Newsline - Today in Seychelles
Transcription
Newsline - Today in Seychelles
www.today.sc Friday 8 April 2016 Newsline n News n Sports n Business n Life n Panama papers: “Seychelles is not a tax haven” Bobby Brantley (page 2) SR 15/- Politics Third time lucky After three proposals and two rejections from the Electoral Commission, the united opposition has finally been registered as ‘Linyon Demokratik Seselwa’. P. Athanase T he united opposition’s attempt to register as ‘Linyon Sanzman’ last month was dealt a major blow after it was revealed that another political party had swooped in and registered the name. The party came up with another name last week, ‘Linyon 2015’, which was again rejected as according to Party Leader, Roger Mancienne, the Electoral Commission stated it was too close to ‘Linyon Sanzman’, a political party registered by Martin Aglae and which was approved on Tuesday. n Basketball: AB Boys start basketball league (page 4) with win n Finance: Central Bank of Seychelles earned more than SCR20millon (page 10) profit in 2015 n Pop corner: Batman v Superman: Dawn of (page 11) Justice The office bearers are party leader Roger Mancienne (middle), treasurer Roy Fonseka (left) and secretary general Clifford Andre (right) Continued on page 3 HIV/AIDS Harm Reduction 47% of new HIV cases are drug users S. Marivel The correlation between drug users and new HIV cases is obvious, yet a needle exchange program is yet to be implemented. Meanwhile, the ministry of Health hosted a secretive needle exchange trial in 2015. With delegates from Kenya advocating new ways for Seychelles to be more active in its harm reduction strategies, will it be enough for a wake up call? Read more on page 2 Peter Kamau, a specialist from Kenya, advocates a needle exchange program and other harm reduction programs over rehab centres because he says it "respects human rights". 13.05 13.60 13.15 13.55 14.60 15.40 14.70 15.45 18.25 19.20 18.20 19.15 p2 Friday 8 April, 2016 Panama papers “Seychelles is not a tax haven” Bobby Brantley The chief executive officer (CEO) of Seychelles security exchange Trop-X, Bobby Brantley says he has absolutely no doubt that the robust financial laws of the country makes it difficult for anyone to use the country through offshore companies as a tax haven. R. Vidot Nichole’s take on … Making ‘our health our collective responsibility’ N. Tirant As we take stock of obesity in our nation and explore ways to deal with diabetes as the latest ‘pandemic’, our health professionals gathered for prayer and guidance at the Good Shepherd Church on the occasion of World Health Day earlier this week. The health minister’s notable absence from the religious reflection was probably on account of business with the removal van as her office moved back into the old premises somewhere in the 92-year old Seychelles Hospital. But giving credit where it’s due, we must recognize that the lady has been endeavouring to warn us of the need to make our health our responsibility and change the bad ways that are making us one of the fattest nations in Africa. It was in February 2014 that Minister Mitcy Larue launched a campaign under the elaborate theme ‘Health of our Nation: My health, my responsibility’ aimed at getting us to be more responsible for our own health as we reconnected with our values in search of a social renaissance. In fact, she made it clear back then that hers was much more than a campaign. “It is a movement and a culture that touches everyone and places the highest value on good health for all,” she said, in her launch speech at the hospital’s prestigious Sheik Khalifa-gifted diagnostic section to a dignified floor of several government ministers, parliamentarians, ambassadors, top government officials and health ministry staff. The campaign, Minister Larue pledged, would be a “celebration of our achievements as a nation in building a health system that provides appropriate health care to all our citizens,” and a “recognition of the collective efforts of our citizens and the many organisations in the pursuit of better health for all.” She promised that it would provide us with “sober reflection on the many challenges that confront us, the inadequate performance of many parts of our health services, and the growing burden of diseases, which result from the poor choices that too many Seychellois make.” But whilst the minister called on all Seychellois “to join together for health,” inviting us to take responsibility for making good decisions in our life style that will bring positive effects to our health, the hard facts of life since then show that we’ve certainly not put enough effort into the task. With some 74 percent of our adult female population and 64 percent of our males classified as overweight and 43 percent of the women and 21 percent of the men classified as obese, we have earned ourselves an ignoble title of being the fattest nation in Africa; and with it, a Damocles sword hanging over our already overstressed health sector for years to come. All the more reason for the ministry and the population at large to shift into higher gear if we are serious about placing greater value on our own health and taking full responsibility for it on that journey towards a healthier nation. Although the health minister swore back then that she would ensure the public health services became “more responsive, more effective and more efficient,” the fact is that, two years into the campaign, there is still no clear cut programme of how she and the nation will engage in their collective efforts to take greater care for our health. “We will endeavour to promote and practice accountability at all levels: from the health worker empowering her client to the leadership demonstrating that the nation's resources allocated to health are utilised wisely and effectively,” the minister pledged, only to find herself embroiled in a scandal over the million-rupee offices and severely criticized for her failure in preventing shortages and the lack of so many essentials in our health service. If indeed the health of the nation is to be guaranteed by the good health of her ministry, the minister’s responsibility must be fully engaged and she must, before she leaves the stage, show us all where we all went wrong. Errata In our front page article ‘Much ado about Wavel’, TODAY wrote that Martin Aglae, Leader of the