The One Health approach recognises the interdependence of human, animal and environmental health and highlights the need for a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to addressing health challenges,» he added. The SEGA–One Health network is the health arm of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) in matters of public health, animal health and environmental health. It brings together more than 400 health professionals from ministerial departments of member states, reference training and research institutions in the region, and benefits from a strong partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OMSA). It has been supported since 2009 by the French Development Agency (AFD) via RSIE projects. In complementarity with the implementation of the third phase (RSIE3), the European Union (EU) also supports the SEGA –One Health network through a new project, RSIE4, implemented by the IOC since December 2020.

Seychelles will have at least three participants in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris from July 26 to August 24 according to a top official.  So far no athletes from Seychelles have qualified for the Games but the island nation will compete as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will issue invitations to ensure that every nation can be represented at the games. The secretary general of the Seychelles Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (SOCGA), Alain Alcindor, told reporters, «In athletics, one athlete will be invited, unlike before when it was two.» He explained the Seychelles Athletics Federation will have three events they can apply to participate in; 100m sprint, 800m and the marathon. Two athletes will be invited in the swimming competition, a male and a female, and «this already guarantees that we will have at least three athletes at the games.» said Alcindor. He said that late last year, «we were asked to submit the names of the athletes that we believe could be invited based on their 2023 performance, which is called a universality place, and we have applied for mainly the athletes that are on the Olympic scholarships.» Alcindor explained that not all disciplines will accept the universality place and that includes swimming and athletics, since they will receive an invite through their federations. According to SOCGA, there are five Seychellois athletes on the Olympic Scholarship and they are swimmer Felicity Passon, sprinters Ned Azemia and Sharry Dodin, boxer Shain Boniface and sailor Dean Mathiot.   Alcindor explained that more places could become available as there are times when countries decide not to send their athletes to the games even if they have qualified. When this happens, spots remain open and the IOC redistributes it to other nations. Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, has been participating in the Olympic Games since 1980 after it set up a National Olympic Committee in 1979 now the Seychelles Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (SOCGA). In the last competition in Tokyo, Japan, five Seychellois took part. Two athletes qualified for a spot - sailor Rodney Govinden and swimmer Felicity Passon. Swimmer Simon Bachmann was invited in view of his performance and participation in high level competitions.  Ned Azemia made his second appearance in the Games after his debut in the 2016 Rio Olympic in which he competed in the 400-metre hurdles while judoka Nantenaina Finesse, made his Olympic debut by invitation. Paris 2024 will feature the debut of breakdancing as an Olympic event and will be the final Olympic Games held during the presidency of IOC President Thomas Bach. The Games will be the first to feature an identical number of athletes between men and women.

Seychelles and Comoros signed an agreement for better relations in fisheries to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing on Friday. The Minister of Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Jean-Francois Ferrari, signed the agreement on behalf of Seychelles and Ali Youssouf, the director general for Fisheries for Comoros on behalf of Houmed M'Saidie, the Minister for Fisheries in Comoros. The signing took place during a meeting for Indian Ocean coastal states in preparation for the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) meeting scheduled to take in Bangkok, Thailand in May. Ferrari told reporters that Seychelles has been working with Comoros for a while to come up with the agreement. «We want to work with all the countries in the region, and it is important to work with them, as you know there have been instances of illegal fishing involving vessels from Comoros who were fishing illegally in the Aldabra lagoon,» said Ferrari. The Comoros vessel was intercepted in the Aldabra lagoon on November 16 last year. Since there was no catch onboard, the vessel was seized and the crew repatriated to their country. He said there is a «need to have a framework in place to deal with the issue so that we can prevent such situations from happening again.» «I am happy that we signed this agreement with Comoros this morning, as it formalises our relationship and ensures that everything is done the right way, in the interest of both countries,» Ferrari added. He said that this recent agreement with Comoros mirrors the one the Seychelles has with Madagascar. «The latest incident of Malagasy fishermen being caught sea cucumber fishing in Providence, once caught and set to Madagascar, they were sent to jail because of the relationship we now have with Madagascar,» said the minister. In April 2023, the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) intercepted a Madagascar-flagged fishing vessel suspected of conducting IUU fishing in the island nation's waters. Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, has an Exclusive Economic Zone of 1.4 million square kilometres, making surveillance of illegal maritime activities challenging. The island nation has stepped up efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking and illegal fishing in its waters and as part of the measures, the SDF assets are continuously involved in regional operations with partner countries and organisations.

One of the vessels from the 45th Chinese naval escort task force docked in Seychelles' Port Victoria on Thursday morning and was welcomed by officials from the Chinese Embassy, the community of Chinese in the island nation as well as teachers from the Confucius Institute. The ETF 18 or Urumqi is a boat named after the city of Xinjiang, China, and its arrival in Seychelles was greeted by a dragon dance. Upon its arrival, an official from the vessel came ashore to meet with the Chinese community, the Chinese Ambassador to Seychelles, Lin Nan and the Chief of Staff of the Seychelles Defence Forces, Jean Attala. They were then invited to visit the ship. An official from the vessel came ashore to meet the Chinese community. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY  Visitors had a guided tour where the officers on board explained the different features of the ship and the different equipment they use. Speaking to the media, the chairperson of the Chinese Association of Seychelles, Rose-Mary Lee-Bluemner said, «We are very happy to be here. There are about 200 of us who came to welcome the ship this morning. I am happy to be able to visit the ship as well, it was very impressive.» The director of the Confucius Institute at the University in Seychelles, Jianmei Zhang, said, «We are very proud to have been invited to visit Urumqi. This ship represents our strong backbone and our strength as the People's Republic of China. The Seychellois are also visiting the ship and we hope this gesture strengthens the relationship between the two countries.» 

Seychelles' national airline, Air Seychelles, and SriLankan Airlines, the flag carrier of Sri Lanka, have announced a new code-sharing partnership, expanding the number of destinations accessible to customers from Mahe and Colombo starting this month. The airline said on Friday, «Over 20 destinations are included in the partnership, which includes much  requested ones such as Sydney and Melbourne in Australia as well as other popular stops in India, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. SriLankan Airlines' passengers will also be able to fly from Colombo to Mahe with the activation of the codeshare partnership.» This new codeshare agreement will allow Air Seychelles and SriLankan Airlines to place their codes on each other's flights and enable passengers to continue their journey conveniently using a single booking and with their baggage checked in all the way to the final destination. It also means passengers can book their travels with both airlines, through online travel agencies, as well as with local travel agents. When Air Seychelles launched the Colombo service in June last year, the two airlines signed an initial interline agreement that introduced multiple cities within the Southeast Asia region to the local market's choice of destinations. Air Seychelles' chief executive, Sandy Benoiton, said, «Now that we have been flying to Colombo for over 9 months, the twice-weekly flights have proven successful. The next step to solidifying our relationship is with this code-share, allowing even more passengers the convenience of a single ticket to more points served by our partner in Asia and Australia.» On his side, Richard Nuttall, CEO of SriLankan Airlines said, «We are pleased to boost our codeshare network and presence in the African region through this new partnership. We look forward to working with Air Seychelles to provide our customers with even more African destination options in the coming years.» Flights under the codeshare agreement are available to book now and will begin operating in April 2024.

