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Air Seychelles would be ahead of schedule on transformation plan if 2020 was a normal year: CEO | CAPA - CAPA - Centre for Aviation

"Security has always been the sword of Damocles hanging over the head of crypto exchanges. When we encountered the breach, we acted quickly and transparently to protect all our users and partners," wrote Lyu. "First, we gradually resumed the deposit and withdrawal services within a week, before fully restoring all features.

"Secondly, with the efforts of all parties in the industry, we cooperated with exchange and project partners to recover $222 million (78%), and through further cooperation with law enforcement and security institutions, we recovered another $17.45 million (6%).

"KuCoin and our insurance fund covered the remainder of around $45.55 million (16%). In the end, we ensured that no users sustained any loss in this incident, and we have since greatly strengthened our security level."

Lyu also confirmed that KuCoin had gathered intelligence about the perpetrators, and indicated that investigations were ongoing.

Based in Seychelles, KuCoin is one of the industry's most recognized exchanges, serving a global user base of over six million. The platform works closely with over 200 blockchain projects and facilitates hundreds of millions of dollars worth of daily transactions. Reflecting upon the addition of 39 fiat currencies in the past year, Lyu confirmed that KuCoin now supports 53 national currencies with plans to integrate emerging payment tools and popular gateways such as BTC Direct and Mobilum. The CEO also heralded impressive growth in trading volume.

"In 2020, our margin trading volume increased 217% year on year and has supported 33 tokens and 54 trading pairs. Since the start of the year, KuCoin Futures have achieved a stunningly rapid 420% increase in trading volume and a remarkable 670% growth in user numbers. It now supports 17 coins, including USDT-Margined and Coin-Margined Contracts, and Perpetual Futures and Quarterly Delivery Futures.

"Over the past year, the Pool-X staking platform which supports over 50 projects generated around $7 million of passive income for users."

After reflecting on recent additions, including new DeFi and NFT trading boards, Lyu revealed that KuCoin will support the upcoming Polkadot parachain slots auction, enabling users to participate in the expanding Polkadot ecosystem. Outlining his vision for the next two years, the CEO stated his belief that bitcoin will overtake gold, that decentralized finance will continue to innovate, and evolve, and that NFT use will also increase.

"In general, the future strategy of KuCoin will be carried out by two priorities: 'Find the next crypto gem' and 'Empowering KCS'. In order to achieve the former, our intercontinental blockchain project research team will keep up with industry trends to identify more promising projects. "

"In the KuCoin community, KCS is the bond that connects us all, and ideally, all KuCoin users will become members of the KCS community. To this end, we will shed light on KCS and encourage users to become token holders, to grow with us and share the benefits from our growth. Moving forward, we will build KCS as a killer product rather than a simple token."

Decentralization was a dominant theme in Lyu's letter, with the CEO restating his belief that decentralization and blockchain-powered transparency can facilitate the free flow of value around the world.

"After evaluating all existing technologies and public chain ecosystems, we are going to launch new KuCoin decentralized trading solutions on the basis of KuChain," Lyu wrote. "One thing is for sure: KCS will be the underlying fuel whatever the solution actually is."

About KuCoin

KuCoin is a global crypto exchange that supports multiple crypto asset transactions. Established in September 2017, KuCoin has grown into one of the most popular crypto exchanges in the world. It currently provides Spot trading, Margin trading, P2P fiat trading, Futures trading, Staking, and Lending to its six million users in over 200 countries and regions around the world.

SOURCE KuCoin

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KuCoin CEO Reflects on 2020 and Looks to the Future - PRNewswire

Israel and Greece are in advance negotiations to sign an agreement that would allow reciprocal visits for vaccinated tourists with no obligation to self-isolate or present a negative coronavirus test.

Israel is also negotiating similar agreements with Romania and Serbia, Cyprus and the Seychelles, while the country of Georgia has also expressed interest in signing a similar deal.

A beach in the Greek island of Crete

(Photo: Shutterstock)

The deal would facilitate travel for holders of "green passport", which anyone who had received two of the required coronavirus vaccines, will be able to get.

Greece and Israel hope that by the time Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrives in Israel on Monday for a state visit, the deal will be completed and the two leaders will be able to announce it as early as next week.

Jerusalem, however, said that the signing of the agreement depends on the infection rate in both Israel and Greece, which is currently dealing with a severe coronavirus outbreak in one of its provinces.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis

(Photo: GPO)

In the meantime, Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main port of entry, is currently under severe restrictions imposed by the government in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus and its UK, South-African and California mutations, recently discovered in Israel.

As per the restrictions, arrivals of foreign-registered aircrafts is prohibited, except for cargo flights, medical and rescue flights.

Ben Gurion Airport during the closure

(Photo: AP)

Israelis are not allowed to leave or return to Israel, with the exception of medical treatment, attending a relative's funeral or legal proceedings abroad.

Private flights can still take place due to the fact they cannot be legally prevented.

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Israel and Greece in talks to allow reciprocal visits for vaccinated tourists - Ynetnews

The Seychelles has become the first country in the world to allow vaccinated tourists to enter the country without the need to quarantine.

Travellers who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will still need to follow social distancing measures, but they will now be allowed to visit the Indian Ocean archipelago without self-isolating upon arrival.

The country began vaccinating its population earlier this month, rolling out the Sinopharm vaccine on 10 January.

Tourism is arguably the most important industry to the Seychelles economy, with 15 per cent of the working population directly employed by the sector. The relaxed restrictions for vaccinated tourists are being introduced in the hope that this can give a much-needed economic boost to the country.

The Seychelles has had 746 cases of COVID-19 in total and there is an upward trend of infections there at the moment.

As a result, the government has tightened entry restrictions, depending on the risk in the country youre coming from.

If you are travelling there, you will need to send an application form to the Public Health Authority before you travel. This applies to all travellers, even those who have received the vaccine.

Until 28 January, the government has said that international tourists must have a negative PCR test result before departure and be prepared to self-isolate at their accommodation for 10 days upon arrival.

To be exempt from self-isolating on arrival, youll need to have received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine two weeks before you depart for the Seychelles.

As well as easing restrictions for vaccinated tourists, the Seychelles are also launching a major push for conservation-focused travel.

While most tourists flock to the inner islands of the Seychelles, the more remote places such as Alphonse Island remain largely undisturbed, which means theyre teeming with wildlife.

Alphonse is the only outer island to currently have accommodation for tourists - in the form of luxury beach bungalows and villas. Its a one hour flight from Mah, the largest island in the Seychelles.

A lot of the tourism activities on Alphonse revolve around the sea: from popular water sports such as paddle boarding to conservation and marine safaris. And from May this year, a new experience could give you a real taste of being a marine conservationist.

Visitors to Alphonse Island will have the opportunity to see the islands beautiful marine life up close - and even have the chance to help with conservation projects.

