Britain called in the army Thursday after dozens of drone sightings grounded all flights from London's Gatwick airport for more than 24 hours, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded on one of the busiest days of the year. The airport, which closed its only runway Wednesday night after "reports of two drones flying in [...]
The lobster season will remain closed for 2018/2019 due to dwindling numbers in part because of illegal poaching of the sought after seafood delicacy. Closing the season for a second consecutive year is seen as a necessary measure by the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture and the Seychelles Fisheries Authority (SFA) so as to allow the [...]
Madagascar released early partial results on Thursday the day after its presidential election, with both candidates claiming victory in a head-to-head duel that has raised fears of instability on the Indian Ocean island. The vote count is set to be tense as Andry Rajoelina and Marc Ravalomanana, both former presidents, hope to emerge on top [...]
Seychelles Fregate Island Private, a luxury eco-retreat, is partnering with two international organisations based in Switzerland for its first coral restoration project. The island’s conservation manager, Richard Baxter, told SNA on Monday that the reason for the partnership was to get help to take the habitat restoration experience underwater. In support of the International Year [...]
Japan is considering pulling out of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), officials told AFP on Thursday, as Tokyo reportedly gears up to resume commercial whaling activity next year. Such a move would spark international criticism against Japan over whale conservation and deepen the divide between anti- and pro-whaling countries. "We are considering all options" including [...]
The Seychelles’ Hilton Labriz Silhouette hotel is raising funds to finance a bookstore at the President's Village, a home for children, in the western Mahe district of Port Glaud. The hotel has set up a Christmas market that will be open until December 26. All money collected will be going to the bookstore. “All the [...]
A huge fire blazed through 600 wooden homes built on stilts next to a river in Brazil's Amazon region overnight, decimating a poor area of the city of Manaus but causing no deaths, authorities said Tuesday. "It's perhaps the biggest city fire in the history of Manaus," said the deputy chief of the local emergency [...]
Seychelles in 2018 saw a three-percent increase in tourism arrivals, which -- although lower than last year’s increase -- helped the industry to a 15 percent rise in revenue, said a top official of the tourism board. The Central Bank of Seychelles recorded an equivalent of over $520 million (SCR7.1 billion) in earnings from the [...]
Madagascans head to the ballot box on Wednesday in a run-off election between two rivals who have waited years to come face-to-face in a fiercely personal battle for power in the Indian Ocean island. The clash between Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina could revive instability in the impoverished country if the result is rejected by [...]
An exercise to have a new voter register for the district of Ile Perseverance will begin early January 2019, said the Seychelles' Electoral Commission on Tuesday. The chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Seychelles, Luciana Lagrenade, told the press that since the “district is a manmade island inhabiting people formerly residing in different districts, the [...]
