Seychelles' tourism officials expressed their satisfaction at the big turnout for the Food Fest, promoting traditional Creole food, held at Domaine Val de Pres on Sunday and plans to make it a regular event. The event is part of the country's Tourism Festival, which will end on September 30. The aim of the festival is to celebrate and promote the importance of tourism, which is the top contributor to the island nation's economy. The festival is hosting various activities and events to promote tourism and showcase Seychelles and its unique attractions. «Considering the amount of rain we had today, we are very happy with the crowd we have managed to draw,» said the principal secretary for tourism, Sherin Francis. The setting at Domaine Val de Pres had various food stalls, live bands, and booth for those present to take photos in the backdrop of the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts' museums. To ensure the participation of both Seychellois and tourists, the department had advertised the Food Fest and made available bus shuttles to carry tourists to the site. The Tourism Festival was officially launched on Saturday at La Plaine St Andre, and this year, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation has chosen the theme «Tourism and Green Investment.»   Locally, the Festival is taking place under the theme «Bridging the Past and the Future.» «Choosing a theme that resonates with our current times and our remarkable journey was paramount. Our tourism industry owes its existence to courageous individuals who saw an opportunity and worked tirelessly to not only enhance their own lives but also contribute significantly to our nation's economic prosperity,» said Francis. The other activities on the Tourism Festival programme will be a Meet and Greet event at the Seychelles International Airport on Mahe the main island on Wednesday, September 27 to mark the occasion of World Tourism Day. A Meet and Greet will also be done at the 'Ero' Passenger terminal on Praslin, while the Island Quay Jetty on Mahe will have traditional music entertainment for the tourists and passersby. Seychelles' tourism industry was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, where like many countries, it had to close its borders. In the last couple of years, the country has been rebuilding this industry through additional marketing campaigns and the arrivals of visitors has rebounded.

Seychelles’ President Wavel Ramkalawan has pointed out that the United Nations Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) interim report has not entirely met the needs of small island developing states (SIDS). Ramkalawan was addressing the heads of state and government of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Leaders Meeting in New York on September 22, which took place on the margins of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.  According to a press release from State House, the President said that Seychelles “acknowledges the progress made so far, and commends the dedication, commitment and efforts that have gone towards conceptualising and developing” the MVI. The Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) is being developed to increase eligibility for SIDS like Seychelles to receive greater international concessional financing and address the special vulnerabilities that are inherent in the SIDS context. “While great strides have been made, we must however be frank and admit that as it stands, the (interim) MVI Report does not necessarily respond to our needs as SIDS. We note the complexities of our individual vulnerabilities - while some vulnerabilities will apply to all such as freshwater resources, sanitation services, others, such as regional conflict and refugees etc., will only apply to some countries. We acknowledge the need to give each due consideration as there is no doubt of the negative impacts they have on our respective nations,” he said.  President Ramkalawan addressing the AOSIS Leaders Meeting (State House) CC:BY He noted that SIDS should not be left at a disadvantage due to the different weight of the various indicators.  “For example, on the basis of the indicators used during the pilot study, Seychelles has one of the highest economic vulnerability rating due to a high dependency on exports. Whereas for environment and social indicators, we have one of the lowest ratings based on geographical location outside the cyclone belts and limited flooding. However, the fact remains that all SIDS are inherently vulnerable to climate change and global crises,” said the President. The AOISIS Leaders Meeting’s core areas of discussion included the 4th SIDS Conference in 2024, the reform of international financial architecture, the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) and the COP28 meeting in December. 

The European Union, the United States and other members of the international community said on Tuesday they were following with the «greatest vigilance» the run-up to presidential elections in Madagascar, after disputes over its regularity. Representatives of eight countries and international organisations including the EU, US, France and Japan, said «confidence» in the electoral process would be key for the results of the November vote to be accepted «by all» and to guarantee the «stability» of the country. «The present signatories, international partners of Madagascar, are following with the greatest vigilance the latest developments relating to the preparation of the presidential election,» the group wrote in a statement. It comes after the opposition complained of an «institutional coup» to favour incumbent Andry Rajoelina. Voters in Madagascar, one of the poorest countries in the world despite vast natural resources, head to the polls to elect a president on November 9. Rajoelina, 49, resigned earlier this month in line with the constitution in order to run for re-election. The president of the Senate was supposed to take over but declined to do so for «personal reasons», leaving the task to a «collegial government» headed by Prime Minister Christian Ntsay, an ally of Rajoelina. The move was accepted by the country's top court, sparking the anger of the opposition. - 'Behind closed doors' - The court has also dismissed appeals to have Rajoelina's candidacy declared void over his dual French nationality. «The powers (that be)... carried out a real institutional coup with the aim of putting the prime minister in charge of the state during the presidential electoral period in order to manipulate the results for the benefit of their candidate,» 10 of 13 presidential candidates wrote in a letter to electoral authorities last week. In a separate letter on Monday, about 40 civil society groups called on the court to reverse its decision and appoint the president of the Senate as interim head of state. The head of the Constitutional Court has previously dismissed accusations of bias, telling AFP that the body could not «force» the head of the Senate to take power. A Western diplomatic source told AFP that Tuesday's statement was made because of «decisions taken one hour before the end of Rajoelina's mandate». «We could not remain silent. We know what happened behind closed doors.» The embassies of Britain, Germany and Switzerland were also among the signatories. Rajoelina first took power in 2009 on the back of a coup. After not running in the 2013 election due to international pressure, he was voted back into power in 2018. © Agence France-Presse

The Seychelles women's national football team will face Malawi on Monday in a friendly match as part of the African side's training in preparation for the COSAFA women's competition in October. This was revealed by the chief executive of the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF), Dennis Rose, in a recent interview with reporters. Rose said that to meet its obligation as a FIFA member, the Seychelles women's national team has to play four international matches. «Since our football federation has a good relationship with the federation of Malawi, we have been invited to play two games with their women's team when they start their training camp,» he said. The games will take place on September 25 and 28 as part of Malawi's preparation. Seychelles' side left on September 22 and will return on the 29. Malawi will be using the games as preparations for the upcoming 2023 HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Women's Football Championship, which will be held in Gauteng, South Africa from October 4-15. The first match for Malawi will be against South Africa on October 4. Meanwhile, the SFF announced that the women's national side will be having a new international coach from Singapore, Chris Yip-Au, as of October 1. The previous coach, Angeline Chua also from Singapore, left to take up the post with the Fiji national team. «On the development of women's football, there have not been many activities in the last couple of months. This is simply because since our women's national team coach left we were in search of another coach. [...] We advertised both nationally and internationally and finally, we got two candidates, a French and a Singaporean. We chose the French coach who then backed out, so we selected the Singaporean,» Rose explained. He said that the other advantage of a coach from Singapore is that it will ensure continuity and this will be to the Seychelles side's advantage as the coaching style is the same.   Rose said that the technical department has also done some research and has proposed a new format for the local women's football competition. «Playing 11 versus 11 for the women's competitions means that there are not enough teams and there is also an obligation on clubs to have a women's team as well. This is a requirement - aside from the club men's team. They must have a youth and a women's team to meet the FIFA criteria for club licensing,» he said. So when the women's competition starts it will be an 8-a-side which SFF hopes will mean more clubs taking part.  

President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday announced that France would withdraw its ambassador from Niger, followed by the French military contingent in the coming months, a move welcomed by Niger's military leaders as a «step towards sovereignty». Macron's announcement comes two months after a coup in the west African country that ousted the pro-Paris president. «France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France,» Macron told French television in an interview, without giving details over how this would be organised. Macron added that military cooperation was «over» and French troops would withdraw in «the months and weeks to come» with a full pullout «by the end of the year». Niger's military rulers responded swiftly in a statement read out on national television. «This Sunday, we celebrate a new step towards the sovereignty of Niger,» said the statement from the military rulers, who seized power by overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26. «This is a historic moment, which speaks to the determination and will of the Nigerien people,» the Niger statement added. - Ban on French aircraft - Earlier Sunday the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) said on its website that the military rulers had banned «French aircraft» from flying over the country's airspace. It was not clear if this would affect the ambassador being flown out. In his comments, Macron said that «in the weeks and months to come, we will consult with the putschists, because we want this to be done peacefully». France keeps about 1,500 soldiers in Niger as part of an anti-jihadist deployment in the Sahel region. Macron said the post-coup authorities «no longer wanted to fight against terrorism». Niger's military leaders had told French ambassador Sylvain Itte to leave the country after they overthrew Bazoum. But a 48-hour ultimatum for him to leave, issued in August, passed with him still in place as the French government refused to comply, or to recognise the military regime as legitimate. Earlier this month, Macron said the ambassador and his staff were «literally being held hostage» in the mission, eating military rations with no food deliveries. In Sunday's interview, Macron reaffirmed France's position that Bazoum was being held «hostage» and remained the «sole legitimate authority» in the country. «He was targeted by this coup d'etat because he was carrying out courageous reforms and because there was a largely ethnic settling of scores and a lot of political cowardice,» he argued. - 'Very worried about region' - The coup against Bazoum was the third such putsch in the region in as many years, following similar actions in Mali and Burkina Faso in 2021 and 2022 that also forced the pullouts of French troops. But the Niger coup is particularly bruising for Macron after he sought to make a special ally of Niamey, and a hub for France's presence in the region following the Mali coup. The US also has more than 1,000 troops in the country. Macron regularly speaks by phone to Bazoum, who remains under house arrest in the presidential residence. The French president has repeatedly spoken of making a historic change to France's post-colonial imprint in Africa but analysts say Paris is losing influence across the continent especially in the face of a growing Chinese, Turkish and Russian presence. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) threatened military action to restore Bazoum but so far its threats, which were strongly supported by France, have not transferred into action. «We are not here to be hostages of the putschists,» said Macron. «The putschists are the allies of disorder,» he added. Macron said that jihadist attacks were causing «dozens of deaths every day in Mali» after its coup and that now such assaults had resumed in Niger. «I am very worried about this region,» he said. «France, sometimes alone, has taken all its responsibilities and I am proud of our military. But we are not responsible for the political life of these countries and we draw all the consequences.» © Agence France-Presse

Seychelles’ President Wavel Ramkalawan held discussions with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, in New York on Sunday. President Ramkalawan is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. According to a press release from State House, President Ramkalawan and Sheikh Nahyan Al Nahyan spoke about the ways that Seychelles and the UAE “can continue to foster and develop mutual relations, whilst continuing to strengthen cooperation in various fields, and supporting the common interests of both peoples.” Furthermore, Ramkalawan “acknowledged and extended his gratitude to the UAE for the continuous support to the Seychellois nation particularly in its contribution towards the socio-economic development of the country.”During the meeting, they reviewed key projects in Seychelles such as the West Coast Road, the Drug Rehabilitation Centre, the IECD Centre, the Anse Royale Sports Complex and the Barbarons Housing project.

