Many people in Seychelles, 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, associate Dr Odile De Comarmond with education, as the former teacher who was the principal secretary for education until 2022, spent 44 years in the education profession.  However, De Comarmond, who holds a PhD, has a love affair with history. The educator and historian started her career teaching small children, working in government education management, and spent six years in Moscow, Russia, specialising in history, a passion that led her to write a book, «Slavery Sites of Seychelles,» which was published in May this year.  This was a work of monumental effort as compiling some of the islands' slavery sites took 23 years to complete. African slaves were brought to Seychelles by both French and English colonial masters, before the abolition of the slave trade and system in 1835. De Comarmond, who has a passion for the history of Africa, worked closely with Colette Gillieaux for the realisation of the book. SNA met with De Comarmond to learn more about the need for the book and her plans for future history related projects.    SNA: Why such a book? ODC: Although Seychelles has lived through 65 years of slavery before the abolition in 1835, very little evidence remains on slavery in Seychelles.  Mostly, archives and documents were available in the form of censuses or letters written by government officials.  But most of that does not give a true picture of the living conditions in those days.  The population, in general, also buried this part of our history and did not even want to talk about it until the last decade or so. UNESCO initiated the slavery project in the Indian Ocean in 2001.  First, it was in the form of the slave route project, and then the collection of memories from slave descendants was added. Later, in 2006, the project on sites related to slavery in the Indian Ocean started.  So, I was given the responsibility of working on this as I coordinated the other slavery projects.  Slavery as a subject has been one of my passions since I studied the History of Africa during my first-degree studies. UNESCO allowed me to pursue this further.   SNA: What is the book about? ODC: The book is about the Seychelles' slavery sites. This first edition covers 18 sites located on Mahe, Silhouette, La Digue, Marianne, and Grand Soeur. Many of the sites are located high in the hills on the islands mentioned, and each has a different story to tell. De Comarmond signing copies of her book. (Seychelles Nation)  Photo License: CC-BY    SNA: Tell us about the research work and how long it took to complete the book. ODC: The research started in 2001 and a first draft of the book was produced in 2007, however, the work was put aside during the years of my studies.  Upon my return my new responsibilities left me very little time to re-engage in the project.  It was only after my retirement that I devoted time to complete the book.   SNA: Why dedicate the book to the late Archbishop Chang Him? Was he involved in any way in this project? ODC: Bishop Chang-Him was also working on a project that connected to mine.  We discussed very often what came out of the testimonies and he was mainly interested in the effects of slavery on families in Seychelles. He also accompanied us to Venn's Town and the attached cemetery.  But the dedication is not only for that. I went through a lot of personal problems during the course of the research. The Bishop became this source of encouragement and his constant counsel is what pushed me to get to the end.   SNA: What are the most important facts in the book? ODC: There are many important facts that emerged, even if we could not tell all the stories in this publication, for example, facts on a number of slaves for the landowners and the huge land concessions that were allocated to them - the location of some of these sites that many people did not know.   SNA: Was there anything that shocked you when working on the book? ODC: I must say some of the harsh punishments of slaves in Seychelles really shocked me - especially the atrocities that happened at the Ros Kriminel, where slaves were murdered [as punishment].   SNA: What information from the book do you think we Seychellois must know more about? ODC: Many history books that have been published concerning slavery in Seychelles tend to portray slavery in Seychelles as not too harsh.  They would say that the treatment of slaves in Seychelles was not as bad as in other parts of the world.  However, the information that we have gathered shows a different story. Slaves in Seychelles were very badly treated, probably worse than a lot of places.     SNA: What conclusion did you reach? Must we start thinking of embracing and accepting our slavery heritage to become better humans? ODC: I wanted to highlight a few things in my conclusion: it is important to know our past, our heritage, and our culture.  This will allow us to better understand the qualities that make us human and to value each other as individuals.  Reflecting on what happened in the past will help us to build a more desirable future with no racial discrimination. We need to avoid a similar situation from recurring. The importance of instilling human values and knowledge of our cultural heritage in our children from a very young age. This will help them to build their identity as Seychellois. And finally, we need more efforts for the conservation of our historical sites and artifacts.   SNA: Are there plans for a second edition of the book? ODC: We will explore a number of other sites in the second edition, and people are coming forward with new information on new sites. This is encouraging, and I hope younger Seychellois historians will soon pursue the research further. 

Penalties for poaching and trading of wild animals and birds in Seychelles have been increased through an amendment to the Wild Animals and Birds Protection Act earlier this week in an effort to protect the diverse wildlife. The amendment to the Act, presented to the National Assembly on Wednesday by  the Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Flavien Joubert, was approved unanimously. According to the revised legislation, individuals found guilty of offences against the Act could face a minimum fine of SCR25,000 ($1,700) not exceeding SCR1 million ($67,000), or a maximum of 7 years imprisonment, or both. The previous penalties established in 2001 were considerably lower with a minimum fine of SCR5000 ($334) and a maximum fine of SCR500,000 ($33,400), along with a maximum imprisonment term of two years, or both fines and imprisonment. The decision to revise these penalties comes as a response to the alarming rate of poaching and illegal wildlife trade in Seychelles. In his presentation, Joubert emphasised the necessity of these stricter penalties to protect endangered species such as sea turtles, lizards, and various bird species. He also highlighted the disparity between the previous fines and the profits gained from illegal wildlife trade, which rendered the penalties insufficient as a deterrent. Joubert said that according to the records and complaints, both locals and foreigners are still committing illegal offences under the Act in terms of live capture and killing of various local endemic animal and bird species for local consumption and overseas trading. «The Ministry condemns such actions and we are doing everything possible to ensure those responsible for committing those offences are held accountable,» he said. The amendment to the Wild Animals and Birds Protection Act is not only aimed at local offenders but also serves as a deterrent for international individuals who might view Seychelles as a lucrative location for illegal wildlife activities. Joubert stressed the global relevance of these penalties, aligning them with international standards for wildlife protection and said “the amendment will get people to think twice before trying to commit such illegal offences." He added that the amendment is an interim solution while the government undertakes the comprehensive revision of the entire legislation on wildlife protection. As all members approved the proposed changes, Joubert said that the unanimous support was sending a clear message to people who intend to break this law. He added that it was the difference between cases reported and those actually filed that prompted the revision of the penalties and underlined his ministry's commitment to improving enforcement and compliance measures, alongside partners, to reduce the number of people evading conviction.

The Danny Faure Foundation (DFF) received a donation of SCR 100,000 ($7,376) from the Chinese Embassy in Seychelles on Friday to get its new «Youth Coastline Watch Group» project underway. The initiative, due to begin soon, aims to empower a generation of young environmental stewards proficient in scientific methodologies, including the use of technologies and geographic assessments to effectively monitor and map coastal erosion. Both government and private secondary schools in the country bordering on the coast will select four of their students interested in the domain. It will target Secondary Three (S3) students with their science or geography teacher to watch the coast and collect scientific information. The project will be held for a little over five years, ending in time for the Sustainable Development Goals of 2030. A consultant at the DFF, Fatime Kante, revealed that the data collected will be handed over to the Geographical Information System (GIS) department in the Ministry of Housing and Lands and the Environmental Education Unit in the Ministry of Education. «We are targeting S3 students as they will grow with the project and later on they will be adults who can speak about the issue themselves,» she said. The Chinese Ambassador to Seychelles, Lin Nan, handed the cheque to the head of the DFF, former President Danny Faure, at the Link Building at Ile du Port, on the main island of Mahe. The ambassador expressed her country's joy at assisting the project that «will help young people understand more about what the world is facing with climate change.» Faure thanked the Chinese Embassy for its belief in the project that is «preparing the next generation to be at the forefront of knowing what is happening to the coastlines.» The Danny Faure Foundation was founded by former President Danny Faure to contribute towards the sustainable development of Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean. It also joins the global community in its efforts to achieve a more equitable, just, sustainable and healthy planet, for the present generation and the future generations to come. Launched in June 2021, it focuses on five pillars - the ocean, the Blue Economy, governance, leadership, and the youth.

Three bodybuilders from Seychelles will participate in the Gym Angel Classic tournament scheduled for August 3 in Klerksdorp, South Africa. Jolaine Valentin, Rodney Henriette and Ahmad Moncherry are the three bodybuilders who will be competing in the tournament in which the pro-cards and spots to the World Championship are up for grabs. The Championships will take place in September. The competition will see athletes from various African nations competing, and, in addition, there will be bodybuilders from Italy and the United Kingdom.   Henriette said he is taking this competition very seriously, especially considering the prizes up for grabs. «Like any athlete, the aim is always to achieve the best, so for me of course, I will be gunning for qualification for the World Championship and also hopefully get a pro-card,» he added.   He added that he has been preparing well and continually despite the fact there are not many local competitions. «As a bodybuilder, I have to remain in good condition all the time, and so have been preparing well in advance, even before knowing of this competition,» added Henriette. Moncherry has been training at the Tropical Heat Gym. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY  Moncherry, 29, is also aiming high for this competition and said he wants to achieve a good result and added, «I'm definitely going for the win and not just to participate.» He added that this is the first competition he is participating in which a World Championship spot is available, so he will be going for it, as well as chasing his dream of getting a pro-card. «For a bodybuilder, we prepare every day and for me, wherever I am, I always keep myself in good condition, and when this opportunity comes along, I just upped the intensity,» added Moncherry, who has been training at the Tropical Heat Gym, alongside Henriette. 