The Explorer Season Conservation Experience is due to run between May and November this year. Activities include: underwater wildlife photography, planting trees, feeding giant tortoise and beach clean-ups.

With travel accounting for 30 per cent of the GDP, the Seychelles has been hit hard by the current pandemic, so, like other tourism-dependent nation, the country is hopeful that a vaccine will help restart the industry soon. .

But the World Health Organisation (WHO) have warned governments not to rush to relax restrictions on immunised travellers while the full effectiveness of the vaccine is still unknown.

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Vaccinated tourists can now visit the Seychelles without quarantining - Euronews

Best Places To Stay

The accommodation available in the Seychelles ranges from super luxury to luxury to normal and budget. It really all depends on your budget and the occasion. But sometimes the occasion is simply being in the Seychelles, so why not?

A private island reached by helicopter or small plane from Mahe, Fregate Island Private is a nature reserve where humans take second place to nature. Sixteen villas nestle in the greenery, each offering a large living room villa, a bedroom villa, indoor and outdoor bathrooms, a small pool, all connected by private boardwalks, and any meals you wish delivered right to your front door. Each villa comes with a golf buggy to get around, and each beach has an occupied sign and a phone to call up for cocktails or snacks brought down to you. Not cheap, but also not the priciest, and so worth it.

Au Font De Mer is one of several self-catering options available on the main island and has good ratings. Also, look at the Airbnb options; you can get apartments and beach villas at reasonable prices.

For a mid-range hotel chain, you could do a lot worse than the Hilton on Mahe island. With its private beach, private pools in their villas, restaurants overlooking the ocean and clean, and modern styling, this is a good choice.

You will not need a visa to enter the Seychelles, and you will get your lovely stamp upon arrival. It is recommended that all your routine vaccinations are up to date, but you do not need any specific vaccinations, nor any malaria prophylaxis.

The language is Seychellois Creole, which is rooted in French, but English and French are also widely spoken and understood, and all the hotel staff speaks English. The currency is the Seychelles rupee, but prices are often listed in euros and dollars, both of which are accepted in larger stores and hotels, but not necessarily in street stalls or by market vendors.

It might be worth mentioning that there really is plenty of wildlife in the Seychelles, even in the luxury resorts. When I stayed on Fregate Island, a couple had to be helicoptered out after one night because the bride could not cope with the lizards that shared their villa. That said, Fregate is a nature reserve where all creatures are encouraged to enjoy themselves, but if you are squeamish, it may be better to stay on the main island in a hotel where lizards and geckos are kept firmly outside.

Related articles:

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Everything You Need To Know Before Visiting The Amazing Seychelles - TravelAwaits

But I stray from my point. The main thing is, avoid the settlement of Glod which means mud. Spend the first few days of this, your holiday of a lifetime, in Bucharest. Contemplate the shockingly huge white palace and thoughts of what might have been yet more international debt and oppression and indeed what was. All aristocrats were rudely awoken en masse, loaded onto trucks and shipped over the border.

Then set off with a glad heart and perhaps a stiff drink into the countryside, there to explore the wonders of Romania today fields worked as our ancestors did, 200 years ago. Over yonder, stoic horses pull their plough. Near at hand,scarfed ladies scuttle homeward crossing themselves fearfully, as the skies strangely darken and mists roll in.

Now, far be it for me to indulge in crude rustic stereotypes of backward Middle Europe the very idea! But I feel no homage to Romania would be complete without reference to Count Dracula. Really, theres no escaping him ever since Vlad the Impaler (c. 142877) began impaling local denizens, and Bram Stoker for good measure threw in howling wolves and vampirism.

The poor Romanians. Just because a certain Late Victorian author successfully found a means of channelling our repressed Gothic fantasies some of these blatantly sexual, I tell you the Transylvanians have been lumbered with a whole lot of other peoples wants.As if Romania hasnt suffered enough. Have I mentioned the plague of 181314?

Look, theres much more to say less silly stuff, about castles decaying in splendour,exquisite forests, crumbling spa towns and a thriving shoe manufacturing sector.The serious point is this: Romania has a profound depth which the Seychelles do not.The latter have got fine nature reserves but for the most theyre just islands of superficiality, beaches of childish delight.They too feed on fantasies, but of calmlylapping waters and a land where you might forget. And thats the trouble. The place is forgettable. Romania, though, offers consequence. Yes there are still a few horses and carts, yes there are wolves if youre lucky. Also, theres history, and a population emerging from a great darkness.

And that I find immeasurably reassuring in these unsettling times. Romania has no turquoise sea but its got the blue Danube, and its also got meaning and resilience. I love the place.

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Why Romania is a better post-lockdown holiday option than the Seychelles - Telegraph.co.uk

There arent many reasonsnotto go to Seychelles. This archipelago off the eastern coast of Africa is famous for some of theworldsmost spectacularbeaches, wildlife reserves full of giant tortoises, aone-offCreole culture and some genuinely incredible seafood. And dont let the jet-set reputation fool you like the Maldives, Seychelleseven flashier Indian Ocean neighbour, its possible to visit on a budget.

However, until today there was one big problem:you could only visit Seychelles from a short list of approved low-risk countries, with a mandatory test and a five-day quarantine on arrival. (The country locked down in March last year and has been reopening tourismcautiously.) So if you were from anywhere else in the world, travel was off the cards.

Now thats due to change and the new rules could point the way forward for post-vaccine travel in 2021. From today, Seychelles will admit anyone, from any country, who can prove they have had a vaccine against Covid-19.

Specifically, youll need to have hadyour final dose ofan approved vaccine at least two weeks before you jet off. That means the very first waveof key workers and older, more vulnerable citizens whove had vaccines in countries such as the UK and US could already be eligible. And most of them could probably usea beach break.

The rest of usmight have to hang about a bit. But ifgetting the jab means the difference between staying at home and heading off on a much-delayed dream trip, you can bet were not going to miss that appointment.

Planning your next getaway? Here are 21 things for travellers to look forward to in 2021, and our travel editors tips on the best places to visit this year.

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Got the vaccine? Then you can now hit the beach in Seychelles - Time Out

19 January 2021 | Foreign Affairs

The President of the Republic, H.E Wavel Ramkalawan bade farewell to the outgoing Ambassador for United States to the Republic of Seychelles, H.E. David Reimer via a video conference call from Mauritius this morning, at State House.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated travel restrictions, the farewell call was done virtually in the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Mr Sylvestre Radegonde.

On behalf of the government and the people of Seychelles, President Ramkalawan expressed his appreciation to the Ambassador for the exceptional contributions made in deepening ties between Seychelles and United States during his tenure. In echoing my sincere appreciation for the friendship and commendable work done in strengthening the friendship between our two nations, I wish you great success and prosperity in your new endeavours, said President Ramkalawan.