A seven-year space voyage comes to its climactic end Sunday when a NASA capsule lands in the desert in the US state of Utah, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected. Scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable. The Osiris-Rex probe's final, fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere will be perilous, but the US space agency is hoping for a soft landing, around 9:00am local (15H00 GMT), in a military test range in northwestern Utah. Four years after its 2016 launch, the probe landed on the asteroid Bennu and collected roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its rocky surface. Even that small amount, NASA says, should «help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth» and cast light «on the earliest history of our solar system,» NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. «This sample return is really historic,» NASA scientist Amy Simon told AFP. «This is going to be the biggest sample we've brought back since the Apollo moon rocks» were returned to Earth. But the capsule's return will require «a dangerous maneuver,» she acknowledged. Osiris-Rex released the capsule early Sunday -- from an altitude of more than 67,000 miles (108,000 kilometers) -- some four hours before it lands. The fiery passage through the atmosphere will come only in the last 13 minutes, as the capsule hurtles downward at a speed of more than 27,000 miles per hour, with temperatures of up to 5,000 Fahrenheit (2,760 Celsius). Its rapid descent, monitored by army sensors, will be slowed by two successive parachutes. Should they fail to deploy correctly, a «hard landing» would follow. If it had appeared that the target zone (37 miles by 9 miles) might be missed, NASA controllers could decide at the last moment not to release the capsule. But all systems are go, as NASA's Planetary Science Division posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Osiris-Rex released the capsule with the asteroid sample at 1042 GMT. «The capsule will plummet through space for four hours, enter the atmosphere over California and land about 13 minutes later in Utah,» it said. The probe, having successfully released its cargo, fired its engines and shifted course away from Earth, NASA said, «on its way» for a date with another asteroid, known as Apophis. Scientists predict it will come within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029. - Japanese samples - Once the tire-sized capsule touches down in Utah, a team in protective masks and gloves will place it in a net to be airlifted by helicopter to a temporary «clean room» nearby. NASA wants this done quickly and carefully to avoid any contamination of the sample with desert sands, skewing test results. On Monday the sample is to be flown by plane to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. There, the box will be opened in another «clean room.» NASA plans to announce its first results at a news conference October 11. Most of the sample will be conserved for study by future generations. Roughly one-fourth will be immediately used in experiments, and a small amount will be sent to mission partners Japan and Canada. Japan had earlier given NASA a few grains from asteroid Ryugu, after bringing 0.2 ounces of dust to Earth in 2020 during the Hayabusa-2 mission. Ten years before, it had brought back a microscopic quantity from another asteroid. But the sample from Bennu is much larger, allowing for significantly more testing, Simon said. - Earth's origin story - Asteroids are composed of the original materials of the solar system, dating back some 4.5 billion years, and have remained relatively intact. They «can give us clues about how the solar system formed and evolved,» said Osiris-Rex program executive Melissa Morris. «It's our own origin story.» By striking Earth's surface, «we do believe asteroids and comets delivered organic material, potentially water, that helped life flourish here on Earth,» Simon said. Scientists believe Bennu, about 500 meters (1,640 feet) in diameter, is rich in carbon -- a building block of life on Earth -- and contains water molecules locked in minerals. Bennu surprised scientists in 2020 when the probe, during its brief contact with the asteroid's surface, sank into the soil, revealing an unexpectedly low density, like a children's pool filled with plastic balls. Understanding its composition could come in handy in the -- distant -- future. For there is a slight, but non-zero, chance (one in 2,700) that Bennu could collide catastrophically with Earth, though not until 2182. But NASA last year successfully deviated the course of an asteroid by crashing a probe into it in a test, and it might at some point need to repeat that exercise -- but with much higher stakes. © Agence France-Presse

An exhibition entitled «Light» is on display at the Eden Art Space, a theme that the organisers say is inspired by Seychelles' uniqueness that drives many artists to produce amazing art. The exhibition, which started in August, will close on September 30. Michelle Morden, the manager of Eden Art Space, told SNA that «we are showing art that speaks of the theme 'light', or indeed the absence of it, light in nature or the light within ourselves, and represented in all mediums, methods and techniques.» One of the artists whose work is on display is Allen Commettant, owner of La Comet Lar, with the painting «Lumiere Joyeuse» (Happy Light). «This painting represents a good mood, which is why I have called it a happy light,» Commettant explained to SNA. Commettant, who has been an artist for 30 years, went on to explain that the work is one that was «spontaneous, using some complicated techniques that have turned into something interesting». Other Seychellois artists also taking part in the «Light» exhibition include James Agricole, Antoine Monnaie, Sheila Markham, Michelle Griffiths, Andrew Gee, Christine Harter, Julie Johnston, Daniel Dodin, Christine Chetty Payet, Mala Rama, Karyn Zialor, Caleb Simeon, and  Doris Nourrice Morden told SNA that Eden Art Space on Eden Island - a man-made island next to the main island of Mahe - also stocks work by many other artists such as prints, originals and sculptures – which are on sale to members of the public.   Some of the paintings on display in the «Light» exhibition. (Eden Art Space) Photo License: All Rights Reserved       

Pope Francis on Saturday urged European governments to welcome migrants instead of viewing them as invaders, striding into in a hugely sensitive political debate again inflamed by mass arrivals on the second day of his visit to France's Mediterranean port of Marseille. The pontiff made the comments hours before he leads a mass in Marseille's main stadium -- usually the venue for rugby or football matches -- in a gigantic event due to be attended by French President Emmanuel Macron. «Those who risk their lives at sea do not invade, they look for welcome,» Francis said in a speech closing a conference of bishops and young people from around the Mediterranean. Migration is «a reality of our times, a process that involves three continents around the Mediterranean and that must be governed with wise foresight, including a European response,» the pontiff added. Noting the risk to the lives of migrants if they are not taken to safety, he warned against turning «the Mediterranean, the mare nostrum, from the cradle of civilisation into the mare mortuum, the graveyard of dignity.» Francis' 35-minute speech drew a standing ovation from his audience, but his position on migration was unlikely to please Macron and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who were both present and plan tougher measures to control arrivals. The pope's forceful interventions come as the migration debate has been stoked by mass arrivals on the Italian island of Lampedusa last week. Speaking at a monument to people lost at sea on his arrival in Marseille on Friday, the pontiff had insisted that «people who are at risk of drowning when abandoned on the waves must be rescued». He thanked aid groups rescuing migrants in danger at sea, condemning efforts to prevent their work as «gestures of hate». - Tens of thousands expected - Tens of thousands of people are expected to watch Francis as he travels through the streets of Marseille later Saturday before celebrating mass for almost 60,000 people in the city's famed Velodrome stadium. Thousands were already starting to pour into the iconic venue which only on Thursday had hosted France's clash with Namibia in the Rugby World Cup. Clutches of black- or white-robed priests and nuns were scattered through the crowds while volunteers tasked with distributing communion wafers during the service were taking up position. Up to 100,000 are expected to line the Avenue du Prado for his «popemobile» tour and many roads are decked out with the white-and-yellow colours of the Vatican. Francky Domingo, a Beninese man who heads a group of undocumented migrants in Marseille, said he hoped the pontiff's visit would «give us back a little hope» and «calm the political tensions». Around 40 people have been killed in shootings in Marseille this year, and Macron has promised billions of euros to upgrade city infrastructure in a bid to stop the downward spiral. Not everyone has welcomed the pope's visit. Some politicians on the left have criticised Macron's decision to attend Saturday's mass as an infringement of state secularism. Others on the right have attacked Francis for «interfering» in domestic politics. - 'Pushed aside' - The pontiff did nothing Saturday to dodge such allegations, appearing to weigh in on two of Macron's projects -- assisted dying and inscribing the right to abortion in the constitution. Old people risk being «pushed aside, under the false pretences of a supposedly dignified and 'sweet' death that is more 'salty' than the waters of the sea,» Francis warned. He also spoke of «unborn children, rejected in the name of a false right to progress, which is instead a retreat into the selfish needs of the individual». Francis' messages may have less resonance given Catholicism's long decline in France. Fewer than a third of people still say they are Catholic, and only a fraction of those regularly attend mass. The country's religious heritage nevertheless still has enormous weight, with Macron showing off progress in restoring the fire-ravaged Notre Dame cathedral in central Paris to Britain's King Charles III this week. © Agence France-Presse

The Seychelles Magistrates' Court on Friday remanded in custody a Tanzanian national and five Seychellois for the offences of carrying out advice in matters of witchcraft, trespassing on burial places, insult to religion of any class, as well as writing or uttering words with intent to wound religious feelings. The Tanzanian suspect was apprehended by the authorities at the Seychelles International Airport on Thursday, September 21, in possession of a number of items that have been linked to witchcraft. Among the items were black wooden artifacts, stones, small bottles of brownish liquid, an assortment of powders and a number of documents with strange language and symbols that were described as demonic and satanic. It was through police interrogation of the Tanzanian national that the names of the five Seychellois suspects were mentioned and subsequently apprehended.  According to information mentioned in the Magistrates' Court, the five Seychellois were previously acquainted with the Tanzanian national, who had visited the country before. In his statement to the police, the Tanzanian alleged that the five Seychellois suspects all made different requests in the past for prayers of protection in exchange for monetary compensation. In addition, the court was also informed of certain messages that were exchanged between the six suspects on WhatsApp that corroborate the Tanzanians' statement. The prosecution stated in court that the symbols on the documents found in the Tanzanians' possession were similar to symbols found in places that were vandalised in Seychelles among which were religious sites. The six suspects are remanded in police custody until Monday, September 25 when the court will give its ruling on whether the suspects will remain in custody while the investigation continues. 