Dubai airport, one of the world's busiest, witnessed major disruption for a third straight day Thursday after the heaviest rains on record drenched the desert United Arab Emirates. Emirates, Dubai's state-owned flagship airline, and sister carrier flydubai resumed check-ins after telling passengers to stay away on Wednesday, when thousands of delayed passengers clogged the airport. The airport, which handles more international passengers than any other, hopes to resume «something approaching normality» within 24 hours, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths told AFP. Some 1,244 flights were cancelled and 41 diverted on Tuesday and Wednesday, after torrential rains flooded the Middle East financial centre including its homes, malls and offices, and highways. Traffic congestion remained severe on Thursday, two days after the storms, with at least one major road completely blocked by water and multiple junctions cut off by flooding. Climate experts say the rains, the UAE's heaviest since records began 75 years ago, are consistent with changes caused by global warming. «There's no news here,» Karim Elgendy, associate Director at the Buro Happold engineering consultancy and associate fellow at Britain's Chatham House think tank, told AFP. «We are expecting an increase in variability of rainfall, which means more extreme events, more drought and an increase in intensity of rainfall when it does rain.» - 'Deeply distressed' - Dubai airport has witnessed chaotic scenes with crowds of marooned travellers clamouring for information about their flights. Even as Emirates and flydubai resumed check-ins, more than 200 departures were listed as delayed or cancelled on the airport's website. Griffiths said it was «challenging» to get the airport fully functional, with supplies and staff also held up on flooded roads. «Getting supplies through, people and all of the necessary things to the airport to help the schedule recover, was a massive challenge because all of the roads were blocked,» he said in an interview. «We just hope that the level of customer care that we've been able to provide will go some way to mitigate the impacts that we had to customers. But obviously we're deeply distressed by all of the disruption and concern that we've created,» he added. One elderly couple's 14-hour flight from Brisbane took 24 hours on Tuesday after it was diverted, and they were then unable to reach their hotel because of the flooding. «It's just the start of our holiday and I feel like going home -- and I don't know how to do that either,» Julie, 72, told AFP through tears. «When they landed the plane on this airfield that was deserted, there was no terminal, there were no other planes and I thought we had been hijacked by terrorists,» she added, without giving her surname. - Makeshift ferry - Although schools and public sector offices have been closed until next week, traffic returned to the roads with some motorists, finding their route blocked, driving the wrong way down highways. Supermarkets had empty shelves as deliveries failed to arrive, and retail staff reported having to stay overnight or sleep at hotels because they could not get home. «We're working but the problem is we're not receiving chicken,» said one employee at a chicken restaurant that had no chicken or fries on display. «The delivery cannot come here because of the flood.» In the Arjan district, a man used a canoe to paddle passengers across a flooded street. With taxis hard to book and hail, private motorists were stopping at queues of people and offering rides for high prices. British visitor Chris Moss, 30, was one of those looking for a cab as he tried to reach the airport and locate his lost luggage. «When we arrived the baggage area was full of bags but my luggage was nowhere to be seen,» said Moss, whose plane, hastily booked after his original flight was cancelled, arrived five hours late. «It was still on the plane because the baggage area was flooded and they couldn't get the bags off.» © Agence France-Presse

Israel has launched a strike against Iran in retaliation for its weekend attack, US media reported Thursday night. ABC and CBS News reported the strikes early Friday Mideast time, quoting US officials. There was no immediate comment from the White House or Pentagon. Iran activated its air defense system over several cities, state media reported, after the country's official broadcaster said explosions were heard near the central city of Isfahan. Israel had warned it would hit back after Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel over the weekend. Most of them were intercepted. That strike came in the wake of an attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus widely blamed on Israel. © Agence France-Presse

Seychelles' authorities are offering a reward of SCR 100,000 ($7,425) to anyone having credible information on the recent suspected gas attacks and pledge to investigate the incidents. The Minister for Internal Affairs, Errol Fonseka, made the statement when answering an urgent question by Wallace Cosgrow, a proportionate member of the United Seychelles party in the National Assembly. Since Monday, April 8, an unknown substance in gaseous form has affected people in contact with it at several primary and secondary schools and the staff of the judiciary, also closing down the parliament. Fonseka passed on a message from President Wavel Ramkalawan, who has been on an overseas mission since April 10 - attending the United Nations Ocean Decade conference in Barcelona, Spain, and the Our Ocean conference in Greece. «He feels for those who have been affected, especially the children who have breathed in the unknown substance and have fallen ill,» said Fonseka. He added that the President has pledged to do everything to ensure that the authorities get to the bottom of the situation. «There are no agencies that use chemicals in their operations such as Seypec, PUC and who have reported having an accidental discharge,» said Fonseka. He added that none of the agencies were operating in the areas where the incidents occurred and initially the authorities believed that «the marine sediments found in lagoons could be responsible for releasing a gas called balsamic methane.» «We are now treating this as a criminal case, and after the two incidents of yesterday (Monday) and today (Tuesday) all indications point to criminality. I also want to inform the National Assembly that the police is intensifying its work on all levels,» said the minister.   Fonseka asked people to be vigilant as such attacks are mainly aimed at spreading fear. In the latest figures presented by the Minister, 353 people, both children and adults reported their respective health centres. «They are experiencing symptoms of headaches, itching and stomach pains among others,» explained Fonseka and added that the «Beau Vallon and Bel Eau school incidents have forced us to look into other areas.» Meanwhile, in a press release statement on Wednesday, United Seychelles (US) said it is truly disgraceful that children are deliberately being targetted. «We, the United Seychelles Party, firmly believe that every individual has the right to live in a safe and secure environment, free from harm and fear and It is truly disheartening to witness such acts of malice, especially when they target educational institutions and workplaces,» said United Seychelles. The party added «It is truly astounding that, despite the presence of numerous security apparatuses in the country, the culprits are still able to operate with impunity.  We sincerely hope that the individuals responsible for these heinous acts will be apprehended and brought to justice the soonest.» «We demand that the authorities in Seychelles take immediate and decisive action to bring the culprits responsible for these atrocious deeds to justice, we strongly urge the government to implement effective measures in order to put an end to these acts of terror,» said United Seychelles.  Furthermore, the Seychelles Inter-Faith Council's (SIFCO) managing committee issued a statement also expressing concern over the incidents.   «We are concerned because the incident is causing fear among the population especially school children. We hope and pray that all concerned can bring the situation to its finality soon, » said SIFCO. 

Seychelles celebrated Chinese Language Day through a cultural event with the participation of students from the Chinese language programme of the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) on Wednesday. Held in the presence of staff, students of the STA, and the Confucius Institute at the University of Seychelles (UniSey), the event featured various activities, such as the singing of Chinese songs, a Taiji demonstration, calligraphy and Chinese dances, among others. The event was organised by the Chinese Embassy in Seychelles, along with the STA and the Confucius Institute, to commemorate the Chinese Language Day, which is observed annually on April 20. Jianmei Zhang, the new director of the Confucius Institute, said, «I feel extremely honoured to gather together with you on this special event. Chinese Language Day is a significant moment to inherit and promote Chinese culture, as well as a grand occasion for us to learn and communicate together, just as the theme of the event 2024 indicates: »Chinese Language: Connecting Cultures through the Bridge of Mutual Learning.« The learners do not only learn the language but there is also the exchange of cultures. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY  »The Confucius Institute at Unisey is committed to promoting Chinese education, facilitating cultural exchanges between China and Seychelles, and cultivating talents with an international perspective and a deep understanding of Chinese culture. Through our efforts, we hope to help more Seychellois, especially the youth, understand and love Chinese, making it a bridge leading to a larger world and a brighter future,« added the director. She thanked the STA not only for its full support for the activity but also for six years of sincere collaboration since 2018 as one of the most important partners and largest teaching site of the Confucius Institute at UniSey with more than 200 students learning Chinese each year. The director of the STA, Terrence Max, explained that Mandarin, one of the many Chinese languages, has been part of the curriculum at the academy since 2019. »During the first year, our learners have the opportunity to learn the very basic component of the Chinese language,« said Max. He added that in the second year, students learn about words and phrases that relate specifically to their respective programmes at the school, such as restaurant and bar, and wellness and spa.   »The learners do not only learn the language but there is also the exchange of cultures. We are involved in various activities, be it educational or cultural, such as the spring festival and the Chinese Bridge competition," added Max.  

