Kamala Harris on Thursday accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, telling a roaring crowd of supporters that she would chart «a new way forward.» «On behalf of the people, on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender or the language your grandmother speaks... I accept your nomination,» the vice president said. Acknowledging that not all people listening were supporters, Harris said the November election against Donald Trump is «a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past, a chance to chart a new way forward -- not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.» «I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations,» she said. «The future is always worth fighting for. And that's the fight we are in right now. A fight for America's future.» © Agence France-Presse

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday, a historic visit in which he is expected to push a settlement to end the war with Russia. Modi is casting himself as a possible peacemaker, two and a half years after Russia invaded and weeks into a major Ukrainian counter-offensive into Russian territory. «No problem can be resolved on a battlefield,» Modi said ahead of his visit, adding that India supports «dialogue and diplomacy for restoration of peace and stability as soon as possible». He is the first Indian premier to visit Ukraine. A diplomatic breakthrough between Moscow and Kyiv looks more elusive than ever following Ukraine's shock offensive into Russia's western Kursk region. It is also unclear whether Modi himself could be an effective dealmaker, seen by many in Ukraine as too close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He recently drew fresh condemnation in Kyiv for hugging the Russian leader during a visit to Moscow in July. Modi said he planned to «share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict» with Zelensky, as well as discuss «deepening the India-Ukraine friendship». He was in Poland on Thursday before departing for Ukraine. «As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region,» Modi said on social media ahead of the visit. Zelensky has said that «a number of documents are also expected to be signed» during the meeting with Modi. - Indian diplomacy - While India has historically warm ties with Russia, it also courts closer security partnerships with Western nations as a bulwark against its regional rival China. New Delhi has avoided explicit condemnation of Russia's 2022 invasion and has abstained on UN resolutions that criticise the Kremlin, instead urging both sides to resolve their differences through direct dialogue. But a peace deal now appears further away than ever before. Ukraine in 2022 passed a decree ruling out direct talks with Putin, and Moscow recently said it would not countenance talks with Kyiv amid its surprise counter-offensive on Russia's Western Kursk region. Putin earlier this year demanded Kyiv withdraw its troops from four Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed -- despite not having full control over them -- as a precondition to negotiations. Kyiv says any temporary pause in the fighting would only give Moscow time to regroup and rearm for a future attack. Modi's previous diplomatic forays have drawn condemnation from Kyiv. His visit to Moscow in July came hours after a Russian missile attack hit a children's hospital in Kyiv, one strike in a nationwide missile barrage that killed at least 39 people. Modi was pictured hugging Putin at his country residence during that trip. India has also been accused of profiting from Russia's invasion. Cut-off from Western markets, Russia has become a major supplier of low-priced crude oil to India. That arrangement has dramatically reconfigured their economic ties, saving India billions on fuel while drawing accusations from the West of bolstering Moscow's war coffers. The two countries' close links date back to the Cold War, when the Kremlin was a key arms provider. But ties have also been strained over the conflict, with Putin in 2022 publicly acknowledging that Modi had «concerns» over Russia's invasion. More recently they have clashed over allegations Indian citizens were duped into fighting with Russian soldiers on the frontlines. New Delhi has pushed Moscow to return several of its citizens who signed up for «support jobs» with the Russian military but were later sent into combat. At least five Indian fighters have been killed in the war. © Agence France-Presse

A moratorium imposed in Seychelles in August 2023 on the importation and chartering of longline fishing vessels for use in the semi-industrial tuna fishery has been extended to mid-2026.   The announcement was made by Vice President Ahmed Afif in a cabinet decision press briefing on Thursday. The Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday approved the two-year extension of the moratorium following a detailed review of the sector's sustainability and management challenges. Afif said that according to the Seychelles Fisheries Authority (SFA) in the past two years, the vessels in that sector are not being used that much for the simple reason that there are fewer fish. He said vessels are now spending 10 to 15 percent more time at sea and coming back with 10 to 15 percent less fish. «What SFA is telling us is that the situation has not changed. However, those who started building and investing in new boats before the moratorium last year are allowed to have their boats. We will not give permits for new boats to be built or new financing for boats from now for the next two years,» the Vice President emphasised.   The Cabinet made the decision in response to the findings from a recent memorandum, which highlighted persistent issues such as misreporting of fishing statistics, reliance on foreign crews, limited infrastructure capacity, and the increasing threat of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The moratorium will allow time for the development of comprehensive policies and strategies to ensure the long-term sustainable growth of Seychelles' small-scale longline fishery, including the finalisation of a national plan for fleet capacity management and local employment incentives. Afif said, «The two years will allow SFA to work with all partners including scientists to establish what will be the tendencies, and in 2026, SFA can review the situation and take a decision then.» He added that the moratorium will help the industry and those who have already invested in this sector with all those offering a service to the industry.  Fisheries is the second top contributor to the economy of Seychelles, a group of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean. Additionally, the Cabinet approved the processing of 23 pending import authorisations for vessels, subject to stringent conditions and oversight by the SFA. 

A business incubation centre will be established in Seychelles next year through a virtual signing of a memorandum of understanding between the COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) Seychelles Chapter and the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI). The agreement, signed on Wednesday, proposes a partnership to deliver business incubation and apprenticeship programme for young men and women across Seychelles. COMFWB Seychelles will front the youths and women-led enterprises for mentorship. KIRDI on the other hand will bring on board its expertise in product development, product standard certification, and quality and further leverage current partnerships to better the capacity of SMSEs in Seychelles. The chairperson of the COMFWB Seychelles Chapter, Claudette Albert, said, «This is a milestone for us, in terms of capacity building we will be able to develop our support and incubation programme by next year. We are already providing some training programmes for incubation such as the project to develop products from fish skin.» Albert shared that the «MOU will help us with expertise from Kenya where they can support us with training. Furthermore, while we wait for our centre to be built, we can also send entrepreneurs interested to Kenya where they can follow different training on a paying basis.» Seychelles COMFWB is also being assisted by the Citizenship Engagement Platform Seychelles (CEPS). The chief executive of CEPS, Alvin Laurence, said they agreed to build the Incubation Centre on the same land next to the CEPS House on the man-made island of Ile du Port. «There is already a plan to build the CEPS House and it includes an environmental and economic component. This lab will be built as the first incubation centre and will answer these components. Entrepreneurs will be able to gain access to equipment and space without needing major installation costs initially,» said Laurence. «The CEPS House itself is already in an advanced phase and we expect to begin before the end of this year. The property is located just after the Trotters Stop School at Ile du Port.» Albert confirmed that the building will be modular to speed up the building time. She added that they are also receiving assistance from several other donors for other components related to the project. «The European Union is helping with the equipment needed at SCR2 million ($142,000). COMESA (Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa) is also helping support the project through the technical assistance programme,» she added.  She confirmed that they expect to establish a separate incubator to deal specifically with Blue Economy projects under the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). Seychelles will be the first in the Business Incubator for African Woman Entrepreneurs (BIAWE) group in the region to implement such a project. Signing the agreement on behalf of KIRDI, the director general of KIRDI, Dr Calvin Onyango said, «We as KIRDI are ready and willing to transfer skills and technologies to others to boost their SME profile and productivity.»

The Israeli military killed a senior Palestinian militant in Lebanon on Wednesday, leading to accusations from the Fatah movement that Israel was trying to ignite a regional war. The strike that killed Khalil Maqdah, described by Fatah as «one of the leaders» of its armed wing in Lebanon, came hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended a tour of the Middle East aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and «made clear that we must bring the ceasefire and hostage release deal to closure,» the president wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Fatah, which is based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and rivals the Gaza Strip's Islamist rulers Hamas, said Maqdah was killed near the southern Lebanese city of Sidon. Israel accused him of «directing attacks and smuggling weapons» to the West Bank and collaborating with Iranian forces. His killing marked the first time Israel has targeted a senior Fatah member in more than 10 months of cross-border clashes with Lebanese militants, mostly from Hezbollah, during the Gaza war. Tawfiq Tirawy, a member of Fatah's central committee, told AFP that the «assassination... is further proof that Israel wants to ignite a full-scale war in the region». Blinken, who left Qatar late Tuesday apparently empty-handed, appealed to Hamas to urgently accept a US-drafted truce proposal, while also publicly disagreeing with Israel over its future presence in the besieged Gaza Strip. «Time is of the essence,» Blinken said before flying out of Doha after stops in Egypt and Israel. A ceasefire «needs to get done, and it needs to get done in the days ahead,» he said. - Father mourns - On the ground, Gaza was again rocked by air strikes, according to AFP reporters, first responders, witnesses and the Israeli military, which also issued fresh evacuation orders. The civil defence agency in the Hamas-run territory said at least three people were killed and 10 children wounded in an Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City. Israel's military said the «precise strike» targeted Hamas militants based in the school compound. A father told AFP his child was killed in the strike while playing in the schoolyard. «What did this child do to deserve this?» he said, declining to give his name. Israeli bombardment elsewhere in Gaza killed at least 24 people on Wednesday, the civil defence agency said. Israel and Hamas have blamed each other for delays in agreeing a deal to end fighting, triggered by Hamas's October 7 attack, as well as freeing Israeli hostages and allowing vital humanitarian aid into Gaza. The United States has presented ideas to bridge gaps and, through mediators Qatar and Egypt, pressed Hamas to return to talks this week in Cairo. But a day after Blinken said US ally Israel was on board, Netanyahu was quoted by Israeli media as disagreeing on a key sticking point. Netanyahu insisted Israel maintain control of the Philadelphi Corridor, the border between Gaza and Egypt that Israeli forces seized from Hamas, which Israel says relies on tunnels to bring in weapons. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant toured Philadelphi on Wednesday, his office said. Since the war began, it was made «very clear that the United States does not accept any long-term occupation of Gaza by Israel», Blinken said when asked about Netanyahu's remarks. But he added that Israel had already agreed on the «schedule and location» of troop withdrawals from Gaza in the talks. Details have not been made public. Hamas said it was «keen to reach a ceasefire» but protested «new conditions» from Israel in the latest US proposal. - 'Bring them all back' - The October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,199 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed 40,223 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, which does not give details of civilian and militant deaths. The UN rights office says most dead are women and children. Palestinian militants also seized 251 hostages, of whom 105 remain in Gaza including 34 the military says are dead. The military's latest evacuation orders, including for parts of central and southern Gaza previously designated «safe» by Israel, affect some 150,000 displaced Palestinians who had sought shelter there, the United Nations' humanitarian agency OCHA said. A UN official said death «seems to be the only certainty» for Gaza's 2.4 million people, with no way to escape Israel's bombardment. «Absolutely nowhere is safe,» Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), told AFP from Gaza. In Lebanon, Hamas ally Hezbollah claimed attacks on Israeli military positions across the border including in the annexed Golan Heights, after several Israeli strikes that the health ministry said had killed five people. Fears of a wider regional conflagration soared after the late July killings, blamed on Israel, of Iran-aligned militant leaders in Tehran and in Beirut. Netanyahu, at an airbase in northern Israel, said «we are ready for any scenario.» Mourners meanwhile gathered in southern Israel to bury one of six dead hostages recovered from Gaza by Israeli forces this week. Yagev Buchshtab's mother Esther, echoing calls for Netanyahu to secure a hostage release deal, said: «In what world must families beg, scream and cry for the return of their loved ones, alive or murdered? Bring them all back.» © Agence France-Presse

