Monthly Archives: October 2019

08 October 2019 | Foreign Affairs

The new Ambassador and Head of the delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Republic of Seychelles, H.E. Mr Vincent Degert, presented his credentials to President Danny Faure at State House this morning.

The President congratulated Ambassador Degert on his appointment and noted the appreciation of the Government of Seychelles for the long and fruitful relationship shared with the European Union. He said that the Government of Seychelles greatly values the partnership and is committed to enhancing it further.

"I would like to thank the European Union for all it has done for Seychelles. It has stood by us in good times and in bad times. We look forward to working with you in existing and also new areas of cooperation. The EU is like-minded, and we share a lot of common values, such as the utmost respect for democracy and rule of law. I look to the EU to continue providing the necessary support in terms of capacity building to consolidate what we have achieved together, said President Faure.

During the meeting, President Faure and Ambassador Degert discussed areas of common interest and value to both Seychelles and the European Union, such as the fight against terrorism, maritime security, trade and investment, financial stability, climate action, and environmental conservation. Furthermore, they talked on avenues to broaden their cooperation.

Speaking to the national media following the accreditation ceremony, Ambassador Degert said that during his mandate he will try his best to raise the level of cooperation between countries in the region.

Also present at the accreditation this morning was the Principal Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Marina Confait, EU representatives and Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

See more here:

New EU Ambassador to Seychelles accredited - News - Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

It is now confirmed that work that started well over a year ago to transform the 87 room Beachcomber St. Anne Resort into a whopping 295 room Club Med is now nearing completion.

It was in late 2017 when the announcement was made that Club Med would take over though the ownership of the property would remain with Beachcomber for an initial 12 years lease and management. The present rebuilding, enlargement and upgrading will, when completed, bring the Sainte Anne Resort & Spa into the Club Med 5 Star segment at a cost of at least 80 million US Dollars. The resort, located on the island of St. Anne, is a 15 minutes boat ride away from Mahe with shuttle services leaving from a dedicated jetty. The 220 hectares large private island is surrounded by one of Seychelles marine national parks.

The Seychelles Minister responsible for Finance, Maurice Loustau-Lalanne said recently that he was hoping to see the reopening of the Ste Anne Resort in mid-2020 during the islands settlement celebrations that in earnest started on the island of Ste Anne itself.

Source: Saint Ange Tourism Report

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Club Med to Open First Resort in the Seychelles - RusTourismNews

08 October 2019 | Finance

President Danny Faure received the Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing at the United States Department of the Treasury, MrMarshall Billingslea,for a courtesy call at State House this morning.

MrBillingsleaand his delegation are currently in Seychelles to further strengthen the relations between the United States of America and Seychelles in the financial system and see how they can assist in improving the countrys laws that deal with anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, among other areas.

President Faure welcomed MrBillingslea and his delegation to the country andreaffirmed Seychelles commitment to further advance the relationship with the U.S.A, a solid bilateral partner, and explore new avenues for collaboration.

During the meeting, the discussion between the Head of State and MrBillingslea centred on how Seychelles and the United States of America can intensify their cooperationin fighting money laundering, drug trafficking, marine security and other threats affecting the country.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, MrBillingsleadescribed the relations between the United States of America and Seychelles as very close and positive. He said that the economy of Seychelles is very strong. He said during his time in Seychelles he would be meeting with the Governor of Central Bank about expanding digital technology in the financial sector and getting the banking system fully digitised.

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President Faure receives Assistant Secretary of the United States Treasury - Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

Thanks to Allan Faulds, who compiled a heroic Twitter thread of the buildings housing the lower house of parliament of all 193 countries of the world, which is well worth reading in full and very funny. Here, in no particular order, are my 10 favourites.

1. Hungary(above).As Allan says, This is it. This is the parliament. A legislative building without compare. Gothic. Tick. Dome. Tick. Red. Tick. He also says it is unutterably gorgeous inside too, and Ill take his word for it.

2. Romania(see slideshow below). This also featured in my Top 10 great buildings in 2014. Its vast, and vastly impressive. Started in 1984 and unfinished by the time of Ceausescus death in 1989. Its finished now, but 70 per cent empty.