A former Seychelles men's national team head coach, Ralph Jean-Louis, is temporarily in charge of the selection for the island nation's next two matches in the FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.   The chief executive of the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF), Dennis Rose, made the statement on Thursday. «The previous national team's management's contract expired after the Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG), and we find that we still need to prepare for the upcoming matches,» said Rose. He said that SFF has «decided to make things easier, by appointing a caretaker management team to lead the team in the next two games, while we then make the necessary procedures to appoint a full-time coach.» Jean-Louis, who helped Seychelles win its first ever gold medal at the Indian Ocean Island Games in 2011, will lead the team in two matches in November, against Cote d'Ivoire and Kenya. «We have a tough challenge before us, with these two fixtures, but I come in with a lot of experience and we will be looking to bring new methods of training to build the team,» said Jean-Louis. The former St Michel football club midfielder player told reporters that he will be looking to bring in some fresh legs to the team. However, he will have to look at players in the upcoming league games in order to finalise the best selection. When asked about whether he would be open to applying for the position of full-time coach, Jean-Louis said he would have loved for his engagement with the team to be more long term but taking over the team on a full-time basis is «a bridge I will look to cross when I come to it,» he said. As a player, Jean-Louis played 11 years for the Seychelles national team as a midfielder, and at the club level, he played for Bel Air, Anse Aux Pins and St Michel football clubs. He won two bronze medals as a player at the IOIG as well as a gold as a manager. This will be Jean-Louis' third stint as Seychelles' head coach, having led the team in 2011 on a one-year contract and then from 2015 to 2016. Jean-Louis will be assisted by a young coach for the two games, Cote d'Or's Basil Hoareau, who recently completed his Confederation of African Football License A qualification. Rose said he will be able to bring some fresh ideas to the management, as a younger coach, while Jean-Louis will provide the experience.

Libya's flood disaster, which killed thousands in the city of Derna, also displaced more than 43,000 people, the International Organization for Migration said Thursday. A tsunami-sized flash flood broke through two ageing dams upstream from the coastal city after the Mediterranean Storm Daniel lashed the area on September 10. It razed entire neighbourhoods, sweeping untold thousands of people into the sea. The official death toll stands at more than 3,300 -- but the eventual count is expected to be far higher, with international aid groups giving estimates of up to 10,000 people missing. «An estimated 43,059 individuals have been displaced by the floods in northeastern Libya,» the IOM said, adding that a «lack of water supply is reportedly driving many displaced out of Derna» to other areas. «Urgent needs include food, drinking water and mental health and psychosocial support,» it said. Mobile and internet services were meanwhile restored after a two-day disruption, following protests Monday that saw angry residents blame the authorities for the high death toll. Authorities had blamed the communications outage on «a rupture in the optical fibre» link to Derna, but some internet users and analysts charged there had been a deliberate «blackout». Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah announced that communications had been restored in the east, in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. War-scarred Libya remains split between Dbeibah's UN-backed and nominally interim government in the west, and another in the disaster-hit east backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar. - 'Arrests of critics' - The eastern authorities «must immediately lift all undue restrictions... and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to all affected communities», Amnesty International said in a statement on Thursday. The rights group, citing witnesses, reported «arrests of critics and protesters» in Derna, decrying «efforts to choreograph and control media access» to the disaster-hit city. The dams that burst had developed cracks as far back as the 1990s, Libya's top prosecutor has said, as residents accused authorities of negligence. Much of Libya's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair in the chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. Haftar's forces seized Derna in 2018, then a stronghold of radical Islamists, and with the reputation as a protest stronghold since Kadhafi's days. The US embassy in Libya said the ambassador Richard Norland and the commander of the US military's Africa Command, Michael Langley, flew into the main eastern city of Benghazi on Thursday with 13 tonnes of aid. The «critical supplies» in the shipment fincluded blankets, hygiene products and emergency shelters, the embassy posted on X. Africom chief Langley and Norland also met with Haftar «to discuss the importance of forming a democratically elected national government, reunifying the Libyan military, and safeguarding Libyan sovereignty by removing foreign mercenaries», the embassy said. - Suspects 'identified' - The Tripoli-based government said security forces had located bodies between Derna and Al-Baida, to its west, with emergency responders dispatched to the area to recover them. A team from the Abu Dhabi police force specialising in identifying disaster victims arrived in eastern Libya to assist operations. The mission includes experts in forensic medicine, and DNA and fingerprint identification, team leader Issa Ahmad al-Awadhi told reporters. In a televised interview on Wednesday evening, Libya's prosecutor general Al-Seddik al-Sour promised «rapid results» in the investigation into the cause of the tragedy. He added that those suspected of corruption or negligence «have already been identified», without naming them. Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa deputy director, Diana Eltahawy, said there was «an urgent need to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the staggering loss of life and destruction». «This includes examining whether Libyan authorities and those in de facto control of affected areas failed to protect the population's rights to life, health and other human rights,» Eltahawy said. © Agence France-Presse

Christopher Leon has been chosen as one of three judges for this year's The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Pan-African Regional Photo Contest. The 30-year-old Seychellois dive master and underwater photographer will be joined by judges chosen to decide on the winners of the contest, where he is joined by Sarah Waiswa - a Ugandan based in Kenya and specialised in documentary and portrait photographer and  Roshni Lodhia - the lead judge hailing from Tanzania. «For me, this is a momentous opportunity to amplify the importance of conservation, share my experiences, and inspire others to explore the mesmerising depths of our oceans through my lens,» Leon told SNA.   The competition, which was officially launched on August 30, is set to accept submissions up until September 29, with the winner to be announced during the first week of November. Leon explained that this contest falls under The Nature Conservancy's Africa Programme, a reputable non-profit organisation dedicated to working towards a sustainable future for people and nature in Africa. Leon began his journey into photography about five years ago. (Christopher Leon) Photo License: All Rights Reserved     «The photo contest aims to showcase the artistic talents of photographers while raising awareness about conservation,» he added. Leon, who began his journey into photography about five years ago, says that he wanted to unveil the hidden treasures beneath the waves of Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean. He added that «as someone raised on a small island embraced by the vast ocean, it deeply saddens me to witness many Seychellois missing out on the breathtaking beauty beneath the surface.» With Seychelles considered to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, with a rich biodiversity, Leon believes there are opportunities for Seychellois photographers to flourish in nature photography. Those from Seychelles who still wish to take part in the competition can do so by registering on the www.nature.org website.   «This passion has not only been an incredible journey but has also taken me across the globe. It has not always been smooth sailing, but I firmly believe that unwavering dedication and commitment can overcome any challenge. I stand as living proof of this conviction,» he added. He wanted to unveil the hidden treasures beneath the waves of Seychelles. (Christopher Leon) Photo License: All Rights Reserved     The contest features several categories, including people and nature, plants and fungi, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and more, with a total of 37 prizes up for grabs. There will be first, second and third prizes for each of the 12 categories and a prize for the overall winner of the contest. The grand prize is a three-night stay at the Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp in Loisaba Conservancy, Kenya. 

President Volodymyr Zelensky, who once enjoyed enthusiastic support from his allies in the defence of Ukraine, is encountering more diplomatic setbacks than at any point since Russia's 2022 invasion. Zelensky went to the US Congress on Thursday to face sceptical Republicans threatening to cut off massive aid for his country's fight against Russia and to reassure his American backers that Ukraine can win. The United States has spearheaded Western support for Ukraine, with Congress having approved more than $100 billion in aid, including $43 billion in weaponry. But over the last year, «different interest groups have argued for reducing or even stopping assistance», said Mick Ryan, a retired Australian armed forces general. «There are a range of imperatives quoted by advocates for such action, including a focus on 'China first' to much less noble and more isolationist reasons,» he said. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy already announced that he had «questions» for the Ukrainian guest, such as «Where's the accountability on the money we already spent?» and «What is the plan for victory?» Even if Zelensky carries the day with «smart public diplomacy», said Ivan Klyszcz, at the Estonian International Centre for Defence Studies (ICDS), it can «only go so far» in containing growing Republican scepticism. The existing trend of Ukraine's «growing reliance on Europe» will therefore continue, the expert told AFP. - 'A war likely to continue' - Disillusion in some parts is also a reflection of impatience with Ukraine's military progress against Russia whose defensive lines have proved more resilient than forecast in the face of Kyiv's counteroffensive. «It is very probable that Russia will take the time to dig in even more, to build new fortifications and prepare for the spring,» Estonian military intelligence services chief Margo Grosberg told The Insider, a strategy website. Even optimists no longer believe that the war could be over soon. «It is clear to even the most exuberant of Ukraine's supporters that this is a war likely to continue into 2024 and probably 2025 as well,» said Ryan. While Ukraine is «probably in a better strategic position now than it was in December 2022», he said, «it is perceptions of success, and failure, in Washington DC and other Western capitals that are just as vital». Meanwhile, voices calling for negotiations with Russia have become more confident. Last month, Stian Jenssen, the director of the private office of the NATO secretary general, suggested that Ukraine could be granted NATO membership in exchange for ceding some of its territory to Russia. He later walked back the comments and his boss, Jens Stoltenberg, said that «it's up to Ukrainians, and Ukrainians alone, to decide when the conditions for negotiations are in place», but analysts said the damage was done. - 'Essential partner' - A surprising challenge meanwhile emerged from Poland this week, when the government said it would no longer arm Ukraine and instead focus on its own defence, against the backdrop of a mounting row over grain exports from Ukraine. Poland has been one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters after Russia invaded in February 2022, and is one of Kyiv's main weapons suppliers. Experts said any signs of weakening solidarity with Ukraine serves Russian President Vladimir Putin's interests. «No doubt Russian propaganda channels will make much of this,» said Theresa Fallon, director of the Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies (CREAS) in Brussels, adding on X, formerly Twitter, that «perhaps better communication with Kiev» could have helped. But analysts also cautioned against reading too much into the spat. «The fundamentals of the relationship remain in place,» said Klyszcz. «In the end, Kyiv regards Poland as an essential partner and Warsaw wants to prevent a Ukrainian defeat.» © Agence France-Presse

Women and youth entrepreneurs in the fisheries sector are now able to follow training sessions that will give them the opportunity to work in the certified laboratories at the Seychelles Fishing Authorities (SFA). This has been made possible through an agreement between the SFA and the COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) signed on Thursday. The agreement will allow for such cooperation at the SFA headquarters at Ile Port, a man-made island on Mahe, the main island. The COMFWB chapter in Seychelles, which was launched in September 2021, aims at empowering women in the trading business in the island nation in the western Indian Ocean. The COMFWB chairperson, Claudette Albert, signed the agreement with SFA's interim chief executive, Phillippe Michaud. According to Albert, «the new agreement will provide more visibility to the other business women in the fisheries sector who at the moment are more seen in governance aspects of the industry.» «We are going to run a capacity building programme to train them in the value addition of fish products and also how to make use of fish products in the circular economy so that there is zero waste,» Albert told reporters. The training programme will start in the first week of November in partnership with the SFA to teach the women how to handle fish, fish biology, on quality and how to process fish among others. «SFA has the qualified personnel and they will be supporting us with the training,» Albert said, detailing the benefits of this new agreement. Around 20 -25 women and youths are expected to take part in the first training session also aimed at encouraging more people from that group to join the sector. Michaud said that this move will not only allow for the development of new products but will also sustainably manage fisheries as it ensures products have maximal value. Through the agreement, the businesswomen will be working with the product development and quality department at the SFA, as the authority has internationally certified laboratories available for the development of quality products«. The head of Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles (CEPS), Alvin Laurence, explained that civil society has developed an interest and is working extensively in the agricultural and fisheries sectors as »a lesson learned from COVID-19 and the country only depending on one source of income for the economy." CEPS told reporters that its approach, especially where fisheries is concerned, is one of a circular economy. The circular economy which is being promoted by the Seychelles' Blue Economy Department involves transforming, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling waste materials. 