Divers searching for six people missing after a superyacht sank off Sicily, including UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch, on Wednesday pulled four bodies from the wreck and reportedly found a fifth. The grim development, after three days of searches since the «Bayesian» went down early on Monday morning, brings the death toll to six -- with one person still missing. There was no official identification of the bodies but Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah are among those missing since the yacht was scuppered in a storm off the Italian island. The 56-metre (185 feet) British-flagged sailing boat had been anchored some 700 metres off Porticello, east of Palermo, when it was struck by a waterspout -- akin to a mini-tornado. It sank within minutes. Fifteen people were rescued, including Lynch's wife and a woman with a one-year-old baby. But the body of a man, believed to be the yacht's chef, was found several hours later. Lynch and his daughter, his lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda, and Jonathan Bloomer, the chair of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife Judy, were all reported missing. AFP journalists in Porticello saw emergency workers moving four body bags from boats returning from the sea into a tent on the quay, or into waiting ambulances. Several different media outlets later said a fifth body had been found but not yet brought to shore. In an update late Wednesday, the coastguard confirmed four bodies had been recovered in an «extremely delicate operation». The depth of the yacht -- which is largely intact and resting on the seabed some 50 metres down -- had been a challenge, it said. It also noted «the narrowness of the spaces they were exploring and the presence of numerous objects». «The operation is continuing for the search and recovery of the last two missing,» it added, a process that would resume on Thursday morning. - Five minutes - Lynch -- an entrepreneur sometimes referred to as Britain's Bill Gates -- had invited the guests onto the yacht to celebrate his acquittal in a massive US fraud case. The 59-year-old was acquitted on all charges in a San Francisco court in June after he was accused of an $11 billion fraud linked to the sale of his software firm Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard. Among the survivors was Charlotte Golunski, board director of a company founded by Lynch, who has described how she briefly lost hold of her one-year-old daughter before grabbing her again. Both were plucked to safety. Fabio Genco, a member of the Palermo Emergency Medical Services who was among the team that treated the child, described the «apocalyptic» situation he found on arriving at the scene. «The word that the mother and all the injured kept repeating was 'darkness', the darkness that they experienced during the shipwreck,» he told the BBC's Newsnight programme. «They spoke of about five minutes, maybe from three to five minutes, from the moment the boat was lifted, raised by the waves of the sea, until it sank.» He said the survivors rescued had been in shock: «There were truly apocalyptic scenes where everyone was searching and hoping to find the people who at that moment, were not present or just missing.» All the survivors treated in hospital have been discharged, he confirmed. - Anarchic sea conditions - The speed with which the yacht sank, and the fact that other boats around it were unaffected, was extraordinary. Despite eyewitness testimonies that the 75-metre mast had snapped, reports on Wednesday suggested that it was intact. Some key questions remain, including whether the keel, which provides a counterbalance to the towering mast, was down when the storm hit. Italian authorities have opened an investigation into what happened and are interviewing all the survivors, including captain James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealander, according to Italian media. The UK's marine accident investigation branch also sent four inspectors. Matthew Schanck, from the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, told AFP what happened was a «pretty unprecedented». UK meteorologist Peter Inness described a waterspout as a «narrow column of rotating air below a thunderstorm that occurs over water». Like tornadoes, they suck up air in a rotating motion. Many are fairly inconsequential, but some can pack winds of more than 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour, said Inness. Jean-Marie Dumon, a former naval officer now with the GICAN, the French maritime industry association, added that conditions with winds of 100kph or more can «create completely anarchic sea conditions which can cause capsizing». © Agence France-Presse

The Seychelles Fisheries Authority (SFA) confirmed that the general quota for yellowfin tuna catch was not reached for the year 2023 after compiling all the information received from active vessels last year. The head of the Department for Fisheries Resource Management and Technical Coordination at SFA, Vincent Lucas, told SNA that a quota of 37,782 tonnes was allocated to Seychelles for 2023. Only 34,028 tonnes were consumed by the various fleets, which include purse seine, industrial and semi-industrial longline fishers, making Seychelles short by 3,704 tonnes. This includes the 13 Seychelles-flagged purse seiners and industrial longliners and semi-industrial longliners. «The purse seine fleet is allocated a higher proportion of the quota with an average of 2,500 tonnes per vessel totaling 32,500 tonnes. Out of the 13 purse seiners, only six managed to consume all of their allocated quota for 2023,» he added. Lucas described 2023 as an odd year for fishing given that the effect was felt across various sectors. He explained that temperature changes in the ocean determine where the tuna schools are located. The El Nino effect and other natural phenomena caused the tuna to go deeper in the ocean. «Purse seine fishing operations rely on tuna schools located near the surface of the water. They also rely on a shallow thermocline, a layer in a body of water where the temperature changes rapidly with depth, which prevents tuna schools from diving deep. The El Nino effect, coupled with high sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean, resulted in a deeper thermocline. This effect was particularly prominent in the western Indian Ocean where Seychelles is located. Consequently, tuna schools were deeper and could not be detected by the purse seine fleet which relied on schools near the surface. Catchability in the western Indian Ocean was therefore low,» Lucas explained. He mentioned that such an occurrence is not unheard of, however, its intensity varies whenever it happens depending on different factors, and similar situations were reported in 1998, 2008, 2016, 2020, and now in 2023. «However, across the years the intensity varies. The highest intensity was felt in 1998, when many purse seine vessels moved over to the eastern part of the Indian Ocean, resulting in reduced catch in Seychelles' EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) and reduced revenue for the country. Although to a lesser extent, a 40 percent reduction in catches in Seychelles' EEZ was reported in 2023. It should, however, be noted that 2022 was an exceptional year in terms of tuna catches in Seychelles' EEZ, whereby we recorded a 170 percent increase over 2021,» said Lucas. On the status of the fishing operations so far, he said that while it is still a bit early to confirm, there has been a noted improvement but in the first quarter of 2024, the impact of elevated sea surface temperature was still evident. «However, the situation has gradually improved and we are noticing an increase in catches in quarter 2 and even greater improvement during quarter 3. It is still a bit early to say whether the 2024 quota will be met, however, the improvement is very promising,» said Lucas. Fishing is the second top contributor to the economy of Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean.  

Starting next year, the school curriculum in Seychelles will include a digital skills component, said a top government official on Tuesday after handing over the kits and tools to the team participating in the First Global Robotics Challenge this year. The principal secretary for Education Sector Development, John Lesperance, told reporters that this competition fits the government's plan to promote the digital economy, especially digital skills. «The Ministry of Education is currently developing frameworks and tools that will be used to include this subject in the curriculum in schools at primary and secondary levels next year in 2025. It will be based on digital skills and robotics will be one of the elements taught. There has been a lot of interest already. We've been approached by quite several students who wish to join such a programme,» he explained. Team Seychelles will be participating in the First Global Robotics Challenge held in Athens, Greece, from September 26 to 29. The competition brings together school students of 14-17 years from around the world to participate in a STEM - science, technology, engineering, and mathematics - challenge. It aims to inspire youth to pursue careers in STEM fields, promote cultural exchange, and foster a global community of young innovators who can address global challenges through technology and collaboration. Each year, the competition focuses on a specific theme related to real-world issues, such as energy efficiency, water quality, or pollution. The selection process for the First Global Robotics Challenge 2024 was done on June 11 and 12, and 31 students from state and private schools were part of the selection process. Members of the core team will represent Seychelles at the Challenge, whereas members of the Supporting Team will have the valuable opportunity to assist the team locally in mounting and working on the robot, but will not be travelling for the competition. Members of the team with high level officials. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY  This structure ensures that a broader group of students can engage with and benefit from the project, gaining practical experience and contributing to the success of the core team. The team will be accompanied by a representative from the Ministry of Education and a representative from the Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI).  As the team captain for the core team that will be going to Athens in September, Gabriel Suzette emphasised the advantage of having several students on the team as repeat participants, this being the second time he is also participating. «We have noticed that this is not the case for most other teams, they will be there for the first time. I feel that this is a good advantage for us. I am expecting to perform better than last year where we ranked 37 out of 171 countries. Hopefully this year we will succeed,» he said. Suzette outlined their strategy for the competition this year, stating that they will be optimising their robot to efficiently rack up enough points to make it to the top 10. «One of the tasks the robot needs to complete is picking up different coloured balls. This year we will be focusing on this because you can get quite a bit of points just by collecting the balls. Hopefully, through this, we will be able to get into the top 10,» he added. Team Seychelles received their kit to build their robot on Tuesday and apart from this kit of parts that they have to build into a functioning robot, they were also given several tools that they will need to make this happen. These tools were donated to them by Space 95 and in her address, the company's sales and marketing manager, Ana-Maria Suzette said, «Today we are not just handing over a set of tools, we are handing over a key to unlocking your potential and facilitating the transformation of your ideas into reality. In addition to the tools needed to construct the robot, we are also providing the protective gear needed to ensure the safety of the team while working with these tools. Space 95 will also offer training to show how to use the tools effectively.»