On his part Ambassador Reimer, reassured the President of the continuous support of his government through his successor and expressed hope that relations between Seychelles and the United States would be further consolidated in the various areas of cooperation.

Amd. Reimer was accredited as the Ambassador for United States to the Republic of Seychelles on 6th February 2018 and was based in Mauritius.

The United States of America and the Republic of Seychelles established Diplomatic relations on 29thJune 1976.

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Ambassador for United States to the Republic of Seychelles bids Farewell - Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

21 January 2021 | State House

It was a busy morning for State House as more donors came to present their contribution to the Covid-19 Relief Fund in order to show their support for the vaccination programme that the country is engaged in. The President of the Republic, H.E Wavel Ramkalawan met with each donor not only to receive their contribution, but also to engage with them on their plight at this time.

The donations came from the following:

The President commended the donors for the extraordinary response so far.

There is a new sense of solidarity in the country and this should help us surmount the economic difficulties we are facing at the moment. Now, more than ever, we should unite as a country in order to get through the present difficulties. The National COVID-19 Immunisation Campaign is an important milestone in achieving that, said the President.

On their part, the donors congratulated the government for forging ahead with the vaccination programme to ensure the population is protected and expressed the hope that economic activities would resume at the soonest for the best interest of Seychelles.

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More contributions to the Covid-19 Relief Fund - News - Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

By Lee Rondganger Dec 26, 2020

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Durban - Visitors to the Seychelles looking for the complete island holiday are spoilt for choice. With 115 islands forming the archipelago, choosing the right island to visit may be a daunting task.

But if you had to choose just three islands in the Seychelles to visit, these are IOLs recommendations.

MAHE

Mahe is the Seychelles main island and home to the capital, Victoria. At least 90% of the countrys population of 97000 people live on Mahe which has a bustling port, the international airport, modern shopping malls and a vibrant city centre.

Mahe has more than 60 beaches from where visitors can hire a small charter or a yacht to fish, snorkel, swim and scuba dive.

For the those that love a hike, Mahe offers the Copolia hiking trail, a two-hour hike up a mountain which when you are at the top gives you a 360 view of the island.

The city centre of Victoria is rich in history, with its busy market, cathedrals and Esplanade where you are sure to find that souvenir to take home.

Another must-see is Eden Island, built on reclaimed land, that has a mall, casino, bars and restaurants that serve both traditional and western cuisine.

PRASLIN

Praslin is the Seychelles second largest island and very popular with tourists, many of who set up base here. The island is a 15-minute flight from Mahe and being based here allows easy access to other islands via ferry.

Boasting some of the best beaches you could find anywhere in the world, perhaps the islands most famous attraction is the Valle de Mai, a world heritage site where the Coco de Mer a double-lobed coconut grows. It is the only place in the world where this giant palm grows naturally.

So beautiful is the Valle de Mai that when General Gordon of Khartoum visited in the 18th century, he returned to London claiming that it was the original site of the biblical Garden of Eden.

According to locals, Anso Lazio beach, north-west of the island, is considered the worlds best beach.

LA DIGUE

La Digue is the Seychelles fourth largest island, and lies 43km from the main island of Mahe and 6.5km from Praslin.

Measuring just 5km by 3km, La Digue is home to some of the Seychelles most iconic beaches, and has a population of just 3000.

Compared to Mahe, life on the tiny island of La Digue is slow and there are not many cars, with the main means of transport being the bicycle.

A bike ride around the island will take one about 40 minutes, and a walk from one end to the other, an hour.

A must-visit destination is the LUnion Estate, where one will get a glimpse of the islands coconut industry in the form of coconut kiln and rustic mill where coconut flesh is turned to oil.

The Anse Source dArgent beach on the island, with its giant boulders that ribbon the beaches, is considered the worlds most pristine beach and a must-see for any tourist visiting the island.

IOL

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3 islands in the Seychelles you must see - IOL

Like many airlines, Air New Zealand once flew that workhorse of the skies, the Boeing 767. It wasnt the quietest or most fuel-efficient plane ever built, but the aircraft type remained a firm favorite with passengers worldwide. Air New Zealand only retired their last 767s a few years ago. Whats surprising is how many of their former 767s are now flying for other airlines.

Between September 1985 and March 2017, Air New Zealand variously operated 22 Boeing 767s. All up, the airline flew ten Boeing 767-200s and 12 Boeing 767-300s. Over those 32 years, the Boeing 767 was a staple on Air New Zealands long-haul flights around the Pacific. The plane was superseded by the arrival of the 787-9 Dreamliners. The last Air New Zealand Boeing 767 flight was March 31, 2017, operating NZ108 from Sydney to Auckland.

The Boeing 767 aircraft has been a stalwart at Air New Zealand, said Captain David Morgan at the time. Stalwart or not, the aging aircraft could not compete against the Dreamliner and Air New Zealands other wide-bodied aircraft, the Boeing 777.

The first Air New Zealand Boeing 767 to arrive, ZK-NBB, now flies cargo for Danish airline Star Air as OY-SRF.

ZK-NBC started service with Air New Zealand in September 1986, left in May 2004, and is now also with Star Air as OY-SRG.

The third Boeing 767-200 at Air New Zealand, ZK-NBD, is now operated by Atlas Air on behalf of DHL. Its current registration is N655GT. ZK-NBE left Air New Zealand in May 1993. It flew for multiple airlines afterward, finally ending up at Air Seychelles as S7-SEZ. The plane was retired from service in 2011.

ZK-NBH started flying for Air New Zealand in 1989. It stayed with them until 1995. The plane ended up with Air Canada as C-FUCL before been retired in 2006. It is now stored at Phillips Army Airfield in Maryland.

ZK-NBF also left the Air New Zealand fleet in 1995 and went to Jet Midwest Group via Air Canada in 2012. Its current registration is N753JM.

The first of the Boeing 767-300s to come to Air New Zealand was ZK-NCE. It entered the fleet in 1991 and exited in 2002. Since then, the plane has had a storied life, flying for multiple carriers. Air Transport International now flies it as N331AZ on behalf of Amazon Prime Air.

ZK-NCF arrived at Air New Zealand in 1992 and left in 2006. It last flew for Air Jamaica as N767WA before getting withdrawn from service in October 2018.

One of Air New Zealands last Boeing 767-200s, ZK-NBI, has also ended up at Star Air as OY-SRK. ZK-NCG, a 767-300, which Air New Zealand got in 1993 and kept until 2017, is now also flying under Amazon Prime Air colors as N367AZ.

G-BNYS, a Boeing 767-200, which Air New Zealand briefly flew on a lease from Brittania Airways in 1994, wound up at Air Seychelles as S7-EXL before getting handed back to its lessor in 2013.

ZK-NCF, an extended range 767-300, has also wound up at Amazon Prime Air after 12 years of flying for Air New Zealand.