newly registered political party ‘Linyon Sanzman’, was also associated with Seselwa United Party (SUP). SUP has informed us that Mr Aglae was never involved with the party. TODAY apologizes for this erroneous remark. T he chief executive officer of Trop-X was adamant about it: it is quite difficult for offshore companies to use the country through offshore companies to dodge taxes. Mr Brantley was speaking to TODAY following revelations made in the Panama papers – the leaked documents from a Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca disclosed by a German newspaper late last week. Seychelles, along with some other small countries were named as favourite places billionaires use as tax havens. However, Mr Brantley said that "by the very definition of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) of what is a tax haven, Seychelles is certainly not one.” He added that there were four main criteria that must be present in a country to be a tax haven and “at least two do not apply to Seychelles in all cases, and depending on the types of structures and applications, there are cases where all four are not applicable.” Bobby Brantley, CEO of Trop-X. Regarding the accusations by the Panama papers that Mossack Fonseca might have helped clients to launder dirty money in offshore companies, Mr Brantley said the risk exists. But he said it was important to note that this is bound to happen anywhere. “But to launder money you have to move assets and assets aren’t coming through banks in Seychelles. There are very low risks in terms of money laundering. The banks have to know all the beneficiaries. They’re very strict about any kind of sizable transactions coming in or going out of a bank account,” he said. Mr Brantley reckoned that ‘Seychelles would be a terrible place for international criminals to launder money.” 47% of new HIV cases are drug users Continued from page 1 Discussions were heated during the one day workshop on HIV and AIDS Harm Reduction for members of various local organizations. Set up by the HIV and AIDS Support Organization (HASO) in collaboration with the National AIDS Council and the Kenya AIDS NGO Consortium (KANCO), discussions mainly surrounded the fact that drug use and new HIV infections are directly correlated. According to recent surveys conducted by the ministry of Health, up to 47% of new HIV infections each year are from people who inject drugs. This is an important number, not only in terms of new HIV cases, but in the number of drug users injecting. It was also highlighted by Doctor Louine Morel of the ministry of Health, that their study only charted people who inject drugs, but there are various other ways, which are prevalent in Seychelles, for drug use. Those numbers are there, but there is no conclusive way to chart its magnitude at the moment. In 2013 Seychelles broke the record with 123 new cases of HIV infections. The dominant age of people infected are mainly ages 25-29 and 30-34; a dominantly young portion of the population. It was also noted that there are more and more elderly people living with HIV and AIDS because as technology develops to help these people live longer, through anti retroviral drugs and methadone, people who were infected when younger are now growing older – and could possibly infect new people if proper measures are not taken. Among the key speakers was KANCO’s Deputy Executive Director Peter Kamau, who came down from Kenya to advocate further communication between the local government and the civil society on ways to create different strategies on harm reduction, something he feels is lacking in the country at the moment. He was very vocal about the need for Seychelles to create an enabling environment for positive change to occur, stating that if the stigma against drug users persists, change can only go so far. “You must recognize the need for a holistic approach. I commend the government for its ongoing efforts, however it is not enough and there is poor information out there for people”, he commented during the open discussions. He added, “I haven’t heard any of you saying you are here representing someone who is a drug user.” His comment was met with an uncomfortable silence. “Then why are we having this meeting in the first place?” he said. “The more I listen to government presentations, the more I realize there is a lack of information and action”, he concluded. The secretive needle exchange trial Dr Morel also divulged, during the workshop, that despite the government’s reservations on the effectiveness of a needle exchange program, they hosted a test run in 2015 with 200 drug users to see how a needle exchange program would fare on Mahé. The trial had originally been prepared to accommodate over 2,000 patients, but a mere 200 participated, possibly because of a lack of information on the program, or due to the fear of being known as frequent drug users and what consequences this could bring. This announcement was met with much outrage from members of the civil society and even others from within the same ministry who were not aware of the trial and were therefore left out. Hendrick Leon, a policeman who is also a criminal psychologist, pointed out that this information should have been made public to at least the groups concerned, such as police, in order to avoid useless arrests of people who were carrying clean needles which they obtained from the trail. He further stated, “How do you expect us to sensitise our team if this is the first time we are hearing about it?” It was pointed out through numerous comments that despite the ministry gaining support from the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA), there is still a great majority of police officers who do not support the needle exchange program. The logic is always the same; if you are handing out clean needles to drug users, you are encouraging drug use. Naturally, a number of questions also came up with this revelation. Dr Morel assured all present that they were bound by legal secrecy not to divulge this information to media or other organisations. The delegates from Kenyan group KANCO asked how many syringes were handed out within that one year trial. The answer was 19 per person throughout the entire year – a number too small to make real change and protect drug users from new HIV infections. Food for thought It is important to note