The United Nations expressed concern on Tuesday about the rapid deterioration of the economic and security situation in Libya, denouncing the «unilateral» moves by Libyan actors that have «increased tension.» The country of 6.8 million people has struggled to recover from years of conflict after the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, and remains divided between a UN-recognised government based in the capital Tripoli and a rival administration in the east, backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar. Now, reemerging bloodshed and power struggles in the vast North African nation have raised fears of a broader escalation, threatening to deal a fatal blow to the UN-brokered political transition and push the war-torn country deeper into turmoil. «Over the past two months, the situation in Libya has deteriorated quite rapidly in terms of political, economic and security stability,» Stephanie Koury, acting head of the UN's political mission in Libya (UNSMIL), told the Security Council. «Unilateral acts by Libyan political, military and security actors have increased tension, further entrenched institutional and political divisions and complicated efforts for a negotiated political solution,» she added. She cited a number of events since the beginning of August, including fighting between armed groups on the outskirts of Tripoli and attempts to forcibly expel the governor of the central bank. The American diplomat is acting head of UNSMIL pending the appointment of a successor to Abdoulaye Bathily, who threw in the towel in April, condemning a «lack of political will and good faith» by Libyan leaders. «In the absence of renewed political talks leading to a unified government and elections, you see where this is heading: greater political, financial and security instability, entrenched political and territorial divisions, and greater domestic and regional instability,» warned Koury. «Libyans are frustrated with the status quo and the toll it is taking on their lives. People struggle to withdraw money from the banks and to meet their daily needs. Many express fear about war once again erupting,» she said. © Agence France-Presse

Several local entities are attending a four-day workshop to develop comprehensive witness protection guidelines consistent with national laws, regional and international legal frameworks, and best practices. The workshop opened in a short ceremony on Tuesday at the Reflex3 at Bois De Rose Avenue. It is organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Regional Office for Eastern Africa (ROEA), in coordination with the Seychelles Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Secretariat. Over four days, participants will enhance their capacity and knowledge of human-rights-based approaches to witness protection. The workshop features representatives of immigration, employment, education, foreign affairs, social services, the Anti-Corruption Commission of Seychelles (ACCS), and the Financial Crimes Investigation Unit (FCIU), among others.   The workshop is facilitated and led by UNODC staff and experts from the International Criminal Court (ICC). During the opening ceremony, the UNODC representative, Carmen Corbin, said having a good witness protection programme is key to encouraging people to come forward and report crimes. She highlighted that it is so important to have mechanisms that support witnesses throughout the legal process because they are not lawyers or police officers, who are directly involved in the criminal justice system. «It is so important that we have standards protocols and rules to support those people to allow them to feel safe in the criminal justice system and to help us build our cases,» added Corbin. She said the workshop is very important, as it will allow participants to build knowledge and share ideas, so that witnesses will feel safe to come forward, to help stop various crimes from happening in Seychelles, especially those related to human trafficking. The Minister for Internal Affairs, Errol Fonseka, said that this initiative is timely in Seychelles' collective efforts to enhance justice and ensure the safety of those who play a crucial role in our legal processes. «The development of these witness protection guidelines is of paramount importance for Seychelles. Witnesses play a pivotal role in the justice system by providing crucial information and testimony that help uphold the rule of law and combat all sorts of crime. Protecting these individuals is not just a matter of safety; it is essential for the integrity of our legal processes and the trust our citizens place in the justice system,» he said.   Fonseka stressed that the benefits to Seychelles are profound and that «we will not only enhance the safety and well-being of witnesses but also reinforce our commitment to upholding justice and human rights. This initiative will contribute to a more resilient legal framework, capable of addressing the complexities of modern challenges while adhering to the highest standards of protection and fairness.» He added that strengthening witness protection will bolster Seychelles' capacity to combat organised crime, trafficking in persons, and other serious offences. It will also enforce the country's commitment to human rights and the rule of law, fostering a safer and more just society for all, he concluded. The workshop is being organised within the framework of the UNODC project on «Enhancing Effective and Victim-Centered Criminal Justice Responses to Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in Eastern Africa» and is funded by the U.S. Department of State. It aims to reduce Trafficking In Person in Eastern Africa by enhancing the strategic and operational capacity of member states to prevent, suppress, and punish TIP. It will help to effectively protect and support victims through the development and strengthening of national legislation, standardised operating procedures, and national plans of action in line with the Palermo Protocols. 

Key players in the cruise tourism sector in Seychelles are meeting the representatives of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) until Thursday to provide input to a study being carried out to understand the cruise sector. The project aims to evaluate the cost-benefit aspects of this burgeoning cruise tourism sector in Seychelles and following the situational analysis conducted by UNECA delegates in April, the consultants have compiled a preliminary analysis report based on their findings. «This is the chance to present the information gathered in April to the partners to get their feedback,» said Paul Lebon, director general for Destination Planning and Development in the Department of Tourism. The information collected in the situational analysis held in April was presented to the stakeholders in the workshop held at the Olympic House at Roche Caiman. At the time of the initial study, UNECA representatives collected data to analyse on a socio-cultural, environmental and economic basis. Among the areas highlighted are market trends and forecasts, current policies affecting the cruise sector in Seychelles and policy updates and future directions. The sector's important stakeholders such as destination management companies (DMC), shipping agencies and the Seychelles Ports Authority, were given a platform to not only provide feedback but to also make realistic comparisons of the statistics and the data collected as well as determine areas that there is lack of information. Lebon revealed that once the consultation phase is completed, the UNECA team will go back to work on the new information they have collected during the workshop, to draft a plan. «In a few months we will have a plan that will be validated and authenticated which will lead us towards having an action plan after which we can develop a strategy, » he said. However, Lebon explained that before the strategy is developed, there will be a series of surveys carried out. He added that once UNECA completes the study will put the island state «in a better position to know who does what in the scheme of things and who will lead to achieve our objectives.» The data being used dates back to 2019 and Lebon said, «The statistics reflect a time when cruise tourism was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic - this was a time of quarantine on board vessels and a time when cruise ships were not coming into the country.» He added that the chosen year provides a good starting point because cruises experienced a good year back then. On his part, UNECA consultant Dr. Pius Obunga said that the cruise industry in Seychelles is «positive, I would say it contributes to the economy, but we need to minimise the costs and maximise the profits as we move on.» For its 2022-2023 cruise season, Seychelles - an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean - welcomed 38 vessels with around 68,000 visitors.

Chinese and Philippine vessels «collided» Monday during a confrontation near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, Beijing's state media said, citing the Chinese coast guard. «Despite multiple warnings from the Chinese side, the Philippine vessel 4410 deliberately collided with China's 21551 vessel,» state broadcaster CCTV said, citing China Coast Guard spokesperson Geng Yu. Beijing has continued to press its claims to almost the entire South China Sea despite an international tribunal ruling that its assertion has no legal basis. China and the Philippines have had repeated confrontations in the South China Sea in recent months, including around a warship grounded years ago by Manila on the contested Second Thomas Shoal that now hosts a garrison. «Philippine Coast Guard vessels... illegally entered the waters near the Xianbin Reef in the Nansha Islands without permission from the Chinese government,» the CCTV report said, using the Chinese names for the Sabina Shoal and the Spratly Islands. «The China Coast Guard took control measures against the Philippine vessels in accordance with the law.» China accused the Philippine vessels of acting «in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a glancing collision». «We sternly warn the Philippine side to immediately cease its infringement and provocations,» Geng was quoted as saying. State news agency Xinhua reported that the incident took place at 3:24 am local time (1924 GMT Sunday). It also said the Philippine coast guard ship had then entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal around 6 am. © Agence France-Presse

Nigeria's president headed to France on Monday dogged by a row over jet planes impounded by a French court in a dispute pitting Abuja against a Chinese company. An airport source told AFP that Bola Ahmed Tinubu was flying on the presidential Airbus A330 -- which until a few days ago was impounded by a court in France. The plane was one of three seized on behalf of Chinese company Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment as part of a long-running trade and legal dispute between the firm and authorities in Nigeria. But on Friday, Zhongshan said it had released the jet as a goodwill gesture. Online flight tracker Flight Radar 24 showed an Airbus A330 operated by the Nigerian Air Force left the capital Abuja shortly after 4:00 pm (1500 GMT) for the southern French city Nice. President Tinubu was making a «brief work stay in France,» his spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said in a statement, without specifying which plane he was travelling on. French President Emmanuel Macron is also in the south of France this week. The Elysee palace told AFP no meeting was planned between the two leaders. The original row between Nigerian authorities and the Chinese company concerns a 2007 contract for Zhongshan to develop a free trade zone in southwestern Ogun state. Nigerian officials said it was terminated because Zhongshan had not delivered on the agreement. «When the contract with Ogun State was revoked in 2015, the company had only erected a perimeter fence on the land earmarked for a free trade zone,» presidential adviser Bayo Onanuga said. In a strongly-worded statement last week, he accused the company of using «unorthodox means to strip our offshore assets.» Zhongshan secured two French court orders to seize Nigerian assets earlier this year following an award of more than $60 million at a London arbitration tribunal. In a statement carried by Nigerian newspapers, Zhongshan said: «Far from being just a fence, the Ogun Free Trade Zone was featured as a significant international investment by the Economist Intelligence Unit,» a research group. The company has said it hopes to reach a «reasonable compromise settlement rapidly», according to Nigerian media. Tinubu often visits France and made a private visit earlier this year. The Nigerian presidency has not responded to AFP's request for comment. © Agence France-Presse

Climate-smart farming education in Seychelles has received a long-awaited and overdue boost with the installation of the first hydroponic smart-farming system at the Seychelles Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture (SIAH). The new infrastructure will serve as a practical demonstration site for climate-smart agriculture for learners at the institute and will facilitate educational workshops for other established farmers, advancing critical knowledge and skills for sustainable farming practices. The system, installed under a greenhouse, which materialised after training, is expected to strengthen Seychelles' food system resilience through sustainable practices and climate-smart agriculture in the archipelago in the western Indian Ocean.  The project was made possible through collaborations and support from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Programme of the UNDP, UN Women, the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the joint programme of the government of Seychelles, Global Environment Facility (SEF) and UNDP, known as «A Ridge to Reef (R2R) Approach for the Integrated Management of Marine, Coastal, and Terrestrial Ecosystems in Seychelles,» as well as the agriculture department of the Ministry for Agriculture, Climate Change, and Environment. Barry Nourrice, the technical consultant overseeing the installation of the greenhouse, equipment and hydroponic system installation spoke on the need and importance for Seychelles to adopt climate-smart farming. «Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants or crops without the need for soil and instead growing your plants in aqueous media. Through the training, we found it essential to provide the trainees with basic knowledge of the technology installed on their premises. The system provides the possibility of all-year-round food production, which is protected from flooding and soil-borne diseases, as the crops are not grown on the ground. In this setup, the netting of the greenhouse will also protect the crops from pests, reducing the need for pesticides,» he said. According to Nourrice, two different types of hydroponics systems have been set up within the greenhouse, namely the nutrient film technique and the grow bag system «with the grow bag system, although you will not be using soil, you will be using material such as perlite or coco peat, providing an ecosystem where the plant can sit and the root can develop. The real work is being done by the water.»  The greenhouse and high-tech system – a practical resource for both students and farmers alike - will allow SIAH, located at Anse La Mouche in the west of the main island of Mahe, to instruct students on hydroponic techniques and advocate for their adoption across Seychelles' agricultural landscape. This innovative set-up will allow students to continue learning the benefits of hydroponic systems and learn about their important role in addressing the challenges posed by climate change, especially for small island developing states (SIDS) like the Seychelles. The Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change, and Environment, Flavien Joubert, said that the SIAH, which is undergoing transformations to become a leading professional centre, will continue supporting students in developing competencies to integrate Seychelles' agriculture and embrace new technologies to ensure sustainable livelihoods in the sector. 