ZK-NCI stayed at Air New Zealand until March 2017. The Boeing 767-300ER is now at Amazon Prime Air. Another extended range 767-300, ZK-NCJ, started at Air New Zealand in 1995 and finished up in 2016. Thats also now with Amazon Prime Air as N389AZ. ZK-NCK went to Icelandair in 2016 is now registered as TF-ISP. Icelandair was also the destination for another 767-300ER. ZK-NCLnow flies in chillier climes as TF-ISW.

ZK-NBJ, a Boeing 767-200, flew for Air New Zealand on an on and off basis for 13 years, often spending time at other airlines. It was retired in 1997. After flying for Air New Zealand for a couple of years in the late 1990s, ZK-NCM has gone on to multiple other airlines and ended up at iAero Airways at N827RC.

ZK-NBA, an extended range Boeing 767-200, started at Air New Zealand in 1985 and stayed there for over 10 years. It is now at Star Air and registered as OY-SRN. SP-LPA was briefly at Air New Zealand over 1999/2000, on lease from LOT Polish Airlines. The Boeing 767-300ER is now with Aeronexus Corporation as ZS-NEX.

The final two Air New Zealand 767s, both 767-300ERS, are ZK-NCN and ZK-NCO. Both went o Icelandair. ZK-NCN is now flying as TF-ISO, and ZK-NCO is TF-ISN.

Whats the takeout from this? There are a lot of former Air New Zealand Boeing 767s in the skies. Is that due to Air New Zealands formidable maintenance and aircraft upkeep practices? Is it the fact the Boeing just built a really reliable aircraft? Probably a fair bit of both.

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What Happened To Air New Zealands Boeing 767s? - Simple Flying

Among the many indelible themes to emerge from 2020 is how much we as humans rely on healthy natural ecosystems for our well-beingand how much these places mean to the long-term vitality of our planet. Here are the 10 most popular posts of 2020 from The Pew Charitable Trusts Instagram feed, images that capture breathtaking landscapes, celebrate conservation milestones, and illustrate in dazzling detail the importance of protectingand restoringour environment.

(For more, follow @PewEnvironment on Instagram.)

The remarkable colors of Californias Carrizo Plain National Monument are captivating during the spring bloom. A bill to protect some of this area as wildernessthe highest level of federal conservationpassed the U.S. House of Representatives in February but stalled in the Senate.

By picking this issue up in the next session of Congress, lawmakers could lock in safeguards for this extraordinary area far into the future.

A shark swims through seagrass and crystal-clear water in the Seychelles. In November, the countrys government continued on its path of leadership in ocean conservation by protecting coastal wetlandsthink seagrass, mangroves, and salt marshesto help deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement.

These chinstrap chicks in the Antarctic Peninsula are among the roughly 1.5 million penguin breeding pairs in the region that face substantial threats because of large-scale fishing for krill, a staple food for these birds.

Fortunately, Southern Ocean marine life won big in December when the Association of Responsible Krill Harvesting Companies said it would cease krill fishing in specific zones around the Hope Bay, Sheppard Point, and Sheppard Nunatak penguin colonies off the northernmost tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.

The area will total nearly 4,500 square kilometerstwice the size of Tokyo.

A gray heron presides over a red mangrove tree in the Galapagos Islands. Marine biologist and Pew marine fellow Octavio Aburto, who took this photo, uses his camera along with satellite imagery to assess changes in mangrove coverage throughout the Americas.

Mangroves provide wildlife habitat, protect shorelines, and store three to five times more carbon than other tropical forests. Sadly, nearly half of the worlds mangroves have been lost, mainly to various forms of development and human activity, in the past 50 years.

(Podcast: Scientists at Work: The Art and Science of Saving Mangroves)

In one of the first conservation victories of 2020, the remote Pacific archipelago of Palauwhich encompasses more than 500 islands in Micronesiasafeguarded 80% of its waters with a marine protected area larger than California.

The decision marks a big step toward meeting the United Nations goal of protecting 30% of the global ocean by 2030.

Young monk seals splash in the shallows at French Frigate Shoals in Hawaiipart of the Papahnaumokukea Marine National Monument. The monument was designated in 2006 by President George W. Bush and expanded in 2016 by President Barack Obama. It is the largest contiguous protected areaon land or seain U.S. territory.

For World Wetlands Day on Feb. 2, we posted this aerial shot of coastal wetlands in New Caledonia, where natural channels crafted a perfect illustration of how we feel about coastal habitats.

Hosting some of the richest biodiversity on the planet, salt marshes, seagrass beds, and mangroves serve as refuges for wildlife, including as nurseries for juvenile fish such as groupers, snappers, and other commercially important species.

As Rich Batiuk, a seagrass expert with the consultancy CoastWise, said when he saw this image of a seagrass meadow in Susquehanna Flats in the Chesapeake Bay, You dont need a microscope or a Ph.D. to understand the value of conserving and recovering these key coastal habitats. Seagrass is home to a wide range of species and helps keep the water clear and clean.

Read the full interview for more on these vital ecosystems.

This tiny UFO jellyfish (genus Atolla) was just one of many surreal life forms photographed during a dive off NOAAs Okeanos Explorer ship at a depth of 1,260 meters (4,134 feet) during a 29-day deep-sea expedition in 2019. Its a small reminder of the variety of life within our ocean, which covers roughly 75% of the globe and is home to nearly a quarter of all known species.

On Oct. 14, National Fossil Day, researchers released a painting of what Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky might have looked like 325 million years ago.

Fossils of at least 40 different species of sharks and their relatives have been identified on site, including six never-before-seen species. The painting illustrates the Mississippian shark, invertebrate fauna, and other ancient creatures that researchers believe lived here when the area was covered by ocean.

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Top 10 Nature Images of 2020: Wildflowers, Coastal Scenes, and Ancient Treasures - The Pew Charitable Trusts

Election fever kicked off in Africa in 2020, with old rivals facing off in Ghana, and leaders running for controversial third terms in West Africa.

Here are the major highlights of the African elections in 2020.

Togo

February 22 was Election Day in Togo. The country of 8 million people re-elected President Faure Gnassingbe. He polled 72 percent of votes compared to 18 percent for opposition leader Agbeyome Kodjo. The latter suspected fraud.

Burundi

Burundis constitutional court upheld the May 20 election results, rejecting a petition by opposition leader Agathon Rwasa. Rwasa has alleged irregularities. The ruling partys Evariste Ndayishimiye won with 68 percent of votes.

The 52-year old succeeded longtime leader, Pierre Nkurunziza. Nkurunziza had been in power since 2005.

Malawi

In Malawi, the top court annulled the results of the presidential elections of February 2019. It cited widespread irregularities. And so on June 23, Malawians head to the polls again.

President Peter Mutharika run against opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera.

Chakwera won by 58.5 percent of valid votes cast. But Peter Mutharika was not ready to exit. He claimed the civic exercise was the worst in the nations history.