From 15p 0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.

3. Trinidad and Tobago.Allan comments: One day, some guy who loves the colour red is going to review parliament buildings, and when he does, we will be ready with the Red House.

4. Armenia. Now that he has mentioned it, Allan is right about the mild university campus vibe, but it is a beautiful building, grand, symmetrical and the grounds look lovely.

Completed in 1904, the neo-Gothic Hungarian Parliament Building is currently the largest building in the country

Getty/iStockphoto

The Palace of the Parliament in Romania is the heaviest building in the world. Started under communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1984, it was completed in 1997 after his execution

Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Red House, the Beaux-Arts style parliament of Trinidad and Tobago was the site of the 1990 Jamaat al Muslimeen coup attempt

Random 00021/Wikimedia

The National Assembly Building was designed by Soviet architect Mark Grigorian and completed in 1950

Getty Images

The new National Assembly building was inaugurated in 2015

David Stanley

The Capitol was completed in 1800 and remains one of the most famous government buildings in the world

Getty Images

The Sansad Bhavan, or Parliament House, was designed by the British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. Completed in 1927, the building is inspired by the Ashoka Chakra, the wheel of the dharma

AFP/Getty Images

The Gothic revival Parliament Hill is currently undergoing a $1bn renovation

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Solar panels were recently added to the Seychelles' National Assembly rooftop

National Assembly of Seychelles

Bhutan's parliament hall features frescoes depicting the country's traditions and Buddhist values

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Completed in 1904, the neo-Gothic Hungarian Parliament Building is currently the largest building in the country

Getty/iStockphoto

The Palace of the Parliament in Romania is the heaviest building in the world. Started under communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1984, it was completed in 1997 after his execution

Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Red House, the Beaux-Arts style parliament of Trinidad and Tobago was the site of the 1990 Jamaat al Muslimeen coup attempt

Random 00021/Wikimedia

The National Assembly Building was designed by Soviet architect Mark Grigorian and completed in 1950

Getty Images

The new National Assembly building was inaugurated in 2015

David Stanley

The Capitol was completed in 1800 and remains one of the most famous government buildings in the world

Getty Images

The Sansad Bhavan, or Parliament House, was designed by the British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. Completed in 1927, the building is inspired by the Ashoka Chakra, the wheel of the dharma

AFP/Getty Images

The Gothic revival Parliament Hill is currently undergoing a $1bn renovation

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Solar panels were recently added to the Seychelles' National Assembly rooftop

National Assembly of Seychelles

Bhutan's parliament hall features frescoes depicting the country's traditions and Buddhist values

Getty Images/iStockphoto

5. Angola. Again, if you like domes, symmetry, red buildings and gardens, and Allan and I do, this is another perfect parliament.

6. United States of America. I didnt include the Palace of Westminster on grounds of familiarity and I work in it, but the Capitol is so good that overexposure cannot bleach out its greatness.

7. India. Huge circular building the circumference is a third of a mile designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, built in the 1920s, with three semicircular chambers and a dome inside.

8. Canada. Ridiculous Disney castle design. I love it.

9. Seychelles. Allan calls it a beach resort parliament building, which is a compliment: I like the open veranda and balcony, and it does have solar panels.

10. Bhutan. As Allan says, the shallow gabled roofs may be standard in Bhutan, but they are pretty and also red with small gold pagodas on top.

Next week: Unlikely things named after battles, starting with balaclava.

Coming soon: You Havent Thought That Throughs, after Flick Drummond the Tory former MP said Boris Johnson was incredibly popular like the Pied Piper.

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk

See the article here:

The Top 10: Parliament buildings - The Independent

Jessica Nabongo, a Ugandan-American Black travel influencer, just became the first Black woman to document her visit to every country in the world, Pulse Nigeria reports.

Nabongo had already been bitten by the travel bug, beginning her travels in 2009, establishing herself as a travel influencer. But in 2017, she set out on a quest to travel the entire world. She was in Bali, Indonesia and had already traveled to 60 countries before embarking on her new journey. She decided to commit to this quest by visiting all 195 countries that are members of the United Nations.