The President of the Court of Appeal of Seychelles declared on Monday that one of the decisions taken by the court is that foreigners who plead guilty to importing large quantities of hard drugs into the country, get light sentences and then if they appeal, will have their sentences enhanced. Justice Anthony Fernando made the announcement in his address for the closing of the Court of Appeal's August session. «We have determined that foreigners who plead guilty to importing large quantities of hard drugs into the country, who have got away with light sentences in the Supreme Court and think that they can appeal and have their sentences further reduced without any legal or factual basis, are mistaken, for they will have their sentences enhanced by this Court,» he said. This follows the Court's decision to dismiss Shabani Kizamba Shabani's appeal to the 12-year imprisonment the Supreme Court had sentenced him to earlier in March. The 50-year-old Tanzanian national was arrested on September 26, 2022 upon his arrival in Seychelles on a Qatar Airways flight by police and airport officials. A total of 984.78 grammes of cocaine was found in his possession after he was searched. He had pleaded guilty to the charges and was granted a lesser sentence.   Fernando explained that this was due to Shabani showing remorse and not wasting the court's time. Under the Misuse of Drug Act, 2016,  the maximum penalty for importing a controlled Class A drug is a term of life imprisonment and a fine of up to SCR 1 million ($74,200). In appealing to the lesser sentence, Shabani showed that the remorse was not genuine, prompting the Court to enhance the judgement given by the Supreme Court and sentence him to 18 years in prison. In another case, the Court dismissed Makavita Dilesh's appeal in its entirety. The 43-year-old Sri Lankan national was found guilty of illegally fishing in the island nation's territorial waters in November 2023. He was convicted to a fine of $41,000 payable within 60 days and if not, serve a term of 18 months in prison. The Court upheld the decision for Dilesh to serve his 18 months in prison with all equipment and gear used in the illegal fishing expedition to be handed over to the government. The fish products and proceeds taken and sold for a sum of SCR 35,320 were also to be given to the small island state's authorities. The Court of Appeal will reconvene in December to hear the remaining 13 cases on its dockets for the year. So far, the Court has cleared the 200 cases in the backlog. Meanwhile, in his conclusion, Fernando expressed the Court's appreciation «to Justice Dr Lilian Tibatemwa for her services to the Seychelles Judiciary and the contribution to our jurisprudence, and bid her farewell as this was her last sitting in our Court of Appeal.» He said that Justice Lilian Tibatemwa was appointed as a non-resident justice of this Court in September 2019 for a period of five years.

Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Saturday accused Ethiopia of not accepting his country as a sovereign state. And he renewed his attack on Addis Ababa's agreement with a breakaway Somali region. «Ethiopia refuses to recognise Somalia as a sovereign neighbouring country,» Somalia president said Saturday during an address to the nation. «Until it recognises the sovereignty of Somalia, we cannot talk about a sea or any other thing. Ethiopia violated international law.» Earlier this year, Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland to lease 20 kilometres (12 miles) of coast for 50 years. That would give Ethiopia -- one of the world's largest landlocked countries -- long-sought after access to the sea. Somaliland -- which unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991 -- has said Ethiopia in return will become the first country to formally recognise it, a step Addis Ababa has yet to confirm. The United States, the European Union, China, the African Union and the Arab League have all called on Ethiopia to respect Somalia's sovereignty. Turkey is coordinating indirect talks between Somalia and Ethiopia, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan citing «notable progress» after a second round of talks last Tuesday. A third round is planned for September 17, also in Ankara. With 120 million people, Ethiopia is the second most populated country in Africa. It has been seeking an outlet to the Red Sea ever since losing it in 1993 when Eritrea declared independence after a decades-long war. Somaliland, which is relatively stable compared to the rest of the Horn of Africa region, has its own institutions, prints it own money and issues passports. But it is poor and isolated because of the absence of any international recognition, despite its strategic location on the straits leading to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. © Agence France-Presse

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to meet Monday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to try to unblock the process for a ceasefire in Gaza, even as the premier and Hamas traded blame for delays in reaching a truce accord. After arriving in Tel Aviv Sunday on his ninth trip to the Middle East since the Gaza war began when Hamas attacked Israel in October, the top US diplomat was set to meet with Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and President Isaac Herzog. Blinken will then travel to Cairo on Tuesday, where ceasefire talks will resume in the coming days. Diplomats say a Gaza deal could help avert a wider conflagration, and a US official speaking on customary condition of anonymity said this is «a particularly critical time». Blinken aims «to press any and all parties that it's important to get the remaining pieces of this across the finish line», said the official. Ahead of truce talks in Qatar last Thursday and Friday, Hamas had called on mediators -- rather than holding more negotiations -- to implement a framework outlined in late May by US President Joe Biden. Biden said Sunday that a ceasefire was «still possible» and that the United States was «not giving up» in brief comments to reporters. After the Qatar talks between US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators, the United States submitted a new compromise proposal, leading Hamas on Sunday to accuse Netanyahu of obstruction. According to Hamas, the proposal «responds to Netanyahu's conditions, especially his rejection of a permanent ceasefire and a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and his insistence on continuing to occupy the Netzarim junction, the Rafah crossing and the Philadelphi corridor». The latter two places are seen by Israel as important for preventing the flow of any weapons into the Gaza Strip, while the Netzarim junction sits at a strategic point between northern and southern Gaza. Netanyahu was «fully responsible for thwarting the efforts of the mediators, obstructing an agreement, and (bears) full responsibility for the lives» of hostages in Gaza, the Islamist movement said in a statement. Western ally Jordan, hostage supporters protesting in Israel, and Hamas itself have called for pressure on Netanyahu in order for an agreement to be reached. Far-right members crucial to the prime minister's governing coalition oppose any truce. - Stakes have risen - On Sunday Netanyahu reiterated that Hamas must be pressured. «Hamas, up to this moment, remains obstinate. It did not even send a representative to the talks in Doha. Therefore, the pressure should be directed at Hamas and (Yahya) Sinwar, not at the Israeli government,» Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting, referring to the Hamas chief. The plan announced by Biden at the end of May would freeze fighting for an initial six weeks as Israeli hostages are exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and humanitarian aid enters the besieged Gaza Strip. On Saturday, Netanyahu's office in a statement said Israeli negotiators have expressed «cautious optimism» about reaching a Gaza truce deal. US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators also reported progress. Months of on-off truce negotiations have taken place, so far without any agreement. But the stakes have risen since the late July killings of Iran-backed militant leaders, including Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, and as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepened with a feared polio outbreak. Israeli evacuation orders have «reduced the safe zone» in the south of the territory, leaving «no more space» for displaced Palestinians, said Samah Dib, 32. Some «are sleeping on the street», while clean water is scarce and food at the markets is «very expensive and we have no money left», said Dib, who like almost all Gazans is among the displaced. As efforts towards a long-sought truce continued, so did the violence in Gaza, but also in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Lebanon, where Israeli forces and Hamas's Iran-backed ally Hezbollah have traded near-daily fire throughout the war. - The rumble of tanks - Civil defence rescuers in Hamas-run Gaza reported a total of 11 people killed in Israeli bombardment of Deir el-Balah and in air strikes on Jabalia refugee camp. «Are these women and children part of the resistance?» asked Ahmed Abu Kheir, who witnessed a strike that killed a mother and her six children in their apartment in Deir al-Balah. The latest killings helped push to 40,099 the death toll from Gaza's health ministry, which does not give details of civilian and militant deaths. Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel that started the war resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. The Israeli military said troops continued operations in central and southern Gaza and «eliminated» militants in Rafah, on the territory's border with Egypt. From the Israeli-designated safe zone in southern Gaza's Al-Mawasi, a fearful Lina Saleha, 44, said she could hear «constant artillery shelling» and the rumble of tanks «getting closer.» Iran and its regional allies have vowed retaliation for Haniyeh's death in Tehran -- which Israel has not claimed responsibility for -- and for an Israeli strike in Beirut that killed a top Hezbollah commander. US officials have indirectly heard that Iran «want to see a ceasefire, they don't want to see regional escalation», the US official said. Out of 251 hostages seized during Hamas's attack, 111 are still held in Gaza, including 39 the military says are dead. More than 100 were freed during a one-week truce in November. The Palestinian Prisoners' Club watchdog group said that since the Gaza war began, Israeli forces have detained «more than 10,000 Palestinians» in the West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem, which Israel seized in 1967. © Agence France-Presse