Sadly, as Malawians have seen, this election is the worst in Malawis history of our elections,' Peter Mutharika told a press conference.

Ethiopia

In September, the northern region of Tigray in Ethiopia defied Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to hold local elections. This escalated tensions with the federal government.

Abiy rejected calls for dialogue, leading to thousands of Ethiopian refugees into Sudan. Despite claiming control of Mekele, the UN reports of ongoing fighting.

Seychelles

The Seychelles election saw its first opposition victory in 44 years. An Anglican priest won the presidential election. Wavel Ramkalawan won enough votes in the first round of polls to clinch the presidency. It was his sixth attempt at the countrys top job.

Tanzania

In Tanzania, it was a landslide win for President John Magufuli during the October 28 presidential elections. Magufuli got a second term in office, despite closing the world in on the real impact of the coronavirus pandemic in the East African nation.

He garnered more than 84 percent of valid votes cast. His main opponent, Tundu Lissu managed just 13 percent, according to the National election commission. Lissu and other opposition parties claimed that the process did not adhere to international standards.

Ivory Coast

In Ivory Coast, President Alassane Ouattara's bid for a third term ignited fury by the opposition, who said it was illegal for Ouattara to run again.

They said he broke a two term limit.

But Ouattara said he was free to stand for a third term under the countrys new 2016 constitution.

Ouattara,78, won the controversial election which was boycotted by the opposition.

The president had previously announced he would not run for another term.

But in July, the ruling partys previous presidential nominee, Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly died suddenly. Ouattara then rescinded his decision. The move sparked protest in the capital Abidjan.

Around 85 people were killed in election-related clashes, raising fears of a repeat of the civil war after the 2010 vote, which saw around 3,000 people killed in ethnic clashes.

Guinea

Deadly clashes also erupted in Guinea. President Alpha Conde won a controversial third term in office in October. At least 30 people died in the aftermath of the controversial elections.

According to the Independent electoral commission, the 82-year old had 59.5 percent of votes.

Opponent 68-year old Cellou Diallo and other opposition parties petitioned the constitutional court.

But the court said they had produced no evidence and declared Conde the winner on Saturday, November 7.

Burkina Faso

In November, Burkinabe took its turn to elect a president. President Roch Marc Christian Kabore was re-elected with 57.87 percent of votes.

Kabore secured enough votes to serve a second term. Once seen as a stable nation, the election was held in the shadow of jihadist violence and a surge in attacks.

Security dominated the campaign trail. One-third of the population was disenfranchised because of the insecurity. Kabore's opponent raised concerns about the validity of the vote count. But the electoral commission dismissed the claims.

International electoral observer missions also confirmed the polls were largely free and fair. The opposition did not file an appeal over their claims.

Ghana

December 7 was Ghana's time to decide on who would be the next leader for four years.

The two longstanding rivals, incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo and his predecessor, John Maham, went head to head in a keenly contested poll.

Police reported that five people were killed, dampening an otherwise peaceful election.

The Electoral Commission announced on Wednesday, December 9 that President Nana Akufo Addo won by 51.95 percent.

The opposition rejected the result. For now, it is not clear if the National Democratic Congress party will mount a legal challenge.

Read this article:

Year in Review: Africa's 2020 elections - Africanews English

We assumed all along that the loser would top off his tenure by pardoning a motley crew of crooked politicians and lying felons. And he did so last week, blessing some bent congressmen whod shown early fealty to MAGA, as well as some flunkies whod lied for Der Leader during the federal probe of the Trump-Russia scandal.

But arguably most noteworthy of all was his decree that four murdering war criminals all serving long prison terms shall henceforth be free. Thats our boy, shredding American values to the bitter end.

Remember Blackwater? The mercenary firm that made big money in Iraq, thanks to the Bush administrations unprecedented efforts to outsource the U.S. occupation and entrust war-fighting to profit-motive privateers? The marauding guns for hire who achieved infamy in 2007 by mowing down 14 innocent civilians in a Baghdad square men, women, and children, many with their hands in the air one of the most horrific episodes in Bushs war?

Granted, 2007 feels like ancient history, but bear with me, because the slaughter of those 14 people had international repercussions, staining our global reputation and alienating even more Americans from the war effort. Ultimately, in 2014, a federal jury in Washington convicted four Blackwater mercenaries one for murder, three for voluntarily manslaughter. One was sentenced to life, two drew 15 years apiece, and the fourth went away for 12.

A massacre like that was bound to happen. Blackwater, which had a $750-million contract to guard State Department personnel, already had a bad rep. Karl Horst, a U.S. brigadier general, had already told author Jeremy Scahill, These guys are loose in this country and do stupid stuff. Theres no authority over them.

But finally, seven years after the killings, the feds cracked down. One major player the most prominent person who pushed for justice was Vice President Joe Biden. The four mercenaries naturally became a right-wing cause celebre, and they were nicknamed The Biden Four.

In one memo filed with the federal court, retired U.S. Army colonel David Boslego called the massacre a grossly excessive use of force grossly inappropriate for an entity whose only job was to provide personal protection to somebody in an armored vehicle. (The killings) had a negative effect on our mission. And FBI investigators who visited the scene described it as the My Lai massacre of Iraq, a reference to the infamous massacre of civilians in Vietnam.

After the four mercenaries were sentenced, the federal prosecutor said the trial was America at its best: These Blackwater contractors unleashed powerful sniper fire, machine guns, and grenade launchers on innocent men, women, and children. Today, they were held accountable for that outrageous attack and its devastating consequences for so many Iraqi families. This verdict is a resounding affirmation of the commitment of the American people to the rule of law.

Oh well. We all know what Trump thinks about the rule of law.

Why has Trump further degraded the presidency by freeing those killers? Its easy to connect the dots. Lets use one of Trumps Sharpies.

Blackwater was founded and helmed by a guy named Erik Prince. Prince contributed $250,000 to the MAGA campaign mission in 2016, and had close ties to Steve Bannon. Princes sister is Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. DeVos is a former Michigan chairwoman of the GOP, and the DeVos family has contributed tens of millions to conservative causes.

And oh, I almost forgot: Shortly before Trumps Inauguration, Prince had a back-channel meeting in the Seychelles with a Russian banker close to Vladimir Putin. He was later written up in the Mueller Report, and was accused by the House Intelligence Committee of making manifest and substantial falsehoods that materially impaired the committees investigation of the Trump-Russia 2016 scandal.

There you have it. Justice for 14 dead Iraqi civilians, including two children, was a disposable commodity. Denizens of the Trump swamp took priority over the rule of law as did Trumps abiding desire to screw Joe Biden. What can we possibly say at this point? Congressman Seth Moulton, a former Marine who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, gave it a shot on Twitter:

Those convicted war criminals are disgraces to our country, and they belong in jail. Thank God (Trump) is on the way out. Decent people everywhere should speak up against this, and show the world that Americas values are not what the president is displaying.