King Charles III on Thursday pledged to do everything he could to strengthen the relationship between France and Britain, suggesting the «indispensable» partners could also team up to jointly tackle the climate emergency. In a speech at the French Senate on the second day of a three-day visit to France that London hopes will tighten post-Brexit relations, Charles deftly mixed English and French, winning a standing ovation from the lawmakers. He recalled his mother Queen Elizabeth II, whom he succeeded upon her death one year ago, describing her legacy for France-UK relations as a «golden thread which will forever shine brightly» and saying the royal family were «moved beyond measure» by tributes to her from France. «For the time that is granted to me as King, I pledge to do whatever I can to strengthen the indispensable relationship between the United Kingdom and France,» he said. «Quite simply, the United Kingdom will always be one of France's closest allies and best friends,» he said, speaking from a lectern adorned with British, French and EU flags. He suggested that France and Britain should team up to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies with a new version of the 1904 Entente Cordiale pact, which sealed the friendship between Paris and London. «I would like to propose it also becomes an 'Entente pour la Durabilite' (Partnership for Sustainability) in order to tackle the global climate and biodiversity emergency more effectively.» He also vowed that London and Paris were «steadfast in our determination Ukraine will triumph» in fighting the Russian invasion. «Our alliance and our resolve are as important as ever. Together, we stand in resolute solidarity with the Ukrainian people.» His speech will also be etched in history as the first British monarch to speak in the main chamber of the Senate: his mother spoke in a conference hall within the Senate in a 2004 speech. - Packed schedule - Charles's speech at France's upper house of parliament is the diplomatic high point of the day that followed Wednesday's banquet at the Versailles Palace hosted by President Emmanuel Macron. He will later visit the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis -- home to the French national stadium used for the current Rugby World Cup and the Olympics next year -- where he is expected to see residents and sports stars. Also heading to the Ile de la Cite on the river Seine, Charles —- a keen gardener who once admitted he talked to his plants —- will tour a flower market named after Queen Elizabeth II on her last state visit in 2014. From there, he will view renovation and reconstruction work at the nearby Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was partially destroyed by a devastating fire in 2019. Charles had said in an emotional message to Macron after the fire that he was «utterly heartbroken», calling Notre-Dame «one of the greatest architectural achievements of Western civilisation». The Paris leg of the state visit wraps up with a formal farewell from Macron at the Elysee Palace. The visit, which was rescheduled from March because of mass protests against French pension reforms, also aims to showcase Charles's stature as a statesman just over a year after his mother's death. The original itinerary in Paris and the southwestern city of Bordeaux is largely unchanged, and is packed with ceremony and pomp in a country that abolished its monarchy in the 1789 revolution and executed its king. The French president is known to have a strong personal rapport with Charles, with both men known for their love of books. Commentators in France excitedly noted how Macron had repeatedly touched Charles's shoulder and Brigitte Macron kissed Camilla, in a new protocol unthinkable under the more distant and austere Elizabeth II. Macron presented Charles with a book by the 20th-century French writer Romain Gary, while he received a special edition of Voltaire's «Lettres sur les Anglais» («Letters on the English»). © Agence France-Presse

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday began his first official trip to China in almost two decades, with Beijing saying the visit will take ties to a «new level» as the Arab leader seeks financial support to help rebuild his devastated country. China is one of only a handful of countries outside the Middle East that Assad has visited since the 2011 start of a civil war that has killed more than half a million people, displaced millions more, and battered Syria's infrastructure and industry. Assad is the latest in a string of leaders ostracised by the West to be feted by Beijing, with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi visiting this year, as well as top Russian officials. He arrived Thursday in the eastern city of Hangzhou, where he will attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Games on Saturday. The Syrian president's Air China plane was greeted on the tarmac by jubilant music and rows of performers wearing colourful costumes, as Chinese and Syrian flags flapped in the sky, footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed. He and other foreign leaders will meet Xi in Hangzhou, CCTV said. According to the Syrian presidency, Assad will also travel to Beijing. The visit is his first to China since 2004. China's foreign ministry said the visit will serve to take ties to a «new level». «China and Syria have a traditional and deep friendship,» foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular briefing. «We believe that President Bashar al-Assad's visit will further deepen mutual political trust and cooperation in various fields between the two countries,» she added. Beijing has long provided Damascus with diplomatic support, particularly at the UN Security Council where it is a permanent member. «This visit represents an important rupture in the diplomatic isolation and the political siege imposed on Syria,» Damascus-based political scientist Oussama Dannoura told AFP. «China has been breaking Western taboos that seek to prevent a number of states from dealing with countries that Washington considers isolated,» he added. - Growing presence - The visit comes as China expands its engagement in the Middle East. This year Beijing brokered a deal that saw longtime regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Damascus-backer Iran agree to restore ties and reopen their respective embassies. The detente was followed by Syria's return to the Arab fold at a summit in Saudi Arabia in May, ending more than a decade of regional isolation. Syria's war began after Assad's repression of peaceful pro-democracy protests escalated into a deadly conflict that pulled in foreign powers and jihadists. Assad's regime has branded all opponents -- from non-violent activists to armed rebels and jihadists -- as «terrorists». «Assad intends for his trip to China to convey a sense of international legitimacy for his regime and paint a picture of looming Chinese support for reconstruction in Syria,» said Lina Khatib, director of the Middle East Institute at SOAS university in London. Khatib noted that the timing is significant, with Assad now facing protests calling for regime change in southern Syria. «It is unlikely that either (intention) will be convincing to an increasingly restive population in Sweida,» added Khatib, referring to a Syrian city where protests are ongoing. - Economic aid - Recent months have seen Beijing roll out the red carpet for a string of autocrats, from Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to a delegation of officials from Afghanistan's Taliban government. And foreign minister Wang is this week in Moscow, which faces a raft of Western sanctions over its war in Ukraine. After welcoming Xi in Moscow earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning a visit to China in October, the Kremlin has said. Analysts expect Assad's visit to China will focus, in part, on funds for reconstruction. Syria signed up to China's vast Belt and Road trade and infrastructure initiative in January 2022. Haid Haid, a consulting fellow at London's Chatham House, wrote on social media that «the focus of this meeting is expected to revolve around convincing China to aid Syria's economic recovery». China pledged $2 billion in investments in Syria in 2017, Haid noted -- funds that have «yet to materialise». For Syria, joining the initiative «hasn't resulted in significant Chinese investments in Syria, either from the Chinese government or the private sector», he said. © Agence France-Presse

Air Seychelles will be operating 20 flights on the Tel Aviv route between Thursday, September 21 and Friday, October 6, to accommodate the increase in passengers for an upcoming Israeli holiday. The airline said on Thursday that the Sukkot celebrations mark the second-largest holiday period in Israel after Passover. In 2023, the annual Sukkot festival falls between September 29 and October 6. The normal twice-weekly commercial flights will increase to five per week, and in addition, there will be several charters operating from Tel Aviv to Maldives and Mauritius. «Israel remains an important market for Seychelles, with over 10,000 Israelis visiting the destination so far this year. We anticipate carrying over 2,300 passengers to and from Seychelles during this period plus over 1,100 passengers to the Maldives and Mauritius. This year we have even chartered additional aircraft to help us meet the strong demand,» said Charles Johnson, the airline's chief commercial officer. Air Seychelles launched non-stop flights between Tel Aviv, the most populous city in Israel, and the island nation in November of 2019, serving the city with twice-weekly flights in normal periods with additional flights at peak season. The forecast for the rest of 2023 remains strong despite the challenging economic environment being experienced in the region. The Seychelles' national carrier has been flying for over 45 years and operates regionally from its home in in Mahe to Colombo, Tel Aviv, Johannesburg, Mumbai, and Mauritius with its Airbus A320NEOs. 

The Seychelles Public Transport Corporation (SPTC) is satisfied with how the transition to cashless travel has been going so far, said a top official on Thursday. The corporation went cashless on July 1, requiring commuters to use SPTC bus cards to travel onboard its buses. «I can say that we are very satisfied with the outcome of the project, where it has allowed commuters to better budget their travels,» said Jeffy Zialor, the acting chief executive of SPTC. He said going cashless has also made life easier for their drivers as they do not have to deal with monetary transactions. It has also eliminated the need for drivers to carry large sums of cash, which they needed to hand over every day. Before going cashless, a bus ticket was SCR12 ($0.88) and with the switch, the cost of using an SPTC card is SCR10 ($0.73), which is one of the benefits.   Zialor explained that there have been some issues that are usually the case when introducing new technologies and has urged the public to better plan their travels. «We have had issues with people getting on the bus and seeing that the card is empty, so I want to urge our commuters to ensure they always have some balance available on their cards,» added Zialor. As part of the programme, various shops around the country are now able to recharge bus cards. There are 70 outlets now offering the service. The general manager for corporate affairs, Alex Etienne, explained that there have been some issues with regard to the reloading of cards at these outlets as some areas do not have shops with the service. «To reduce the concerns where commuters cannot find an outlet to recharge their cards in urgent situations, we are asking the public to try and not only add small amounts to their cards but to reload with a monthly amount instead,» said Etienne, who added that SPTC has tried to cover as many areas as possible with the reloading services. Meanwhile, there have been concerns where  people have reported shopkeepers telling them that there was no cash in the system to reload the cards. Etienne explained that the machines are recharged remotely by SPTC and it is up to the shopkeepers to ensure payment to SPTC so that the system can be refilled, which can reload the card for the public. With regards to tourists, SPTC has explained that they have partnered with the Seychelles Electronic Border System so that when a tourist enters Seychelles, they can request for a bus card, that they can collect at the airport to use during their stay. SPTC says that they will be looking to further enhance this service in the future. Some of the plans include allowing people to pay for their trip directly through their debit cards, opening self-service 24/7 reloading kiosks and introducing QR codes to allow for payment via smartphones. 