French film legend Alain Delon, a divisive star known to some as a sex symbol and to others as an egotistical chauvinist, has died aged 88, his children announced Sunday. The actor, known for his roles in classics «Purple Noon» (1960) and «Le Samourai» (1967), died in the early hours of the morning, his son Anthony told AFP. He had been suffering with lymphoma. «Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony, as well as (his dog) Loubo, are deeply saddened to announce the passing of their father,» Delon's children said in a statement to AFP. «He passed away peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family,» said the statement, which came after months of public family feuding over the star's weakening health. Delon had millions of fans around the world but also drew legions of critics, with feminists appalled by the lifetime achievement award the Cannes Film Festival gave him in 2019. In his later years he lived largely as a recluse, his personal life keeping him in the headlines despite being a rarity on-screen since the 1990s. In 2023, his three children filed a complaint against his live-in assistant Hiromi Rollin, accusing her of harassment and threatening behaviour. The siblings went on to wage a public battle in the media and the courts, arguing over the star's state of health, which included a stroke in 2019. He faced lifelong controversy over his relationship with women, with his sons previously accusing him of domestic violence. While Delon denied this, he admitted slapping women who attacked him during quarrels. He had a series of tumultuous affairs, describing German actor Romy Schneider as the «love of my life» after their relationship in the 1960s. German-born Velvet Underground singer Nico claimed he was the father of her son, Christian Aaron Boulogne -- something Delon continually denied up to Boulogne's death in 2023 from a heroin overdose. Delon married Nathalie Delon in 1964 in a stormy relationship that ended in divorce in 1969, with other high-profile relationships including pop diva Dalida and model-turned-actor Mireille Darc. - Instinctive genius - Far from a cerebral actor, Delon was considered an instinctive genius. He prided himself on never having worked on his technique, rather relying on charisma. French President Emmanuel Macron called Delon a «French monument» who «played legendary roles and made the world dream». Fellow 1960s star Brigitte Bardot told AFP his death left «a huge void that nothing and no one will be able to fill». Former president of the Cannes festival, Gilles Jacob, paid tribute to Delon as «a lion... an actor with a steely gaze», while Alberto Barbera, director of the Venice film festival, said he was an «icon» who had climbed «to the Olympus of the immortals». Delon's looks were cinematic gold for filmmakers in the 1960s, playing roles of pretty boy killers and mysterious schemers like in «Purple Noon» -- later remade as «The Talented Mr Ripley». He went on to set the template for one of Hollywood's favourite tropes -- the mysterious, cerebral hitman -- with his staggering performance as the silent killer in Jean-Pierre Melville's «Le Samourai». Directors from Martin Scorsese to Quentin Tarantino all acknowledge a debt to the inner life Delon gave his stylish killer -- although the French actor never made it big in Hollywood. Delon made his last major public appearance on the red carpet to receive an honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2019. «It's a bit of a posthumous tribute, but from my lifetime,» he said when receiving the award. Delon lived out his final years at home in a small village in France, surrounded by high walls, where he planned to be buried not far from his dogs. - 'Very sad' - Outside the entrance to his home in Douchy-Montcorbon, fans on Sunday placed flowers and gathered to pay their respects. «It's a part of our youth that is gone, it's very sad,» said Marie Arnold, laying white flowers with her sister Michele. An accordion player, who gave his name as «Titi», said Delon had asked him to play in front of the estate on the day of his death. «Alain is in a deep, chosen solitude, in another world, in the past with people he very much loved,» his former partner Darc told AFP in 2015. Delon also drew criticism for his support of polarising politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front, who was in favour of the death penalty and spoke against same-sex relationships. But fans who adored him will think back to his opening line in the film «Le Samourai»: «There is no deeper solitude than that of the samurai, except that of a tiger in the jungle.» © Agence France-Presse

Nature Seychelles is recruiting volunteers for the hawksbill turtle nesting season, which will start October 2024 and end in April 2025 on the Cousin Island Special Reserve. The chief executive of Nature Seychelles, Dr Nirmal Jivan Shah, described Cousin Island as one of the most important nesting sites for hawksbill turtles in the western Indian Ocean. «We need a number of dedicated individuals who are collecting data and monitoring this critically endangered species at all times during the breeding season. We just don't have enough staff to do this, especially on the weekends and public holidays. The volunteer programme aims to help bring in enough hands to assist in this vital project to ensure each season is just as successful and productive as the last,» he emphasised. The hawksbill sea turtle is classified on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a critically endangered species. The species is largely limited to tropical and subtropical marine and estuary ecosystems. The programme is the longest-running hawksbill monitoring programme in the world and Shah said it is highly effective and has been able to intercept about 87-90 percent of all successfully nesting females. «From this, we can get their tag IDs and feed this into the turtle database to estimate the number of nesting females. Nests are marked and excavated to assess hatching success. Nests are translocated when at risk with hatching successes of this activity as high as 96 percent. These three factors alone can act as great indicators for the species as a whole as if there is a sudden drop in nesting females, dropping fertility or, more and more nests at risk due to erosion, we will know about it,» he added. The hawksbill sea turtle is classified on the IUCN Red List as a critically endangered species. (Nature Seychelles) Photo License: All Rights Reserved  He explained the importance that volunteers play in the successful running of the programme and that they «are worth their weight in gold when it gets busy to help share the workload as turtles come up the beach in numbers. They are critically endangered having had populations decimated in the past by human activity so the more we know now, the better our decisions for future protection can be. For people thinking of volunteering, it helps increase the visibility of the programme.» Volunteers will be expected to assist in all aspects of turtle monitoring starting with the basic first steps of walking a turtle patrol on the beaches. As they gain experience, they will learn to observe nesting behaviour, how to take measurements, count clutches and, translocate a nest, and eventually, they might be ready and prepared to tag a turtle. Shah said this volunteer programme is an opportunity for people who are passionate about conservation to develop their skills in a unique environment. «We are after highly motivated, self-reliant individuals. As incredible and breathtaking Cousin Island is and as fascinating as the hawksbill themselves are, it is still hard work in a tropical environment so we need people to be physically fit and motivated to keep pushing to maximise each season. Flexibility is important given the turtles emerge at any time in the day, including when you have just sat down for lunch,» he said. Shah said for those looking at conservation as a career, the volunteer programme is an excellent and unique opportunity to acquire practical skills in turtle monitoring and management. Cousin Island is remote as well, so offers an opportunity for volunteers to develop their skills in self-reliance and life skills.  

Gaza has recorded its first polio case in 25 years, the Palestinian health ministry said on Friday, after UN chief Antonio Guterres called for pauses in the Israel-Hamas war to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of children. Tests in Jordan confirmed the disease in an unvaccinated 10-month-old from the central Gaza Strip, the health ministry in Ramallah said. According to the United Nations, Gaza, now in its 11th month of war, has not registered a polio case for 25 years, although type 2 poliovirus was detected in samples collected from the territory's wastewater in June. «Doctors suspected the presence of symptoms consistent with polio,» the health ministry said. «After conducting the necessary tests in the Jordanian capital, Amman, the infection was confirmed.» The case emerged shortly after Guterres called for two seven-day breaks in the Gaza war to vaccinate more than 640,000 children. Poliovirus, most often spread through sewage and contaminated water, is highly infectious. It can cause deformities and paralysis, and is potentially fatal. It mainly affects children under the age of five. The UN health and children's agencies said they had made detailed plans to reach children across the besieged Palestinian territory and could start this month. But that would require pauses in the 10-month old war between Israel and Hamas, they said. «Preventing and containing the spread of polio will take a massive, coordinated and urgent effort,» Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York. «I am appealing to all parties to provide concrete assurances right away guaranteeing humanitarian pauses for the campaign.» The World Health Organization and UN children's fund UNICEF said they were planning two seven-day vaccination drives across the Gaza Strip, starting in late August, against type 2 poliovirus (cVDPV2). Last month, it was announced that type 2 poliovirus had been detected in samples collected in Gaza on June 23. «These pauses in fighting would allow children and families to safely reach health facilities and community outreach workers to get to children who cannot access health facilities for polio vaccination,» the agencies said in a statement said. - Regional public health issue - After 25 years without polio, its re-emergence in the Gaza Strip would threaten neighbouring countries, it added. «A ceasefire is the only way to ensure public health security in the Gaza Strip and the region.» During each round of the campaign, the health ministry in Gaza, alongside UN agencies, would provide «two drops of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to more than 640,000 children under 10 years of age». More than 1.6 million doses of nOPV2 were expected to transit through Israel's Ben Gurion Airport «by the end of August», the statement added. The war was triggered by Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. On Thursday, the toll from Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza passed 40,000, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which does not provide a breakdown of civilian and militant casualties. © Agence France-Presse

Three sailors from Seychelles won one silver medal and two bronze medals at the Benghazi International Sailing Opening Regatta 2024, a prestigious event organised by the Libyan Sailing Federation (LSWF) from August 11 to 14 in  Libya. Seychelles participated in the competition with five sailors, namely Dean Mathiot in the International Laser Class Association 7 (ILCA7) category, Sitraka Ramanantsoa and Mervin Constance in kite surfing, and Dominic Esparon and Elisha Moustache in the optimist class, which is for young sailors up to 15 years old. Mathiot won a silver medal in the ILCA7 category and Ramanantsoa was able to claim bronze in kite surfing. For Mathiot, he was able to win three of the nine races, which placed him second behind Tunisia's Hamdi Slimani. Third place went to Morocco's Ilias Kharbouch. Ramanantsoa was up against 10 kite surfers and finished in third place and won a bronze medal. The winner in this event was Morocco's Mohamed Ali Beqqali, and in second place was Libya's Yousef Elwalid. Mervin Constance, also competing in kite surfing, finished in fourth place. Another bronze medal for the Seychelles team was won by Elisha Moustache, who demonstrated great promise to claim third place in the girls' optimist category. Moustache finished the overall optimist category in 9th place, which was enough for bronze, as she finished behind to other female sailors. The winner of the event was Libyan Mayar Elwalid with gold and her compatriot, Mayar Elwalid, won silver. Dominic Esparon also competed in the optimist category and finished fifth overall. Tunisian Yassin Galai won gold followed in second place by Yousif Al Sammarraie from Iraq and Mohamed Elwalidfrom Libya in third place. The Seychelles Yachting Association congratulated the athletes and said, «A huge round of applause to Dean, Sitraka, Elisha, Dominic, and Mervin for representing Seychelles with such excellence and pride. Your hard work and dedication continue to inspire and elevate our sailing community.» 

