In a continuous effort to deal with the large number of stray dogs in the country, Seychelles has sought the assistance of a well-known Swedish zoo and wildlife veterinarian and academic, Dr Therese Hård, and her team. Hård's expertise and experience will be used to conduct a comprehensive analysis on the stray dog population in Seychelles and recommendations and training will be held afterwards. This will help equip the local authorities with the necessary tools to carry out the stray dogs' programme in a humane manner. The team arrived in Seychelles on Tuesday and will be spending ..read more

Seychelles' Ministry of Lands and Housing is updating its digital platform, which is expected to be up and running by May next year, said a top official on Tuesday. Speaking to the media, the principal secretary for Lands, Denis Barbe, said the Ministry is currently working with the Department of Information, Communication and Technology (DICT) to ensure product quality. "The Lands Department already has a platform. However, it is outdated and it does not compile all the information needed. After it is updated, the platform will include different types of pertinent information such as the ..read more

Rescue workers reported on Tuesday making contact with 11 people under the rubble in a race to save dozens still unaccounted for after a building collapsed in the South African city of George killing at least seven. Thirty-three people have been pulled out of the debris of the five-storey apartment block, which caved in Monday afternoon while under construction, municipal authorities said. Seven of those have died, the authorities said in George, 400 kilometres (250 miles) east of Cape Town. Forty-two people were still unaccounted for, including the 11 with whom contact had been established, t ..read more

Ukraine said Tuesday it had unravelled a Russian plot to assassinate senior Ukrainian political and military figures, including President Volodymyr Zelensky. Two Ukrainian security officials were arrested for their links to the group, which had aimed to carry out high-profile killings ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inauguration on Tuesday. "The terrorist attack, which was supposed to be a gift to Putin for his inauguration, was in fact a failure of the Russian secret service," Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), said in a statement. Kyiv says Zelensky has ..read more

Hamas on Monday said it accepts a proposal for a truce in the seven-month-old war in Gaza, as Israel renewed an order for Palestinians in Rafah to evacuate ahead of a long-threatened invasion of the city. The Hamas announcement brought cheering crowds onto the street amid tears of happiness, chants of "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest") and celebratory shooting in the air. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the proposal "is far from Israel's essential demands", but the government will send negotiators for talks "to exhaust the potential for arriving at an agreement". Close ..read more

President Vladimir Putin vowed at a lavish inauguration on Tuesday to deliver victory to Russians, embarking on a record-breaking fifth term with more power than ever. Putin, however, conceded that Russia was going through a "difficult" period, an apparent reference to the unprecedented sanctions packages the West has imposed on Moscow for having launched full-scale military hostilities in Ukraine more than two years ago. The 71-year-old Kremlin chief has ruled Russia since the turn of the century, securing a fresh six-year mandate in March after winning presidential elections devoid of a ..read more

Air Seychelles, the national carrier, has clinched two accolades - the Indian Ocean's Leading Airline - Economy Class and the Indian Ocean's Leading Cabin Crew at the World Travel Awards 2024. According to the airline in a press statement on Monday, Sandy Benoiton, the airline's chief executive officer accepted the awards with much pride and gratitude. "To win these accolades knowing they are awarded through public vote is proof that Air Seychelles is on the right track. The airline industry is as exciting as it is volatile and we do what we do with passion. Although we did ..read more

The first High Commissioner of Kenya to Seychelles pledges to continue building on the robust relationship between the two countries. Isaac Njenga Gatitu presented his credentials to President Wavel Ramkalawan on Tuesday. "We hope to be able to give impetus to these relations that are in existence, we hope to bring more impact to our governments and our people as we build our economies, as we build our cultural and social ties," he told reporters. Kenya and Seychelles have a long shared history as both countries are members of the Commonwealth and the African Union. "We have commonal ..read more

The 2024 Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA ) Games for Zone 7 have officially begun in Seychelles and athletes will compete in four disciplines. The Games will take place from May 6 to 11 and are open to athletes under 18. In the opening ceremony at Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort on Monday, the young athletes were urged to not only do their best but also enjoy the experience. The vice president of the Seychelles Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (SOCGA), Michel Bau, officially declared the games open and expressed his joy that all these nations have been brou ..read more

French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen pressed Xi Jinping at a summit in Paris on Monday to use Beijing's influence to halt the Russian war against Ukraine, also telling the Chinese leader to accept fair global trade rules. Xi's two-day state visit to France is his first visit to Europe since 2019 on a trip that will also see him hold talks in Serbia and Hungary. He has said he wants to find peace in Ukraine even if analysts do not expect any major breakthrough. Opening an initial trilateral meeting attended by von der Leyen, Macron said coordination ..read more