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Breaking news, investigative reporting, your news and views from the Seychelles.
Janet George is to be the first woman Prison Superintendent.
The announcement was made by President Wavel Ramkalawan in a special address last night.
George who is currently the Prison Service Liason Officer will replace Raymond St Ange.
St Ange has been at the helm of the country's correctional services since November 2017.
Her appointment will take effect at the end of the month.
The interfaith Council, SIFCO is calling for more unity in the country.
Unity was the theme of the Council's annual thanksgiving service at the International Conference, ICCS this morning.
The guest speaker, Justice Bernardin Renaud elaborated on the theme, urging the population to turn to the preamble of the country's 1993 Constitution for inspiration to achieve unity.
The second edition of the Seychelles National Award was held today at State House.
The Award recognises those who have done meritorious service to the community and country in their respective professional fields or voluntary works.
LSH congratulates all recipients of this year's Award.
Seychelles host Unity Relay
As part of the 48th National Day celebration, a road race around Mahé is taking place today.
Some 500 athletes from all district are taking part in the Unity Relay event.
The race was launched by Designated Minister Jean-François Ferrari and the Minister for Local Government Marie-Rose Hoareau.
During the last 17 months the Seychelles police has seizes a total of 776.4 kilograms of heroine.
The figure was released by the police in a press conference today.
Hashish, cannabis and co***ne are the other drugs which are in common use in the country.
The police is expressing concern over the growing popularity of Methamphetamine. Last year 388.6 kilos of the drug were seized and up to last month 2.5 kilos of the stimulant.
Nine Iranians appeared before the Supreme Court No.9 today facing drug related charges.
The men were apprehended onboard a Dhow north-east of Praslin inside Seychelles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
All of them have been remanded for 14 days after a large quantity
897 kilos of hashish, 10 kilos of cannabis herb, 7.3 kilos of heroine and 3 kilos of Methamphetamine.
Cascade School is 60!
Students and teachers of Cascade school were joined by former students and teachers yesterday to mark the 60th anniversary of the institution.
The school in east Mahé which was officially opened in 1964 can be traced back to 1885.
Like the proverb says, a river flows from a small place; 60 years on the school has produced an army of well-known, respected and influential individuals in the Seychellois society.
Mrs. Daisy Zarine is Seychelles' newest centanarian.
The Diguoise is the second born in a family of six.
She celebrated her birthday in special mass on her native island attended by friends and families last weekend.
Mrs Zarine who has no children of her own is a foster mother of many children and was an avid choir member of the Ste Mary's Church from the age of 9.
Basketball fans and enthusiasts gathered at Victoria Gymnasium in solidarity with Nigel Ah-Kon and Jim Domingue in a charity match.
The match organised by Jefferson Nganga is to raise funds in support of the two former Seychelles' national team players.
The match is between PLS Hawks and Premier Cobras legends.
How SBC was duped
A group of people who regularly appeared on the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) fortnightly television programme, Lopinyon have come together in a new political party called 'Lavwa Seselwa'.
Little that the public broadcaster, SBC knew that they were giving free and ample publicity to this group of politician wannabes.
So has SBC been duped?
If so, what is now going to happen to the programme which week in, week out depends on that same group of people as regular guests.
If they continue to be invited as participants, other political parties will object and call for the participation of their own members - something with has been frowned upon up till now.
Pascalina Moustache is the first Seychelloise football player to sign a professional contract.
The 32-year-old former Rovers has signed a one year contract with the Lithuanian club, FK Saned Joniškis.
Moustache is joining fellow Seychelloise, Natacha Bibi in the A Lyga. The term and condition of Natacha with the club is not in the public domain.
LSH wishes Pascalina and Nathasia the best in their careers.
A Dutch national has been jailed in Seychelles for the importation of a controlled drug.
Ernest, Cezary Kosiek was arrested on 13th October 2023 at the international airport after arriving in the country from Doha onboard a Qatar Airways flight.
The 30-year-old had swallowed 76 cylindrical shape packets weighing 776.85 grams.
He's been sentenced to four years imprisonment with the possibility of parole.
As the last cruise ship pulled out from Port Victoria this afternoon, it left a banner year in its wake.
The Seychelles' 2023-2024 cruise season concluded with high-water marks as some 38 ships transported 68,000 visitors to Victoria since the official opening of the season last October.