One more mess for Joe to mop up.

Dick Polman, a veteran national political columnist based in Philadelphia and a Writer in Residence at the University of Pennsylvania, writes at DickPolman.net.

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His View: That's our boy, shredding values to the bitter end - Moscow-Pullman Daily News

The Takeaway:

Out of a list of 26 crypto exchanges domiciled in the Republic of Seychelles, approximately half have poor know-your-customer (KYC) procedures, according to blockchain tracking firm CipherTrace.

Analysis of certain Seychelles-based exchanges reveals the proportion of funds flowing to and from high risk sources and dark marketplaces.

In an interview with CoinDesk, the Seychelles Financial Services Authority acknowledged that the U.S. crackdown on crypto derivatives exchange BitMEX in October was a blowup for the island.

A former FinCEN compliance and enforcement director expects more actions from authorities investigating the Seychelles jurisdiction.

This is the first part of a two-part series. Read the second part here.

When it comes to island-hopping crypto exchanges with relaxed know-your-customer (KYC) procedures, Seychelles-domiciled BitMEX, whose senior execs were issued with arrest warrants in October, could be just the tip of the iceberg.

Places like the Republic of Seychelles, an archipelago off the coast of East Africa (population: 96,762), can be attractive to firms because of favorable tax treatment and ease of governance when setting up foundations.

Related: Self-Hosted Bitcoin Wallets Become Front Line in Fight Over Crypto Regulations

Many such jurisdictions are trying to reinvent themselves to adapt to new economic realities. Perhaps they want to be the next fintech or crypto hub and are experimenting with sandboxes and the like. Of course, some aspiring crypto centers may be more cautious than others. This often depends on the type of services already provided. Malta, for instance, already caters to a number of investment firms, while a jurisdiction like Luxembourg has a well-established financial services sector.

Things start to go awry when an enforcement action like the one against BitMEX happens. In this case, the Seychelles bore the brunt of some headline-grabbing evidence that investigators had gathered, namely BitMEXs former CEO, Arthur Hayes saying it would cost just a coconut to bribe Seychellois authorities.

Story continues

Its a point that remains contested by the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA).

When we saw that comment, we as a jurisdiction and as an authority did seek clarification and an explanation about what was said, FSA chief Steve Fanny told CoinDesk in an interview.

Related: US Treasury Bulking Up Crypto Policy Advisers as Wallet Reg Rumors Swirl

Fanny claims the comment has been misconstrued. It can be construed as if Seychelles is very relaxed and you can buy your way. Or it could be construed as there was a sarcastic comment that gentleman made while under attack, he said.

In any case, such an event is bound to bring further scrutiny.

Definitely theres going to be a tightening up now because this was a big blowup for the Seychelles.

CipherTrace, which works with exchanges and also has contracts with public authorities, has been conducting ongoing research into how crypto exchanges handle their KYC and anti-money laundering (AML) responsibilities.

CipherTrace employs a two-pronged approach. Assessing KYC on-boarding involves the straightforward legwork of setting up accounts at exchanges. KYC onboarding assessment is complemented by AML analytics, also called know your transaction (KYT). This is done by moving funds around the system, a kind of crypto mystery shopping, and identifying how much is linked to high risk sources.

A combination of KYC legwork and KYT analysis yields a risk score for each exchange.

A green score means the companys KYC can pass muster with regulators. Yellow could mean the exchanges KYC is porous, so perhaps its KYC doesnt kick in unless a transaction is higher than some nominal amount. A firm might also be graded yellow if it has begun stringent KYC, but only for new customers. Red is weak, which generally means a user can carry on with little more than a valid email address.

The number of weak KYC exchanges domiciled in Seychelles (at least 12 with poor scores) is a cause for concern, especially in light of the BitMEX arrests, said CipherTrace CEO Dave Jevans.

When it comes to these companies that are domiciled in Seychelles, is the government worried? Jevans said. I mean, its not a good look.

Theres no doubt the BitMEX enforcement action has shaken up the jurisdiction.

Definitely theres going to be a tightening up now because this [BitMEX] was a big blowup for the Seychelles, said Alison Elizabeth, the head of the FSAs Regulatory Sandbox. The central bank and the Financial Intelligence Unit, together with the FSA legal teams, are making decisions concerning whats going to happen next.

Like many jurisdictions around the world, Seychelles has been implementing the AML recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global anti-money laundering watchdog. This has prompted an upgrade of Seychelles regulation. A new AML/CFT Act and Beneficial Ownership Act were introduced in March 2020.

FSA chief Fanny said that from early January 2021, firms in Seychelles will have to meet FATF requirements around KYC, AML and auditing, and there will be more fintech legislation introduced in March.

Many large companies chose to set up operations from the Seychelles, Fanny said, but there were also a lot of small companies and at one time we were not capturing all of these.

Theres a chance this was only the first pebble in an avalanche.

FSA has a leadership team of 15 covering subsections like fiduciary, insurance, capital markets and gambling (interestingly, there isnt a section on the website for crypto exchanges). There are around 360 regulated entities listed on the FSA website.

Fanny added that if Seychelles authorities have good reason, firms can be struck off the FSA register.

As a jurisdiction, we want to attract the best businesses. If you dont want to be properly regulated, move somewhere else, he said.

The BitMEX enforcement action shouldnt come as any surprise, said Gregory C. Lisa, a partner at the law firm Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C.

Seychelles is one of those jurisdictions thats had a good share of law enforcement and regulatory scrutiny, said Lisa. There has been a growing concern about regulatory arbitrage, certainly with U.S. regulators.

During a virtual event hosted by CoinDesk in October, Heath Tarbert, outgoing chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), hinted that the next BitMEX was coming.

An investigation like the one into BitMEX is usually not a one-off, said Lisa, a former compliance and enforcement director at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

Law enforcement, regulators and prosecutors get familiar with the space, which takes time, he said. Investigators learn about money flows, often employing forensic analysis companies like CipherTrace, Chainalyis, Elliptic and others, and begin to see patterns emerging out of that jurisdiction.

Theres a chance this was only the first pebble in an avalanche, said Lisa.

The BitMEX enforcement didnt come out of the blue. The exchange had reportedly been under investigation by the CFTC since at least July 2019, and had responded by implementing mandatory KYC in April of this year.

Since the charges were brought, BitMEX hired Malcolm Wright as chief compliance officer of 100x Group, the holding structure for the BitMEX platform. Wright is the current Chair of the Advisory Council and Co-Lead of the AML Working Group at Global Digital Finance, and former CCO at Diginex as well as Revolut. Regarding the tightening up of BitMEXs KYC, the firms user verification program has been accelerated, said Wright.