On September 21, the world pauses to observe World Alzheimer's Day - a solemn occasion to reflect on the formidable challenges faced by individuals battling Alzheimer's disease in Seychelles and across the globe. Alzheimer's, a relentless and debilitating condition that erodes memory and cognitive function, not only steals away one's past but also casts a profound shadow over families and communities. A Global Challenge As we come together to commemorate World Alzheimer's Day, it is imperative to acknowledge that Alzheimer's is not confined to Seychelles; it is a global concern. Data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States paints a stark picture: - In 2020, approximately 5.8 million Americans grappled with Alzheimer's disease. - While Alzheimer's can strike at a younger age, it predominantly manifests as individuals grow older, with the risk escalating significantly with advancing years. - The number of individuals living with Alzheimer's disease doubles every five years beyond the age of 65. - Projections point to a daunting future, with the number of Alzheimer's cases poised to nearly triple, reaching 14 million people by the year 2060. While Alzheimer's remains a complex condition with elusive causes, advancing age stands as the most recognised risk factor, and genetics may also play a pivotal role in its development. Seychelles' Resolute Response The rising tide of Alzheimer's in Seychelles has not gone unnoticed. In 2016, the Seychelles Alzheimer Foundation emerged, a beacon of hope founded by a group of Seychellois who shared a common concern.  Nâne Lionnet, a member of Seychelles Alzheimer's Foundation, reveals that in 2023, Seychelles grappled with an estimated 1,000 cases of Alzheimer's - an urgent call to action. The Foundation's primary mission revolves around improving the lives of Alzheimer's patients and their families. In 2016, the Seychelles Alzheimer Foundation emerged. (Seychelles Alzheimer Foundation) Photo License: All Rights Reserved    The Foundation's unwavering commitment takes shape through multifaceted initiatives, encompassing home visits, caregiver workshops, and support group meetings. These endeavours are instrumental in providing essential support to both patients and the dedicated caregivers who navigate the intricate landscape of Alzheimer's. A Vision for Specialised Care Among the Foundation's enduring aspirations stands the creation and operation of a Memory Care Home - a haven designed to offer specialised care tailored to the unique needs of Alzheimer's patients. In 2018, a significant milestone was achieved when an essential memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed with the then Health Minister, Jean-Paul Adam. This MOU underscored official recognition and support for this pivotal initiative. Despite the commendable efforts, progress toward the realisation of the Memory Care Home has been measured. The pressing need for such a facility becomes increasingly apparent as the challenges associated with Alzheimer's continue to mount. Dr. Sushant Aildasani's Insights Dr. Sushant Aildasani, a leading neurologist from Apollo Hospitals in India, offers critical insights into Alzheimer's disease. He emphasises that Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disease that encompasses a spectrum of clinical features, from mild cognitive impairment to complete dementia, language difficulties, behavioral abnormalities, and eventual bed-bound states. Dr. Aildasani underscores a stark reality, the absence of a single-point cure and complete remission therapy for Alzheimer's disease. However, he brings a ray of hope by highlighting that, while challenging, Alzheimer's can be prevented through lifestyle modifications. Adopting a healthy, active lifestyle, consuming a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and avoiding alcohol, smoking, drug addiction, red meat, and processed foods can play a pivotal role in preventing the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Global Collaborations and Expertise The Seychelles Alzheimer Foundation has cast its net wide to harness international expertise. Notable initiatives include the visit of Dr. Rhoades from the University of Washington, who conducted comprehensive medical professional dementia training in November 2018 to caregivers and interested individuals during his 10-day sojourn in Seychelles. Dr. Rhodes with the participants of the workshop. (Seychelles Alzheimer Foundation) Photo License: All Rights Reserved    In 2019, Seychelles' Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the city of Umea in Sweden, signed a crucial memorandum of understanding aimed at developing a comprehensive geriatric plan with a specific focus on dementia. In 2022, Seychelles welcomed Dr. Yared Zenebe Zewde, a neurologist from Ethiopia, who diligently trained individuals and caregivers to enhance the care of dementia patients. In a testament to international collaboration, the Seychelles Alzheimer's Foundation extended an invitation to Mr. Michael Meme—a young Seychellois who holds a master of science in dementia studies from the University of Stirling (Scotland). During his visit from October 21 to November 2, 2023, Meme, accompanied by members of Seychelles Alzheimer's foundation and volunteers, will embark on home visits, offering practical guidance to caregivers in their homes. On October 28, a formal training session for caregivers is also scheduled. A Resounding Call to Action On World Alzheimer's Day, Nane Lionnet, an ardent advocate for Alzheimer's awareness, has issued a compelling call to action. She emphasises the urgent need to unite in raising awareness, educating healthcare professionals and the public, and dispelling misconceptions surrounding dementia. Early detection and treatment are pivotal in enhancing the quality of life for Alzheimer's patients, and the Seychelles Alzheimer’s Foundation remains at the forefront of this vital mission. Founding group of Seychelles Alzheimer’s Foundation. (Seychelles Alzheimer Foundation) Photo License: All Rights Reserved    Their slogan, «Remembering Together,» embodies the collective responsibility society shares in caring for the elderly and loved ones affected by Alzheimer's. By rallying behind organisations like the Seychelles Alzheimer Foundation and fostering a deeper understanding of this condition, we collectively stride toward a brighter future for those touched by Alzheimer's in Seychelles and across the world. Together, we can offer hope and support to those confronting the formidable challenges of Alzheimer's disease. 

Trust and solidarity form the bedrock of a functional multilateral order and rebuilding trust is paramount, said Seychelles' President Wavel Ramkalawan in his statement at the United Nations 78th General Assembly's General Debate on Wednesday. Ramkalawan was the first person to make a statement in the debate being held under the theme «Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.» He said that as the challenge to global peace, security and prosperity takes on new dimensions, the lessons of the past become even more relevant as disunity and distrust threaten to paint a bleak future, void of hope and possibilities. «As we gather here today at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, we are confronted with the urgent need to rebuild trust and reignite global solidarity in order to accelerate action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Only through collective action can we achieve the vision of a better world for all,» said Ramkalawan. The Seychelles' head of state said that at the heart of the discussion lies the 2030 Agenda, a transformative blueprint for sustainable development. «It serves as a roadmap to eradicate poverty, promote human rights, protect our planet, and ensure that no one is left behind. Yet, as we review our progress, it is evident that we are falling short of our targets, and the global pandemic has further exacerbated the challenges before us. Now, more than ever, we must renew our commitment to the SDGs and take decisive action to fulfil our promises. We are lagging behind,» he stressed. Ramkalawan said that the UN Secretary-General's SDG Stimulus, aimed at transforming the global financial system, is commendable, and international financial institutions must collaborate to support the collective ambition for a sustainable future. «Redressing these imbalances and advancing on the SDGs will only be achieved if we work together. If we are to make progress on our development agenda, we can no longer call what we are facing, climate change. The point at which lives and livelihoods are lost with frightening frequency due to environmental disasters means that we are living through a climate crisis,» he highlighted. Ramkalawan shared that while Seychelles is committed to renewable energy and energy efficiency, as a small island developing state (SIDS), it lacks the capacity and infrastructure to develop these solutions fully. «To achieve the SDGs and ensure peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all, we must embrace the interconnectedness of our world. Climate change knows no boundaries, poverty respects no borders, and the quest for peace requires a collective effort,» he said. Ramkalawan said that Seychelles uniquely positioned amidst the vast Indian Ocean, knows firsthand the significance of global cooperation in addressing climate change, ocean conservation, sustainable development and maritime security. «Seychelles remains committed to its pioneering role in marine conservation, protecting vast areas of our ocean and marine ecosystems. But we cannot succeed alone. We call upon the global community to prioritise sustainability, transition to clean energy, and preserve our ecosystems for the prosperity of all,» he added. He reiterated that trust is the foundation on which nations cooperate, and it is through trust that nations foster meaningful partnerships and collaborations. «We must rekindle trust among nations, between governments and citizens, and across various sectors of society. This requires transparent and accountable governance, bolstered by an unwavering dedication to the principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. By doing so, we can restore the faith of our people and mobilise their active participation in the pursuit of sustainable development,» he said. Ramkalawan concluded by saying that «rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity is not just an option; it is the only way forward. Together, we can accelerate action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, creating a world that embraces diversity, respects nature, and ensures a future of peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all.»

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a wartime trip to the United Nations on Tuesday urged the world to stand firm against Russia's «genocide,» as he tried to convince skeptical developing nations they share a stake in Kyiv's victory. Taking the rostrum of the UN General Assembly in his trademark military fatigues, Zelensky renewed an invitation for world leaders to join a «peace summit» to end the invasion. «For the first time in modern history, we have the chance to end the aggression on the terms of the nation which was attacked,» Zelensky said in a speech met with applause led by Western nations but many empty seats elsewhere. «This is a real chance for every nation -- to ensure that aggression against your state, if it happens, God forbid, will end not because your land will be divided,» he said, but with sovereignty upheld. Zelensky lashed out at Russia for what Ukraine says is the deportation of thousands of children. The practice has led the International Criminal Court to issue a warrant for the arrest of President Vladimir Putin of Russia, which says it is taking war orphans into foster care. «Those children in Russia are taught to hate Ukraine, and all ties with their families are broken,» Zelensky said, as Russia's deputy ambassador to the United Nations sat without expression. «This is clearly a genocide. When hatred is weaponized against one nation, it never stops there,» he said. He accused Russia of using both energy and food as a way to pressure the world, after Moscow ended a UN-backed agreement to let ships of grain sail out of Ukraine. «The aggressor is weaponizing many other things, and those things are used not only against our country but against all of yours as well.» - Warning to Central Asians - Zelensky warned that Russia's other neighbors were at risk. «Russia has almost swallowed Belarus. It is obviously threatening Kazakhstan and the Baltic states,» he said. The leaders of Kazakhstan and the four other Central Asian former Soviet republics met at the United Nations with US President Joe Biden in a first-of-a-kind summit. Biden told the leaders that the United States backed their «sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity.» «These principles matter more than ever, in my view,» Biden said. Biden in his own speech to the United Nations, with Zelensky looking on, warned that Putin was hoping the world will «grow weary» over Ukraine. «But I ask you this: if we abandon the core principles (of the UN Charter) to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected? If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?» Biden said. «We must stand up to this naked aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow.» Zelensky is also meeting leaders less dedicated to Ukraine's cause, including Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has styled himself as a neutral mediator. «Work needs to be done to create space for negotiations,» Lula told the General Assembly. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will also meet Zelensky, said that the «war will have no winners and peace will have no losers.» «We will step up our efforts to end the war through diplomacy and dialogue on the basis of Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity,» Erdogan said. Russia has met overwhelming criticism at the General Assembly over its February 2022 invasion, but the focus on the war has also drawn criticism from developing countries who believe it has distracted the West, especially from other urgent priorities. «It is a grave indictment of this international community that we can spend so much on war, but we cannot support action that needs to be taken to meet the most basic needs of billions of people,» said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who also met Zelensky - Dire climate crisis warnings - Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has tried to keep a focus on development. He opened the General Assembly with a bleak speech highlighting the recent floods that killed thousands in Derna, Libya. «Even as we speak now, bodies are washing ashore from the same Mediterranean Sea where billionaires sunbathe on their super yachts,» Guterres said. «Derna is a sad snapshot of the state of our world -- the flood of inequity, of injustice, of inability to confront the challenges in our midst.» In similarly dark language, Biden used his speech to highlight the flooding as well as wildfires in North America and Europe and drought in the Horn of Africa. «Taken together these snapshots tell an urgent story of what awaits us if we fail to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and begin to climate-proof our world,» Biden said. © Agence France-Presse

The Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) will carry out a new study of the Spiny Lobster in October to assess the species' resources, an official said on Tuesday. The statement was made by Kettyna Gabriel, a fisheries scientist at the SFA in a meeting with lobster fishers at the Seychelles Trading Company conference room. She said that as it has been over 30 years since a survey of the lobster stock was held, SFA is holding one this year to better understand the stock of the species and review the management measures, should it be necessary. Fishers learned about the way the survey has been designed, the sites where it will be held, the methods to be used, and the participation of commercial divers among others. Gabriel said SFA is replicating the survey done by David Boulle in 1991 in order to compare developments and changes. «We will be snorkelling in the 0 to 5-metre range and diving in the 0-15 metre – all methods that were used in the survey held over 30 years ago. We have consulted the fishers themselves and the available literature in order to come up with this range,» she explained. Gabriel added that since researchers will mainly be working at night, «we cannot go deeper, as there is danger in the sea at those levels.» A small group of lobster fishers attended the meeting on Tuesday. (Seychelles Fishing Authority) Photo License: CC-BY  The information gathered in the survey will be included in future fisheries management plans. SFA researchers will be working in the Mahe zones and the furthest being Bird Island but there are plans in the future to go to Amirantes in the outer islands to examine the stock there. The lobster is a species that the Seychelles' authorities are closely monitoring; this year the lobster fishing season was only opened for two months as a recent survey showed a reduction in catch rate, the number being caught, and the number of juveniles. Andre Pool, a lobster fisher at the meeting, said that he believed carrying out the survey was a good idea but that the authorities «would also have to listen to what the fishers have to say in order to continue protecting the species.» However, a small group of fishers attended the meeting despite Gabriel saying that they had given them ample notice of the event. She said that the low turn-out was understandable as «the fishers were making use of the good weather today to go to work, as they had been unable to do so over the last couple of days.» Lobster harvesting season in Seychelles, a group of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, traditionally opens for three months every two years. In August, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a Harvest Strategy Policy and the management standards for Seychelles' fisheries. The policy expects to underpin objectives to ensure that individual fisheries in Seychelles are able to be best managed according to their particular biological characteristics and the associated socio-economic objectives. Fisheries is the second top contributor to the economy of Seychelles, after tourism.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has said for the first time that he plans to run for a fourth term in elections due to be held next year. «Yes, I am indeed a candidate,» Kagame, who has ruled over the country with an iron fist for decades, told Jeune Afrique, a French-language news magazine, in an interview published online on Tuesday. «I am pleased with the confidence that Rwandans have placed in me. I will always serve them, as long as I can,» the 65-year-old was quoted as saying. The Rwandan government in March decided to synchronise the dates for its parliamentary and presidential elections, which are due to be held in August next year. Kagame had previously not made his intentions clear, but presided over controversial constitutional amendments in 2015 that allowed him to run for more terms and stay in power until 2034. A former rebel chief, Kagame became president in April 2000 but has been regarded as the country's de facto leader since the end of the 1994 genocide. He was returned to office -- with more than 90 percent of the vote -- in elections in 2003, 2010 and 2017. While Rwanda lays claim to being one of the most stable countries in Africa, rights groups accuse Kagame of ruling in a climate of fear, stifling dissent and free speech. - 'Prisoners' - In 2021, «Hotel Rwanda» hero and outspoken Kagame critic Paul Rusesabagina was sentenced to 25 years in jail on terrorism charges, following his arrest the previous year when a plane he believed was bound for Burundi landed instead in Kigali in what his family called a kidnapping. Freed from jail in March this year and flown to the United States following a presidential pardon, Rusesabagina released a video message in July, saying that Rwandans were «prisoners in their own country». The country was ranked 131 out of 180 countries in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders. Asked in 2022 if he would seek re-election, Kagame said he would «consider running for another 20 years». «Elections are about people choosing,» he told the France 24 news channel in an interview. Kagame was just 36 when his Rwandan Patriotic Front party forced out Hutu extremists blamed for the genocide in which some 800,000 people, mainly Tutsi but also moderate Hutus, were murdered between April and July 1994. © Agence France-Presse

President Wavel Ramkalawan highlighted the negative impact that the overall rating of «Partially Compliant» from the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes affects Seychelles, in a meeting with the President of the European Council. State House said that Ramkalawan met Charles Michel on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York. Ramkalawan said that with the rating, it is probable that Seychelles is included in Annex I of the European Union list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes. The Seychelles' head of state also stressed the various critical reform efforts Seychelles has been engaged in.«While we respect the position of the Peer Review Group (PRG) and the assessment team, we naturally oppose this rating, as we believe that we provided sufficient justification to be assigned a Largely Compliant rating. For one area of the assessment under Element A1, Seychelles was rated as Partially Compliant, which is largely due to one specific case, involving a single registered agent that has ceased its operations in Seychelles since 2018,» he said. Ramkalawan added that «since 2020 to date, Seychelles has undergone extensive reform in the form of legislative changes in key areas, to ensure the framework for exchange of information is in place - which the Report has acknowledged.» He said that the legislative and administrative amendments have mitigated further re-occurrence of similar matters, but «despite exhausting all means to remediate the deficiency, and our ability to demonstrate the effectiveness of the reforms going forward, we continue to be adversely impacted in our rating.»Ramkalawan said, «Seychelles remains steadfast in our commitment to honour the international standards on tax transparency and be an effective partner in the exchange of information for tax purposes. We are already addressing the recommendations of the report, and welcome the opportunity to continue discussions with the Secretariat and Code of Conduct Group in relation to the progress and action plan to secure a favourable rating in the future.»On his part, Michel reaffirmed the European Council's continuous support for Seychelles and his commitment to finding possible solutions as well to take into consideration the above concerns raised by the President in relation to Seychelles' rating. The Global Forum of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) maintained the rating for Seychelles as partially compliant in August. It was a rating largely based on the demand for tax-related information on an agent previously registered in Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean.

The Seychelles government has cut back over SCR345.8 million ($25.4 million) from the overall 2023 national budget, despite asking the Seychelles National Assembly for a supplementary budget of over SCR275.5 million ($20.2 million) in its 2023 Mid-Year Budget Review. Vice President Ahmed Afif presented the review to the Seychelles National Assembly on behalf of the finance minister, Naadir Hassan, who is on an overseas mission. «The government is making a demand for a supplementary budget in accordance with Section 154 (6) of the Constitution for a sum of SCR 275,506,848.63. This is being financed through a reduction in budget expenses for a sum of SCR 621,370,992.77 ($45.7 million). This means that I am presenting to the Assembly a reduction of SCR 345,864,144.14 in the 2023 budget,» said Afif. A budget of close to SCR 10.5 billion was approved by the Seychelles National Assembly for 2023. A portion of the supplementary budget is being requested to fund wages. One such request is for a sum of SCR 4.3 million linked to additional support for the Truth Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC), whose mandate was prolonged. There is also reallocation to cover workers who were supposed to move under the new Communications Authority as well as transfers of workers from the AIDS National Commission which no longer exists, to the Public Health Authority.  «However, a total of SCR 106.3 million ($7.8 million) is being cut from the salaries of ministries, departments, and agencies and SCR 19.3 million ($1.4 million) from other wages. For goods and services, a sum of SCR56.4 million ($4 million) is being recommended to cover the additional expenses for the year,» said Afif. «Under goods and services, we are also making a budgetary reduction of SCR26.2 million ($1.9 million) in different ministries, departments, and agencies and SCR4 million ($293,000) under other goods and services. Under capital projects, a sum of SCR 197.6 million ($14,3 million) is being recommended as additional budget, and a sum of SCR 324 million ($23.5 million) as a budgetary reduction,» continued Afif. He outlined that the reduction is due to projects that will not be completed or materialised in 2023. The majority of these projects are being or were to be financed through grants and loans. The revision in the exchange rate has also influenced this. Looking at the fiscal performance for the first half of 2023, Afif said that the country has attained «a primary fiscal surplus of SCR365.8 million, or 1.2 percent of GDP» during this period. Projections for the first six months of the year were initially set at a primary fiscal balance of only SCR15.4 million or 0.1 percent of GDP. «This means that we have collected more revenue than we had projected and have spent less than we expected,» said Afif. Addressing government debt, he said that by the end of June 2023, the total debt of the country stood at SCR17.7 billion ($1.3 billion), or 63.9 percent of GDP. This compares to a debt of SCR18 billion ($1.32 billion) or 62.7 percent of GDP at the end of 2022. «We are projecting that by the end of the year, our debt will reach SCR18.6 billion, or 62 percent of GDP. The government's debt remains on a sustainable trajectory. Based on the performance of the first six months and negotiations with IMF, we are foreseeing a primary fiscal deficit of SCR70.98 million ($5.1 million) or 0.24 percent of GDP for this year,» said Afif. 

The  United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has commended Seychelles for being a frontline partner to the organisation in numerous spheres and on issues of concern for the UN in a meeting with President Wavel Ramkalawan. According to a press communique from State House on Tuesday, Ramkalawan held discussions with Guterres on Monday morning upon his arrival in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. «Seychelles is at the frontline of a number of matters that the UN is calling member states to advocate for, such as the SDGs, climate action, peace and security and the fight against narcotics trafficking,» said the UN Secretary-General. He added that «Seychelles is a very active country on the global platform and leading in a number of priority areas for the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Seychelles is doing an immense job in the narcotic fight and the UN stands ready to deepen the cooperation with the government of Seychelles in this field.» Ramkalawan reaffirmed Seychelles' full support in continuing to raise awareness and spearhead advocacy for the advancements of critical global matters, particularly SIDS-related issues.   Seychelles' head of state acknowledged the progress made so far and commended the UN for the dedication, commitment and efforts that have gone towards conceptualising and developing a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI). «We are immensely grateful for all the support and look forward to our further collaboration, particularly in regards to moving further towards a more action-oriented implementation of the MVI as well as to see the Loss and Damage Fund established,» he said. «It is my wish that we continue to strengthen our relations whilst also exploring further collaboration with the UN and its relevant agencies to enhance capacity-building, technical assistance, and international cooperation in addressing the drug problem, aligning with global strategies, and leveraging shared expertise,» added Ramkalawan. Other areas of discussion were to enhance cooperation included heightening efforts in the fight against drug trafficking, maritime security, food security as well as climate change priorities ahead of the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) to be held in United Arab Emirates (UAE) in November. 