The port welcomed 20 ships more this season compared to 2022-2023.
Nellie Kawinga, of Malawi has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for importing a controlled drug into Seychelles.
The 39-year-old was arrested at the Seychelles International Airport on 8th October last year in possession of 874.33 grams of co***ne in 74 cylindrical shape packets.
Based on the gravity of the charges, the Judge ruled that Kawinga is sentenced without parole.
Families and friends gathered at the Our Lady of Sorrows church at Anse Boileau this morning to bid farewell to renown entertainer and educator, Joel Servina.
The former Youngsters, Zennith and Metis singer passed away on 6th May following days of hospitalisation.
A large crowd of families and friends including fellow artists, his former students, school and NYS friends gathered to pay their last respect in a well-animated service led by Father Colin Underwood.
The 51-year-old is survived by his four children.
Mauritius and Comoros are the girls and boys champions of the beach volleyball tournament of the ANUCA games.
The final matches were held at the beach soccer arena at Roche Caiman this afternoon.
In the girls' final, the Mauritian duo defeated Madagascar whilst the Comoros won its first ever male beach volleyball gold medal with a victory over Madagascar.
15th Episcopal Ordination anniversary
The head of the Anglican Diocese of Seychelles celebrated his 15th Episcopal Ordination last weekend in a special service attended by believers and loved ones.
James Wong Sin Yong was ordained as a priest in 1983.
The 64-year-old was granted Seychelles citizenship on 11th May 2017.
He has previously served as the Archdeacon of Mauritius, the Rector of St. Thomas in Beau-Bassin and was was elected Archbishop of the Province of the Indian Ocean, at the Provincial Synod.
Joshua Cousin is the sole local gold medalist at the Mandela African Boxing Cup in Durban, South Africa.
The Rochon resident of Mont Fleuri clinched gold in the 75kg final at the International Convention Center (ICC) arena last night.
He fought against Temesgen Mitiku Neka from Ethiopia who won his semi-final fight by a knockout.
Speaking ahead of the bout, Neka was quoted by News AFBC saying "Tomorrow, God helps me, I will win by KO the next boxer again. I am 100% confident in my victory. I’ll do it for my country, that is my biggest motivation."
We can only say that Neka spoke too soon.
Government offers cash reward for info on gas incident
The government has announced a 100,000 rupees cash reward for any information related to the gas leak incident that have been reported during the past week.
The announcement was made by the Internal Affairs Minister, Erroll Fonseca before the National Assembly today.
"The government is treating these incidents as a criminal act," said the minister.
He described who ever is behind these attacks as uncompassionate and malicious.
"Their aim is to destabilise the country", said Mr. Fonseca.
To date 13 incidents have been reported mainly at eight state schools and at the Palais de Justice at Ile du Port.
The gas leak victims have reported smelling a strong hydrocarbon odour that causes shortness of breath, headaches and eye irritation.
A total of 353 people, mostly children have had to be treated for mild symptoms including vomiting, itching and rash, dizziness and tummy ache.
The authorities including the police, the Fire and Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA), Disaster and Risk Management Department (DRMD) and the Public Health Authority are yet to established the circumstances around these incidents and the cause of it.
Mrs Theresia Flore, born 14th April 1922 celebrated her 102nd birthday with family and friends yesterday at her domicile at Beau Vallon.
Stanio Arissol is the newly elected Speaker of the Seychelles Youth Assembly.
The Beau Vallon secondary school student was elected after the third round of a tightly contested election.
The 19th cohort of the Youth Assembly met for their first session today at the National House.
Students from all educational institutions are represented in the forum. They are elected by their peers - a move that was introduced by the new government last year.
The Speaker of the National Assembly has expressed regrets over Seychelles' role in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Speaker Roger Mancienne's comment came a few days after the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the tragedy in the central African nation.
"I feel obliged to express my deepest condolence to the people of Rwanda because Seychelles played a role in the event by selling arms to various groups which were responsible for the genocide", said the Speaker.
The Albert Rene administration sold part of the 80 tons of arms which were confiscated on board the ship 'Malo' to Colonel Theoneste Bagosora, a former Rwanda government defence official.
The Minister for defence at the time was James Michel who later served as President from 2004 to 2016.