US journalist Evan Gershkovich and a Russian intelligence colonel jailed for a Berlin murder were among two dozen prisoners freed Thursday in the biggest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War. The intricate multinational deal that freed the Wall Street Journal reporter and others including former US marine Paul Whelan involved months of secret negotiations, and finally ended with a dramatic exchange on the airport tarmac in Turkey's capital Ankara. Overjoyed family members appeared at the White House alongside US President Joe Biden, who said they'd been able to phone their freed loved ones from the Oval Office. «Their brutal ordeal is over,» Biden said. Biden called the leaders of allies Germany, Poland, Slovenia and Norway to thank them for agreeing to free Russian prisoners under the deal, and Turkey for agreeing to host the handover. «They made bold and brave decisions» to release Russians held for espionage and other crimes in return for the Westerners and Russian dissidents and human rights activists, he said. In total, 10 Russians -- including two minors -- were exchanged for 16 Westerners and Russians imprisoned in Russia, said a statement released by the Turkish presidency. Among those returned to Moscow was Vadim Krasikov, a Russian intelligence agent imprisoned in Germany for killing a former Chechen rebel commander in a brazen assassination. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the «difficult» swap had «saved lives.» - 'Biggest hug' - President Vladimir Putin gave the Russian prisoners a red carpet welcome at Moscow airport, embracing them as they descended from their plane, TV images showed. «I want to congratulate you on your return to the motherland,» Putin said. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, were to greet the freed US prisoners outside Washington later in the day. The Wall Street Journal said it was «overwhelmed with relief» at the release of Gershkovich, 32, who was detained in Russia in March 2023 on a reporting trip and sentenced in July to 16 years in prison on spying charges that were denounced by the United States. «We can't wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close,» Gershkovich's family said in a statement. Biden later posted a picture of a smiling Gershkovich and other detainees on a plane. The group also included Whelan, who was detained in 2018 and had previously complained of being abandoned by Washington, and another American journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva. Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian Kremlin critic with US residency, also was among those freed. Biden, notching a major diplomatic success in his last six months in office after ending his reelection bid, described their convictions in Russia as «show trials.» Speculation about a deal had swirled for days after several detainees had disappeared from the prison system, but there was no confirmation until they  switched planes in Ankara. «We held our breath and crossed our fingers,» US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said. - Navalny - The White House led months of behind-the-scenes negotiations with Russia despite tensions over Ukraine -- but it also had to lean on European allies reluctant to hand convicted criminals back to Moscow. Biden even called the Slovenian premier an hour before his shock election bow-out on July 21 to push for the release of two Russians. A total of 12 prisoners released by Russia will go to Germany, including opposition politician Ilya Yashin, who had been jailed for criticizing Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They also include Rico Krieger, a German who was sentenced to death in Belarus on espionage charges before a reprieve this week. «Many of the prisoners feared for their health and even their lives,» Scholz said. The exchange was the first between Russia and the West since star US basketball player Brittney Griner returned home in return for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in December 2022. It was the biggest since 2010, when 14 alleged spies were exchanged. They included double agent Sergei Skripal, who was sent by Moscow to Britain and undercover Russian agent Anna Chapman, sent by Washington to Russia. Before then, major swaps involving more than a dozen people had only taken place during the Cold War, with Soviet and Western powers carrying out exchanges in 1985 and 1986. The White House revealed that an even more ambitious agreement had been on the cards with attempts to negotiate the release of Putin opponent Alexei Navalny, before he died in February this year. © Agence France-Presse

Nigeria prepared for nationwide protests over the cost of living on Thursday with authorities warning about attempts to copy the violent demonstrations in Kenya that forced the government to backtrack on new taxes. Africa's most populous country is struggling with soaring inflation and a sharply devalued naira currency after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu introduced reforms a year ago that aimed to revive the economy. Tagged #EndbadGovernanceinNigeria, the protest movement has won support with an online campaign among Nigerians who are battling with food inflation at 40 percent and fuel prices that tripled since Tinubu introduced urgent reforms. On the eve of the protests expected to take place in major cities from Lagos to the capital Abuja, government officials sought to urge young activists to reject rallies and allow time for Tinubu's reforms to take hold. How much support the protests will have is unclear. Many Nigerians are struggling even to make a living with the cost of food and transport and many people are worried about insecurity. But protest leaders, a loose coalition of civil society groups, vowed to press on with rallies despite what they say were legal challenges trying to limit their rallies to public parks instead of marches. «We believe that this protest must go on regardless of the threat and intimidation,» the protest coalition said in a statement this week. Nigeria's government on Wednesday listed aid it has offered to alleviate economic pain, including raising the minimum salary levels, delivering grains to states across the country and aid to the most needy. «The government of President Tinubu recognises the right to peaceful protest, but circumspection and vigilance should be our watch words,» Secretary to the Federation of Government, George Akume, told reporters. «Our appeal is that Nigerians should please pursue the path of peace, dialogue and collaboration.» The last major protest in Nigeria was in 2020 when young activists took to the streets to rally against the brutality of the SARS anti-robbery squad in demonstrations that evolved into some of the largest in Nigeria's modern democracy. But the rallies ended in bloodshed in Lagos. Rights groups accused the army of opening fire on peaceful protesters, but the military said troops used blanks to break up a crowd defying a curfew. Nigeria's latest protests come as Kenya's President William Ruto was forced to repeal new taxes and name a new cabinet after weeks of anti-government protests in the worst crisis in his almost two years in office. In Uganda, officials also arrested dozens earlier this month after they took part in banned anti-corruption protests organised online by young activists inspired by Kenya's rallies. © Agence France-Presse

Seychelles' strategy to attract finance and investment in energy transition-related projects, such as renewable energy and green technologies, will be completed by the end of this year. The chief executive of the Seychelles Investment Board (SIB), Anne Rosette, revealed the plans to the media on Thursday after a workshop held together in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The half-day workshop at Eden Bleu Hotel is the consultative part of a three-year project to help the small island state attract investment and finance in the renewable energy sector. Gathering stakeholders from various industries such as finance, environment, and renewable energy, the forum aimed to provide them with a deeper understanding of energy transition in Seychelles and receive their feedback. In his address, the Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Flavien Joubert, remarked that the country's «dependence on imported petroleum products for its energy needs, is also increasingly unsustainable due to uncertainty of supplies and price fluctuation caused by geopolitical tensions.» Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, has invested in solar farms in recent years, with the largest so far located on Ile Romainville, a reclaimed island off the coast of Mahe, the main island. The island nation recently signed an agreement with French energy company, Qair, for the installation of a 5-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) system in the lagoon at Providence on the eastern coast of Mahe. «The ambitious Seychelles' 100 percent Renewable Energy Strategy (SeyRES 100) aims for a 15 percent transition to renewable energy sources by 2030; it includes increasing the generation of electricity from renewable sources and modernising the entire electricity sector,» said Joubert. The first government housing estate outfitted with photovoltaic (PV) solar panels opened in June 2019 at Barbarons.  (Sheikh Mojaharul) Photo License: All Rights Reserved  The small island nation is also working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to offer a rebate for households and enterprises to install PV systems. As part of the initiative, residential customers receive a 25 percent refund of the total cost of the PV system and its installation, while commercial entities receive 15.   «We need further work to identify projects that are attractive to investors, that is why we welcome the project by UNCTAD. We hope also the project will assist the Seychelles to attract institutional investors,» said Joubert. Meanwhile, Rosette revealed that SIB began discussions with its stakeholders to set up the strategy in the first quarter of 2024. Following the workshop, it expects to have bankable projects that it will then promote to both local and international investors. «Renewable energy is cross-cutting, it involves other sectors like the circular economy and waste management,» said Rosette. She explained that UNCTAD is providing support in collecting the information needed to develop the strategy, in its implementation as well as training SIB personnel and its stakeholders to successfully fulfill the projected outcomes. The principal secretary for the Department of Energy, Tony Imaduwa, told the press that the workshop will allow the participants to determine the challenges the sector faces especially where investment is concerned in the energy sector. He revealed that one of the main challenges is that the average household and commercial entities' energy consumption has increased. «With this increase, we find that it affects the renewable energy's percentages as the rate that we are producing it in is sort of cancelled out by the increasing demand. It is now important that we put more emphasis on educating consumers to use energy more efficiently,» he added. Imaduwa said, «We are also looking at other projects concerning other forms of renewable energy that we can use in the country to achieve our set target.» The department is also carrying out a series of studies to determine what measures should be implemented to increase the system's capacity.

The Seychelles Petroleum Company (SEYPEC) will replace four of its five tankers with new and more advanced ships in the coming years, said a top official. This follows the approval by the Cabinet of Ministers last Wednesday of the SEYPEC's strategic plan to replace its aging tanker fleet with new, technologically advanced vessels. The SEYPEC chief executive, Sarah Romain, told SNA that the four vessels will be replaced by only two new ones. «Next year, two of our tankers will turn 20 years old, and most companies that transport oil, tend not to use older tankers, as they are not as efficient as newer ones, which is why we want to replace these vessels, to ensure that can maintain the bigger contracts with some of the top companies in the world,» said Romain. She explained that older vessels are less reliable, burn more fuel and have a higher operational cost, which means that by getting newer tankers, SEYPEC's operations will be more profitable. Romain explained that the four tankers will be replaced in phases. The Seychelles Pioneer will be disposed of this year, followed by Seychelles Progress in January 2025, while the other two, Seychelles Prelude and Seychelles Patriot, will be replaced by December 2026. «The two new vessels are expected to be delivered in January and April 2027,» confirmed the chief financial officer of SEYPEC, Francis Racombo. This means SEYPEC will have only two tankers operating internationally, with the smaller Seychelles Paradise, remaining operational within the region and Seychelles' waters. «These new tankers will be more efficient firstly, where it can use two types of fuel, such as methanol, which is a greener fuel, that gives out less carbon emissions,» explained Romain. She shared that in many European countries, the tankers are fined for their emissions, and each of the current tankers usually pays up to $2,000 per year. SEYPEC's tankers are currently managed by German Tanker Ship (GTS), which is the company that employs staff, looks for contracts and maintains the ships, and the four Seychelles tankers are part of its fleet of 17 vessels. There are over 100 Seychellois currently employed to GTS, not only on SEYPEC's tankers but on other ships within the company. «On our tankers themselves, there are over 50 percent Seychellois working on them, with the rest being foreigners,» Romain said. According to SEYPEC's CEO, the tankers have been performing very well and from January to May 2024, the company earned $18.5 million, which amounts to a profit of $7.5 million.