Mike Tirant is the new second deputy governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS) for a six-year mandate with effect as of August 15. President Wavel Ramkalawan presented Tirant with his instrument of appointment in a ceremony held at State House on Friday morning. Tirant, who joined CBS in 2004 as an assistant accountant is replacing Jennifer Sullivan, who held the position for the last six years. He holds a first degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Manchester and his masters from the University of Leicester. «Once I had completed my studies for my degree, I was approached by CBS employees who asked me to join the institution, which I did not hesitate to do,» Tirant told reporters. «I learned a lot in that position and over the years that I have worked for the institution I held it until I was appointed as a head of the Banking Services division,» he added. When asked why he accepted this latest promotion as second deputy governor, Tirant explained he did so because the CBS culture is for employees to take any opportunity presented to help the institution move forward. «Since the board of directors and the governor think I have the ability to successfully fill in the role with their full support, I feel that now is the time when I can also help raise others in the bank as well to continue the good work the governor has already started,» he added. Tirat said, «It was not a difficult decision to make to take the challenge, as I see this role provides room for further development, and I am always ready to learn more despite knowing it will not be an easy task.» Prior to the recent amendments made to the CBS Act, all three members of the senior management's contracts ended on the same day - which Abel said was identified as a weakness. «We did make it known that it would take some time before the post would be filled to ensure there was continuity in the Central Bank's management as the institution is one that is very important to the country, we had to make sure that this was not affected,» explained Abel. The amendment makes provisions for the three positions to be filled at different times, although the length of their appointments remains for six years, with the possibility for renewal. CBS is one of the institutions in the country where the workforce is entirely made up of Seychellois.

With Gaza largely in ruins after more than 10 months of war, the Hamas-run territory's health ministry has struggled to count the death toll, which on Thursday surpassed 40,000. Israel has repeatedly questioned the credibility of the daily figures put out by the ministry and US President Joe Biden did so too in the early stages of the war. But several United Nations agencies that operate in Gaza have said the figures are credible and they are frequently cited by international organisations. - Data collection - Two AFP correspondents witnessed health facilities enter deaths in the ministry's database. Gaza health officials first identify bodies by visual recognition from a relative or friend, or by recovering personal items. The deceased's details, including name, gender, birth date and ID number, are then entered in the health ministry's digital database. If bodies are unrecognisable or unclaimed, staff record the death under a number, noting all available information. Any distinguishing marks that may help with later identification, whether personal items or a birthmark, are collected and photographed. - Central registry - Gaza's health ministry has outlined its procedures for compiling the death toll. In public hospitals under the direct supervision of the territory's Hamas government, the «personal information and identity number» of every Palestinian killed during the war are entered in the hospital's database as soon as they are pronounced dead. The data is then sent to the ministry's central registry on a daily basis. For deaths in private hospitals and clinics, information is recorded on a form that must be sent to the ministry within 24 hours to be included in the central registry, a ministry statement said. The ministry's «information centre» then verifies the entries to «ensure they do not contain any duplicates or mistakes», before saving them in the database, the statement added. Gaza residents are also encouraged by Palestinian authorities to report any deaths in their families on a designated government website. The data is used for the ministry's verifications. The ministry is staffed with civil servants that answer to the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority as well as to the Hamas government in Gaza. - 'High correlation' - An investigation conducted by Airwars, an NGO focused on the impact of war on civilians, analysed the data entries for 3,000 of the dead and found «a high correlation» between the ministry's data and what Palestinian civilians reported online, with 75 percent of publicly reported names also appearing on the ministry's list. The study found that the ministry's figures had become «less accurate» as the war dragged on, a development it attributed to the heavy damage to health infrastructure resulting from the war. For instance, at southern Gaza's Nasser Hospital, one of the few still at least partly functioning, only 50 out of 400 computers still work, its director Atef al-Hout told AFP. Israeli authorities frequently criticise the ministry's figures for failing to distinguish between combatants and civilians. But neither the army nor Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deny the scale of the overall toll. The press office of Gaza's Hamas government had previously estimated that nearly 70 percent of the roughly 40,000 dead are women (about 11,000) or children (at least 16,300). Several UN agencies, including the agency in charge of Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), have said the ministry's figures are credible. «In the past -- the five, six cycles of conflict in the Gaza Strip -- these figures were considered as credible and no one ever really challenged these figures,» the agency's chief Philippe Lazzarini said in October. In a letter published by British medical review The Lancet in July, a group of researchers estimated that 186,000 or more deaths could eventually be attributed to the war in Gaza, based on statistical projections using the Ministry of Health figures. Their estimate would include not only those killed directly by the fighting, but also deaths as a result of the humanitarian crisis triggered by the war. The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. © Agence France-Presse

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris made an upbeat show of unity Thursday as they held their first joint public event since Harris replaced the president as the Democratic Party's candidate in November's election. Chants of «Thank you Joe!» rang out from the audience at a community college in the Maryland suburbs outside Washington. Biden announced a major deal to reduce medication prices for retirees on social welfare programs. But the biggest star was Biden's vice president who has surprised many by uniting the Democratic Party and surging in the polls against Republican Donald Trump since her abrupt entry into the White House race. «She can make one hell of a president,» Biden said of Harris. Shortly after the joint appearance, Trump delivered rambling and often angry remarks from his New Jersey golf club, before taking questions from a handful of journalists. Harris has a «very strong communist lean» and will mean the «death of the American dream,» he said. The real estate billionaire and scandal-engulfed former president has struggled to pivot his campaign since Biden dropped out on July 21 amid Democratic concerns that he lacked the stamina at 81 to do the job. Until then, Trump was rising steadily in the polls, in large part on his message that Biden was losing his mental acuity -- a charge that gained currency when the president badly flubbed a televised presidential debate against his predecessor. At his golf club event, the 78-year-old Trump began by reading lengthy statements from a binder notebook. Ostensibly scheduled to attack Harris on inflation, with household products piled high on a table next to him, he almost immediately veered off into a series of complaints about the media and insults at Harris, who he said is «not smart.» Regarding the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza, Trump said he'd told Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in a July meeting to «get your victory and get it over with... The killing has to stop.» Then at a later event with Jewish supporters, Trump turned his fire on Harris, claiming she has «maneuvered» to get support from «venomous anti-Semites in her party.» Harris is married to a Jew who, if she wins election, would make history as the first Jewish spouse of a US president -- as well as the first man in the role. Using his trademark inflammatory language, Trump claimed that if Harris wins, «the radical left flag burners and Hamas sympathizers will not just be causing chaos on our streets. They'll be running US foreign policy in the White House, and Israel will be gone.» - Biden lame duck - For Biden, Thursday's event was half victory lap, half acknowledgment that he is entering his presidency's lame duck period. Harris, 59, is set to be crowned as Democratic nominee at the party convention in Chicago next week. But she made a display of vice presidential deference, delivering only short remarks to introduce Biden and stressing that it has been her honor to serve under the «most extraordinary human being.» «There's a lot of love in this room for our president,» she said to cheers. Biden appeared energized, drawing cheers when he said the Democrats' plan was to «beat the hell out of» Republican opponents and he prompted laughter on pretending not to know Trump's name -- «Donald Dump or Donald whatever.» The drug prices deal will reduce costs for retirees on 10 key medicines, including treatments for diabetes, heart failure and blood clots. Americans face the highest prescription drug prices in the world, leaving many people to pay at least partly out of their own pocket, despite already exorbitant insurance premiums. On Friday, Harris will for the first time lay out details of her economic platform. The United States' first female, Black and South Asian vice president is expected largely to stick to Biden's economic agenda while trying to differentiate herself, avoiding voter wrath over the post-Covid pandemic surge in inflation. While Trump has long polled more strongly on the economy, a recent poll from the Financial Times and University of Michigan found voters trust Harris more on the issue, by 42 to 41 percent. Trump, who survived an assassination attempt on July 13, is now the oldest presidential nominee in US history. © Agence France-Presse

The Anti-Corruption Commission of Seychelles (ACCS) has issued an update on its progress on Operation 'Black Iron', the investigation and prosecution of Seychellois businessman Mukesh Valabhji and former First Lady Sarah Zarqani Rene for alleged theft of state assets, corruption and money laundering. Mukesh Valabhji, a former economic advisor of late President France Albert Rene, was arrested in November 2021 together with his wife Laura, following an investigation into the alleged theft of a $50 million loan to Seychelles by the United Arab Emirates in 2002. He is alleged to have used his position to divert funds to bank accounts around the world for his personal benefit. ACCS said in a press statement on Friday that since the arrest of Valabhji, in collaboration with international law enforcement agencies and diplomatic partners,  it has gathered evidence of a more significant network of corruption involving him. «The evidence suggests that the amount unlawfully acquired by Mukesh Valabhji from his activities could amount to as much as $100 million (SCR1,400,000,000), laundered through a network of companies and accounts in locations including Switzerland, the Middle East, the British Virgin Islands, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. One of the alleged recipients of laundered funds is Sarah Rene, who is accused of acquiring substantial funds into bank accounts in Australia,» said ACCS. The Commission has sought permission to file additional charges in relation to Valabhji's alleged corruption in the management of two state-owned agencies between 1992 and 2006 - Compagnie Seychelloise de Promotion Hoteliere (COSPROH) and the Seychelles Marketing Board (SMB). «Mukesh Valabhji is now accused of corruptly obtaining a financial benefit from the sale of luxury hotels on behalf of COSPROH as well as unlawfully removing over $18 million from the SMB,» said ACCS. The Commission has since obtained Seychelles' first global restraint orders to prevent the assets of the defendants from being moved or lost until the conclusion of the trial. It has successfully resisted attempts to amend these orders to allow these assets to be removed and/or spent otherwise than what is permitted by the law. In the event Valabhji and/or Zarqani Rene are convicted, the ACCS will seek the recovery of these funds on behalf of the government of Seychelles and its people. The ACCS said it «is committed to ensuring its prosecution is fair and in accordance with international standards and will continue to support the Court in the protection of the defendants' rights to a fair trial under Seychelles' Constitution.» Valabhji and his wife Laura have been separately charged by the Attorney General's Office with the unlawful possession of firearms and terrorism offences and this trial is ongoing. The corruption and money laundering case will start when the unlawful possession of firearms and terrorism offences ends.