Developing countries on Monday urged a shake-up in the global order to help the world's poorest, at a United Nations summit on ambitious anti-poverty promises that remain far off track. Hoping to show a focus on more than the war in Ukraine, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres convened the development summit on the eve of the annual General Assembly, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to take center-stage. In 2015, UN member states adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, 17 targets to transform the world by 2030 including by completely ending extreme poverty and making sure not a single of the planet's eight billion people goes hungry. Guterres called for a «global rescue plan» on the targets, as he acknowledged that only about 15 percent were on track to be met and that metrics on some were heading in reverse. «The SDGs aren't just a list of goals. They carry the hopes, dreams, rights and expectations of people everywhere,» Guterres told the summit. «In our world of plenty, hunger is a shocking stain on humanity, and an epic human rights violation. »It is an indictment of every one of us that millions of people are starving in this day and age.« Addressing the summit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said, »Ultimately, the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals depends on the fundamental reform of global social, economic and political relations.« - Ambitions sidetracked -- In a declaration adopted by consensus Monday, UN member-states reaffirmed their commitment to the goals and to eradicating extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $2.15 a day. The nations agreed to »act with urgency« to implement the »plan of action for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership, leaving no one behind,« the declaration said. But efforts to devote money and attention to the goals have been repeatedly set back, including by the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and other tumult, worsening climate catastrophes and sharp increases in the cost of living. The declaration also backed in general terms reform of international financial institutions, weeks after a G20 summit in New Delhi focused on increasing representation in the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. But Mia Mottley, prime minister of Barbados, told the summit that the issue went deeper. »The calls for international reform of the financial system really are not just about governance, but they are for us about longer money, cheaper money, and being able to use it for the purposes for which we need to reduce all of our inequalities and achieve the elements of the SDGs,« she said. - Poorest 'counting' on momentum - French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, addressing the summit, said that Paris was increasing its development assistance despite an era of tight budgets, with special attention on climate. »We need to demonstrate an electroshock of solidarity,« she said. The United States, which has pumped $43 billion in military aid into Ukraine to help defend against Russian invasion, has hoped to show it is also interested in development. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, called the declaration on Monday »historic.« »This is an important step, but it must be followed by accelerated action,« she said. »All member-states must continue to drive progress forward. The world's most vulnerable are counting on us, and we must leave no one behind.« But one senior European diplomat warned the gap was growing between the developing and developed worlds. One goal for the summit is »making sure that that rift doesn't grow further," the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. © Agence France-Presse

Marine heatwaves may last longer and be more intense in deeper water, potentially threatening sensitive species as climate change makes the extreme events more frequent, researchers said on Monday. Oceans have absorbed 90 percent of the excess heat produced by the carbon pollution from human activity since the dawn of the industrial age. Marine heatwaves -- episodes of abnormally high water temperatures -- have become more frequent and intense. These can have a particularly severe impact on species that cannot migrate to escape intolerably warm waters, like corals in the Great Barrier Reef and kelp forests off southern Australia and the northeastern Pacific. In a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change, researchers looked at impacts of temperature spikes in deeper waters, which lead author Eliza Fragkopoulou said was «the first attempt to look into marine heatwaves below the surface». «Marine heatwaves and their effects have been studied mostly at the ocean surface and we did not know much about their characteristics in the deep ocean,» she told AFP. Using on-site observations and modelling, researchers examined global marine heatwaves from 1993 to 2019, including data up to 2,000 metres (6,562 feet) below the surface. They found the intensity was highest at 50 to 200 metres below the surface, occasionally up to 19 percent stronger than the surface heatwave. The duration also increased with depth, with warming persisting up to two years after temperatures returned to normal on the surface, the study said. The scientists looked at a proxy measure of thermal stress known as cumulative intensity and mapped that against distribution of biodiversity at the edge of their maximum heat limits to see areas where marine creatures are potentially more vulnerable to changes. These high stress conditions overlapped in up to 22 percent of the global oceans, they found. Regional variability of marine heatwaves makes measuring biodiversity exposure complex, and their duration varied by location due to different oceanic conditions. In general, Fragkopoulou, of the Centre of Marine Sciences at Portugal's University of Algarve, said the impact on biodiversity was likely greatest from the surface to a depth of 250 metres. The largest portions of the oceans categorised as highly exposed were found in the North Atlantic and Indian oceans, at depths between 1,000 and 2,000 metres. - Better monitoring 'urgent' - A separate study published last month in the journal Nature suggested that some marine creatures can withstand the heat better than others, with a finding that ocean fish can endure marine heatwaves with no major impact on their numbers. Fragkopoulou told AFP that more research was needed on heatwaves in the deeper oceans to unpick the potential impacts on tourism and fisheries. «Considering that marine heatwave impacts on deep-sea biodiversity are still largely unknown, there is an urgent need for more and better monitoring of the global ocean to understand their effects,» she told AFP. © Agence France-Presse

The future climate of Seychelles is expected to be bleak unless major changes are made in order to curb the impacts of climate change, says a top meteorological official. Much of the talk worldwide is on the effects of climate change especially on where many parts of the world are experiencing severe weather events and extreme temperatures. Vincent Amelie, chief executive of the Seychelles Meteorological Authority (SMA), told SNA that Seychelles should count itself somewhat lucky so far, but without preventive measures, the island nature could be in serious danger as well. Amelie recently completed a study that follows the climate of Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, for the past 10 years and the results paint a very dim picture. «I started the study in 2020 and the results will be able to be used to take action and prepare for what may come in the future, with regard to our local climate,» he explained. In terms of rainfall, Amelie said that his study has shown that the average yearly rainfall in Seychelles has not really changed, remaining at approximately 2,500 millimetres, but has warned of extreme weather events. «What we will likely see is that while annual rainfall stays the same, we could have extreme rainfall, where a high amount of rain could fall at once, which could cause disasters, while on the opposite end, it could mean long periods without rain can also happen,» he added.   Amelie explained that these extreme weather events could become more frequent and much more severe as time goes on. He found that the most worrying changes have taken place in temperatures and that the maximum record temperature is increasing, while the minimum temperature is also on the higher end. This shows that Seychelles is getting warmer. So far, the maximum temperature ever recorded in Seychelles is 34.8 degrees in 2013. «Obviously, with higher global temperatures, there is the issue of sea level rise. We have seen that in Seychelles, the sea level is increasing by 0.66 cm per year, which means that by 2200, the sea will have risen by more than half a metre, which is very alarming,» said Amelie. The biggest concern for Seychelles is the impact this will have on its coastal areas especially at high tide and during rough weather. A large part of the infrastructure, population, and economic activities in Seychelles is located in the coastal zone He also gave an update on this year's situation with the El Niño phenomenon.   El Niño is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific including the area off the Pacific coast of South America.  It has an impact on ocean temperatures, the speed and strength of ocean currents, the health of coastal fisheries, and local weather from Australia to South America and beyond. Another bleaching event occurred in Seychelles in 2016 that affected partially-recovered reef. (Chris Mason-Parker -GVI)) Photo License: All Rights Reserved «The issue with El Niño is that during our dry season it gives us more rainfall than we usually have during that period,» explained Amelie. «The danger is that if El Niño continues to affect us during our rainy season, giving us more than the normal amount of rain, this can then cause major issues such as flooding and other disasters associated with heavy rainfall,» he added. Another concern is the impact a warmer ocean temperature will have on marine life, especially the threat of coral bleaching, for island nations like Seychelles.  Coral bleaching is a phenomenon where coral turns white or colours fade. It is caused by an increase in sea temperature. Seychelles lost up to 90 percent of its coral reefs in 1998, during the biggest El Niño weather event ever recorded in the western Indian Ocean. Another bleaching event occurred in Seychelles in 2016 that affected partially-recovered reefs and caused an almost 50 percent decrease in hard coral coverage.

Seychelles has won four gold medals at the 2023 Regional Sailing Championships in Mauritius showing that the island nation is still a major force when it comes to watersports.   The winners of gold medals were Odysius Melanie, Alison Hoareau, Roy Govinden and Jean-Marc Gardette The tournament, hosted by Mauritius from September 9 to 16, saw sailors from Seychelles and Reunion, come together to compete for top honours after the sport was on the calendar of the 11th Indian Ocean Island Games. Melanie competed in the optimist class with other six sailors in twelve races, winning nine of them. He ended with a score of 11 points, to claim first place, ahead of fellow Seychellois Joshua Allccon, who finished with a score of 19. Melanie won gold in the optimist class. (State House) Photo License: CC-BY «I am extremely happy, as the competition was not easy, but I did my best and managed to come out on top,» said Melanie.   The bronze medal went to a Mauritian, who managed to win one of the 12 races, Mateo Draboucan. In the International Laser Class Association 4 (ILCA4) for the ladies, Alison Hoareau was able to win seven of the 12 races, to claim the overall victory with a net score of 13. She finished ahead of two other Seychellois, Samantha Faure and Ella Constance.   «I am satisfied with how the competition went, especially this being the first time sailing at this location,» said Hoareau, adding that it was tough because of the current and irregular wind conditions. Hoareau finished ahead of two other Seychellois, Samantha Faure and Ella Constance. (State House) Photo License: CC-BY  «I think this shows that sailing is one of the sports, that if it were part of the IOIG, would have brought more gold medals to Seychelles,» she added.   The other gold medal for Seychelles came in the ILCA 7 class, where Roy Govinden had to put up a strong fight to keep Mauritius' Obryan Brasse at bay to claim top spot at the end of the 12 races. Govinden managed to win 7 of the races, with Brasse winning five, and had a net score of 13, compared to Brasse's 15. Roy Govinden had to put up a strong fight in the ILCA 7 class. (State House) Photo License: CC-BY  «The competition was tight between myself and Obryan, but I managed to stay focused right till the end to win it,» Govinden said. The bronze medal went to Mauritian Christopher Bon. In windsurfing, Jean-Marc Gardette gave Seychelles its fourth gold medal, winning a total of seven races, to finish with a net score of 13. He finished ahead of Julien Morel of Mauritius, while another Seychellois, Jacquelin Languila, finished third. «I feel super happy and motivated after beating the Mauritians for a second consecutive year,» Gardette said. Jean-Marc Gardette (middle) gave Seychelles its fourth gold medal in the windsurfing event.  (State House) Photo License: CC-BY  Speaking of the team's performance, Gardette, a very experienced athlete added: «It shows the progress and commitment we have made so far as a team of highly motivated windsurfers to bring home the best results, which also shows as we could have done if we were not excluded from the IOIG.» Seychelles' President, Wavel Ramkalawan sent a message of congratulations to the team. «Congratulations on the excellent results. You have all made Seychelles proud and ensured our flag is raised to the highest level. Continue to train hard and maintain the discipline. Once again congratulations to everyone who formed part of the Seychelles Sailing team during these Championships,» said the President. He also wished a speedy recovery to Seychellois kite surfer Neddy Radegonde, who was seriously injured during the championship. Seychelles ended the championship with four gold medals, one silver and two bronze.