Donald Trump questioned Wednesday whether Democrat Kamala Harris is really Black or is using race as a political convenience in an interview that sent shockwaves through the 2024 presidential contest. «She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn't know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black,» Trump told a panel of interviewers at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago. «And now she wants to be known as Black. So I don't know, is she Indian or is she Black?» he said of Harris, who is the first Black, female, and South-Asian-heritage vice president in US history. «I respect either one but she obviously doesn't, because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn, and she became a Black person.» The provocative comments by the Republican presidential nominee were the latest in a stream of ratcheted up personal attacks by the 78-year-old on Harris, and follow his multiple remarks this week in which he accused Harris -- who is married to a Jewish-American -- of being anti-Semitic. President Joe Biden's White House swiftly responded to Trump's comments, calling them «insulting.» «No one has any right to tell someone who they are, how they identify,» White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the first black woman to hold the position, told reporters. © Agence France-Presse

Brash, brazen, brilliant. American sprint duo Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson will look to live up to their billing as Olympic 100m favourites when the track and field programme at the Paris Games starts on Friday. The reigning world champions are the stars of a recently-released Netflix docuseries entitled «Sprint», giving an up-close and personal view into their lives on and off the track. At the Stade de France -- with those cameras still turning for season two -- the debate will be whether Lyles, who won three golds at last year’s Budapest world championships, can beat defending champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy and go on to be crowned as the rightful successor to sprint king Usain Bolt. The other hot topic is whether Richardson can hold off Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the ageing five-time world 100m champion seeking her third Olympic gold in the discipline. For both Americans, it is a question of redemption. Lyles maintains that the 200m bronze he won at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics «still burns a hole» in his chest. Richardson didn’t even make the plane for Japan after being banned for taking marijuana. «I know exactly where I am ahead of Paris,» said Lyles, who arrived in Paris after setting a personal best of 9.81sec at the London Diamond League. «The more eyes on me, the better I perform, or at least that's what my therapist says. When the TV cameras are on me and people are there, I am not losing.» Richardson, seeking to become the first US woman to win an Olympic 100m title since Gail Devers in 1996, added: «When I get on the blocks, it's about getting the job done. I know there's joy at the other end, at the finish line.» While Lyles and Richardson might grab the initial headlines with the finals on Saturday for the women and Sunday for the men, there will be a huge array of talent on show in the French capital. Sweden’s pole vault king Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis will seek to push his own limits for victory with a potential tilt at a 10th consecutive world record, while two of the most mouth-watering events are in the same discipline: the 400m hurdles. - 400m hurdles battles - Three years ago in Tokyo, the hurdles produced two of the most astonishing races ever run in Olympic history, made all the more remarkable as they were in a spectator-less stadium. First up, Norway’s Karsten Warholm smashed his own world record by a staggering 0.76sec to win the men’s hurdles in 45.94sec. Twenty-four hours later American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone did the impossible and improved her own world record by 0.44sec to 51.46sec. The two hurdles race again promise to be cracking races in Paris, with Warholm under pressure from American Rai Benjamin and McLaughlin-Levrone from Dutchwoman Femke Bol. The men and women’s 800m races also look likely to throw up two absolute must-see races, with two world records under threat, although athletes always stress that championship running is more about medals than re-writing record books. Algerian Djamel Sedjati has his eyes on Kenyan David Rudisha’s 1:40.91, having gone third in the all-time list in a show of form on the Diamond League circuit this season. In champion Athing Mu’s absence, Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson comes to Paris as the athlete to beat in the women's two-lap field, having run a life-time best of 1:54.61 in London two weeks ago to show she can upgrade her silver from Tokyo. The time was the fastest run since the now-barred Caster Semenya in 2018, putting the Briton seventh on the all-time list and edging ever closer to the improbable 1:53.28 world record set by then-Czechoslovak Jarmila Kratochvilova 41 years ago. The middle-distance events promise a number of top-level clashes, not least because the ever-unpredictable Sifan Hassan is following in the footsteps of Czech athlete Emil Zatopek by racing the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon. In Tokyo she won the 5,000m/10,000m double and claimed bronze in the 1500m. In Paris, the irrepressible Kenyan Faith Kipyegon will be gunning for a third successive Olympic title at 1500m. The men’s 1500m offers one of the keenest rivalries on the circuit as British team captain Josh Kerr goes head-to-head once more with Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Ingebrigtsen is the defending Olympic champion, but the Norwegian has twice been beaten to world gold since, by Jake Wightman in Eugene and then Kerr a year later in Budapest. «If I don't get injured and I don't get sick, I think it's going to be a walk in the park,» said the always-confident Ingebrigtsen, who will defend his 1500m title, as well as aiming for a distance double in the 5,000m. © Agence France-Presse

Over the past 15 years, the number of divorces in Seychelles has increased, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). In 2023, there were 220 divorces and the figures have been steadily increasing, compared to 15 years ago. In 2008, there were 145 divorces. According to the Seychelles Civil Status, in 2023, there were 1,633 marriages out of which 376 were Seychellois and 1260 were visitors.  According to the statistics, the largest number of divorces occurred between couples who were in longer relationships. Out of the 220 divorces, 101 were from couples who were together for 10 to 25 years. Two senior social workers, Lucille Mousbe and Myriam Desire, said that in their line of work, they have noticed a shift in the family pattern in Seychelles. «Nowadays, there are a lot of single-family households. We see many couples separating and they see it easier to leave the relationship when there are any issues. They say that they cannot live together anymore. Some divorces are caused by external factors such as extra-marital affairs, and others substance abuse,» said Mousbe. Desir said, «There is a lack of proper communication and people separate easily and there is no tolerance for each other anymore. When they reach our office, sometimes the issues could have been easily resolved with an honest conversation.» Mousbe and Desir said that most of the time, the children are the most affected by divorce. «Society is becoming more accepting of single-parent households and there is not much emphasis on the importance of having both parents at home,» said Desir. While Mousbe said that a two-parent household with good communication and understanding is important, especially in terms of shared responsibility as a shared family unit to help bring up a child positively. Mousbe and Desir said couples in common-law marriages are also separating and many of them live together for a while and separate when problems arise.

The Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) received a donation of equipment to be used in safety training from the French government on Wednesday. The donation includes 10 new life vests and a mannequin that will be used for maritime safety training exercises, which were handed over to the Chief of the SDF, Brigadier Michael Rosette, by the French Ambassador to Seychelles, Olivia Berkeley-Christmann.   «This donation is part of our cooperation and when the French asked us what we wanted, we decided that these specialised life vests were needed,» said Rosette, who added that they will be used by crew members aboard their aircraft and boats as well. The equipment was handed over to Brigadier Michael Rosette, by the French Ambassador to Seychelles, Olivia Berkeley-Christmann. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY  Rosette explained that the life vests are smaller than what they currently have, meaning they will use less space to store on board their vessels and will also fit the military personnel better. This is not the first donation of its kind from the French government and Rosette revealed that they received some uniforms last year. He said that the SDF will continue to benefit from this partnership in the future. Meanwhile, Berkeley-Christmann said that Seychelles and France have a common and shared appreciation of the various challenges at sea. «It is with this in mind, that today's donation is being done. Thanks to the equipment that is simple, robust and proven by French sailors, Seychellois sailors and airmen will be able to fulfill the missions entrusted to them even better,» she said. 

Over the past 15 years, the number of divorces in Seychelles has increased, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). In 2023, there were 220 divorces and the figures have been steadily increasing, compared to 15 years ago. In 2008, there were 145 divorces. According to the Seychelles Civil Status, in 2023, there were 1,633 marriages out of which 376 were Seychellois and 1260 were visitors.  According to the statistics, the largest number of divorces occurred between couples who were in longer relationships. Out of the 220 divorces, 101 were from couples who were together for 10 to 25 years. Two senior social workers, Lucille Mousbe and Myriam Desire, said that in their line of work, they have noticed a shift in the family pattern in Seychelles. «Nowadays, there are a lot of single-family households. We see many couples separating and they see it easier to leave the relationship when there are any issues. They say that they cannot live together anymore. Some divorces are caused by external factors such as extra-marital affairs, and others substance abuse,» said Mousbe. Desir said, «There is a lack of proper communication and people separate easily and there is no tolerance for each other anymore. When they reach our office, sometimes the issues could have been easily resolved with an honest conversation.» Mousbe and Desir said that most of the time, the children are the most affected by divorce. «Society is becoming more accepting of single-parent households and there is not much emphasis on the importance of having both parents at home,» said Desir. While Mousbe said that a two-parent household with good communication and understanding is important, especially in terms of shared responsibility as a shared family unit to help bring up a child positively. Mousbe and Desir said couples in common-law marriages are also separating and many of them live together for a while and separate when problems arise.

Landslides in India triggered by pounding monsoon rains struck tea plantations and killed at least 108 people Tuesday, with at least 250 others rescued from mud and debris. The southern coastal state of Kerala has been battered by torrential downpours, with blocked roads into the disaster area in Wayanad district complicating relief efforts. «This catastrophe has resulted in the loss of 108 lives,» the state's chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a statement. «This is one of the worst natural calamities Kerala has ever witnessed.» Another 128 people had been hospitalised for treatment after their rescue, he said. «My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones and prayers with those injured,» Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on social media platform X. Wayanad is famed for the tea estates that crisscross its hilly countryside and which rely on a large pool of casual labourers for planting and harvest. Several estates in the district were hit by two successive landslides before dawn when most of their inhabitants were asleep. Images published by the National Disaster Response Force showed rescue crews trudging through mud to search for survivors and carrying bodies on stretchers out of the area. Homes were caked with brown sludge as the force of the landslide scattered cars, corrugated iron and other debris around the disaster site. India's army said it had deployed more than 200 soldiers to the area to assist state security forces and fire crews in search-and-rescue efforts. Modi's office said families of the dead would receive a compensation payment of $2,400 (200,000 rupees). Vijayan said that more than 3,000 people were sheltering in emergency relief camps around Wayanad district. More rainfall and strong winds lashed Kerala on Tuesday, and Vijayan urged the public to «be prepared and heed warnings» of more potential disasters ahead. «Everyone should be willing to follow the instructions given by authorities and not ignore them,» he added. - 'Alarming rise in landslides' - Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who until recently represented Wayanad in parliament, told lawmakers that the scope of the devastation was «heartbreaking». «Our country has witnessed an alarming rise in landslides in recent years,» he said. «The need of the hour is a comprehensive action plan to address the growing frequency of natural calamities.» Monsoon rains across the region from June to September offer respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. They are vital for agriculture and therefore the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security for South Asia's nearly two billion people. But they also bring destruction in the form of landslides and floods. The number of fatal floods and landslides has increased in recent years, and experts say climate change is exacerbating the problem. «The number of extremely heavy rainfall days have increased,» Kartiki Negi of Indian environment think tank Climate Trends told AFP. «The atmosphere is quite disturbed,» she said. «Thus we see more and more extreme events these days.» Damming, deforestation and development projects in India have also exacerbated the human toll. Intense monsoon storms battered India this month, flooding parts of the financial capital Mumbai, while lightning in the eastern state of Bihar killed at least 10 people. Nearly 500 people were killed around Kerala in 2018 during the worst flooding to hit the state in almost a century. India's worst landslide in recent decades was in 1998, when rockfalls triggered by heavy monsoon rains killed at least 220 people and buried the tiny village of Malpa in the Himalayas. © Agence France-Presse

US Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic election nominee, said Tuesday that Israel had a «right to defend itself» following a strike in Hezbollah's stronghold in southern Beirut. Harris -- who last week struck a tough tone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel's war on Gaza -- also called for a diplomatic solution to reduce the risk of all-out conflict on the Lebanon-Israel border. «I want to address what's happened over the last few hours in terms of the Middle East, and be very clear Israel has a right to defend itself,» Harris told reporters as she headed to an election rally in Atlanta, Georgia. Israel said the attack on Tuesday had targeted a Hezbollah commander responsible for rocket fire that killed 12 children in the occupied Golan Heights at the weekend. «What we know in particular is it (Israel) has the right to defend itself against a terrorist organization, which is exactly what Hezbollah is,» added Harris. «But all of that being said, we still must work on a diplomatic solution to end these attacks, and we will continue to do that work.» Harris is effectively locked in as the Democratic presidential nominee for November's US election after President Joe Biden's shock decision to drop out of the White House race just over a week ago. With speculation swirling about whether she would moderate Biden's stalwart support for Israel's Gaza war, Harris said last week after meeting Netanyahu in Washington that she «will not be silent» about Palestinian casualties there. Harris said on Thursday she expressed «serious concern about the scale of human suffering» to Netanyahu, who held separate meetings with her and Biden. © Agence France-Presse

Seychelles and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) launched the first National Diaspora Policy 2024-2029 for the island nation on Tuesday. The event, which took place at the Savoy Resort and Spa in the northern Mahe district of Beau Vallon, marks a milestone in the Seychelles' commitment to engaging with its diaspora communities worldwide. Attending the ceremony were President Wavel Ramkalawan, the representative from the office of the IOM Regional Director for Eastern, Horn and Southern Africa, Justin MacDermott, and other top officials and members of the diplomatic corps.   The Seychelles' Foreign Affairs Department together with IOM and the financial support from the EU-funded Southern Africa Migration Management (SAMM) project, developed the policy, which was validated in September 2023. The new policy institutionalises diaspora engagement as a central tenet of Seychelles' developmental vision and reflects the government's recognition of the invaluable contributions of Seychellois communities abroad to the nation's prosperity. The policy, which aims to strengthen and support the betterment of Seychellois communities, at home and in host countries, fostering a global notion, is structured into four main sections, each addressing critical aspects of diaspora engagement. In his remarks, Sylvestre Radegonde, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, emphasised the unity and collective strength of the Seychellois people. «Our fellow Seychellois abroad play a crucial role in our national development. Scattered across the globe for various reasons - economic, political, educational, matrimonial, or the pursuit of greener pastures. They bring with them diverse forms of capital - cultural, economic, human, and social. They are not just contributors but integral parts of our national fabric,» the minister said. «This policy aims to strengthen these bonds, ensuring that the diaspora remains connected and valued, regardless of where they are in the world,» he added. Radegonde said that its experiences, skills, and knowledge enrich Seychelles beyond mere economic terms and that they are ambassadors of the Seychellois culture, values, and Creole identity. His sentiments highlight the policy's foundation - the Seychellois nation extends beyond its geographical borders, and its diaspora is a vital part of its identity and growth.   Alia Hirji, the IOM chief of mission for Seychelles, praised the policy, stating, «The National Diaspora Policy is a transformative recognition of the vital role that Seychellois communities abroad play in the country's wellbeing. It embodies the government of Seychelles' commitment to fostering stronger, more sustainable partnerships between Seychellois communities worldwide, thus driving domestic development and enhancing the global influence of the Republic of Seychelles.» According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the launch of the diaspora policy marks the beginning of a new era of collaboration and engagement, ensuring that the contributions of the Seychelles diaspora are recognised and integrated into the nation's development strategy. Work on the policy began in March 2023, when IOM contracted Dr Martin Russel, the expert consultant tasked with elaborating this policy for Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean. Russel, an Irish national, is an expert in diaspora engagement and the founder of Global Diaspora Insights. He has extensive experience in the field, having trained, spoken, and written on diaspora engagement in regions including Africa, the Caribbean, and Central Asia. As part of the government's drive to include the Seychelles diaspora in its development, a Diaspora Unit within the Department of Foreign Affairs was established in July 2021. The unit gives Seychellois nationals living in other countries a new means to channel their queries and receive assistance. According to the Unit's figures, so far 2,000 Seychellois nationals have already provided their details and are registered in its databases. 

A delegation from Seychelles will be going to China to meet with various factories and, if all goes well, sign a memorandum of understanding under which the island nation will receive 22 new electric and hybrid buses for the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation (SPTC). The Minister for Transport, Antony Derjacques, announced on Tuesday when answering a private notice question from Sebastien Pillay, the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly.    «In line with the reorganisation in the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation, we have introduced an e-mobility project and very soon in August, the chief executive of SPTC, the principal secretary, and others will be going to China and they will be engaging with factories with the help of the Chinese government,» said Derjacques. This is part of the e-mobility project launched in November 2022 with the help of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The main objective of the project is to mitigate GHG emissions by accelerating the introduction of electric mobility in Seychelles through public transportation, capacity building, and preparation of upscaling and the development of adequate electric mobility policies. International experts from UNEP-GEF visited Seychelles in May 2023 for the project, which will span over four years. In the first part of the project, SPTC expects to introduce full electric buses to their fleet. Currently, SPTC has 200 buses that complete over 1,400 journeys per day and use approximately 220,000 litres of fuel per month. The Cabinet of Ministers in April approved the signing of the Global Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Zero Emission Medium-and Heavy-Duty Vehicles. The MOU was presented at a high-level event in December 2023 at the 28 Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai. The MOU, which is led by CALSTART, a Dutch company based in the United States, commits countries to work together to enable 100 percent zero-emission new truck and bus sales by 2040 with an interim goal of 30 percent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2030, to facilitate achievement of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.   

Organisations and individuals that are in some ways using the Seychelles' ports are asked to join the Port Victoria Management Information System (PVMIS), a centralised information system where all the forms needed at the departure for boats and ships to conduct their business can be filled out earlier and in real time. The system has incorporated several systems, such as accounts, procurement, accounting, and web-based solutions designed for real-time planning and management of port operations. The Seychelles Port Authority (SPA) in conjunction with the Ministry of Transport made the request in a press conference on Monday. The Minister for Transport, Antony Derjacques, told reporters that as of August 1, 2024, the phased rollout for the manual system will begin with the intention of transitioning to becoming fully digital. «The system has been working in parallel with the manual system since it was soft launched in October 2023. The PVMIS, when fully functional, will eventually become mandatory because it has been noticed that as long as stakeholders still have the option of the manual system running parallel, they do not give priority to using the PVMIS and continue with the manual paper-based version which they are more comfortable with,» he explained. Derjacques added that as of August 1, there is a list of stakeholders including shipping agents and carrier companies, among others, that will be joining the system. He said that they intend to make the system mandatory by January 2025. For the phasing out process starting in August, the minister clarified that the other processes will involve the import, from vessel stop-over declaration through the gate-out exit. This will be primarily for selected port users who have been using the system only for the past few months. «This means that the manual system will be discarded almost completely for these selected users while the others, who for one reason or another have not been included in this first phase, will be added gradually at other roll-out phases which will be continuous until the end of the year. This will also allow SPA to manage the change process and continue to monitor and improve the system along the way,» said Derjaques. The chief executive of the SPA, Sony Payet, said that at the moment, there are 141 clearing agents in the country out of which only 30 are part of the official association for clearing agents. Payet said that these clearing agents are also among the groups that SPA is asking to come forward to join the PVMIS. «The PVMIS is meant to make the different port processes more efficient. This will benefit all stakeholders. For example, in the case of the clearing agents, with this system, they will not need to visit five different offices in person each time they are working, they can simply do it on their device,» he explained. The Mahe Quay or Port Victoria as it is most commonly known was officially opened on October 6, 1973, and remains one of the most important industrial fishing, cruise and super yacht port destinations in the southwest Indian Ocean.

Seychelles is exploring how the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be achieved through strategic taxation policies and introducing a pioneering model called the SDG Taxation Framework (STF). This is being done through a five-day workshop being held at L’Escale Resort and Marina with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). According to the UNDP, the STF offers diagnostic evaluations and tailored support to optimise the linkage of a country’s tax system with the SDGs. The Seychelles Tax Framework (STF) will aim to include sustainability into global fiscal policy by directing development inclusively and sustainably while providing funding for it. In his opening address, the Minister for Finance, National Planning and Trade, Naadir Hassan, said the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development outlines a vision for a better world, built on the pillars of peace, prosperity, and environmental sustainability. "Achieving these ambitious goals requires not just political will but also innovative policy strategies. This is where taxation plays a pivotal role. Taxes are more than a source of revenue; they are a powerful tool for shaping economic and social policies, and for promoting equity and justice,” he pointed out. Hassan said that the STF is designed to integrate sustainability into the fiscal policies of governments worldwide, “ensuring that our tax systems not only fund development but also drive it in a direction that is inclusive and sustainable.” He also talked about the Seychelles National Development Strategy 2024-2028, recently launched in April, which is a comprehensive plan for Seychelles' progress, emphasising the need for resilient economic structures, environmental sustainability, and social inclusivity. “The STF will play a crucial role in supporting this strategy by providing a structured approach to mobilise resources effectively. By aligning our taxation policies with the SDGs, we can enhance our capacity to generate revenue, which in turn will support the implementation of various development initiatives detailed in our national strategy,” he added. Through the STF, it has been noted that it will not have any major effects on taxes in the country, as it will mostly affect tax policies, ensuring that adequate funds are available for essential community investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and other critical sectors, thereby promoting sustainable development and enhancing overall societal well-being. During the workshop,  experts in the field will share their insights and experiences on implementing tax policies that align with the SDGs, while participants will explore case studies from countries that have used taxation to drive sustainable development. Hassan said, “Let us not forget that achieving the SDGs is a collective effort. Governments, international organisations, the private sector, and civil society all have roles to play. By working together and leveraging the SDG Taxation Framework, we can create a world where economic growth goes hand in hand with social inclusion and environmental stewardship.” 