French authorities on Wednesday evicted hundreds of migrants from a squat in a southern suburb of Paris with just 100 days to go until the Olympics, encouraging them to board buses to other parts of France. Charities have accused the authorities of seeking to clear homeless people from the French capital to make it look better for the Games from July 26 to August 11. The abandoned office building in Vitry-sur-Seine had been home to up to 450 migrants, most of them documented but awaiting social housing, according to non-governmental organisations who visited to help them. Several had left the building earlier in the week after authorities announced the upcoming eviction. Clutching their belongings in bags, suitcases or trolleys, some 300 people who had remained left calmly on Wednesday morning under the eye of police in riot gear, looking worried about their next step. Most were young men, but several women with children were also among the crowd. One by one, holding documents in plastic folders, they approached immigration officials sitting behind tables to explain their situation in broken French or stilted English. Buses waited outside, ready to take them to the central city of Orleans or the southwestern city of Bordeaux. But many people said they did not want to leave the Paris region. «I want to stay here,» said Abakar, a 29-year-old from Sudan who did not give his second name. He said he was in Paris to follow a logistics course and had been promised a job in a supermarket. - 'Bordeaux is nice' - At one table, a woman official tried to convince another young man to try his luck in Bordeaux. «You know in France, there isn't just Paris. Bordeaux is nice, it's warmer than here,» she said. But he too was attending training in the capital region, and so she directed him to another table where a colleague was in charge of accommodation near Paris. Merci Daniel, a mother from Sudan, said she had sent her children to stay in a nearby shelter because there was «too much violence» inside the squat. But she did not want to leave the area as she was scared she would no longer see them if she did. An official found her a room at a hotel outside Paris for several days. Migrant and homeless charities have accused the authorities of seeking to remove the homeless from Paris and its outskirts before tourists arrive for the Olympics. «There are spaces in shelters near Paris, but clearly they want to move them away from the capital. Especially before the Olympics,» said Paul Alauzy, a representative from medical charity Medecins du Monde (Doctors of the World). Some mayors in rural and small-town France have also become increasingly angry over the transfer of migrants from the capital to their communities. © Agence France-Presse

Witnesses at a US Senate hearing on Boeing drew a disturbing picture Wednesday of an aviation giant that blows off safety questions and sidelines critics as it chases faster production and bigger profits. «The attitude from Boeing from the highest level is just to push the defective parts, regardless of what it is,» Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour told lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Salehpour, who has worked at Boeing for 17 of his 40 years in aerospace, said he became a whistleblower after he was punished for raising safety questions about the top-selling 787 Dreamliner and 777. He testified that he was blackballed by company higher-ups and feared for his personal well-being after raising concerns about safety. He maintains that the Dreamliner could show premature signs of fatigue, resulting in a catastrophic accident because of excessively large gaps in the plane's assembly. He likened it to a paper clip that is bent repeatedly. «You do it once or twice, it doesn't break, but it breaks at some time,» said Salehpour, who has said the entire 787 fleet should be grounded for investigation. Boeing acknowledged imperfections, but said it was making progress. «We know we have more work to do and we are taking action across our company,» the company said after the hearing, pointing to an uptick in its «Speak Up» portal to field employee input. Boeing has pushed back against Salehpour's allegations about the 787, pointing to extensive testing that shows no signs of fatigue. It also said that it had addressed the gap issue during a period when it slowed production and suspended deliveries -- a process tightly overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA said in response to Salehpour's claims that the 787s currently flying are in compliance. The aircraft also received an endorsement Wednesday from United Airlines Chief Executive Scott Kirby, who told CNBC he was «totally confident the 787 is a safe airplane.» Lawmakers expressed alarm at testimony about alleged widespread manufacturing and quality control problems throughout Boeing's fleet, as well as the overly deferential approach of the FAA, which one witness described as «captive» to Boeing. «This requires a full-blown investigation,» said Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, calling for future hearings to hear from pilots, the airlines and other witnesses. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who chaired the hearing, said representatives of Boeing and the FAA were already scheduled to appear. - Going backwards? - The hearing comes as regulators escalate scrutiny of Boeing in the wake of a near-disastrous January 5 Alaska Airlines flight, in which a 737 MAX was forced to make an emergency landing after a fuselage panel blew out in mid-flight. The incident revived major questions around Boeing's safety practices that had initially arisen following two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, but which had subsided following a lengthy grounding of the 737 MAX. In late March, Boeing announced a leadership shakeup that included the retirement of Chief Executive Dave Calhoun at the end of 2024 and the replacement of Chair Larry Kellner with former Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf. In a recent message to shareholders, Mollenkopf pledged to «take the necessary steps to regain the trust lost in recent times.» «Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements and we will hold them accountable every step of the way,» the FAA said in a statement, reiterating the need for aviation employees to be able to speak up without fear of reprisal. The agency also pointed to a recent audit by an FAA advisory panel that found employee skepticism that safety complaints by workers would not result in retaliation. Former pilot Shawn Pruchnicki, now at Ohio State University, said a reporting culture was critical to improved safety, along with a chain of accountability all the way up to the CEO. Pruchnicki said despite promises he called «hollow,» there was no sign Boeing has reformed itself. «So it leaves one to wonder, have we gone backwards?» he asked. © Agence France-Presse  