All users were required to verify by Nov. 5 in order to continue trading on our platform, Wright told CoinDesk via email. Until verified, no user could open a new position or increase an existing position. Whilst unverified, users could not receive or accrue affiliate payouts.

From Dec. 4, any users that had not completed verification became unable to withdraw funds. Funds will be recoverable from user accounts and withdrawals will be processed normally after verification, Wright added. As a result of these concerted efforts, BitMEX was recently upgraded from yellow to green KYC score by CipherTrace.

Looking back, CipherTrace data shows how BitMEXs fund flows have evolved over time and, as such, have skewed more towards opaque sources.

Going back a couple of years, money flowing into the exchange was coming from other exchanges including Poloniex and Binance, but a high proportion now flows in and out of private wallets held outside the reach of regulated exchanges.

If you compare [previous years with] last years analysis, it was mostly private wallets, said CipherTrace CEO Jevans. So over time it has migrated from exchanges to people using private wallets to try and hide the provenance of their funds. This is one of the things they [BitMEX] were really pushing.

Wright said the BitMEX platform screens for bitcoin provenance using a leading independent blockchain analytics provider, while suspicious transaction reports (STRs) are filed with the Seychelles FSA when there are doubts as to the legitimacy of any transfers.

The use of private wallets across the crypto industry has become more prevalent for a variety of legitimate reasons, Wright said, not least as an extra line of defense against potential hacks.

After opening an account at an exchange, CipherTrace discovers the thresholds for how much money can be moved about without doing significant KYC.

To build up a picture of fund flows, CipherTrace circulates crypto around a network of what it considers to be high- and low-risk exchanges and also dark marketplaces.

We move money to dark markets, we pay into ransomware and engage in commerce of all types, said John Jefferies, the firms lead financial analyst. Were able to create between 3 million and 4 million pieces of attribution data per week. Then we use a combination of machine learning and predictive analytics and clustering techniques to associate wallets with different entities, and follow the flow of funds around the internet.

Jefferies said the CipherTrace KYC grading system is a fairly dynamic state of affairs. He acknowledged there is a temporal aspect to this. In other words, how long after an exchange has done an upgrade of its KYC does it take to turn from red to green? (This idea will be explored in greater detail in the second part of this investigation.)

The green, yellow or red KYC scores given by CipherTrace are viewed in a fairly binary manner by regulators, Jefferies said. Its either good or demonstrably bad, he said. What we would call yellow and red, they would simply call bad.

In recent years a hotspot for blockchain analytics firms has been peer-to-peer exchanges, where funds are typically held in escrow ahead of a transaction between two counterparties. This approach naturally involves less in the way of centralized overbearance, and in some cases this has also meant little or no KYC. (Its worth restating the fact that crypto was originally designed this way.)

At any rate, this situation is changing, at least when it comes to well-known players like LocalBitcoins and Paxful, which have been working to improve their KYC/AML procedures.

Seychelles also has its fair share of P2P exchange activity and CipherTrace has highlighted some of this. Remitano, cited below, does a lot of business in places like Vietnam, Nigeria and Malaysia, and scores a green KYC rating, according to CipherTrace. However, analysis of the platforms trading activity shows how funds are flowing to and from high-risk exchanges.

In Remitanos case, some 5.99%, or approximately $34.5 million, of funds was received from high-risk exchanges, while 24.5%, or about $76.5 million, was sent to high-risk exchanges. Large exchanges that act as third-party custodians typically have more control over the funds that flow out than the funds that may flow in. (San Francisco-based Coinbase, for comparison, received 2.3% from high-risk sources in the past year, but only sent 0.29% out to high-risk destinations.)

You can also see in the last year that [Remitano] is sending and receiving funds from some very high-risk exchanges, said Jevans of CipherTrace.

A Remitano representative told CoinDesk via email that the exchange was considering whether to move its base away from Seychelles.

We are not sure if Seychelles would like to cut ties with [our] business due to the BitMEX situation or not, but we received a clarification information request about our business activities in the last couple of months, said the Remitano representative. We are still working closely with our service agency to make sure we are in good standing. We also are planning to move to a crypto-friendly country, but for now no decision has been made.

In terms of handling incoming flows from the darknet, illicit sources and high-yield investment products, Remitano said it is partnering with TRM, the analytics provider backed by PayPal among others.

Our product team is still working on the integration, Remitano said. We have already implemented many filters to secure our user funds and prevent the fund flow from bad sources. Our screening team may request some additional details before he/she is able to continue to trade on our platform.

CoinDesk reached out to all the firms listed by CipherTrace, but only a few replies came back.

Lo Chia Ching, head of marketing for AEX, which scored a red KYC from CipherTrace, said that in order to trade fiat a user has to share a photo ID, and that for transactions over 5,000 Chinese yuan ($765) the user is required to complete the KYC process in the form of a video.

Users can trade tokens without full KYC, but must perform KYC before swapping for fiat. KYC involves a China ID card, for example, which can be photographed, or the user can make a video, Lo Chia said via Telegram. Users cant use the [over-the-counter] function until KYC has been completed.

Mark Lamb, CEO of CoinFlex, which was graded by CipherTrace as having weak KYC, said his firms procedures meet the same measure as regulatory frameworks in Europe and many other places.

If transactions are above a certain level, more regulation is stacked on top, Lamb said. Do you think we just pulled this out of our asses?

Go here to see the original:

Seychelles, Longtime Home of BitMEX, Is Bending to US Pressure on KYC - Yahoo Finance

BA sees no return to pre-pandemic levels for three years

British Airways is cancelling flights to more than a dozen long-haul destinations next year as the global aviation industry continues to shrink.

Many airlines have cut staff and dropped routes as passengers avoid or are unable to travel because of the Covid pandemic.

BA has cut North America services to Calary, Charleston and Pittsburgh, Flights to Asian cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Osaka and Seoul have also gone as well popular winter destination, the Seychelles.

Dammam in Saudi Arabia, Durban in South Africa, Muscat, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi routes are all axed, and next summer will see temporary suspensions to Sydney, Bangkok and San Jose gateway to Silicon Valley.

BA said that like other airlines, the pandemic meant global travel restrictions had forced it to operate a reduced schedule. Losses totalled almost 4bn in the first half of this year.

The company has previously stated it does not expect international travel to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023.

Read more:

Seychelles and San Jose among routes axed by BA - Daily Business

We all have been following the rapid growth of cryptocurrency and the creation of lucrative trading platforms. Cryptocurrency has earned the scrutiny of regulators and criminal prosecutors not for run-of-the-mill fraud schemes, but for compliance with applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations.

Late in 2020, the Justice Department and the Commodities Futures Trade Commission (CFTC) slammed BitMEx and its principals with a coordinated criminal and civil prosecution. As the cryptocurrency markets continue to expand and new trading platforms started, DOJ, the CFTC and the SEC can be expected to exercise increasing oversight and enforcement.