The President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, was elected as the new leader of his ruling party, Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) during an extraordinary convention on Sunday. Ramkalawan, who was previously the party's honorary president, replaces Roger Mancienne, who is the current Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles. Mancienne occupied the position since 2015 after the formation of the LDS to contest the parliamentary elections in September 2015. Speaking at the convention, Mancienne thanked the outgoing committee for their support and revealed that he would not be standing for election as party leader. «I will be handing over to the new team. We need new leadership, I have been here for many years and my life has been connected to politics since 1979,» said Mancienne. He added that he had accomplished his mission and it was now time for a dynamic and unified new team to take over. Ramkalawan thanked Mancienne for his years of service and stated that he was «proud to stand in the shoes of a man with principles, who believes in democracy, justice and who really deserves the title of honorable.»  Ramkalawan was elected during an extraordinary convention on Sunday. (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY  The convention, held under the theme «Seychelles before Everything... Victory 2025» (Sesel Avan Tou.. Laviktwar 2025), was the occasion for LDS members to vote for the team that will lead them to the 2025 elections. The party also elected the Cascade district representative in the National Assembly, Philip Monthy, as the Secretary General, replacing Gervais Henrie, who is the current Deputy Speaker in the National Assembly. The Minister for Investment, Entrepreneurship and Industry, Devika Vidot, has been re-elected as treasurer. The new executive committee also consists of eight ordinary members, namely Francois Adelaide, Therese Charles, Jean-Francois Ferarri, Gervais Henrie, Gylianne Mein, Sathya Naidoo, Waven William and Wavel Woodcock. Presidential and legislative elections in Seychelles are scheduled to take place on September 27, 2025,once a proposed 11th amendment to the Constitution on a fixed date for elections is approved by the National Assembly.

Lebanon on Sunday called for an international investigation into a strike that killed 12 people including children on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, warning against a large-scale retaliation. The Israeli military said that an Iranian-made rocket that Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group fired on Saturday hit a football field in Majdal Shams, a Druze Arab town, killing children and teenagers who were playing there. Hezbollah, which claimed multiple attacks on Israeli military positions during the day, has denied it was behind the Majdal Shams strike, saying it had «no connection» to the incident. In a statement on X, Lebanon's Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib urged for an «international investigation or a meeting of the tripartite committee held through UNIFIL to know the truth» about who was responsible for the attack. The tripartite committee refers to military officials from Lebanon and Israel, which are technically at war, together with peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Bou Habib, in a statement issued by the foreign ministry, said he «expected the Majdal Shams strike was carried out by other organisations or was an Israeli mistake or a mistake by Hezbollah» . He insisted the Lebanese group targets «only military» positions and ruled out them carrying out an intentional attack on civilians in Majdal Shams. The statement, carried by the state-run National News Agency, said that Bou Habib also «called for the complete and comprehensive application» of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. The resolution ended a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, and called for the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers to be the only armed forces deployed in south Lebanon. «A large attack by Israel on Lebanon will lead to a deterioration of the regional situation and will spark regional war,» Bou Habib warned, according to the statement. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday vowed to «hit the enemy hard» following the Majdal Shams strike, while Iran warned Israel that any new military «adventures» in Lebanon could lead to «unforeseen consequences». Hezbollah says it has been acting in support of Gazans and ally Hamas with its cross-border strikes, which began the day after the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack on southern Israel which sparked the war in Gaza. The group on Sunday afternoon announced its first attack on an Israeli position since the day before, saying it also came «in response to enemy attacks» on south Lebanon villages and homes. The cross-border violence since October has killed at least 527 people in Lebanon according to an AFP tally, most of them fighters but also including 104 civilians. On the Israeli side, 22 soldiers and 24 civilians have been killed, according to Israeli authorities. © Agence France-Presse

The Seychelles National Choir (SNC) received a Peace and Friendship award and a special award for good performance at the 17th China International Chorus Festival held in Beijing from July 15 to 19. Competing in the category of mixed adult professional choirs, the Seychelles National Choir,  accompanied by their director and conductor, Sun Xiaoju Lownam, was recognised with the Peace and Friendship Award for bringing everyone together at the closing ceremony. The Special Mention Award certificate from the Soong Ching Ling Foundation recognised the choir's well-balanced strong singing and performance in general. The festival featured professional choirs from all over the world and participants had the opportunity to exchange skills and exhibit their talents. Speaking to SNA following their success at the festival, several members expressed their pride and joy at being able to not only display their skills on a world stage but also showcase Seychellois culture. Bianca Bonnelame, an alto singer, said that apart from Chinese songs such as 'Tong Yi Shou Ge,' they also performed several local pieces. «Our expectations for cultural exchange were exceeded. We engaged in various cultural activities, such as traditional fan-making, which provided us with a deeper appreciation of Chinese culture. Our performances, particularly those showcasing Seychellois culture and music with drums, such as »Zwe sa Lanmizik,« »Ayo Pangar,« and »Zim Boum Boum,« resonated deeply with the Chinese community, highlighting the uniqueness and beauty of our traditions. Another significant piece we performed was »Ofer Lanmitye« (Offer Friendship) in Creole,» she said. Members with certified medals after climbing the Great Wall. (Irene du Preez) Photo License: All Rights Reserved  Bonnelame added that the festival was intense, demanding early mornings, long commutes, and multiple performances in a single day but «despite the challenges, we found immense joy in connecting with choirs from around the world. The spirit of camaraderie was palpable, especially with choirs like those from New Zealand and Singapore, whose youthful energy and vibrant performances inspired us greatly.» Piano accompanist and bass section singer, Jude Sinon, said that they had been preparing for quite some time to prepare for this competition and «to represent my country in such a prestigious and top-level competition in high-end theatres. It was nice to share and exchange cultural experiences with other groups. The National Choir showcased our local songs to show our cultural diversity not only in singing but through dance as well.» One of the youngest members of the National Choir, 17-year-old Gareth Mounac, is a piano accompanist and a bass singer. He found the experience to be rewarding and fun as well as learned new techniques.  «I liked it very much. I was looking forward to performing in different theatres as an Accompanist and singer and seeing other choirs from around the world performing which sounded very good,» he added.  The oldest member of the Choir with 20 years of experience, Tom Anderson, described the competition as an opportunity for them to grow and gain more confidence.   Members relaxed after the competition. (Irene du Preez) Photo License: All Rights Reserved  «The trip helped and will continue to help us improve as a choir in several ways.  First, we got to see first-hand the singing, directing, and choreographic techniques of other high-level Chinese and international choirs. Second, performing in the competition in front of a panel of expert judges gave us input on the areas in which we can improve as a choir.  Third, was the confidence and experience gained from singing for large international audiences as well as the judges. The week of rehearsals and performances culminated in our final performance on Thursday night which received a boisterous standing ovation from an appreciative audience,» he explained. Anderson added that through this trip they were also able to gain insight into the Chinese culture, especially through socialising with people, sightseeing tours to important historical sights as well as observing their day-to-day life. «One of the things that especially left a lasting impression was the friendliness and discipline of the children, who not only sang beautifully but were always smiling and waving to us wherever we went.  I am sure the Chinese people and choirs that we met also gained some appreciation for Seychellois culture by meeting and interacting with us, as well as hearing our music which included a repertoire of Creole songs.  For example, when we performed 'Zwe sa la Mizik' (Play this music) by Patrick Victor, it was almost certainly the first time the Chinese experienced Moutya music and dance,» he shared. The Seychelles National Choir, performed twice a day for the duration of the festival which featured choral activities, choral forums, choir evaluation, high-level concerts featuring both Chinese and international choirs, master classes and public welfare activities. Apart from singing, the Choir had a cultural exchange at the historic Prince Kung's Palace, a tourist and busy place with a lovely courtyard built in 1777 in a traditional style and similar to the Forbidden City of the Emperor. In a closed section of this Palace, the group shared the experience of making traditional fans with a musical group from Tennessee, United States. The choir also visited the mountains of Fangshan, where the famous museum and concert hall of Peking Man is located and also got the chance to climb the Great Wall of China.