Seychelles will pilot a project this year that integrates ocean science in its school curriculum, said President Wavel Ramkalawan on Tuesday at the heads of state high level segment in the 9th Our Ocean Conference in Athens, Greece.    He said that the island nation has known success in the past with the inculcation of environmental conservation values into its society through school children. «Now it is high time that we strive to do the same with our ocean science values and I call upon all of us here present to join us in this endeavour and to become  catalysts for unparalleled actions,» said Ramkalawan.   Seychelles' President stressed that life at sea and near the sea is a culture that is not only to be celebrated but one that needs to be appropriately sustained and translated to the next generation, who he described as shareholders and successors of the 71 percent aquatic global heritage. «Hence comes the dire needs for this generation, as well as the next, to be taught why and how we need to change our mindsets in regards to how we view and treat the ocean and all of Earth's aquatic sources,» he added. Ramkalawan said the African Union has recognised the Blue Economy as the continent's development pathway and Seychelles has embraced this concept wholeheartedly as it aligns with its traditions, values and way of life. He spoke about international trade, the cornerstone of modern-day civilisation and central to most industries' supply chains and the global economy, which he said is almost single-handedly powered by sea freight.    The participants at the 9th Our Ocean Conference in Athens, Greece.  (State House) Photo License: CC-BY  «I urge everyone to see and accept the vulnerabilities of island states like Seychelles when marine commercial routes are disrupted as is currently happening in the Red Sea. The Mediterranean at one end and the Indian Ocean at the other are the two regions facing the consequences of warring madness. This causes much damage not only to our economies but to the livelihood of our people as the cost of living keeps going up,» Ramkalawan highlighted. He said another scourge is marine litter that is transported by ocean currents again from one corner of the world to the next even to seemingly isolated and pristine areas like Seychelles' Aldabra atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage site. «We cannot continue to take for granted Earth's aquatic resources or to treat our uncharted oceanic space as a bottomless sink for our waste and expect to still thrive at the expense of others because eventually we will all be affected,» he said. Ramkalawan spoke about the need and willingness to adapt as all the incentives are there. «We need to change attitudes, get our people involved, and put them at the centre of our strategies. We need to effectively communicate and explain to them why we need to do things that we do. We need to start with our youths who are the beacon of hope and who have a good track record for being agents of change,» he added. He said Seychelles has already made headway with its Marine Spatial Plan and has achieved the protection of 30 percent of its marine territory before 2030,  the set global deadline. «We do not only need commitments and pledges but we also need to transform words into deeds. Let this ocean conference be the nexus where Seychelles and the global community essentially converge to create, expand and mobilise networks for the sustained health and sustainable use of our oceans,» he concluded.  

Climate mitigation will play a big role in the strategic plan of the Islands Development Company (IDC) and it is crucial to put adequate measures in place sooner rather than later if Seychelles wants to preserve its islands, said a top official in a press conference. The IDC chief executive, Glenny Savy, described the erosion on the outer islands as very severe and that «It's becoming extremely concerning, almost all of the islands are being affected by erosion. We are hoping that these reef balls work; if they do, we'll have to accelerate the project to other islands.» IDC has already started to implement several projects to mitigate the impact of climate change among them is the reef ball project, which is a designed artificial reef module that mimics the structure and function of a natural reef, made with special concrete additives with a pH similar to seawater. This assures compatibility with marine environments and enhances its attractiveness to colonising organisms. These balls are placed about 150 metres away from the beach. They also aid in reducing the surf and current before it reaches the coastline, minimising the strength of the impact and effectively reducing erosion. Although the project began in July 2022, Savy clarified that they have not been able to fully implement the project due to certain challenges that they faced. A reef ball is a designed artificial reef module that mimics the structure and function of a natural reef made with special concrete additives with a pH. (Islands Development Company) Photo License: CC-BY  «We've already fabricated these reef balls, about 800 to 1,000. At first, we were installing them using a small landing craft because of how shallow the area is and we were able to put 24 but it was very difficult because the draft from the boat was too much so we had to stop,» he said. Savy added that IDC tried using an excavator with an extension piece but that did not work either because the sand is so fine and soft that the excavator gets stuck. «We then decided to pause the project until we receive another landing craft that is on order from an Indian Shipyard; there have been some delays. We expect the new boat by the end of next month,» he said. Savy confirmed that IDC will continue its work to try and mitigate the effects of climate change on the islands and mentioned the possibility of bringing in foreign expertise to consult on the matter. «This year, with the speed at which these islands are being affected we will have to discuss the need to bring in more assistance from international experts to analyse and find different solutions to mitigate the effect of the erosion. We have to keep trying to find something that works, because if the situation continues as it is now, in the next 20 years some islands may disappear,» said Savy.

The torch relay for the Paris 2024 Olympics set off Tuesday from Olympia, the birthplace of the ancient Games, after the flame was lit in a ritual inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. «The Olympic flame that we are lighting today symbolises this hope for a better future,» said International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach. Owing to cloudy weather, Greek actresses in the role of ancient priestesses used a flame lit in a rehearsal Monday in the 2,600-year-old Temple of Hera, near the stadium where the Olympics were born in 776 BC. Carrying the flame in a pot, Greek actress Mary Mina lit the torch for the first bearer, 2020 Olympic rowing champion Stefanos Ntouskos. Retired swimmer Laure Manaudou, who won a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, followed as France's first torchbearer in Olympia. The torch harks back to the ancient Olympics when a sacred flame burned throughout the Games. The tradition was revived in 1936 for the Berlin Olympics. During the 11-day relay on Greek soil, some 600 torchbearers will carry the flame over a distance of 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles) through 41 municipalities. «In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even – and in particular – during times of war and conflict,» Bach said. «Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition,» he said. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message: yes, it is possible to compete fiercely against each other and at the same time live peacefully together under one roof.« - 'Inclusive' Games - Officials on Tuesday stressed that the Paris Games will set new milestones, following the legacy of the other two prior Olympics held in the French capital. »The Olympic Flame will shine over the first Olympic Games inspired by our Olympic Agenda reforms from start to finish,« Bach said. »These Olympic Games will be younger, more inclusive, more urban, more sustainable. These will be the very first Olympic Games with full gender parity, because the IOC allocated exactly 50 percent of the places to female and male athletes,« he said. Paris Olympics chief organiser Tony Estanguet noted that women took part for the first time in the Paris 1900 Games, while the first Olympic Village was created for the 1924 Paris Games. For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic imposed toned-down events for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Games, the ceremony was back with full regalia and scores of spectators. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo were  present at the ceremony. American mezzo soprano Joyce DiDonato delivered the Olympic anthem. - Security concerns - The Olympic flame will be handed over to Paris 2024 organisers in a ceremony at the all-marble Panathenaic Stadium, site of the first modern Olympic Games of 1896, on April 26. Nana Mouskouri, the 89-year-old Greek singer with a worldwide following, has been invited to perform at the ceremony. On April 27, the flame will begin its journey to France on board the 19th-century three-masted barque Belem, which was launched just weeks after the 1896 Athens Games. A French historical monument, the Belem carried out trade journeys to Brazil, Guyana and the Caribbean for nearly two decades. France's last surviving three-mast steel-hulled boat, it is expected to arrive in Marseille on May 8. Ten thousand torchbearers will then carry the flame across 64 French territories. It will travel through 400 towns and dozens of tourist attractions during its 12,000-kilometre (7,500-mile) journey through mainland France and overseas French territories in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific. On July 26 it will form the centrepiece of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. The ceremony is planned to be held on the river Seine, with thousands of athletes sailing along a six-kilometre (four-mile) stretch of the river on barges -- the first time it has not been held in the Games' main stadium. However, French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said it could be moved to the national stadium in the event of a security threat. Macron said instead of teams sailing down the Seine, the ceremony could be »limited to the Trocadero« building across the river from the Eiffel Tower or »even moved to the Stade de France". © Agence France-Presse