The Detroit native said her love for travel began early. My parents normalized it in advance. I think this turned into wanderlust because my parents never made a big deal out of travel [it] wasnt something to be fearful of, she told Airbnb Magazine.

She was already running a full time travel agency called Global Jet Black when she made the decision to travel the globe and used her own funds to get started. But in order to begin, she stepped back from her agency and started documenting her excursions full time via Instagram @thecatchmeifyoucan and her blog of the same name. She began using her skills as an influencer to fund her new endeavors. Utilizing various brand partnerships and the money she made as a freelance writer, content creator, United Nations consultant and help from a GoFundMe she created, she was able to make her dreams a reality.

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ISLAMAPHOBIA Firstly, Islamaphobia is steeped in racism. It distorts the religion and gives it an Arab face. And while the origins of Islam (and Judaism and Christianity) are in the Arab world, most Muslims do not live in the Arab world, in fact only 20% do. 13% of the worlds Muslim population is in Indonesia. Around one third of Muslims live in South Asia e.g Pakistan, Afghanistan etc. They are not Arab though often mistaken to be. There are large populations of Muslims in Africa, Central Asia and Europe. More than 50% of Bosnians and Albanians are Muslim! Islam comes in many shades and nationalities, it isnt just the Arab boogeyman weve all been taught to fear. Ive traveled to nearly every Muslim majority country in the world, my first being Oman in 2012 and my most recent being Pakistan. I only had to cover my head the entire time in Afghanistan, Iran and Somaliland. I have had to cover my shoulders and legs and always keep a scarf handy just in case. There is a common misperception that traveling in a Muslim country for women is dangerous. This has not been my experience at all. While I have certainly been uncomfortable because typically most public spaces are dominated by men, it was not them making me feel uncomfortable, but rather my own reaction to being, the only woman in a space. Ive noticed substantially less harassment in the Muslim world versus traveling in Europe or North America. Of course this does not hold true for everyone as Ive heard stories of foreign women being harassed in Muslim countries as well. I have seen many women say they will not travel to the Muslim world because of the oppression of women, but that typically only refers to Arab countries, but not Morocco, UAE and Egypt because fave tourist destinations. There are bad people everywhere in all religions, but what traveling to 191 countries has taught me is that most people are good. Much of what is shown on the media around Islam is propaganda. I think it is best to travel and see for yourself and dont let the media scare you. Have you ever been to a Muslim country? What was your experience? @projectfairplay

A post shared by Jessica (Jess) Nabongo (@thecatchmeifyoucan) on Aug 19, 2019 at 9:23pm PDT

Nabongo told CNN Travel that she wanted to travel the world to bring diversity to the landscape of travel. Its about changing the perception of female travelers, of travelers of color and of anyone who doesnt have the option of passing for a local in a given community. Racism is a thing. Theres nothing we can do to get around that. History has made it that way. I exist as a Black person in this world and Im not going to let that hinder me from going anywhere I want to go. Namely, everywhere, she said.

She uses her platform to document her voyages as well as shed light on important causes in various regions of the world including endangered species and environmental issues. Nabongo said her mission is important because representation is important. We see Instagram, the travel industry and we are just not seeing enough people who look like me traveling as extensively as I am. So I think its really important for me to be doing this for other people that look like me, she told BBC.

In the beginning, Nabongo set a goal to finish her mission by May 15, 2019, her 35th birthday. But she eventually changed the date to honor her late father, setting a new date of October 6, 2019.

My Dad passed in the city in 2003. What I decided is that for my last country which is Seychelles, were going to land on October 6th, which is his birthday. He hasnt been here for most of this journey but were able to bring him in the fold by getting there on his birthday. The reason I picked Seychelles is because it is in Africa, she said.

On October 6, 2019, Nabongo landed in Seychelles, a group of islands in East Africa off the coast of the Indian Ocean, completing her mission of visiting all 195 UN member countries.

Congratulations Jessica!! Keep inspiring us!