Speaker Mancienne called on all Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) as the people's representatives to express regrets and sadness over Seychelles' involvement.
"Let us not forget what happened and ensure that we are never involved again in such a horrific event", he said.
A third murderer convicted this year
As we start the fourth month of 2024, a third person has been sentenced to life for murder.
Last week a nine member jury found Kenneth Maringo of Grand Anse Praslin guilty for killing Hans Hackl on 28th May 2023.
Judge Melchior Vidot also gave the 31-year-old a 25 year sentence for attempted murder. The case involved, 64 year old Alfiya Pozhidaeva in the same tragic incident at the Castello Beach Hotel, Amitie, Praslin.
Maringo's case was the second murder trial of the year. In February, Lussel Labiche (45-year-old) and Asthan Beyonce Elizabeth (19-year-old) were sentenced to life for the murder of Sherleytine Ernesta on 2nd May 2022 at Bougainville.
English River couple celebrate diamond wedding anniversary
Marie and Dersley say the secret to a long and happy marriage is "love, patience and perseverance", as they mark their diamond wedding anniversary.
The couple tied the knot on 6th April 1964 at the age of 22 and 25 respectively.
They have 6 children.
Mr. and Mrs Youpa marked the special occasion at the Biodiversity Centre at Barbarons, Grand Anse Mahé surrounded by their loved ones this weekend.
Seychelles lost second consecutive game at COSAFA
The team crashed 2-7 against Malawi which now progresses to the semifinal.
After a great start against Saudi Arabia, Seychelles went on to lose against host South Africa and now Malawi.
Photos courtesy of COSAFA page.
Seychelles' newest centanarian is from Au Cap
Mrs Miette Dorothe celebrated her 100th birthday in a special service at Sacré Cœur de Jesus Church at La Misere last week.
The service was attended by first lady, Mrs Linda Ramkalawan
LSH congratulates Mrs Dorothe for her remarkable life's achievement.
Seychelles lost second outting at COSAFA beach soccer tournament.
The team lost 2-3 against the host nation, South Africa.
Seychelles next opponent in the tournament in Durban will be Malawi.
Photos courtesy of COSAFA page.
The global ratings agency Fitch Ratings revises outlook on Seychelles to Positive.
A positive outlook from the previous 'stable' assessment suggests a higher probability of a rating upgrade.
However, Fitch affirms the Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'BB-'.
The organisation stated that Seychelles' budgetary performance in 2023 substantially outperformed targets, with a primary surplus of 1.8% of GDP.
The fiscal outperformance meant that the government could increase the statutory benefits rates and give public sector workers a minimum ten percent increase in salary.
Seychelles Beach Soccer National Team wins first outting at COSAFA.
The team of coach Herald Kowlessur, won their opening Group A match against Saudi Arabia, which is making history by being the first non-African nation to compete at this tournament.
Seychelles won 3-1.
Terence Amade was voted man of the match.
Seychelles will next play host South Africa and Malawi.
Photos courtesy of COSAFA page.
Keddy Agnes is Seychelles Best Male Athlete of the Year for 2023.
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Seychelles lost second consecutive game at COSAFA The team crashed 2-7 against Malawi which now progresses to the semifinal. After a great start against Saudi Arabia, Seychelles went on to lose against host South Africa and now Malawi. Photos courtesy of COSAFA page.
Seychelles lost second outting at COSAFA beach soccer tournament. The team lost 2-3 against the host nation, South Africa. Seychelles next opponent in the tournament in Durban will be Malawi. Photos courtesy of COSAFA page.
Seychelles Beach Soccer National Team wins first outting at COSAFA. The team of coach Herald Kowlessur, won their opening Group A match against Saudi Arabia, which is making history by being the first non-African nation to compete at this tournament. Seychelles won 3-1. Terence Amade was voted man of the match. Seychelles will next play host South Africa and Malawi. Photos courtesy of COSAFA page.
Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS) Governor Caroline Abel will resign in March 2024. Speaking at a conference earlier today, Miss Abel confirmed that her contract as the head of the country's top financial institution is coming to an end. "I'm giving my last press conference as CBS Governor", she said. She went on to reassure the public that any institution is made up of a team and does not belong to one person alone. "When I'm gone, CBS staff will continue to work as usual and my replacement will be identified and appointed. Miss Abel took office as the Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles on 14th March 2012. She was reappointed as Governor in March 2018. Her contract expired in March 2024.