In the criminal case, the Southern District of New York returned an indictment of Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, Samuel Reed and Greg Dwyer, charging them with violating the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and conspiracy to violate the BSA by failing to implement and maintain an adequate anti-money laundering program at the Bitcoin Mercantile Exchange (BitMEX).

BitMExs platform has received more than $11 billion in bitcoin deposits and collected more than $1 billion in fees, while servicing a large number of United States-based customers.

BitMEX touted itself as the worlds largest cryptocurrency derivatives platform with billions of dollars of trading volume each day. Much of this volume involved US customers trading activity.

The defendants created an entity that was a purported off-shore crypto exchange and ignored all applicable AML laws and regulations. BitMEX was established to trade in futures contracts and derivatives tied to the value of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin. BitMEX accepted Bitcoin to margin and leverage up to 100 times leverage on certain products.

Since its inception in 2014, BitMEX solicited and served customers in the United States, and even continued to do so after allegedly withdrawing in 2015 from the United States market. While continuing to operate in the United States, BitMEX did not maintain an AML compliance program and a customer identification program otherwise known as a Know Your Customer (KYC) program.

BitMEX organized under the Seychelles laws but did not maintain any physical presence on the islands. The BitMEX principals did so to circumvent and avoid BSA and AML regulations.

Hayes, Delo and Reed statrt5ed BitMEX in 2014 and Dwyer was hired as its first employee in 2015. Because BitMEX solicited and served United States customers, BitMEX was required to register with the CFTC and to establish and maintain an AML compliance program.

In 2015, BitMEX knew (or learned) that they were subject to US laws because they served US customers. Each of the defendants knew they served US customers who continued to access the trading platform until 2018. BitMEX had policies designed to prevent US customers from using the exchange but those policies were not enforced or easily circumvented. The defendants took steps to justify avoiding AML requirements by, for example, incorporating in the Seychelles under the belief that the regulatory requirements in the Seychelles would not impose any regulatory burdens.

In a parallel civil action, the CFTC filed a civil enforcement action in federal court in New York charging five entities and three individuals with operating an unregistered trading platform and a number of specific regulatory requirements, including failing to implement required AML procedures.

The CFTC charged the three company owners, Arthur Hayes, Ben Delo and Samuel Reed, who operate BitMEX through a complex set of corporate entities, five of which were included in the civil complaint.

BitMEX failed to register as required under CFTC rules and to maintain an appropriate BSA and AML compliance program. The CFTC is seeking disgorgement of ill-gotten gain, civil monetary penalties and restitution.

Read the rest here:

BitMEX Trading Exchange Earns Criminal and Civil Prosecution for AML Violations - JD Supra

16 December 2020 | Cabinet Business

In the absence of President Wavel Ramkalawan who is on overseas mission, Vice President Ahmed Afif chaired a scheduled meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday 16th December, at which a number of legal and policy memoranda were considered.

Cabinet approved for the signing of the Framework Agreement between the French Embassy, Universities in Reunion and the University Hospital of Reunion on the one hand and the Department of Health and the University of Seychelles on the other hand.

Cabinet also approved the Broadcasting and Telecommunications (Per-second Billing by Operators of Public Land Mobile Network) Regulations, 2020.

Cabinet approved for the introduction of a type approval fee to be levied for each radio-communication equipment to be type approved by the Department of ICT (DICT).

Cabinet approved amendments in the legal framework for the Joint Management Area (JMA) of Extended Continental Shelf in the Mascarene plateau Region between Seychelles and Mauritius.

Cabinet also approved amendments to the Revenue Administration (Filing of Business Activity Statement) Regulation to incorporate three new forms namely the amended Business Activity Statement (BAS) form attached with the Withholding Tax Remittance form and the List of Donations for Corporate Social Responsibility Tax (CSRT) form. These amendments would contribute to an improved business development environment.

Cabinet approved amendments under the First Schedule of the Business Tax Act 2009.

Cabinet approved amendments to Schedules 4 and 5 of SI 1 of 2015 Revenue Administration (Common Reporting Standard) Regulations.

Cabinet also approved the Fisheries (Mahe Plateau Trap and Line Fishery) Regulations.

Cabinet approved the creation of a fish processing zone on Ile du Port.

Cabinet also approved for the moratorium placed on the importation of motor vehicles to be reviewed. The proposed policy would discourage the importation of motor vehicles until the national economic situation improved.

Link:

Cabinet Business - 16th December 2020 - News - Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

15 December 2020 | Foreign Affairs

Currently on a 5 day working visit in the UAE, President Wavel Ramkalawan yesterday met with Seychellois professionals currently working in the UAE as well as other members of the Seychelles community established there.

During the meeting, discussions centered around the general atmosphere in Seychelles at the moment, the new approach of Government and the aspirations of the Seychellois professionals to potentially return back to Seychelles and make a positive contribution to their country.

Discussions were also held in regards to the Seychellois Diaspora playing a greater role in the development of the country. President Ramkalawan announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism will soon conduct a census of all Seychellois living abroad with comprehensive data on qualifications, abilities and their interest to invest in the country.

This is in line with new principle that all Seychellois should feel part of the country and have the possibility of making a contribution towards the development of their home country, Seychelles.

View post:

President meets with Seychellois Community in the UAE - Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

Seychelles strengthens its relationships with Middle Eastern travel trade partners through the Seychelles Tourism Boards (STB) participation in the first virtual Gulf Travel Show on November 23, 2020.

The two-day virtual event united around 2,500 participants joining in from 59 countries across the globe, with the Middle East Seychelles Tourism Board Office representing the island destination in networking and paving a path towards the recovery of the tourism industry.

The first virtual edition of the GTS used an impressive and user-friendly platform which displayed the convention centre, a virtual hall, auditorium, and exhibition hall, creating an immersive virtual experience. Amongst the 40 exhibitors was the STB Team, who kept visitors updated about the destination, the latest safety measures and products. Whilst visiting these virtual booths, visitors also met with the representatives and had access to essential documents and videos.

The virtual shows gamified system fostered a dynamic atmosphere with the leader board encouraging visitors to participate in the different talks and to connect with the exhibitors. Insightful and engaging panel discussions, including an explanation of trends defined by technology companies, led by local and international industry leaders drew in visitors.

Representing STB at the event was Mr. Ahmed Fathallah, member of the STB Dubai Team, who said This show brought together industry experts, world-class speakers and attendees from across the region all under one virtual roof. STOME will continue to take part in these regional activities to continue to spearhead the gradual restart of the tourism industry. We will always be here for our trade partners and continue to offer and extend the assistance that we can give.

Hosted by TravTalk Middle East, the Gulf Travel Show provided a platform for exhibitors to, not only network and market their products, but also discover a recovery path for the tourism industry.

Read more from the original source:

Seychelles Promoted in the First Virtual Gulf Travel Show - FTNnews.com