Read more here:

She Just Became The First Black Woman to Visit Every Country In The World - Because of Them We Can

CoinFlex, a crypto-futures exchange which launched in early 2019, is the first exchange to offer an Initial Futures Opening (IFO) linked to the launch of Facebooks Libra crypto project.

CoinFlex also happens to be the worlds first physically delivered cryptocurrency futures exchange. The exchange creates futures on coins that do not exist yet on blockchains that are well-funded in private markets but are yet to launch.

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CoinFlex is offering the Libra derivative that is expected to pay out based on the likelihood Libra will be operational by the end of 2020.

So far, the seychelles-based exchange has launched the Polkadot IFO, a future platform that provides an interoperability platform, and is now facilitating bets on whether Facebook can come close to meeting its target December 2020 launch date.

Speaking on the Libra IFO, Mark Lamb, CEO, CoinFlex, told Bloomberg:

Facebook has the ability to rival the entire global banking system from day one, but, because of that fact, when that first day will be is far from certain.

CoinFlex is offering physically-settled futures that will deliver Libra tokens if the stablecom goes live by December 20th, 2020 or the agreed settlement date. If Libra is not operational by then, investors will lose all their initial investment.

The initial price of Libra futures is set at 30 Cents, which is roughly 30% probably whether Libra will be operational on the said date. This means that if an investor ascribes an 80% chance to Libra being operational before the contract expiry date, they get pay equivalent of 80% of Libra. If the investor is wrong, they get nothing.

Here is the process on how to hold Libra futures on CoinFlex:

Short and long trades will be capped at $1.1 per Libra gain to account for changes in currency values that are backing the Libra stablecoin.

While Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook, has not committed to a timeframe on the Libra launch, head of Calibra, David Marcus, has reiterated that a 2020 launch remains the goal. It remains to be seen if the current regulatory environment will make it possible to launch by the said date.

Initial Futures Offering (IFO) explained

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Seychelles-based Crypto-Futures Exchange, CoinFlex, Starts Issuing the First Ever Libra Futures - bitcoinke.io

Heres good reason why you must head to Mumbais fabulous venue - Nehru Covention Centre in Worli on 19th and 20th of October 2019. For everyone who is keen to know about upcoming trends in property and to invest or make decisions, the most apt event to witness is the The Times of India World Property and Investment Show (WPIS) in Partnership with Dubai Land Department.

This festive season, as more and more people make a wise decision to invest in property, it is important to attain the right direction of planning. How about getting to know the most sought-after details about investing in property abroad and reaping high returns. The two-day event will help you to meet the right people and get all the information under one roof. Adding much fanfare to this platform is a trend-setting conference and you can also put your hands together to cheer for the winners at the coveted Times of India - World Property and Investment Show Awards 2019.

The attendees include Her Excellency Majida Ali Rashid from Dubai Land Department along with Director General Economic Development board from Mauritius; Urban Development Authority from Sri Lanka; Tibiaan Properties from Oman; Henry Wiltshire International from Abu Dhabi; Berkeley Group from UK; East to West Investing from Greece; Seychelles Investment Board from Seychelles; Shuraa Business Set Up from UAE; Gambit Properties from Australia; Aristo Developers from Cyprus; National Realty Investment Advisors from USA And Individual Investor Programme from Malta.

Tune in to some attention-gripping speakers, many of who are known the world over for their effective oration style. Take down your key notes from an expert from FIABCI, International Real Estate Federation at the conference.

Did you know, 50 per cent of all Indias UHNWI & HNI have foreign real estate in their portfolio. Of course, this trend is the highest in the world.

Come along to connect and network with Industrialists, Bankers, Educationalists, Hoteliers, Chartered Accountants, Doctors, Architects, Traders, working professionals, Businessmen, celebrities, media professionals.

Mark your calendar and witness 30+ Countries & 50+ Exhibitors. Dont miss this awesome networking opportunity.

For visitor registration at the WPIS, please click here or Contact: Henry, Project Head +91 080 4664 6712 | +91 9945210805

Disclaimer: Content Produced by World Property and Investment show

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A Shout Out to All the Investors to Visit the World Property and Investment Show in Mumbai - Times of India