Taiwan told China on Monday to stop its «destructive unilateral actions» after more than 100 Chinese warplanes and nine navy ships were detected in areas around the self-ruled island. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory to be seized one day, by force if necessary, and has ramped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taipei in recent years. Taiwan's defence ministry described the number of warplanes detected in 24 hours as a «recent high», while Beijing has so far refrained from issuing any official comment on the sorties. «Between the morning of September 17th to 18th, the Ministry of National Defence had detected a total of 103 Chinese aircraft which was a recent high and has posed severe challenges to the security across the Taiwan Strait and in the region,» it said in a statement. Beijing's «continued military harassment can easily lead to a sharp escalation in tension and worsen regional security,» the ministry said, as it called on China to «immediately stop such destructive unilateral actions.» Of the total number of warplanes detected, 40 crossed the so-called median line of the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from China, and entered its southwest and southeast air defence identification zone (ADIZ), the statement said. - 'High alert' - Last week, Taipei also reported an increased number of incursions by Chinese warplanes and ships. The uptick came as Beijing said its troops were on «high alert» after two ships belonging to the United States and Canada sailed through the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan's defence ministry said 68 Chinese aircraft and 10 naval vessels were detected around the island between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning. Some of those planes and warships were heading to an unspecified area of the Western Pacific to «conduct joint sea and air training» with China's Shandong aircraft carrier, the ministry said. The Shandong, one of two operational aircraft carriers in the Chinese fleet, was detected last week around 60 nautical miles (110 kilometres) southeast of Taiwan heading into the Western Pacific, Taipei authorities said. Japan's defence ministry also said last week its navy had detected six ships -- including frigates, destroyers, one fast combat support ship and the Shandong -- sailing through waters some 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of Miyakojima island, east of Taiwan. It confirmed that jets and helicopters had been detected taking off and landing from the Shandong, though China has not commented officially on any drills being conducted in the Western Pacific. - 'The same China' - Analysts said China could be flexing its muscles to counter US influence in the Asia-Pacific, as it leads multiple rounds of military drills with allies across the region. «Politically, China aims to counter the military containment of democratic allies led by the United States,» Su Tzu-yun, an analyst at Taiwan's Institute for National Defence and Security Research told AFP. Following last August's visit to Taipei by Nancy Pelosi, then-speaker of the US House of Representatives, China staged its largest-ever war games around Taiwan. Then in April this year, Beijing conducted a three-day «Joint Sword» military exercise to simulate the encirclement of the island, after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. While Beijing has yet to issue any statements on its latest sorties, China's Global Times state tabloid posted a comment on the Weibo social media platform. «The mainland and Taiwan belong to the same China, and Taiwan is a sacred and inalienable part of China,» the post said, reiterating Beijing's long-standing policy. «The People's Liberation Army's relevant combat training activities are necessary actions to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity,» it added, referring to China's military. © Agence France-Presse

Relatively high-income levels, strong World Bank governance indicators, and support from multilateral creditors have helped Seychelles maintain a credit rating of 'BB-' with a stable outlook from Fitch Ratings. Released on Friday, September 15, the Ratings outlined that «a strong rebound in tourist arrivals in 2022 is ebbing in 2023, owing to sluggish economic growth in key Western European source markets and strong competition from other high-end tourism destinations.» «Even as tourist arrivals remain below pre-pandemic levels, tourist receipts are already above, indicating a higher 'yield' per tourist. The authorities now expect arrivals to recover to 2019 levels only by 2026, while tourism earnings growth will average 3 percent yearly in 2024-25,» the Rating continues. Despite these positive indicators, the island nation faces some challenges, including its high economic reliance on the tourism sector and its vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Fitch foresees Seychelles' economic growth to fall to 4.5 percent in 2023 and 4.2 percent in 2024. Weaker growth is expected within the tuna industry «due to high energy costs and sluggish external demand.» In contrast, strong growth is expected in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. Due to the relatively high levels of productivity in the sector, ICT could provide an upside to potential growth in the medium term. The Ratings predicts the current account deficit will widen to around 9.4 percent of GDP in 2023 to 2025, «as a growing trade deficit offsets a recovering services surplus.» With large tourism projects being undertaken in the country, direct foreign investment inflow is foreseen to remain robust through to 2025. External borrowing, mainly from international financial institutions is set to maintain the international reserve position at around at around 3.3 months of current external payments over the forecast period - 2023 to 2025. Fiscal deterioration is expected in the second half of 2023 despite an overperformance of revenues and an under-execution of expenditure in the year's first half. This comes as authorities have revised the 2023 budget considering policy priorities to increase capital expenditures. «Seychelles' general government debt/GDP fell to 70 percent of GDP in 2022 from a peak of 80.4 percent in 2020 but remained well above its 2019 level of 51 percent. Along with the disbursements under the International Monterary Fund Resilience and Sustainable Facility (RSF) and a new $56 million Extended Fund Facility (EFF), and reflecting a depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar, higher fiscal deficit, and continued real GDP recovery, Fitch expects GGD/GDP to reach 70.7 percent of GDP by end-2023 and decline to an average of 68.4 percent in 2024-25,» the Ratings outlined. The highest ever Fitch Ratings for Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, was a grade of BB in 2019.

UN agencies warned Monday that Libya's flood-stricken city of Derna, where thousands were killed a week ago, faces the threat of disease outbreaks that could bring «a second devastating crisis». The massive flash flood that has killed over 3,000 people and left thousands more missing came as the war-scarred North African country was lashed by the hurricane-strength Storm Daniel on September 10. Traumatised residents, 30,000 of whom are now homeless, badly need clean water, food and basic supplies amid a growing risk of cholera, diarrhoea, dehydration and malnutrition, UN agencies warn. «Teams from nine UN agencies have been on the ground delivering aid and support to those affected by Storm Daniel and the flash flooding for the last few days,» said the UN Support Mission in Libya. But it warned that local officials, aid agencies and the UN World Health Organization «are concerned about the risk of disease outbreak, particularly from contaminated water and the lack of sanitation». «The team continues to work to prevent diseases from taking hold and causing a second devastating crisis in the area,» UNSMIL said in a statement. Rapidly rising waters burst two upstream river dams in Derna, sending a late-night tidal wave crashing through the centre of the coastal city of 100,000 that swept entire residential blocks into the Mediterranean. UN teams also including the children's relief fund UNICEF, refugee agency UNHCR and World Food Programme have been in and around Derna for the past few days to help the survivors. UNICEF teams have delivered «medical kits to primary care services to support 15,000 people for three months» while the UNHCR distributed supplies including blankets, tarpaulins and kitchen equipment to 6,200 displaced families in Derna and Benghazi, said UNSMIL. «So far food rations have been distributed to over 5,000 households through the World Food Programme, and 28 tonnes of medical supplies have been shipped by charter flight from the World Health Organization, which has also donated ambulances and medical kits.» Last week, the United Nations launched an aid appeal for more than $71 million for the emergency response in Derna and other parts of eastern Libya. © Agence France-Presse

The European Union said Saturday that its top official Ursula von der Leyen will head for the Italian island of Lampedusa, after Rome called on Brussels for help after a surge in migrant arrivals. The president of the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, will visit the island on Sunday with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, officials from both sides said. Earlier Saturday, the interior ministers from Italy, France, Germany and Spain discussed the crisis, on the phone, with the EU's home affairs commissioner. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who conferred Friday with his Italian and German counterparts, will himself head to Lampedusa in the coming days, French government sources said late Saturday. The sources revealed that Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron had spoken and agreed on the need to «strengthen cooperation at the European level ... to find effective, immediate and longer-term solutions to this crisis.» French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said earlier that the time had come «first and foremost to show solidarity with Italy» and «mobilise» the European Union. Meloni has urged the EU to act to relieve «unsustainable» pressure on Italy after thousands of people landed in boats over three days this week on Lampedusa, just 90 miles (145 kilometres) off the coast of Tunisia. Germany, which earlier this week said it had stopped accepting migrants living in Italy under a European solidarity plan aimed at sharing out responsibility, said via an interior ministry spokesman that Berlin had offered humanitarian support, adding the voluntary solidarity mechanism was not in fact suspended. The spokesman said no interviews were currently taking place to accept new migrants from Italy but added they could be resumed at any time. Lampedusa, Italy's southernmost island, has long been a landing point for migrant boats from North Africa. But this week its migration centre, built to house fewer than 400 people, was overwhelmed. Between Monday and Wednesday, around 8,500 people -- more than the entire local population -- arrived in 199 boats, according to the UN migration agency. - 'Unsustainable' - Images of people sleeping in the open air, scaling the perimeter fence and wandering around the town, sparked anger among members of Italy's hard-right government. The congestion eased as officials transferred thousands of migrants from the tiny island of Lampedusa to Sicily on Friday -- but as hundreds more were being moved across on Saturday morning, there were further arrivals by sea. But the Italian Red Cross said 2,500 people remained at the overcrowded migration centre. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has called the arrivals an «act of war» and on Friday, Meloni urged the European Union to do more to help. «The migratory pressure that Italy has been experiencing since the beginning of the year is unsustainable,» she said, urging von der Leyen to visit Lampedusa and asking European Council President Charles Michel to place the matter on the agenda for October's EU summit. Von der Leyen -- with Meloni's strong backing -- struck an agreement with Tunisia in July aimed at curbing the flow of irregular migration from the North African country. - Arrivals double - Tunisia is a main embarcation point for migrants making the perilous sea-crossing to Europe each year. More than 127,000 migrants have arrived on Italy's shores so far this year, almost double the same period last year. Over 2,000 people have died this year crossing from North Africa to Italy and Malta, according to the UN migration agency. The EU is pushing to overhaul its rules on how to handle the migrant flow. In France, members of the far right say Paris should not allow any migrants from Lampedusa across the border from Italy. Southern countries facing large numbers of arrivals have long pressed other EU states to take more. But right-wing governments in Poland and Hungary have strongly opposed an agreement. © Agence France-Presse