Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday accused France of ignoring UN resolutions and illegitimately holding the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte. Situated between Madagascar and Mozambique, Mayotte is the only island in the Comoros archipelago which did not split from France after an independence referendum in 1974. Even though Mayotte opted to remain with [...]
The Seychelles Magistrates’ court on Friday remanded five Seychellois citizens arrested following a seizure of 3 kg of compressed cannabis on board an Air Seychelles flight from Johannesburg, South Africa. All five suspects will appear in court on November 19. According to the Anti-Narcotics Bureau (ANB), the five Seychellois were arrested by ANB officers in [...]
EU election observers said on Friday that Madagascar's presidential election this week had "very minor" irregularities after candidate Hery Rajaonarimampianina alleged the vote was mired by fraud. "The irregularities were very minor and won't have any impact on the election's outcome," said the head of the European Union's monitoring mission Cristian Preda. Two cases of [...]
The European Union is determined to continue working closely with Seychelles in the field of maritime security, the blue economy, climate change and regional integration, Ambassador Marjaana Sall said on Thursday. Speaking at the sixth political dialogue between Seychelles and the EU at Eden Bleu, Sall said that Seychelles is an important and valued partner [...]
The Cabinet of Ministers approved a policy proposal on Wednesday to turn the Seychelles News Agency (SNA) into an independent entity. The deputy cabinet secretary for policy affairs, Margaret Pillay, explained that the proposal comes after the National Assembly questioned the importance and necessity of the government-funded agency during last year’s national budget discussions. “Last [...]
The United States is delaying approval of several requests for sanctions exemptions to deliver tractors, spare parts and other goods needed for humanitarian relief in North Korea, according to documents seen by AFP on Thursday. Russia asked the Security Council to discuss the delays during a meeting held behind closed doors on Thursday. North Korea [...]
The two leaders in the National Assembly of Seychelles on Thursday responded to the proposed budget for 2019 made by the Minister for Finance, Trade, Investment and Economic Planning, Maurice Loustau-Lalanne. The opposition leader says the new budget lacks vision and direction, while the leader of government business said it shows the government’s long-term commitment [...]
An operation was underway Thursday to try to stop a Norwegian navy frigate from sinking after it collided with a Maltese oil tanker in a fjord in western Norway. Eight people received minor injuries in the accident, which took place shortly after 4:00 am (0300 GMT) in a busy waterway in the Hjeltefjord near Bergen, [...]
A new gallery recently opened its doors to art lovers in one of Seychelles’ iconic landmarks, Kenwyn House. It features the artwork of nine local artists varying from landscapes, paintings inspired by the flora and fauna of the islands and abstract work. SNA looks at the first batch of artists, whose works are on display [...]
Election officials began counting ballots in Madagascar after Wednesday's vote for a new president in which three former heads of state ran as the Indian Ocean island seeks to defuse a political crisis. Attempts by the most recent president Hery Rajaonarimampianina to change the island's electoral laws backfired, sparking nearly three months of sometimes violent [...]