A third of the species of tropical plants in Africa are potentially threatened with extinction, according to a preliminary estimate published Wednesday by the journal Science Advances. The most authoritative list of threatened species is the famous "Red List" maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). While this list is relatively complete [...]
The Green Islands Foundation (GIF) has started to map the marine habitats around Fregate Island using 3D technologies. State of the art technologies, such as 3D virtual reef mosaics, will be used to raise public awareness of the threats facing coral reefs and marine conservation. This is the first such exercise to take place in [...]
US officials said Wednesday they have agreed to grant licenses to "several" firms to provide components to Chinese tech giant Huawei, which faces sanctions imposed over national security concerns. A Commerce Department spokesman said the agency had granted "narrow licenses to authorize limited and specific activities which do not pose a significant risk to the [...]
Newly elected Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday named his brother Mahinda as Prime Minister, cementing the grip on power of a clan credited with brutally crushing the Tamil Tigers a decade ago. Mahinda, a two-term president himself, will be sworn in as premier on Thursday following the resignation of Ranil Wickremesinghe after his [...]
The turtle poachers hunt at night, so conservation officers in Seychelles are increasing their nighttime patrols. Thousands of sea turtles have started their annual migration to the shores of the Seychelles islands to lay their eggs, and conservationists have increased monitoring efforts and surveillance, patrolling the beaches where they know turtles come to nest. Environment Conservation [...]
The mandate of David Andre, the mayor of Seychelles’ capital city, Victoria, will end on December 31. The 60-year-old took office on January 1, 2017, for a three-year term. SNA spoke to Andre about his achievements the past three years, the challenges of the post and his view on a mayor being elected rather than appointed. SNA: [...]
It is well known that human hubbub can have a negative impact on some animals, but a new study Wednesday says the noise we make should be treated as a "major global pollutant". "We found that noise affects many species of amphibians, arthropods, birds, fish, mammals, molluscs and reptilians," scientists at Queen's University Belfast said [...]
A 42-unit social housing estate in the western Mahe district of Grand Anse was officially inaugurated on Monday, as officials said a further 30 units will be built in the future. The Orchid Village, named after the orchid farm formerly located on the site, is part of a 106-unit project constructed at three sites -- [...]
Relatives of some of the young pro-democracy protesters holed up inside a Hong Kong university held anxious vigil Tuesday as police vowed to arrest those inside. Around 100 demonstrators remain barricaded inside Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) surrounded by riot squads who have been besieging them for three days. One mother in her 50s, whose [...]
A new, flavoured, vitamin-enhanced bottled water -- Eden VIT -- has hit the Seychelles’ market. Manufactured in the second-most populated island of Praslin, Eden VIT is the brainchild of Sanjay Naidoo. The product has been available on Mahe, the main island, and Praslin since August. SNA met with Naidoo to learn more about the new [...]