AFP's coverage of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics had been meticulously prepared for a year, with every detail scrutinized to determine the optimal position for the best shot or the best reportage. It was an unprecedented ceremony on the River Seine -- an Olympics had never opened before outside the main stadium -- and it merited unprecedented coverage. At this Olympics, Paris-based AFP are also 'playing at home'. But all the planning was put in jeopardy by an uninvited guest -- the rain. In the air, on the roofs of monuments in the City of Light, on the decks of boats or on the banks of the Seine, around 60 AFP text and photo journalists were poised to capture history on Friday Then the rain started falling. And it didn't stop. «Until the day before, the forecasts said it would rain on Friday morning and that the evening would be dry,» said Chief Photo Editor Martin Bureau, who for a year had led the scouting missions to determine the best positions for the 48 AFP photographers involved. Instead, the hoped-for vivid colours against a Parisian sunset were replaced by rain-blighted gloom before night fell and the spectacle was lit up. AFP sent out 3,500 photos, which includes the pooled content produced by all the international agencies. That number is double the production for a classic Olympics opening ceremony in a stadium. «The weather made it harder for all of the photographers,» said Martin. «It definitely had an impact, it meant we sent fewer photographs than we had planned.» The rain also meant plans had to be changed fast. «My position could have produced very different things with different weather conditions,» said photographer Julien De Rosa, who spent the day on the north tower of Notre-Dame cathedral, under renovation following a devastating fire in 2019. Like the other rooftop positions (at Chatelet Theatre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Louvre, Chaillot and, of course, the Eiffel Tower), access had to laboriously negotiated. Julien faced strict conditions because of the presence of lead in the renovation -- he had to strip to his underwear and put on a disposable white suit, boots and helmet. And then carry 15 kg of equipment up the tower, hoping for a magnificent view of the Seine. Sadly, the clouds and rain spoiled that idea. «I had imagined doing the series of bridges with La Défense (business district) in the background. It was not possible,» he said. Hovering in the sky above was another photographer, Lionel Bonaventure, in a helicopter accompanied by an editor who was responsible for transmitting the photos straight to the validation desk at the Olympics Main Press Centre. The helicopter had to stay on the right bank of the river Seine, at 1,800 feet (600 metres). There were just two helicopters below them -- one for US broadcaster NBC which followed the USA boat, and the other from Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) The helicopter had to make several passes in a window of around two hours. «I couldn't open the door, I just took photos through the window. But I had to get back in quickly, because the lens was quickly soaked.» The helicopter ended its flight prematurely at 10:00 pm, landing in the close suburbs and it didn't receive authorisation to take off again. So Lionel's mission was also cut short -- but he will remember the experience for years «It was still an exceptional thing to be there. I was amazed,» he said. Photographers on the ground had to wear black to avoid showing up on the TV images. Many looked very wet. «It was hell, but what a great moment, what excitement!» said Franck Fife, who was on the French delegation boat on the Seine. «The French team got on the boat looking a bit down,» he said. «But the atmosphere quickly picked up. There really is a special emotion in this kind of moment. It's really their thing, as athletes. They were impressed by the number of people who had stood in the rain to watch them pass. It was huge. And also I was able to work as I wanted.» His summary of the evening was pictures of joy -- and two cameras out of action. Among other unexpected mishaps a robot camera installed at Trocadero in May to capture the culmination of the ceremony at the Eiffel Tower was suddenly obscured by a tarpaulin cover that had blown loose on the eve of the show. One of AFP's robot-camera specialists, Francois-Xavier Marit, managed to move the offending cover out of the way using a seven-metre (23-foot) telescopic rod. Thank goodness he did -- a «surprise» promised by organisers turned out to be French-Canadian superstar Celine Dion belting out a show-stopping number from the first level of the Eiffel Tower and the camera was there to capture the moment. Text journalists also grappled with the weather. The normal protection of umbrella, capes, raincoats was insufficient -- the rain got everywhere. «It wasn't easy, but we're not complaining. We were not in a theatre of war, in Ukraine in the middle of winter,» said Karine Perret, one of 15 writers spread along the route of the parade. Adam Plowright was with spectators at the Alexandre III bridge -- but it was a tricky evening. «Like the spectators in the stands, we reporters on the ground could only see a very limited part of the ceremony and spent much of the evening watching big screens to know what was going on,» he said. «Unlike the spectators, we hadn't paid hundreds, if not thousands of euros, for our seats.» Ben Stansall's job was to record the stunning moment when the Olympic cauldron was lit in the Tuileries Gardens by Jose-Marie Perec and Teddy Riner -- it formed the base of a hot air balloon that lifted off the ground in a plume of light. «It was quite a spectacle because they had smoke coming out of the cauldron and it lit up as it went into the sky. It was really quite something to see,» he said. It was the fifth Olympics opening ceremony Ben has covered -- but this experience was very different. «It is hard to compare because all the previous ones I did were stadium-based. It was very strange not to see anything at all until the relay runners arrived with the torches,» he said. «I had no idea what else was happening in the ceremony until then.» For Photo Chief Martin, several images stood out: Celine Dion's surprise performance; the stunning laser show around the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower and huge plumes of white, red and blue smoke on the Austerlitz bridge. In truth, all the moments AFP recorded on a remarkable night will live on for decades. © Agence France-Presse  

Two Seychelles' football clubs, St. Louis and Foresters, will participate in the preliminary round of two competitions of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the Champions League and Confederation's Cup, respectively. St. Louis football club, the Seychelles Premier League title holder, will compete in the Champions League with the continent league winners. The Seychelles' side has been drawn against Grupo Desportivo Sagrada Esperança (GDSE) from Angola.   GDSE finished as runner-up in the Angolan first division last season but has won the league title twice in its history. Should St.Louis get past their opponents, they will meet the winners of the match between US Zilimadjou of Comoros and Enugu Rangers of Nigeria. Zilimadjou are the Comoros League Champions, a title they have now won for the fifth time, while Rangers are the champions of Nigeria. Rangers have won the Nigerian Premier League eight times in its history and are one of the nation's top teams. Until now no club from Seychelles has ever made it to the group stage of the CAF Champions League. St.Michel came close in 2001 when they reached the final qualifying round, but lost 6-0 on aggregate to eventual winners and record champions Al Ahly of Egypt. Meanwhile, Foresters will face Orapa United of Botswana in the first preliminary round of the CAF Confederation's Cup. Orapa United FC plays in Botswana Premier League after being promoted from the country's First Division North League in the 2013–14 season. The side qualified for the Confederations Cup after losing in the country's Football Association (DA) Cup to League champions Jwaneng Galaxy. The winner of this encounter will face Dynamos of Zimbabwe or Zesco United from Zambia in the next round. Dynamos are 21 times champions of Zambia, making them its most successful club. Zesco United have won the Zambia league nine times in their history. The CAF Confederation Cup was established in 2004 from a merger of the CAF Cup and the African Cup Winners' Cup and organized by CAF. It is the second-tier competition of African club football, ranking below the CAF Champions League. The winner of the tournament faces the winner of the aforementioned competition in the following season's CAF Super Cup.

Results from an extensive seagrass distribution assessment undertaken within Seychelles' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by researchers indicate that these seagrass ecosystems are storing carbon dioxide (CO2) at a rate of 510,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year. According to a joint press release from the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Climate Change, this is nearly the same as the annual emissions from the local energy sector and almost three times the emissions from the transport sector. Dr Gwilym Rowlands, an Earth Observation Scientist at Oxford, led the research in partnership with several local and international organisations and the German Aerospace Agency (DLR). Using satellite imagery and meticulous ground surveys, the research team mapped 1,599 square kilometres of seagrass across the EEZ of 1.4 million square kilometres. The vast area, equivalent to 29,000 football fields, was identified as a significant resource capable of storing 18.9 million tonnes of organic carbon, amounting to 69 million tonnes of CO2. The research project, titled «Seychelles Seagrass Mapping and Carbon Assessment Project», was initiated in 2020. It aligns with the government's commitment to safeguard 50 percent of its blue carbon ecosystems, including mangroves and seagrass meadows, by 2025 and achieve 100 percent protection by 2030. Researchers at the D'Arros Atoll. (H. Grimmel, Save Our Seas Foundation) Photo License: All Rights Reserved  Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, made a commitment at the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, to move to 100 percent protection of all its mangroves and seagrass meadows. The commitment was made as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement with the goal of including these seagrass ecosystems within the Seychelles' National Green House Gas Inventory (NGGI). In supporting the country's target, the project was designed to identify the distribution and extent of seagrass habitats in Seychelles' EEZ and this would then allow the quantification of the amount and rate at which these habitats store carbon. According to the press release, «Further findings indicated that most seagrass habitats in Seychelles waters are around the Mahe Plateau Rim and the Amirantes Bank, with these areas inhabiting 32.9 percent and 30.3 percent of Seychelles seagrass, respectively.» While looking at the distribution of seagrass within the Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan (SMSP), the researchers were able to identify that 99.5 percent of Seychelles seagrass habitats are luckily found within High Biodiversity Zones and Medium Biodiversity and Sustainable Use Zones as well as pre-SMSP protected areas. They however raised the concern that the most diverse seagrass meadows around Praslin and the Au Cap region, where at least seven species have been recorded, are located unfortunately within multiple-use zones. This, therefore, does not occur within an existing protected area. The extensive study, which included the work of 50 predominantly Seychellois researchers and spanned over 20 institutions, has now quantified the importance of seagrass as a blue carbon ecosystem for Seychelles. It, therefore, provides the robust science needed to inform policy decisions regarding seagrass protection in Seychelles. 

Seychelles’ Desroches Island has recorded its first sighting of a red-billed tropicbird or “payanke labek rouz” in Creole by two assistant conservation officers of the Island Conservation Society (ICS). In a press release on Thursday, ICS said the rare sighting, which is the 19th ever recorded in Seychelles, occurred recently when James Wareing was out bird-watching during the early morning hours. “I had promised Lisa, the conservation officer of ICS here on Desroches, that I would not spot a new species without her, but nature had other plans,” said joked Wareing. He had to rush back to find Elizabeth Hein (known as Lisa) so they could see the bird together. The duo was ecstatic as they together observed and photographed the distinctive bird with its striking red bill. Tropicbirds are common in Seychelles but the red-billed tropicbird, with its elegant white plumage and long tail feathers and its distinctly bright red bill, is rare. It is typically found in tropical and subtropical regions across the globe, making this sighting a significant event for bird enthusiasts. They usually nest on cliff faces, so this bird would unfortunately not have found the flat island of Desroches very appealing to stay at. Greg Berke, director for conservation and science at ICS, emphasized the importance of such sightings. “Each new species we document adds to our understanding of the island’s biodiversity. The presence of the red-billed tropicbird on Desroches highlights the ecological richness and the success of our ongoing conservation efforts,” he said. The Island Conservation Society (ICS) set up a conservation Centre on Desroches in 2009 and have since then been working diligently on several projects to maintain, monitor and raise awareness about the biodiversity of the island. Hein who was equally thrilled about the sighting, said, “It is moments like these that remind us why conservation work is so crucial. Every species plays a unique role in our ecosystem, and it is our duty to protect them.” All sightings of birds in the Seychelles that are seen rarely or appear out of their range are reported to the Seychelles Bird Records Committee (SBRC) that collects and assesses all records of species.