A contentious bill that aims to eventually phase out smoking in Britain advanced in parliament on Tuesday, as the House of Commons voted in favour of the controversial measure. The bill would ban the selling of tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2009 –- effectively raising the smoking age by a year each year until it applies to the whole population. The UK parliament kicked off debate on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's planned flagship legislation on Tuesday, despite opposition from many in his own Conservative Party. «This has the potential to phase out smoking in young people almost completely as early as 2040,» the government said when it unveiled the plan, calling the move «historic». In the first vote of the bill, 383 MPs voted in favour with 67 voting against. The bill will need to be adopted by the House of Lords to become law. Among those who opposed the bill were nearly 60 Conservative MPs -- including business secretary Kemi Badenoch and other senior secretaries of state. Conservative MPs were given a free vote, meaning they were able to defy the government without fear of being suspended from the party. Smoking is the UK's biggest preventable killer and opinion polls show that around two-thirds of people in the UK back a phased smoking ban. However, libertarian-leaning MPs on the right of the ruling Conservatives, including former prime minister Liz Truss, have branded the move an attack on personal freedoms. Conservative MP Simon Clarke told BBC radio that he was «both sceptical and downright opposed» to the plans. «I think that an outright ban risks being counterproductive, I think it actually risks making smoking cooler, it certainly risks creating a black market, and it also risks creating an unmanageable challenge for the authorities,» he said. Former prime minister Boris Johnson also said at an event in Canada last week it was «mad» that the party of Winston Churchill was «banning cigars». - Vaping clamp down - Opening the debate for the government, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins told the House of Commons that there is «no liberty in addiction». «Nicotine robs people of their freedom to choose. The vast majority of smokers start when they are young, and three quarters say that if they could turn back the clock they would not have started,» she said. The proposed ban was supposedly inspired by a similar plan in New Zealand which was later dropped. Official figures show smoking causes about one in four deaths from cancer and leads to 64,000 deaths in England per year. «If parliament passes this new bill, it will put the UK at the very forefront of the fight to eradicate one of the most harmful inventions of modern times,» said Lion Shahab, co-director of the tobacco and alcohol research group at University College London. The legislation also seeks to clamp down on young people vaping by restricting flavours and packaging to make them less appealing to children. © Agence France-Presse

Seychelles' President Wavel Ramkalawan said the primary task before the international community would be to support the swift ratification and domestication of the High Seas Treaty and simultaneously advocate for its entry into force among at least 60 states. According to State House on Tuesday, Ramkalawan made the statement during his intervention at the High Ambition and Partnerships for the High Seas on the sidelines of the Our Ocean Conference taking place in Athens, Greece.  The BBNJ Treaty, known as the High Seas Treaty, is an international agreement that aims to preserve and sustainably use the marine iodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. This includes the high seas, which are outside of countries' exclusive economic zones, and make up nearly half of the Earth's surface The Seychelles' National Assembly ratified the Treaty on March 13. Ramkalawan said, «The adoption of the BBNJ Agreement rekindles hope for a healthy ocean, planet, and human life. The Agreement which balances the protection of marine biodiversity with opportunities for scientific discovery and sustainable development, signifies an advancement in global collaboration and exemplifies our collaborative effort for the well-being of the entire globe.» He added that it expresses a common vision for a future «in which our ocean's biodiversity is valued, protected, and used sustainably for the benefit of current and future generations.» Ramkalawan said the entry into force of the treaty will also accelerate the accomplishment of many other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), playing a vital role in climate regulation, food security and nutrition, peace and justice and many more. «The race for the ratification of the BBNJ Treaty is the perfect example of how, by working together around the world, we can accelerate action to deliver the SDGs. At this point, Seychelles and other developing countries require capacity-building assistance to develop domestic processes that will enable the treaty's rapid implementation,» he added. Ramkalawan said that for Seychelles, the aims and components of the BBNJ treaty are of critical importance as they are seen as a national priority to secure ocean sustainability for humanity. «For the people of Seychelles, the BBNJ Agreement means an opportunity for our young scientists to get involved in research projects, and access samples, databases, repositories, and digital sequence information. It is another step forward in the establishment of a comprehensive system and well-connected networks of marine protected areas, and we now have a mechanism that is more equitable in which everyone can benefit from what is called the 'common heritage of mankind,» he added. He concluded in saying that the agreement is in the world's interest «but effective implementation will determine its real impact on oceans, people, and the planet. It is my sincere hope that we maintain the positive momentum for the Agreement's implementation as soon as possible for the vast, interconnected ecosystem that is our global ocean.» 

Seychelles Meteorological Authority (SMA) will be better equipped to record and monitor rainfall and weather conditions during the next rainy season, with assistance from India to develop its early warning systems, according to a top official. The SMA's chief executive Vincent Amelie told SNA that the upgrade in its system will be finalised once an agreement is signed next month, as part of a national partnership resulting from bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Amelie visited India earlier this month and had the chance to visit various meteorological services and discuss with Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Earth Sciences responsible for the India Meteorological Department (IMD). «What I have seen in the existing infrastructure during my visit, is that they have everything we need to advance in the field. We are finalising the priority areas that we will work on under the agreement,» he said. «India will be providing the technical expertise through the transfer of technology where they will tailor the modelling for Seychelles. This is different from the other countries' met centres we had approached to help us in that area, as they were asking for high prices for the expertise,» Amelie explained. The authority is working with its Indian counterparts to finalise an agreement that will help Seychelles improve its predictions as well as impact-based forecasting. «We will have a flash flood and early warning system that is more advanced and better equipped than the one we have currently,» said Amelie. As a result of the agreement between the two countries, Seychelles will not have to pay India consultancy fees for the advanced software they will be donating and helping with their proper installation. According to a report released by the World Meteorological Organidation (WMO) in December, there is a concerning trend of disasters increasing over five times between 1970 and 2019. Water-related disasters became the most common globally, with tropical cyclones causing the most harm to people and economies. Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, has also suffered from extreme weather, as the heavy rainfalls and ensuing flash-floods that resulted in landslides on December 7 last year have shown. Amelia said Seychelles this will address many weaknesses in its forecasts such as impact-based forecasting «where we not only say that it's going to rain, but we can also tell what impact it will have.» SMA currently only provides a generalised forecast. He explained that India has already developed a system that not only predicts rain but also predicts the intensity of the rain, what impact it will have as well as the exact location of the rain. Another area India will be assisting with is marine forecasting «an area that we have struggled a lot with over the years as we did not have the expertise. India will be providing SMA with advanced systems to allow the authority to provide this service more efficiently,» Amelie added. Capacity building and expertise exchange is also part of the agreement between the two countries and there will be very qualified personnel coming to SMA for short-term and longer term contracts. Those on shorter terms will mainly be working in research. «As a result of these improvements, people will see an improvement in our predictions and decision-making that is more cost-effective,» said Amelie. In addition to the exchange of expertise, SMA and India have plans for a hydrometer project costing US$ 70 million that covers four countries in the region. The other beneficiaries of the project being funded by the Green Climate Fund are Mauritius, Comoros, and Madagascar. The five-year-long project specifically covers equipment to be donated such as radars and automatic stations.