The Minister of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment of Seychelles, Flavien Joubert, will represent Seychelles in the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit (VOGSS) on August 17, 2024, to be hosted by India in the virtual format. This unique initiative began as an extension of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Prayas’, and is underpinned by India's philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. It envisages bringing together countries of the Global South to share their perspectives and priorities on a common platform across a whole range of issues. India hosted the 1st Voice of Global South Summit (VOGSS) on January 12-13, 2023, and the 2nd Voice of Global South Summit on November 17, 2023, both in virtual format. Both the previous editions of the Summit saw the participation of over 100 countries from the Global South, including Seychelles. The inputs and feedback received from the leaders of the developing countries in these two Summits were appropriately reflected in the agenda and discussions of the G-20 Summit under India’s Presidency last year, including in the G-20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration. The 3rd VOGSS, with the overarching theme of «An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future”, will act as a platform to expand discussions held in the previous Summits on a range of complex challenges that continue to affect the world, such as conflicts, food and energy security crises, climate change - all of which disproportionately affect developing countries in a severe manner. At the Summit, the countries of the Global South would continue deliberations on challenges, priorities, and solutions for the Global South, particularly in the developmental domain. Similar to the previous two Summits, the 3rd VOGSS will be held in a virtual format and is structured into Leaders’ Session and Ministerial sessions. The inaugural session will be at the Head of State/Government level and will be hosted by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The theme of the Inaugural Leaders’ Session is the same as the overarching theme of the Summit »An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future”.In addition, there will be 10 ministerial sessions, including the Energy Ministers’ Session on "Sustainable Energy Solutions for a Sustainable Future”. Minister Joubert will participate in the Energy Ministers’ Session. He also participated in the first and second VOGSS in January and November 2023. 

The British government is expected to support Seychelles in developing a maritime security strategy, the British High Commissioner to Seychelles, Jeffrey Glekin, said in a reception aboard the UK Navy vessel HMS Lancaster Wednesday.   «This evening, I can announce that my government will launch a project to support Seychelles in developing a maritime security strategy in line with international best practices, but tailored to your unique geography and characteristics as a small island developing state, we want to sail alongside you, to tame troubled waters, to build bridges of trust and respect and to conserve and allow to flourish, the natural beauty that we're proud to call home at sea, and onshore.» Glekin said that this week «we are celebrating the joint exercises held between the cboarding team and the Seychelles Special Forces Unit. I was delighted to witness today the donation of a canine harness to the Seychelles boarding team and meet your brave dog, Nico. I was also honoured to be a part of private meetings with CDF (Chief of Defence Forces) and Minister Fonseka to discuss how we collaborate in the fight against drugs, illegal fishing, and keeping our oceans free from terror, piracy, and geopolitical posturing.» He emphasised the importance of maintaining the link between Seychelles and the United Kingdom and mentioned a recent agreement signed by the two countries relating to hydrography. Also present were Seychellois ministers, members of the National Assembly, and the diplomatic corps. (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY  «The UK wants nothing more than to help Seychelles protect her sovereignty and defend her freedom. We believe that our shared stability and prosperity are deeply rooted in the safety of our seas, and that is why I am pleased that following our last visit of the HMS Lancaster, we continue to work closely on hydrographic, following the signature on this ship of a £2.4 million UK government investment with Seychelles' transport ministry,» said the high commissioner. Glekin and other distinguished guests were invited aboard the ship as part of the vessel's crew members' activities in Seychelles during their visit. Also present were several Seychellois ministers, members of the National Assembly, and the diplomatic corps. In his address, the Designated Minister, Jean-Francois Ferrari, emphasised the importance of the two countries working together, especially in the fight against maritime security threats in the region. «Seychelles and the UK remain alert to the threat of piracy, and today work together to address all forms of maritime security threat, most prominently in counter narcotics and against IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated and fishing). Through the defence forces officers deployed on the Combined Maritime Forces based in Bahrain, Seychelles and the UK, as well as the many other nations participating in the Combined Maritime Forces, our defence forces, share intelligence and operate together to ensure maritime security in our region. Trade routes through the western Indian Ocean are important to the UK and other allies, but they are vital to Seychelles, working with our partners such as the UK, is essential, therefore, to securing the maritime space,» said Ferrari. The guests aboard the HMS Lancaster had a guided tour of the ship, where officers described the different features and equipment. This was later followed by a ceremonial 'Sunset ceremony' where the flag was slowly lowered. The HMS Lancaster is expected to leave Seychelles by the end of this week.

An mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 548 people since the start of the year, with all provinces affected by the virus, the health minister said on Thursday in a statement. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared the mpox surge in Africa a global public health emergency, worried by the rise in cases in the DRC and the spread to nearby countries. «According to the latest epidemiological report, our country has recorded 15,664 potential cases and 548 deaths since the beginning of the year,» Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said in a separate video message seen by AFP on Thursday. The DRC is made up of 26 provinces and has a population of around 100 million. The most affected provinces are South Kivu, North Kivu, Tshopo, Equateur, North Ubangi, Tshuapa, Mongala and Sankuru, Kamba said. «To deal with this crisis, the government has put in place a response structured around three main axes,» Kamba said in the video. The three steps include plans to raise awareness of the virus and a «national strategic plan for vaccination against mpox», as well as improving surveillance of the disease at borders and checkpoints. The minister said that at government level working groups have been set up to boost contact tracing and help mobilise resources to «maintain control of this epidemic». The US Department of Health said on Wednesday it would be «donating 50,000 doses of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved JYNNEOS vaccine to DRC». «Vaccination will be a critical element of the response to this outbreak,» it said in a statement. The UN health agency declaration on the virus came the day after the African Union's health watchdog declared its own public health emergency over the growing outbreak. Formerly called monkeypox, the virus was first discovered in humans in 1970 in what is now the DRC. It is an infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals but can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact. The disease causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions. In May 2022, mpox infections surged worldwide, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men, due to the clade 2b subclade. The WHO declared a public health emergency which lasted from July 2022 to May 2023. The outbreak, which has now largely subsided, caused some 140 deaths out of around 90,000 cases. The clade 1b subclade, which has been surging in the DRC since September 2023, causes more severe disease than clade 2b, with a higher fatality rate. © Agence France-Presse

The Roman Catholic Church of Seychelles has made history this month, by welcoming two new Seychellois priests in their diocese in the space of a week, Christian Toulon and Emmanuel Boniface who became the 20th and 21st Seychellois priests.  Toulon, who was ordained deacon in Seychelles last year, was ordained as a priest on August 5, while Boniface took to the priesthood on August 11. Boniface was ordained as a deacon in Orleans France. Both were ordained deacons within days of each other in December 2023. Toulon and Boniface's ordinations came two years after the ordination of Romeo Bonne into the priesthood. Bonne who was ordained in July 2022, is the first Catholic priest from Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, to join the Spiritan congregation, his ordination came 13 years after the ordination of another Seychellois priest, Father Collin Underwood, in 2009. The island nation is a predominantly Catholic country.  The vicar general of the Roman Catholic Church, Father Eric Leon, said that the two ordinations bring much joy to the diocese and that they are encouraged by the sudden increase in vocations. Toulon was ordained as a priest on August 5. (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY  «The church now needs to be more engaged, and to put in place structures and services to work with children so that at a young age, we can help them to discover their vocations and respond to their calls», added Leon. According to Leon «Responding to vocations is something that elevates a country and offers hope to those in need. Our country is in distress and in need of people who are ready to spend their lives to responding these needs.» Weeks before the ordination of Boniface and Toulon, another Seychellois man, Aubrey Pon-Waye was ordained as a deacon, and it is his wish to become a priest too. Something the Church expects to happen in one year's time. Currently, there are two Seychellois in France studying their preparation for a religious role. They are Jean Michel Camille, hailing from the third most populated island of La Digue, for the priesthood and Genevieve Adrien, preparing to be a nun. Although the Catholic Church was brought to Seychelles by the island nation's first French settlers, it was formally established in 1852 as the Apostolic Prefecture of Seychelles. Four decades later it became the Diocese of Port Victoria, in July 1892. Since then, twenty-two Seychellois men have been ordained into priesthood including Father James Chang-Tave - the first Seychellois priest – who was ordained by Cardinal Pietro Fumasoni-Biondi in Rome, Italy, in January 1950. Chang-Tave is the only Seychellois to have been ordained at the Vatican in Rome. Pon-Waye has been ordained as a deacon. (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY   The second Seychellois was Father Symphorien Morel, who was born in 1922 on Silhouette island – the third largest island of the archipelago. Because of the unrest in Europe at that time, he attended his theology studies in Mumbai, India. He was ordained in September 1951 at Mont Fleuri in the east of the main island of Mahe. Morel was the first and only Seychellois to be ordained as a Capuchins -- an order within the Catholic Church. Father Morel passed away in 1996, aged 74. Father Gustave  Lafortune, who passed away in October last year at the age of  86, was the longest serving Catholic priest, having dedicated 60 years of his life as a priest. He celebrated his diamond jubilee four months before his demise on June 30. Lafortune was welcomed into the priesthood in June 1963 in Fribourg, Switzerland, where he also did his studies. Currently, the oldest member of the Catholic clergy is Father Edwin Mathiot, now in his 80s, who studied theology in Switzerland and was ordained in July 1966. 

Crew members of the UK Royal Navy vessel, HMS Lancaster, which is visiting Seychelles, joined the environmental organisation, Parley for the Oceans, to clean up the Northeast Point beach on Thursday. This is part of a series of activities the vessel's crew members are doing in Seychelles during their visit. The British High Commission's representative, Josette Larue, explained that the activities were being held to incorporate the crew members while they are in the country. She said that Northeast Point beach was chosen «to facilitate logistics, as it was not far from where the vessel is berthed.» Participating in the event was Jessica Lawen from Parley Seychelles, who told reporters that her organisation is not only environmental but also has links with the fashion industry. «The vests the crew members are wearing as well as the gloves they are using are made out of recycled PET bottles,» she said. The crew members paired up in two's and combed the stretch of the beach to pick up all non-bio-degradable items – which they put in gunny bags. Lawen said, «We are re-using the gunny bags that we buy locally, all in the aim of reducing the amount of waste we produce.» She explained that since Seychelles does not have the facilities to carry out the recycling process, the waste collected will be weighed to keep records updated. «We have had many organisations who contact us to hold clean-up exercises, and most of the time this is done as a team building exercise,» said Lawen. The other activities being done by the crew member of HMS Lancaster include a handover of UK-funded dog harnesses to the Seychelles Defence Forces at Port Victoria. They will also host a reception onboard the ship on Wednesday evening. HMS Lancaster visited Port Victoria in May earlier this year, and at that time the clean-up activity was held at Takamaka.