The Seychelles Supreme Court has sentenced a Nigerian national to 10 years in prison for the importation of a controlled drug, the police said in a communique on Thursday. According to the police, Godson Odinah Nwezi who lives in the Perseverance district, was sentenced on two counts, 10 years for the importation of a controlled drug and three years for the same offence. The judge presiding over the case ruled that the two sentences run concurrently, so the convict will be in prison for 10 years only. Nwezi committed the offence on October 21 last year in the southern Mahe district of Takamaka, where he was arrested and found in possession of 500.50 grammes of cocaine. During a search at his residence in Perseverance, 49.30 grammes of cocaine was seized. According to the investigation, the drug was collected by a Ugandan national named Noeline Namatovu, who was sentenced to 10 years on May 13.    

Sri Lanka's first presidential elections since an unprecedented economic crisis spurred widespread unrest will be held in September, the election commission said Friday. The election will be the first test of the public mood since the height of the 2022 downturn, which caused months of food, fuel and medicine shortages across the island nation. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 75, who took office after street protests forced his predecessor to flee the country, has strongly hinted he plans to run. He will face at least two rivals campaigning against austerity measures his government imposed to satisfy an International Monetary Fund bailout package. The five-week campaign announced by the commission will conclude with a September 21 vote in a country still struggling with a fragile economic recovery and endemic discontent over cost of living issues. Economic issues are expected to dominate the campaign as the country emerges from its worst-ever recession in 2022, when the GDP shrank by a record 7.8 percent. Inflation has since returned to normal levels from its peak of 70 percent at the height of the crisis. Wickremesinghe has also successfully negotiated a restructure of Sri Lanka's $46 billion foreign debt with bilateral lenders including China, following a 2022 government default. But his policies to balance the government's books by hiking taxes and withdrawing generous utility subsidies have been deeply unpopular with the public. While the months-long food, fuel and medicine shortages seen at the peak of the economic crisis are now a distant memory, many Sri Lankans say Wickremesinghe's austerity measures have left them struggling to make ends meet. Opposition parties have vowed to renegotiate terms of the $2.9 billion IMF bailout Wickremesinghe negotiated last year. The president's main challenger so far is Sajith Premadasa, 57, a one-time party ally and current opposition leader. Premadasa has vowed to continue with economic reforms and the IMF programme but pledged to cushion the public by reducing the tax increases Wickremesinghe imposed to shore up state revenue. A leftist party is also fielding its leader, 55-year-old former agriculture minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is campaigning against plans to privatise state companies Wickremesinghe took office following the government default in 2022, after a huge crowd stormed predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa's compound. Rajapaksa, who was accused of steering Sri Lanka into the crisis through economic mismanagement, temporarily fled abroad and issued his resignation from Singapore. Local elections were due to be held last year but postponed indefinitely after the government insisted it had no money to conduct a nationwide vote. More than 17 million Sri Lankans over the age of 18 are eligible to cast a ballot. The election commission has allocated $33 million (10 billion rupees) for this year's presidential poll. © Agence France-Presse

«It's going to be a beautiful success,» says Claudine Vacelet confidently of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, before pausing. «Well, with the security issues, I suppose we'll only see whether it's a success at the end.» After years of planning, the Olympic spotlight is set to finally fall on the French capital on Friday evening at 7:30 pm (1730 GMT), when a wildly ambitious opening parade on the river Seine begins. Vacelet, 77, a retired orthodontist from southwest Paris, is like many residents who are confident about the artistic flair and ability of France to put on a memorable show, but are also slightly anxious about the outcome. «But then there are always security issues nowadays. It's the world we live in,» she sighed. The centre of Paris is set to be locked down by 45,000 police and gendarmes, 10,000 soldiers, and around 22,000 private security guards on Friday evening. The sound of helicopters, sirens, and the ever-present sight of police officers in recent days has given the impression of a capital under siege, hinting at unseen threats in a city that has known numerous attacks over the past decade. «I hope the games will go well, but I am a bit worried because the world is on fire right now,» Sonia Jacob, a 42-year-old mother of three, told AFP in the northeastern 20th district. - Grumbling - The security measures and the vast scale of the opening ceremony -- nearly 7,000 athletes will sail six kilometres (four miles) down the Seine -- have tested the patience and tolerance of many locals. Most of the bridges and the river banks have been out of bounds for a week and more than 40,000 metal barriers erected along the sailing route have left some residents feeling like they are living behind bars in a zoo. Restaurants and shop owners are complaining about the impact on their businesses. The city's famously grumpy taxi drivers are on the verge of despair about the traffic and a lack of customers. And in wealthy areas, many residents let their feelings about the Games known weeks ago by leaving town for holidays. «It's hard for Parisians at the moment. Crossing the city is a real nightmare,» Jaime Castellanos, a 67-year-old painter, told AFP as he finished his shopping in southwest Paris, a short walk from the Seine. «But in terms of the image of France, I think it'll be positive.» - 'Excitement building' - There are gathering signs that after all the grumbling and the complaining this year, all the suspense and performance anxiety ahead of the start, that the city might finally be getting ready to party. Organisers have constantly stressed that pre-Olympics discontent is predictable and customary. It was the same for the Games in Sydney in 2000 and in London in 2012, they say -- both of which are now fondly remembered by locals there. Emelie Harvey, a 26-year-old who works as a florist in the 15th district of the capital, said she was indifferent about the Games until the torch relay came past her boutique at the start of the month. «You can feel there's excitement building. People love criticising the country, complaining, but I think we're going to make it a success,» she told AFP. «For us young people, it's the first time we've had a major sports event like this.» Jeanne Farret, a 47-year-old French teacher, said she had become accustomed to living with the threat of attacks and would not let it spoil her enjoyment. «I'm definitely concerned about the risk of terrorism, but no more so than in the past ten years or so,» she said. In a TV interview this week, President Emmanuel Macron urged Parisians to stay upbeat. «All of us will see from Friday why it was worth the bother,» he promised. © Agence France-Presse

Typhoon Gaemi made landfall on Taiwan's eastern coast in the early hours of Thursday, after unleashing torrential rainfall and whipping winds across the island that left two people dead. On its path to Taiwan, Gaemi had also exacerbated seasonal rains in nearby Philippines, triggering flooding and landslides that killed six. The superstorm hit Taiwan's eastern Yilan County at around 12:00 am local time Thursday (1600 GMT Wednesday), said the Central Weather Administration. «Wind and rain continue to intensify, posing a threat to various parts of Taiwan, (and its outlying islands of) Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu,» it said, calling on the public to «be on high alert». The first typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan this year, Gaemi was «expected to be the strongest» one in eight years, a government forecaster told AFP. It had caused downpours and strong gusts across Taiwan before its arrival, killing one motorist in southern Kaohsiung city who was crushed by a falling tree, and a woman in eastern Hualien, authorities said. More than 200 people were injured by Wednesday evening, while more than 290,000 homes were plunged into darkness due to power outages, disaster officials said. The weather also forced the self-ruled island to cancel some of its annual Han Kuang war games -- which test preparedness for a Chinese invasion -- though an anti-landing drill went ahead as scheduled on Wednesday morning on Penghu, west of Taiwan's main island. By 8:00 pm (1200 GMT) on Wednesday, authorities had evacuated more than 8,000 people living in precarious conditions across Taiwan, particularly in Hualien -- a mountainous area with a high risk of landslides. Trains and ferry services were suspended and hundreds of international and domestic flights were cancelled on Wednesday. «We expect that the impact of the typhoon will be extended to four days (until Friday),» said Taiwan's Central Weather Administration chief Cheng Jia-ping. Schools and offices will remain closed for the second day in a row in several cities -- including Taipei -- with authorities expecting adverse weather to continue across the island. Gaemi is expected to make its way across the strait later today and hit China's eastern Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, where authorities have issued a red storm alert. - 'Exercise strong vigilance' - Gaemi swept past the Philippines, intensifying monsoons that were typical this time of the year and triggering widespread flooding in Manila that turned streets into rivers. Landslides killed six in provinces surrounding Manila, police and disaster officials said. Weather authorities in Japan's southern island region of Okinawa urged residents to «exercise strong vigilance» against storms, high waves and floods. Massive waves crashed ashore in Taiwan's northeastern Yilan county, while strong gusts whipped the rain sideways and sent signs flying. A fisher surnamed Hsu tied down his boat at a typhoon shelter in a harbour crowded with docked vessels. «I am worried about the typhoon -- the boats are my tool for making money,» he told AFP. Government offices were closed and streets emptied in the capital Taipei, while some stores had their entrances sandbagged to prevent potential floodwater. Taiwanese chip giant TSMC, the world's largest chipmaker, said it would maintain normal production and that it had «activated routine typhoon alert preparation procedures» at all fabrication plants. Taiwan is accustomed to frequent tropical storms from July to October but experts say climate change has increased their intensity, leading to heavy rains, flash floods and strong gusts. © Agence France-Presse  

