A project to boost collaborative efforts between government agencies, the private sector, and non-profit organisations in Seychelles, funded by the European Union (EU), was launched on Thursday. The project titled «Improving Climate Adaptation and Environmental Governance through Local People and Co-Management in Seychelles» will be implemented by Nature Seychelles with financial support of €218,000 from the EU. Nature Seychelles is a leading environmental organisation in the western Indian Ocean and is the largest and oldest environmental NGO in the archipelago and is involved in environmental conservation and management. The European Union Ambassador to Seychelles, Oskar Benedikt, presided over the project launch at Nature Seychelles' Centre for Environment and Education at Roche Caiman the presence of the French ambassador to Seychelles, Olivia Berkeley-Christmann The project aims to improve mangrove research and management for ecosystem resilience. It will also increase the number of local people with the knowledge and capacity to participate in wetland conservation and restoration and to strengthen and support the national mangrove policy and regulatory frameworks for ecosystem management. Speaking at the launching, the chief executive of Nature Seychelles, Dr Nirmal Shah, said the project will target various groups and stakeholders. These will include wetland management practitioners, tourism establishments, community members, environmental groups and school clubs, interested entrepreneurs, and the private sector. «One of the most important things for us is that we get people involved in decisions made on our environment, as the environment is ours and not the government's,» he said. Shah added that there needs to be policies and values given to these wetlands so that people will feel the need to protect these wetlands. Another component of the project is what has been dubbed «the wetlands of hope,» where in recognition of effective management of wetlands, the groups, hotels, or individuals will be given the label «wetlands of hope.» This will help inspire others to work to protect their own wetlands in order to be recognised as well. Meanwhile, Benedikt said that the launch of the project continues to show the excellent partnership between Seychelles and the EU. «The launch of this grant, together with our new bilateral programme for 2021-2017, is testimony to the continuity of this partnership in areas, such as environmental protection,» said Benedikt.

[World Bank] Washington -- The World Bank approved today $30 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA)* to support the Adaptive and Productive Social Safety Nets Project in the Central African Republic (CAR). The project intends to scale up social protection for poor and vulnerable families in targeted areas and strengthen the shock-responsiveness of delivery systems.

On Saturday, 11.13 crore voters will decide for 58 Lok Sabha seats in the second-last phase of the general election. Polling will begin at 7am and end at 6pm. The second-last phase will see over 11 crore voters seal the fate of 889 candidates including Bansuri Swaraj, Manoj Tiwari, Kanhaiya Kumar, Maneka Gandhi, Sambit Patra and Raj Babbar.

When most of the top opposition leaders flew to Bihar last year to present a 'formidable front' against the ever-strong Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik was one of the few big faces missing at the Patna meeting, which saw the birth of the INDIA bloc. A month before the June 2023 Patna meeting, Patnaik had made it clear that he would go solo in the upcoming elections, calling it a 'principle' of his party, Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

Union home minister Amit Shah accuses Congress of treating Jharkhand as an 'ATM of corruption' and claims a competition of corruption between Congress and JMM. Shah praises PM Modi for addressing tribal issues, increasing budget, and freeing the country from Naxals, including red rebels in Budha Pahad. Shah also highlights the prevalence of cattle smuggling in Jharkhand.

MAKKAH: The Presidency of Religious Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque on Thursday launched its operational plan for the 2024 Hajj season. Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, President of Religious Affairs, described it as the largest religious operational plan yet undertaken by the presidency. The plan is focused on serving pilgrims, enriching their religious experience, creating a devotional atmosphere, and launching 120 religious enrichment initiatives during the Hajj season.

As part of its ambition to complete the banking union, the European Commission has proposed to introduce a European deposit insurance scheme (EDIS) to reduce the potential spill-over risk of local bank failures on the financial stability of the economic and monetary union as a whole. According to the proposal of 24 November 2015, the EDIS would be the third pillar of the banking union. It would be introduced gradually, in three separate phases between 2017 and 2024, complementing national deposit guarantee schemes. The proposal would also have implications for the overall resolution framework for banks under the single resolution mechanism (SRM), so the Commission proposes to amend the SRM Regulation (EU) No 806/2014, introducing a common deposit insurance system as of 2024. In the meantime, the Commission has tabled a package of proposals for bank crisis management and deposit insurance. In Parliament, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) is responsible for the file. While the first draft report was never adopted by ECON, a second draft report was adopted in ECON in April 2024. The report suggests focusing on the first step of EDIS – namely the liquidity insurance fund, now called 'EDIS I' – and reiterates the need for a fully-fledged EDIS, to be adopted through a new Commission proposal. Second edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