Israel's army chief on Monday vowed a response to Iran's unprecedented attack against the country which has prompted appeals for de-escalation by world leaders fearing wider conflict. Six months of war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza have triggered violence across the region involving Iranian proxies and allies who say they act in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. But tensions have surged even higher with Tehran's first direct assault on Israel, in retaliation for a deadly April 1 strike on Iran's consulate in Damascus. «This launch of so many (Iranian) missiles, cruise missiles, and UAVs into the territory of the State of Israel will be met with a response,» Israeli army chief General Herzi Halevi said, addressing troops at the Nevatim military base hit in Iran's Saturday barrage. But the military also said it would not be distracted from its war against Hamas in Gaza. The United Nations on Monday cited reports of «air strikes, shelling and heavy fighting» for the past five days around Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah. - 'Engaged in terrorism' - Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel late Saturday, according to Israel's military which said nearly all were intercepted. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with his war cabinet late Monday to discuss possible reactions, local media said, as Israel issued its first official comment on the deadly Syria strike. «These were people who engaged in terrorism against the State of Israel,» military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. «There was not a single diplomat there as far as I know.» Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps named two generals as among seven of its members killed in the consular attack. Tehran says its missile and drone barrage against Israel was the first act of a tough new strategy. The Iranian president's political deputy, Mohammad Jamshidi, wrote on X that the «era of strategic patience is over» and further targeting Iranian personnel and assets «will be met with a direct and punishing response.» Tehran said it considered the matter «concluded» unless Israel chose to commit «another mistake». Israel's top military supplier the United States played a key role -- with other allies -- in shooting down the Iranian drones. US officials, increasingly critical of the civilian death toll in Gaza, have urged caution on Israel after Iran's attack. «We don't seek escalation, but we'll continue to support the defence of Israel and to protect our personnel in the region,» said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. US President Joe Biden has told Netanyahu that Washington would not offer military support for any retaliation against Iran, according to a senior US official. Netanyahu has been less vocal than usual since Iran's attack, but late Monday he said on X that the international community «must continue to stand united in resisting this Iranian aggression, which threatens world peace.» At the White House Biden, meeting Iraq's Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani, said: «We're committed to a ceasefire that will bring the hostages home and prevent the conflict spreading beyond what it already has.» Israel estimates that 129 hostages, including 34 presumed dead, remain in the hands of Palestinian militants in Gaza since their October 7 attack triggered the war with Israel. - Bridge blocked - Reflecting both the domestic pressure Biden is under, and global calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge on Monday. The UN cited reports of clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups in eastern Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city which Israel has for two months threatened to invade in pursuit of Hamas. Hamas's October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,797 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The toll rose by at least 68 deaths over 24 hours. Israel released around 150 detainees on Monday who had been rounded up in Gaza, the territory's crossings authority told AFP. The agency alleged «mistreatment» of the detainees, which Israel's military denied. Further emphasising the regional dimensions of the war, Israel's army said four of its troops were wounded inside Lebanese territory after Hezbollah said it had targeted a group of Israeli soldiers with «explosive devices» when they crossed the border. - 'Catastrophic hunger' - Following the Iranian attack, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting Sunday, where Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the region was «on the brink» of war and called for a defusing of tensions. On Monday Britain, Germany, Italy and France were among those also calling for de-escalation. A United States official said the hope was that «in the light of day» Israel would see it had won a «spectacular success» against Iran's attack, which resulted in no reported deaths. However, Middle East analyst James Ryan said «Netanyahu has already shown a willingness to test any kind of limit Biden wishes to impose». Netanyahu, who leads a coalition including religious and ultra-nationalist parties, has faced regular protests by anti-government demonstrators as well as supporters of the Gaza hostages demanding the government get them home. Experts, and the protesters, have said they expect Netanyahu to continue the Gaza war as a tactic to remain in power. British airline EasyJet on Monday said it was pausing flights to and from Tel Aviv until April 21, «due to the evolving security situation,» but on global markets world oil prices sank as traders bet on a de-escalation of tensions. The UN said it delivered on Sunday a four-day supply of fuel to enable a Gaza City bakery to resume operations in northern Gaza, which «has largely been cut off from aid and has recorded the highest levels of catastrophic hunger in the world.» © Agence France-Presse

Developing a freshwater biodiversity information system for long-term conservation and management in Seychelles is a first-of-its-kind project currently being implemented by a not-for-profit organisation Gaea Seychelles on the islands of Mahe, Praslin and Silhouette. The three-year project also aims to assess the healthiness of freshwater sources and monitor alterations and changes of the islands' rivers. Elvina Henriette, founding member of Gaea Seychelles, told SNA that even though the island nation has available freshwater, no information is available about them.  «There has been much development and change that we have not yet accessed its implications on this extremely rare resource,» said Henriette, adding that the project, which is being funded through the JRS Biodiversity Foundation at $260,000, aims to collect, store, analyse, and share data for better decision-making and better management of rivers. The JRS Biodiversity Foundation is an independent grant-making foundation based in the United States that awards grants to increase access to and use of biodiversity information in sub-Saharan Africa. «As this is an understudied field, we will also provide capacity-building opportunities for our staff but also for other individuals or organizations,» explained Henriette, stressing that the project will also assess the understanding of rivers and their importance in benefitting the local population. Several activities have been held, including a training session by Juan Tedder, an ecologist from Gaea Seychelles' partners, Ground Truth.  (Dr Elvina Henriette) Photo License: All Rights Reserved Project officer Mersiah Rose explained that the project, which was launched in September 2023, will focus on fifteen rivers and will have different components. «These are freshwater biodiversity data collection, which will include getting to know what we already have, capturing existing data such as museum specimens, publications, grey literature, existing databases, and putting all data into one public access database,» said Rose. She added that «Another component is the development of monitoring programmes such as establishing a long-term monitoring programme based on 15 rivers to monitor changes in ecosystems, particularly due to climate change, baseline surveys and biodiversity inventories of fish, micro and macro invertebrates. We will also monitor changes in ecosystems due to climate change as well as the collection of genetic material and DNA to build the reference database.» Since its launching, several activities have been held, including a training session by Juan Tedder, an ecologist from one of Gaea Seychelles' partners, Ground Truth, based in South Africa. The training focused on aquatic biomonitoring for macroinvertebrates. Participants learned techniques to identify and monitor species that normally receive little attention and discover how their presence or absence can indicate a problem arising from the river in which they live. Several local organisations and institutions are partnering with Gaea Seychelles, including the Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority (SPGA), Seychelles National Herbarium (SNH), Plant Conservation Action Group (PCA), Terrestrial Restoration Action Society of Seychelles (TRASS). International partners include Ground Truth of South Africa, the Natural History Museum of Paris, and Nature Metrics of the United Kingdom. The University of Seychelles (UNISEY) is also a crucial local partner for this project. «We are hopeful that the project can provide enough materials for the inclusion of more targeted freshwater biodiversity content into UniSey's BSc Environmental Science programme,» added Rose. Henriette, a conservation biologist, emphasised that the project's scope extends beyond wildlife observation. It will also investigate various facets of river usage, including how people interact with and utilise these vital water sources as well as incorporating the human and social elements into the interaction between people and rivers. «I think we have lost a lot of that respect because nowadays we mostly use the river as a place for us to throw our trash in, without realising that what we are drinking is what is keeping us alive,» said Henriette. She said that Gaea's commitment is integrating the cultural dimension as well. In the past, communities had a particular way of coexisting with rivers, demonstrating a deep respect for these vital water bodies. The 15 rivers targeted for this project are spread over the three islands, Mahe, Praslin, and Silhouette of the Seychelles' archipelago in the western Indian Ocean. These rivers include those rich with aquatic life where species such as river prawns, tadpoles, Golden Panchax, eels, crabs, and limpets are found and others with fewer species. Information and data collected at the end of the project will be used to inform conservation action decisions better, as well as what new policies and laws need to be put in place to preserve the rivers. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies on Monday to show the same «unity» towards Ukraine as Israel, which said it repelled an Iranian attack over the weekend with Western support. Ukraine has in recent months grown increasingly frustrated at delays in Western aid, including air defences it says are urgently needed to repel deadly Russian attacks. In a post on Telegram, Zelensky thanked allies who had responded to Ukraine's call for more air defences but said: «The intensity of Russian attacks requires greater unity». «By defending Israel, the free world has demonstrated that such unity is not only possible, but also one hundred percent effective,» he said. «The same is possible in defending Ukraine, which, like Israel, is not a NATO member, from terror,» he continued, calling for «political will» from Ukraine's allies. The US Senate passed a $95 billion package in February that included major funding to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion, as well as fresh support for Israel and Taiwan. But the legislation has stalled in the narrowly divided House of Representatives amid opposition from the Republican party's right wing. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, however, announced Monday that a vote would be held in the coming days on the legislation, but not in its current form. Instead, the House «will vote on each of these measures separately in four different pieces», he said. He added that votes on the separate bills could occur by Friday evening, but members would be allowed to offer amendments, which could prolong the process. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had also invoked Western support for Israel in a press conference earlier in the day, calling for more aid «as soon as possible». «We see that when allies act as one in a very coordinated way, not a single missile falls on the targets, reaches targets in Israel,» Kuleba said alongside his Norwegian counterpart. «Everything we are asking from partners, even if you cannot act the way you act in Israel, give us what we need and we will do the rest of the job,» he added. Iran over the weekend launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel in retaliation for a deadly April 1 strike on Tehran's consulate in Damascus. Israel's military said it intercepted 99 percent of the aerial threats with the help of the United States and other allies, and that the overnight attack caused only minor damage. © Agence France-Presse