Humanitarian agencies were scrambling Tuesday to send desperately needed aid to a remote area of southern Ethiopia where a landslide has killed more than 200 people in the deadliest such disaster recorded in the Horn of Africa nation. Crowds gathered at the site of the tragedy in an isolated and mountainous area of South Ethiopia regional state as residents used shovels or their bare hands to dig through mounds of red dirt in the hunt for victims and survivors, according to images posted by the local authority. So far, 148 men and 81 women are confirmed to have died after the disaster struck on Monday in the Kencho-Shacha locality in the Gofa Zone, the local Communications Affairs Department said. Images published on social media by the Gofa authority showed residents carrying bodies on makeshift stretchers, some wrapped in plastic sheeting. Five people had been pulled alive from the mud and were receiving treatment at medical facilities, the government-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation reported earlier. It quoted local administrator Dagemawi Ayele as saying that most of the victims were buried after they went to help local residents hit by a first landslide following heavy rains. Dagemawi said that among the victims were the locality's administrator as well as teachers, health professionals and agricultural professionals. The UN's humanitarian response agency OCHA said more than 14,000 people had been affected in the hard-to-access area, which is roughly 450 kilometres (270 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa, about a 10-hour drive. It said support for those affected was mostly being shouldered by the local community but some initial relief items had been sent by federal and regional authorities and local partners, including four trucks of supplies dispatched by the Ethiopian Red Cross for 500 households. «Agencies are ready to deliver critical supplies, including food, medical items, and water, sanitation and hygiene support,» OCHA said, adding that agencies would be assessing the scale of the impact of the tragedy, including displacement and damage to livelihoods. Ethiopia, the second most populous country in Africa with around 120 million people, is highly vulnerable to climate disasters including flooding and drought. - 'Landslide engulfed them' - «I am deeply saddened by this terrible loss,» Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on X. «Following the accident, the Federal Disaster Prevention Task Force has been deployed to the area and is working to reduce the impact of the disaster.» World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is Ethiopian, sent a message of condolence on X and said a WHO team was being deployed to support immediate health needs. African Union Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat also posted a statement on X, saying «our hearts and prayers» were with the families of the victims. Firaol Bekele, early warning director at the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC), told AFP that residents had mobilised to try to save lives after four households were initially affected by a mudslide. «But they too perished when the landslide engulfed them,» he said, adding that the commission had sent an emergency team to the area, along with food and other aid for the stricken community. He said there needed to be a «solid assessment and scientific investigation» into the cause of the landslide. «An integrated, study-based solution is needed to address the risk permanently. This may include relocating the population.» - Seasonal rains cause havoc - OCHA said Tuesday that a similar, but lower-scale landslide had occurred in May in the same area, where more than 50 people had died. Seasonal rains in South Ethiopia state between April and early May had caused flooding, mass displacement and damage to livelihoods and infrastructure, it had said in May. «This isn't the first time this type of disaster has happened,» said an Ethiopian refugee living in Kenya who is from a district located near the site. «Last year in a similar disaster more than 20 people were killed and before that almost every rainy season people die because of landslides and heavy rains in that area.» In another incident in 2017, at least 113 people died when a mountain of garbage collapsed in a dump in the outskirts of Addis Ababa. The deadliest landslide in Africa was in Sierra Leone's capital in Freetown in August 2017, when 1,141 people perished. Mudslides in the Mount Elgon region of eastern Uganda killed more than 350 people in February 2010. © Agence France-Presse

For the first time in 48 years, a woman was the parade commander at the National Day Parade in Seychelles. Major Daina Woodcock from the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) was at the helm of the parade on June 29 this year. The parade, usually held every year since the country gained independence in 1976, did not take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Woodcock, a medical doctor, has made history twice. Four years ago, in March 2020, she made history for the first time by becoming the first Seychellois military medical officer in the army. Currently the only woman with the rank of major in the SDF, Woodcock said that she will «use her achievements to inspire other young women. She explained that her leading the parade can be described as a »rite of passage,« which she is proud of. Woodcock joined the army in 2010. Following infantry training, she left for her studies in Morocco to become a doctor at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat of the Royal School of the Military Health Service. After 8 years, on March 9, 2020, she took her Hippocratic Oath in Rabat. In December last year, Woodcock - then a Captain - was among 14 officers from the Seychelles Defence Forces who were promoted by the President of Seychelles and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Wavel Ramkalawan. Their promotions and commissions were given based on merit, expertise, and the exceptional leadership roles that they showed. In a special meeting recently the Minister for Youth Sports and Family, Marie-Celine Zialor, congratulated and commended Woodcock on her impressive achievement and told her that such a feat should not be undermined. »You now carry a torch for many women,« said Zialor, whose ministry holds the gender portfolio. »Your name will go down in history as you achieved something remarkable in a male-dominated field,« said Zialor. Woodcock met with Minister Zialor.  (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY  The minister has invited the army official to join her ministry's efforts and programme to empower and inspire young women to a more positive way of life. Zialor added that there are too many cases of violence against women that something must be done. Woodcock accepted the invitation, adding that she is »looking forward to working with the community and other young women to inspire them to better themselves for a better tomorrow." Woodcock, who currently manages the peripheral clinic at the Seychelles Defence Forces, said her 14-year journey has not been easy. Often, she has had to work twice as hard to prove herself, but she has remained focused and determined to rise above challenges in the pursuit of her dream. The major is also encouraging young women with the right skills and attitude to join the forces, which she said offers many opportunities, including leadership ones. This year's military parade took place along Constitution Avenue in the capital city of Victoria and consisted of 25 platoons of local and foreign military forces. The local platoons also included the Seychelles Police Force, the Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency and youth organisations affiliated with the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC). 

The Seychelles' Cabinet of Ministers has approved the implementation of the National Addressing System (NAS) to provide a standardised, accurate, and efficient addressing framework to improve service delivery. In a cabinet decisions press briefing on Thursday, Vice President Ahmed Afif said that Seychelles, unlike other countries, does not have a postal code, which is a combination of numbers and letters that helps postal departments and courier services determine the exact place and region where postal mail must be delivered. «Today many people do e-commerce transactions and things are ordered online. All courier and postal companies making the deliveries are asking that they know exactly where the products are going because part of their services is door-to-door deliveries. So when you give an address which is not precise example there is no number they will say they are sending couriers to a place where there is no standard in terms of addresses,» said Afif. He added that the government is introducing the standard and what this means is that there will be a postal code to indicate the district, sub-district, a specific zone in the sub-district. «The standard will be called S42, one that many countries have adopted. So all places in Seychelles will have a four-digit code. When Seychelles adopts the standard, all courier companies will know that when they send something to Seychelles, they will know where the products will be going,» said the Vice President. Afif explained that deliveries will reach individuals' homes because the Seychelles Postal System will have an internal system to to identify individual houses.   «Each house will have a number and the postman will be able to identify your house when this is introduced. An app will also be introduced to link with our Geographical Information System (GIS), which will show where a person's house is,» he added. 

The Red Cross Society of Seychelles (RCSS) has launched an appeal for assistance following the CCCL quarry company explosion on December 7, 2023, in which its headquarters was damaged.  The secretary general of RCSS, Marie-May Esparon, told reporters that over the past seven months, they have not been able to do a comprehensive renovation on the building. She explained that this was mainly due to a lack of resources and the fact that they needed to allocate what they had to people in more urgent need. «Our building is in the same state it was seven months ago, we have removed some of the larger debris. Our windows are still smashed and one of our warehouse doors is still blocked. We had to get someone to break one of the doors to access food for distribution. Our first aid kits are damaged and so are our computers. MCB (Mauritius Commercial Bank) gave us three laptops to use at the time and this is what we are using still,» Esparon explained. She said there is also a psychological aspect associated with the challenge they are facing today. «We want to fix our building. Currently, it is not conducive for our staff, especially those who were present during the explosion. Today, we are still dealing with the aftershocks of the incident because we are reminded of it daily. We have not even decided how we will move forward, especially in terms of psychological support. We have staff who have expressed their concerns,» added Esparon. Bastienne showing the damages during the visit of Steve Recca, adviser for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief initiatives, accompanied by the U.S. Charge d'Affaires for Seychelles, Adham Loufti. (Seychelles News Agency)  Photo License: CC-BY  She said that RCSS has tried to make some repairs as best it can with the limited resources but even when it rains, «the water reaches our ankles because it accumulates inside. This is the state of our building. Whoever wants to come forward to assist is welcome to do so. We also still need food donations for people in need, because apart from the explosion there are also other cases of people who need assistance and services.»    Esparon emphasised that although their building is in such a state of disrepair, they intend to continue assisting people in need who depend on the Red Cross. «We've never stopped working and giving assistance to people. When the explosion happened, we were among the first at the scene and today we are still working. From this incident, we discovered a number of social cases that we referred to ASP (Agency for Social Protection). This is why we stress the importance of continued support after disasters. These services and follow-ups are also important for people to get back on their feet. There are also assessments that we have to do,» said Esparon. She pointed out that an attempt to relocate was made but this has proven to be even more challenging due to a shortage of funds and «in the meantime, while we figure how to fix the building, we want to move, but this has been difficult. We have tried looking for somewhere else but either these places are not available or they are too expensive for us.» She confirmed that so far, they have a partner who has come forward to help them, however, they are also asking others to come forward if they can, due to the extent of the damage. Esparon said that in the meantime the Red Cross would continue to fulfil its duty and «even if our building is in this state, our priority is the people that we are assisting. They need this help and we will continue to give it until it is not needed.»

The first-ever Seychellois female Commissioner of Prison in Seychelles, Janet Georges, who took office on Tuesday, said she is ready to help society by reintegrating inmates after they have served their time in prison. Georges met with President Wavel Ramkalawan who appointed her to replace Raymond St Ange, who occupied the position, as of July 23. The Seychelles Prison Services include the main prison facility at Montagne Posee and the Bois De Rose Detention Remand Facility, both located on the main island of Mahe. Georges told reporters that her appointment is an honour and «she is not just looking at the position and the fact that I am the first woman to get it, but I am looking at it as I can work for my country, as the prisons services require much work.» Ramkalawan said, «With the level of discipline she has exhibited in sports and on the force, I am sure that she will be a capable Commissioner of Prisons.» George is a well-known athlete in weightlifting in Seychelles and on the international scene. She won a bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, and four years later she grabbed a silver in Delhi, India. She has won the Seychelles' Sportswoman of the Year several times. Before assuming the position, Georges was a police officer working with the Prisons Services management team and officers for five months. «We already have a strategic plan that we are working on so we know that our vision and mission tell us to work mainly in rehabilitation,» she revealed. For the rehabilitation programme, she explained that «as long as there are people who want to come forward and help inmates, this strategy will work since our door is always open.» This will also include the strategy of restorative justice - where the victims meet the offenders. «Sometimes people act in anger and end up in prison, or there are times that they are in prison they feel like asking forgiveness from the person they have wronged,» she explained. The Prisons Services personnel will attend training sessions to get properly acquainted with the new strategy. Other facilities soon to be commissioned are high security prisons at Bonne Espoir on Mahe and another on the island of Marie Louise. The Seychelles government is funding the facility at Bon Espoir at SCR 8.7 million ($645,000) for the first phase which will include an administration block, a clinic, and the first block of 40 cells, which are expected to be completed in December of this year. «Then we will be able to build workshops and create places with enough space to allow the inmates to rehabilitate themselves,» said Georges. Georges joined the police force in 1998 and left the force for her latest appointment after reaching the Assistant Superintendent of Police level.