A man was found dead in a shipping container at Mandai Foodlink after he went missing for days, Shin Min Daily News reported on Friday (May 24). The body of the 30-year-old was discovered at 11am on Wednesday at a third-floor unit of the industrial complex. Arriving at the scene at around 2pm, the Shin Min reporter noted that a large blue shipping container at the unit had been left open, with a pungent stench emanating from it. Officers were seen bagging evidence from the container, which included clothing. Speaking with Shin Min, an employee from a neighbouring unit said he was shocked to learn that a death had occurred so nearby. He added that the deceased was an employee of a middle-aged couple that operated a business selling alcohol products including wine, and had been working for about a year. «How could there be such a sudden death? I haven't smelled anything strange the past few days either,» he said. The dead man's employer — red-eyed and wearing a downcast expression — was also at scene speaking with police.

The federal government has unfurled a new cybersecurity strategy aimed at protecting its vast array of computer systems and information banks against a growing variety of threats.

United Airlines started today seasonal direct flights between Keflavík International Airport and its home port New York/Newark.

The 2015 refugee and migrant crisis in Europe called into question existing EU legislation on asylum, in particular the criteria according to which applicants for international protection can qualify for refugee or subsidiary protection status, as recognised in the Qualification Directive. Although national asylum rules are more closely aligned than they were, there continue to be major differences in approach across the EU. This can lead asylum-seekers to claim refuge in Member States whose asylum systems appear to be more generous, rather than in the Member State officially responsible for their asylum applications. The European Commission's proposal of 13 July 2016 proposed to replace the Qualification Directive with a regulation, setting uniform standards for the recognition of people in need of protection and for the rights granted to beneficiaries of international protection. The European Parliament and the Council reached provisional agreement on the text in June 2018. After being blocked since 2018, the two institutions reached a final agreement on the regulation on 15 December 2022. Coreper approved the agreement on 8 February 2024. Parliament adopted the text during its plenary session of 10 April 2024. The regulation enters into force in June 2024 and into application on 1 July 2026. Fourth edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

In addition, the Russian leader expressed hope that, in his capacity as president, Lam would continue to promote constructive bilateral cooperation in all fields, benefiting both nations and strengthening security and stability in the Asia-Pacific, the agency reported

Sergey Naryshkin pointed out that «odious terrorist structures such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS are the spawn of the US and UK special services»

«We see secondary sanctions against our partners as evidence of the neocolonial policies of Washington and London, which serve as a cover for attempts to implement a course of action aimed at establishing total control over trade and financial operations within the CIS,» Alexander Bortnikov noted

An armed attack on Robert Fico took place in the western Slovakian town of Handlova on May 15

«Liberal elites don’t like him because he dared to advocate the national interests of his country and people,» Sergey Naryshkin noted

[New Times] President Paul Kagame, on Thursday, May 23, inaugurated a Rwf22 billion new Radiant Insurance building, located in the central business district.

[The Herald] Zimbabwe has made tremendous strides to improve agricultural production in line with the Malabo Declaration targets that were set in 2014.

[UNFPA in WCA] Adelia's story is one of quiet suffering and resilience. «My clothes were constantly wet from urine or faeces and gave off a bad smell. The father of my children could no longer stand my presence and I couldn't run my business. I suffered for 10 years. I was ostracized and had to stay with my mother in the village...». These poignant words from Adelia, a survivor of obstetric fistula, bring to light the harrowing reality faced by countless women and girls. On this International Day to End Obstetric

«When Bollywood considered me an outsider and mocked my English. Then, the world's biggest party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the world's biggest leader, PM Modi, chose me to serve the people of Mandi and work for their welfare. They chose a 'Pahadi Beti' for this work. This fills us with pride and eminence. I bow in respect before our PM Narendra Modi on behalf of all women and citizens of Himachal.»

In addition to its hilly terrain, seismic activity and tropical climate, Papua New Guinea's population is spread across the country in a way that makes it particularly vulnerable to landslide fatalities.

«Moreover, Chisinau is being pressured to consider giving up its national identity and statehood in general,» Alexander Bortnikov pointed out

«Russia closely cooperates with these countries,» Alexander Bortnikov noted, pointing to «the long-established and new contacts in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America, primarily in the field of countering international terrorism»

«9M333 surface-to-air missiles have been produced by the Kalashnikov Group since 2020 and have proved to be efficient in the special military operation in accomplishing combat missions,» the statement says

VTB Group received record net profit under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in the amount of 432.2 bln rubles ($4.6 bln) for 2023 following loss for the previous year