With European markets remaining robust and emerging interest from Asia, Seychelles continues to attract travellers seeking extraordinary experiences in an idyllic setting, according to a top tourism official. The statement was made by Bernadette Willemin, director for marketing of the Tourism Seychelles, the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism. According to the latest figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NSB) on April 10, 105,457 visitors disembarked in Seychelles compared to 98,619 in 2023 year-to-date, showing a 7 percent increase.    Willemin said, «We are pleased to acknowledge the positive performance outlined in the first quarter report, particularly the robust growth trajectory observed in visitor arrivals to Seychelles.» Europe continues to lead the visitor arrival to the island nation in the western Indian Ocean. Germany is the leading market with 21, 913 followed by Russia with 13,100  arrivals. France is third with 11,662 arrivals. «The tourism performance for the first quarter of 2024 aligns with the recommendations of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), focusing on analysing visitor arrivals based on their country of residence and offering insights into Seychelles' evolving tourism landscape,» explained Willemin. The latest figures show that 90,111 of the visitors to Seychelles did so for holidays and 3,688 for honeymoons and Willemin attributes it to «Seychelles' status as a premier leisure destination offering unparalleled experiences amid breathtaking natural landscapes.». Cruise ship arrivals for this period show 6,854 tourists and 130 transit passengers out of 6,998 arrivals, with the remainder being residents. Willemin said, «While Europe continues to serve as the primary source market, it is uplifting to see substantial contributions from key regions notably South Africa, and North America.» The figures show that 2,276 visitors from South Africa arrived in Seychelles up to week 14 while 2,872 were from North America to date. Willemin said, «These contributions further solidify our position as a global tourism destination.» Tourism is the top contributor to the economy of Seychelles followed 

Donald Trump's New York criminal trial opened Monday in a historic first for a US ex-president and a seismic twist to an already explosive 2024 presidential election, where the scandal-plagued Republican is seeking to return to power. «Good morning Mr Trump,» Judge Juan Merchan said to the defendant in the courtroom, where the Republican sat with hunched shoulders and a stern expression. Jury selection was due to start shortly, but given the notoriety of the case it could take as much as two weeks for defense lawyers and prosecutors to agree on the panel of 12 jurors. Trump, wearing his trademark red tie, white shirt and blue suit, struck a defiant stance, telling a throng of journalists on arrival at the gritty Manhattan courthouse that his trial was an «outrage» and an «assault on America.» He then strode into the courtroom, walking past nine rows of wooden benches and took his seat. The 77-year-old is accused of falsifying business records in a scheme to cover up an alleged extramarital sexual encounter with adult film actress Stormy Daniels to shield his 2016 election campaign from a last-minute upheaval. The so-called hush money affair is one of four criminal cases hanging over Trump, including historic prosecutions against the Republican's alleged attempts to subvert the 2020 election and prevent the winner, Joe Biden, from taking office. If convicted in the hush money case, Trump would potentially face years in prison, but legal observers consider this unlikely. Even so, the prospect of Trump becoming a convicted felon throws an unprecedented wild card into an already unpredictable November 5 election, where he wants to defeat Biden and retake the White House. The hard-right populist is running on dark vows of «vengeance» and seeking to spin his criminal cases as evidence of persecution. On Monday his campaign released a video portraying Trump with the trappings of the presidency and warning his supporters that «they want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedoms.» Attempting to keep up his trademark bravado, Trump said last week that he will take the stand in the trial -- a highly unusual and often risky move for defendants. - Lawyer and porn star - For jury selection, a pool of ordinary citizens convened by Merchan must answer a questionnaire including checks on whether they have been members of far-right groups. The actual charges revolve around highly technical finance laws. Trump is accused of illegally covering up remittances to his longtime attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, who was using the funds to pay Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about the alleged sexual encounter in the final weeks of the 2016 election campaign. A New York grand jury indicted Trump in March 2023 over the payments made to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, with the ex-president charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records. He denies the charges and says the encounter with Clifford and another with a Playboy nude model, whose story he also allegedly covered up, did not happen. Trump also claims he will not get a fair trial in heavily Democratic New York. Even if convicted, he would be able to appeal and would not be barred from continuing to run, or even being elected president on November 5. - Four criminal cases - Trump's other three criminal cases -- centered on his alleged hoarding of top-secret documents in Florida after he left the White House and his involvement in attempts to overturn the 2020 election -- all face multiple delays. In the New York case, Trump has repeatedly failed to secure meaningful delays, and Merchan has signaled he will run the trial with a firm hand. Last week, the judge extended an existing gag order, in place to prevent Trump from attacking those involved in the trial, widening it to cover family members of the judge and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the lead prosecutor. The expansion of the order came after Trump lashed out at Merchan and his daughter in a series of posts on Truth Social. © Agence France-Presse