The Seychelles President says there is a new opportunity for the African nations to build a relationship of equal partners with Saudi Arabia. President Wavel Ramkalawan was speaking at the inaugural Saudi-Africa Summit in Riyadh. Follow the video clip below for his remarks.
Its confirmed the 2025 Beach Soccer World Cup will be held in Seychelles from 1st to 11th May 2025. This will be the first time that this global competition will be held in Africa. The 13th edition of the Beach Soccer World Cup will see the participation of 16 teams.
The Seychelles government takes a big step toward cashless payments on public transportation as of today, as cash payment comes to a stop on all SPTC buses. With the change, riders on cashless buses will have to tap a contactless bank card to pay when boarding. Transportation cards can be purchased or charged at various retail outlets or at the SPTC Bus Terminal in Victoria. SPTC is working on more payment options for riders including the use of QR code. The dwindling number of bus passengers using cash was among the reasons for going cashless.
Work is progressing well at Stad Linite, Roche Caiman to install new synthetic track surface and artificial football pitch. The renovation work means that this year's school athletic championship will be postponed until the work is completed. Last week, the Minister for sport said the track should be replaced every 10 to 15 years. The six-lane tartan track at Stad Linite was installed in 1993 - the year Seychelles hosted the 4th edition of the Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG). The field was last replaced in 2007 with a third-generation artificial turf pitch.
Seychelles public sector workers will receive a 10% pay rise at the end of the month. The increment will not be on their basic salary but on the consolidation of the basic pay and up to four different allowances. The consolidated allowances will include: the 5% supplementation; marketable skill; graduate and performance allowances. It is first time in the country's history that salary increase has been calculated in this way. That means most workers will earn more than the promised R1000 minimum increase. Public sector workers will also greatly benefit on the end-of-year 13th month pay. The announcement came after the Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) majority in the National Assembly approved the Public Service Salary (Amendment) Bill, 2023 earlier this week. The Opposition party, United Seychelles (US) abstained and spoke against the public sector reform programme.
A rare weather phenomenon has been caught on camera in Seychelles capital Victoria. The condition is called gustnado, which is a small and usually weak whirlwind which forms as an eddy in thunderstorm outflows. Because gustnados have a spinning dust cloud at the ground level, they are often wrongly mistaken for tornados. The phenomenon took place at the Gordon Square football pitch earlier today. Luckily onlookers from various locations were able to film the images on their mobile phones. Source of amateur video footage - local social media networks.
Today is the International Day of Peace. To commemorate this day designated by the United Nation since 1954, the police officers charged with maintaining law and order took to the street for a special parade. The parade followed a special mass service at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Victoria. The men and women in uniform were acclaimed by onlookers for their hardwork in providing a safe and secure environment for all the people of Seychelles and visitors alike.
Hundreds of young athletes from all primary, secondary and post-secondary schools are competing in this year's National Schools Athletics Championships. It is the first time in two years that the event is being held due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year marks the 44th edition of the Championships. Sameerah Albert of La Digue primary school was the first gold medal winner of the day after coming out first in the Girl Under 8 Mini Hurdles event.
A senior political figure in Mauritius has praised Seychelles' recent successes labeling it 'an example to follow'. Paul Berenger, who heads the Movement Militant Mauricien (MMM) was full of praise for Seychelles' remarkable economic recovery amid the turbulent world economic crisis. He was speaking at a recent political rally in neighbouring Mauritius. In recent weeks, the decisions of the new administration have been called 'impressive' by both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Tourism arrival as of last weekend reached 122,996 and the US Dollar is down to 13.95 Seychelles rupees and the Euro to Rs15.02 bringing much stability in prices of communities and fuel compared to neighbouring Mauritius and Sri Lanka. Further good news came this week, when Seychelles' credit rating was upgraded to B+ with a positive outlook by Fitch Ratings. The former Mauritian Prime Minister (2003 - 2005) pinpointed the reduced inflation rate from 10 to 5.7%. Since October 2020, the Ramkalawan administration has placed great emphasis on a fast debt reduction resulting in a stronger than expected economic growth.