Seychelles received a donation of medical equipment on Wednesday from a Chinese medical team that is currently in the island nation, which will cater to the needs of the Seychelles Hospital. Dr Zhuo Xiaoqing from the China Medical Team, said, «This donation reflects the friendship between China and Seychelles, and showcases our joint commitment to continue to improve the health of the people of Seychelles.» The equipment varies from those used to monitor the vitals of patients to those that are used in the operations theatre, as well as equipment used in acupuncture, among others. The acting chief executive of the Health Care Agency, Dr Jadhav Chandrashekhar, accepted the donation from the China Medical Team during the ceremony and expressed his gratitude for the continued support. 'We welcome this donation of equipment, as well as the future plans that we have to continue to the development the local health sector,« said Chandrashekhar. The acting director of Community Health Service, Josapha Jouanneau, explained that this equipment will serve to add to what they already have. »Here we have equipment that we can use to monitor patients when they are admitted, a pulse oxymeter, which allows us to measure the oxygen levels in patients, and also instruments that can be used in orthopaedic surgeries," she added.   As a South-South cooperation project, China began to send a medical team to Seychelles in 1985 and over the past 38 years, 18 groups of 108 Chinese doctors from Shandong Province have been serving Seychellois patients with their medical expertise. The current team, which arrived in May 2023, is the 19th cohort sent to Seychelles. It has six doctors,  Dr Zhuo Xiaoqing, a cardiologist, Dr Song Fei, general surgeon, Dr Sun Shining, a radiologist, Dr Wang Tianda, an acupuncturist, Dr Ahu Yanyan, a radiologist, and Dr Zhang Jiuchao, an orthopaedist.  

The Seychelles government has made new amendments to the Stamp Duty Exemption Act that will allow those in a position to buy their own houses can do so.  The director general for the domestic and international tax policy division, Seylina Joymon, told reporters on Tuesday that the main aim for the amendments incorporated was to «ensure that we are always in line with what exists the market at the moment, and we also want to encourage individuals to take it on themselves to go and build their own house.» She said this is because there is now a consideration of partial exemption for first-time owners. «If two or more individuals purchase a single property together, they would have divided share. We do consider those of them that do not own any property, so they would be considered first time owners and they will benefit from the stamp duty exemption,» explained Joymon. In this case, the exemption will be based on the proportion of the ownership of the first-time owner, however, Joymon explained that the exemption is only valid if the property is valued at less than SCR3 million ($224,327). According to the amendment, in such purchasing agreements, those who have owned property in the past will have to pay the stamp duty. The applicable Stamp Duty is currently 5 percent of the market value of the property, which means if the property costs $100,000, the stamp duty would be $5,000. The second major amendment in the Stamp Duty Act concerns the issue of matrimonial property. Joymon said that in situations where the undivided share is not 50 percent, «what we have considered this time around is that the exemption will be based on the proportion of the ownership.» It was furthermore amended to keep abreast with changes in the civil code, which now recognises domestic partnerships. This is when a couple has been living together for a number of years without getting married. In line with the new amendments, applicants must now provide evidence of a domestic relationship, normally an affidavit, to also benefit from the exemption. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance is processing refunds to applicants who were unaware of the amendments and made their Stamp Duty payments. «We are now considering refunds to be made for a period of four years, so for anyone who pays a Stamp Duty and for some reason or another were unaware of the exemption order that exists, they have four years down the line for them to claim for them to claim their refund from the Ministry of Finance,» said Joymon. Those who have paid the Stamp Duty for the period from September 2019, when the Stamp Duty order was gazetted, up until August 21, 2022, have four years from the day which falls on July 28, 2028, to claim their refunds. Those who made payments between September 1, 2022, and July 29, 2024, will have four years from the day that the Stamp Duty was paid. According to the Ministry of Finance's figures, there were 341 applications for Stamp Duty exemption among which 28 were not approved.

US-mediated Sudan ceasefire talks were to kick off in Switzerland on Wednesday, even though the Sudanese government is set to stay away. Tom Perriello, the US Special Envoy for Sudan convening the discussions, insisted they go ahead regardless, saying the suffering people of Sudan, ravaged by the devastating conflict, cannot wait any longer. War has raged since April 2023 between the Sudanese army under the country's de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. But while the RSF delegation is in Switzerland for the talks -- taking place behind closed doors in an undisclosed location -- the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) are yet to accept the invite. The talks, which could last up to 10 days, are being co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and Switzerland, with the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations present as observers. The brutal conflict has triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The fighting has forced one in five people to flee their homes, while tens of thousands have died. More than 25 million across the country -- more than half its population -- face acute hunger. «The time for peace is now,» Perriello said Tuesday. «Thus far, SAF has not agreed to participate. Yet we will proceed with our international and technical partners to explore every option to support the people of Sudan,» he said, urging the government to «seize the opportunity». - 'Sense of urgency' - Previous rounds of talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah have come to nothing. If the SAF chairs remain empty this time, there will be no formal mediation between the warring sides, but other attendees will press on with the talks' agenda. Perriello said there was a «deep sense of urgency to make progress this week towards a cessation of hostilities and expanded humanitarian access», plus ways to uphold agreements. «The Sudanese people cannot afford for us to wait.» A member of the RSF delegation confirmed they were in Switzerland ahead of the talks. «Our delegation has arrived in Geneva to start negotiations; we don't know anything about the army delegation,» the member told AFP on Tuesday. The Sudanese government says more discussions are needed before joining ceasefire negotiations. Sudan's Media Minister Graham Abdelkader said it was rejecting «any new observers or participants» -- notably after Washington «insisted on the participation of the United Arab Emirates as an observer». The Sudanese army has repeatedly accused the UAE of backing the RSF. - Pressure on Burhan - Alan Boswell, the Horn of Africa project director at the International Crisis Group, said Burhan was facing «serious internal divisions» on whether to attend, with some in his camp in favour of talks and others «fiercely opposed». «Restarting the talks at all would be a breakthrough, given that there have not been formal talks since last year,» he told AFP. «The main difference from previous rounds is that the US is firmly in charge of the agenda and that all three of Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt are all present as well. That puts all the main outside actors with leverage over the warring parties in one room together.» He said if the government does not attend, Burhan would come under mounting external pressure if he is seen as «the main obstacle to ending the war». - 'Enough is enough' - Sudan is suffering the world's biggest displacement crisis. More than 10.7 million people are internally displaced within the country, while around 2.3 million more have fled abroad. «What was once a land of rich culture, history, and hope has become a battlefield of despair, where millions of families are trapped in a living nightmare,» said Mohamed Refaat, the UN migration agency's Sudan mission chief. «Without a ceasefire... every day we delay, more lives are lost, more dreams are shattered, and more futures are stolen,» Refaat said, adding: «Enough is enough.» James Elder, spokesman for the UN children's agency UNICEF, said he had spoken to a surgeon operating on boys injured Saturday in the fatal shelling of a football field in Khartoum State. «He said to me: If those people behind this war could just see these injuries, could see these children who have been killed, they would find a way to sit and talk.» © Agence France-Presse

Food parcels dished out by a New Zealand charity unknowingly contained pineapple sweets laced with potentially lethal amounts of methamphetamine, police said Wednesday. The charity Auckland City Mission raised the alarm after discovering a batch of the sweets was contaminated with the highly addictive illegal drug, police said. «An investigation is under way and police are treating the matter as a priority given the risk to the public.» The New Zealand Drug Foundation said a test sample of an innocuous-looking piece of white candy in a bright yellow wrapper indicated methamphetamine. Foundation spokeswoman Sarah Helm said the tested sweet contained approximately three grams of meth -- up to 300 times greater than the common dose taken by users. «Swallowing that much methamphetamine is extremely dangerous and could result in death.» Helm urged people who had received any confectionaries from the Auckland charity not to consume them. «We don't know how widespread it is.» The candy was donated anonymously by a member of the public, the charity said, in a sealed branded package. A contaminated sweet was taken for testing when a person felt strange after starting to eat it and noticed a bitter taste. Methamphetamine can cause chest pain, racing heart, seizures, delirium and loss of consciousness, the drug foundation warned. Helm told Radio New Zealand that it is common for drug smugglers to hide illegal narcotics in food form. «We suspect somebody hasn't intentionally sought to poison children. It will be up to police to determine,» she added in the interview. © Agence France-Presse

A sixth political party has been officially registered in Seychelles ahead of the upcoming presidential and National Assembly elections set for September 2025. The Mouvman Lavwa Seselwa (MLS), or Movement of Seychellois Voices in English, received its registration certificate from the chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Seychelles, Danny Lucas, and will now be able to participate in the next national elections. The party's leader, Keith Andre, said, «Today we are really proud and emotional to receive this certificate, that makes us a legal political party. We are now able to share our programmes and objectives with the people of Seychelles.» Andre said, «What makes us different from other political parties, is that we are focusing our efforts on the National Assembly.» He added that the party does not intend to put forward a candidate for presidential elections and is inviting members of the public with an interest in representing the respective districts to come forward and join them. The Electoral Commission received the application to register the party, then known as «Lavwa Seselwa» in May and after much deliberations, the party has now been registered. However, there has been a change in its name. «We worked closely with the Commission throughout this process and saw that our previous acronym LS was identical to that of two parties that had been registered with the Commission before. We were advised to make a change, which is when we decided to go with the new name, which now has the acronym of MLS,» explained Andre. (From left) The members of the MLS party - Keith Andre, Barry Nourrice, Holbert Jean and Guynemer Corgat - were present at the ceremony. (Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY  The current party leader explained that the current executive committee has only been put in place to carry out the registration process. The party will soon host its national congress, where everyone will be invited to elect a proper executive committee to carry the party into the upcoming elections and campaign. Lucas welcomed the new party to the Seychelles' political landscape and said that this is a sign of the development of the Seychelles' democracy, which is something the Commission hopes will continue. «It is important for all political parties registered with the commission, to engage with all partners to ensure there is a programme to clearly educate the people on how their party can make Seychelles better and what makes them different from other parties, without resorting to slandering, insulting and blaming each other,» said Lucas. MLS joins five other parties that are now registered with the Electoral Commission. These are the ruling party, the Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) or Seychellois Democratic Union, followed by the main opposition party,  United Seychelles (US), as well as One Seychelles, Seychelles United Movement (SUM), and the Seychelles National Alliance Party (SNAP). Furthermore, the Electoral Commission received the application to register a new political party, under the name of Laliberté, or Freedom, on July 31.  The Electoral Commission recently cancelled the registration of three parties, namely «Lafors Sosyal Demokratik», «Linyon Sanzman» and the Independent Conservative Union of Seychelles (ICUS), after failure to comply with the provisions of the Political Parties Act.