Seychelles is on track to have its aquaculture facility become a centre of excellence in the region. The opening of the first Containerised Echinoderm Hatchery, a state-of-the-art facility earlier this year, is the latest step to bolster the country's position in achieving this strategic objective. The head of aquaculture at the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA), Aubrey Lesperance, told SNA that with the opening of the hatchery, the SFA has embarked on an ambitious journey to transition from research-based aquaculture to the commercialisation of aquaculture, aligning with Strategy 3 of its Strategic Plan 2022-2027. «A pivotal step towards this goal is the establishment of Seychelles' first Containerised Echinoderm Hatchery, crucial to establish the islands as a Centre of Excellence for aquaculture collaborative research,» explained Lesperance. The Containerised Echinoderm Hatchery represents a significant leap towards the commercialisation of aquaculture in Seychelles. By integrating advanced research facilities with practical, scalable solutions like the hatchery, the Seychelles – 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean – are poised to become a global leader in sustainable aquaculture practices. At the opening of the hatchery, the Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Jean Francois Ferrari, said, «It is our ambition to become a marine Centre of Excellence in fisheries and aquaculture in the Blue Economy sector. Facilities such as this one bring us closer to this strategic objective.» According to Lesperance, «This initiative not only enhances the country's aquaculture infrastructure but also paves the way for significant economic opportunities, reinforcing the importance of public and private sector investment in realising the full potential of the aquaculture sector.» Lesperance added that the authority has aligned its priorities in terms of infrastructure and research to become a Centre of Excellence. These include the newly inaugurated Containerised Echinoderm Hatchery on February 29, the setting up of the Broodstock, Acclimation, and Quarantine Facility, which plays a crucial role in ensuring the health and quality of broodstock, critical for successful hatchery operations, and the Sea Urchin Research Facility, which is located at the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA). Lesperance says the facility "facilitates cutting-edge research on sea urchin aquaculture, contributing to the knowledge base necessary for commercial success.' The open ocean sea cages, which are situated 300 metre from Providence Fishing Port, enable the practical application of research findings in a controlled marine environment, essential for the scale-up to commercial operations. In addition, SFA has acquired a service boat, Aqua 1, which is crucial for aquaculture's day-to-day operations, enabling broodstock collection, training, investor site selection, environmental monitoring, and maintenance activities for structures such as the sea cages crucial for the sector's development. In addition to the infrastructure, the Seychelles Fishing Authority has made a move to foster a new generation of aquaculture technicians and scientists by establishing a strong collaboration with the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA). The authority and academy collaboration focus on providing students with real-world experience and exposure to the latest aquaculture technologies and practices. Through various work-based experiences, internships, and research projects, students from the SMA can apply their academic knowledge in practical settings, thus bridging the gap between theoretical learning and practical application. SFA is also extending its educational outreach beyond the SMA, targeting secondary school students through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme. This initiative is designed to inspire and educate young Seychellois on the opportunities within the aquaculture sector. The TVET programme and the SMA aim to train a good majority of the 70 percent of the workforce required in the Seychelles aquaculture sector by 2040, highlighting the government's commitment to developing a skilled and knowledgeable workforce to support the sector's growth. Through these initiatives, students are empowered to become the next generation of aquaculture professionals with the knowledge, skills, and passion to drive the sector forward. 

Israel and Iran accused one another Sunday at the United Nations of being the main threat to peace in the Middle East, each calling on the Security Council to impose sanctions on their sworn enemy. «The mask is off. Iran, the number one global sponsor of terror, has exposed its true face as the destabilizer of the region and the world,» Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan told an emergency meeting of the Security Council convened after Tehran's unprecedented attack on Israel overnight. «The mask comes off and the gloves must come on,» he said, imploring the body to «take action.» Erdan asked the Security Council to designate the Revolutionary Guards, the Islamic Republic's ideological army, as a terrorist organization and to «impose all possible sanctions on Iran before it's too late.» In particular, he referred to the «snapback» mechanism that allows members of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal -- which the United States exited in 2018 -- to reimpose international sanctions against Tehran. «We have a collective responsibility as members of the Security Council to ensure that Iran complies with the council's resolutions and ceases its violations of the charter,» said Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood. In the coming days the United States will «explore additional measures to hold Iran accountable.» Late Saturday, Iran launched a direct attack on its arch foe Israel for the first time, firing more than 300 missiles and drones. Nearly all were intercepted by Israel and others, including the United States, Jordan and Britain. Iran said its attack came in response to a deadly April 1 air strike on Tehran's consulate building in Syria's capital Damascus that was widely blamed on Israel. That attack killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards, including two senior generals. - On 'the brink' - Addressing the emergency meeting, Iran's UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani insisted the Islamic republic was exercising its «inherent right to self-defense.» «The Security Council... failed in its duty to maintain international peace and security,» Iravani said. Therefore, Tehran «had no choice» but to respond, he said, adding that his country does «not seek escalation or war,» but will respond to any «threat or aggression.» He also lashed out at Israel. «It is time for the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility and address the real threat to international peace and security,» Iravani said. The body «must take urgent and punitive measures to compel this regime to stop a genocide against the people of Gaza.» The rising tensions come against the backdrop of Israel's six-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza, which began after the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack in Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,729 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Since the 1979 Iranian revolution Israel has been considered a sworn enemy by the Islamic republic, which calls for Israel's destruction. Until now, Tehran had refrained from attacking Israel head-on, and the two countries have opted instead to confronting each other through third parties. On Sunday United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged restraint, telling the emergency meeting that «neither the region nor the world can afford more war.» «Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate,» he said. Guterres also repeated his condemnation of Iran's strikes on Israel, and the attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus. «It's time to step back from the brink,» Guterres said. © Agence France-Presse

Aldabra Atoll has officially been designated as an Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission shark specialist group. According to the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) in a recent press statement, the designation has been awarded to Aldabra as it contains specific marine habitats that are deemed critical for the survival and well-being of sharks, rays, and chimaeras - which are soft-bodied, cartilaginous fish.  SIF said it submitted the nomination of Aldabra, one of Seychelles UNESCO World Heritage sites, in August 2023, to be evaluated in an ISRA workshop in Durban, South Africa last September, which focused on the western Indian Ocean region. The submission then underwent a peer review by an independent review panel before it was validated. ISRA designations are based on scientific criteria that consider factors such as the species' range restriction. It is also based on their status on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the importance of the habitat for various life stages of sharks and the special attributes of the habitat in terms of distinctiveness and diversity. The majority of available evidence from Aldabra came from opportunistic sighting records and photos and videos collected over many years by Aldabra staff, volunteers and visiting researchers, highlighting the value of rigorously recording opportunistic sightings. The chief executive of SIF, Dr Frauke Fleischer-Dogley, said «this designation helps SIF to re-focus on one of the most threatened group of animals on reefs' with 60 percent of coral reef shark and ray species globally being at risk of going extinct. Since the submission of the nomination over 500 additional opportunistic sightings have already been made on Aldabra, and this time the exact locations have been recorded too.»   A juvenile of the sharptooth lemon shark. (Martin Van Rooyen) Photo License: All Rights Reserved  Sharks, rays and chimaeras belong to the most threatened marine taxon and more than a third of shark species are threatened with extinction due to impacts from fisheries, habitat loss, and climate change. Aldabra Atoll was designated for six species, namely the blacktip reef shark, tawny nurse shark, sharptooth lemon shark, scalloped hammerhead shark, spotted eagle ray, and reef manta ray. The species fulfilled the criteria of being considered threatened on the IUCN Red List, and being found in a marine habitat that is important for their reproduction and feeding. Dr Rima Jabado, deputy chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and chair of the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group, said «Sharks and rays play a key role in supporting the health of marine ecosystems. ISRAs are now providing a critical tool to support the conservation of these species by consolidating the most up-to-date scientific data from regional experts, but also from citizen scientists, that can really allow policymakers to take action and safeguard remnant populations.» With the designation, Aldabra joined a select group of globally recognised areas crucial for biodiversity and this will serve as a catalyst for heightened awareness and action and urge policymakers and stakeholders to prioritise conservation efforts and ensure long-term protection. Aldabra is now one of nine ISRAs in Seychelles and the others are Alphonse Atoll, Baie Laraie at Curieuse Island, Bay Ternay at Mahe Island, Conception Island, D'Arros and St. Joseph Atoll, La Passe at Silhouette Island, Saint François Atoll and the Seychelles Inner Islands.