that everything Mr. Kamau advised as best practice for a needle exchange program and education on other harm reduction strategies has already been pointed out by various members of nongovernmental organizations in the past – all to the deaf ears of the ministry of Health. Late last year during an International HIV conference hosted at the Savoy Hotel in Beau Vallon, the same arguments were brought up but doors were shut because according to local Health officials, “the community [was] not ready for a needle exchange program.” Popular activist Ronny Arnephy has previously fought for harm reduction strategies and explained that back then, many doors were shut because of general mindset. While he is happy that this is changing, he told TODAY that “more communication between the government and civil society needs to happen. Otherwise things will remain the same and we can help them bridge certain gaps.” It is also ludicrous that a needle exchange program is already in full force in Kenya and not in Seychelles. Drug users who are HIV positive can show up to any clinic in Mombasa to get screened and receive the methadone treatment immediately, and return home. Meanwhile in Seychelles, patients have to be admitted to a clinic or detox center and stay for six weeks before they can be treated with methadone. It is yet to be observed whether recommendations from a foreign organization will be enough for ministries and organizations to get together and work towards a full force, active needle exchange program, without forgetting the education and sensitization which goes with it. p3 Friday 8 April, 2016 Police Communiqué Accident According to a communiqué sent by the Police’s public relations manager (PRM) Jean Toussaint, a 29 year old inhabitant of Anse Aux Pins was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after he was hit by a car in the same district on Wednesday evening. The accident apparently took place around 9pm within the vicinity of the VRM shop. The man obtained several injuries to his head and the Police have described his condition as being “critical”. The driver of the car, a 39 year old man, also an inhabitant of Anse Aux Pin, was tested and the blood-level alcohol was found to be above the level as prescribed by Seychelles law. The driver has been arrested whilst the case is being investigated. Car crash The Police is also investigating an accident involving one of its “Scorpion” jeeps yesterday morning around 8.30am. The vehicle apparently left the road and crashed into a vehi- cle parked at Kannu’s shops in Pointe Larue, yesterday morning. The driver of the parked vehicle was inside the shop at the time of the incident. The officer who was driving and a passenger were taken to hospital for medical attention. According to the reports, the Police officer was heading to town when he lost control of his vehicle as he was attempting to avoid colliding with a car headed towards Anse Aux Pins – that had suddenly left its lane and entered in the officer’s lane. Night Pastor NGO plans recruitment drive next month Set up nearly a year ago, ‘Paster Lannwit’ (Night Pastor) says two of its challenges are to attract volunteers and get sponsorship for its counseling programmes. P. Athanase ‘ Paster Lannwit’ (Night pastor), a non-governmental organization which has been carrying out nocturnal counseling programmes on the streets of Victoria since May last year will launch a recruitment drive next month to get more volunteers to join. The group, modelled on similar approaches around the world, provides support and assistance to those on the streets. Speaking to TODAY, one of the coordinators, Sister Alice Vivien said the group has a pool of 28 volunteers who go around the streets between 10pm on Saturdays and 2am on Sundays and work with drug addicts, alcoholics, sex workers, the homeless and at times underaged children as young as twelve. Their work is concentrated in certain hotspots such as in the vicinity of nightclubs and casinos as well as Market Street. Sister Alice said they come across people in need of assistance on most of their outings. However she said the number of clients has reduced since last year, “probably because there are more police patrols and also because one of the hotspots, Pirates Arms, has been demolished,” she said. Sister Alice said ‘Paster Lannwit’ would like to decentralize its services as well as increase the frequency of its outings to three from Fridays to Sundays. However she said getting people to join as volunteers remains a challenge. “We hope that through the recruitment drive next month, people will understand the importance of being a volunteer and come forward to help bring comfort and assistance to those in need”, she told TODAY adding that there was also a need to get more male volunteers as presently there are only four men out of 28 members. “We need a group of eight volunteers to do our work, among them, three will remain at the base and pray while the others go out and counsel people on the street. It has been safe for us so far but a male colleague in the group will provide that extra security for us”, she added. ‘Paster Lannwit’ says volunteers from Christian-faith based churches are welcome to join but they will need to meet a number of criteria. Irenie Fock-Tave explained that first of all they should not be abusing drugs and alcohol; they should be compassionate, friendly and respectful towards others “because we are not here to judge or point fingers but rather assist those in need”. It should be noted that the new recruits will have to be endorsed by their parish priests before they are taken on board. They will then follow a training programme to learn first aid, how to approach a person and also how to conduct counseling. Other than attracting more volunteers, ‘Paster Lannwit’ is also seeking sponsorship which it says will help fund the various treatment programmes for those in need. Mrs Fock-Tave said they come across a lot of people who want to change and are willing to follow treatment but sometimes “we are unable to cater for all of them due to a lack of resources”, she told TODAY. The NGO says it welcomes any donation and is calling on organisations to assist them in any way they can. Yesterday the NGO received a donation of vests, gloves and masks that will be used during their outings. The safety equipment was sponsored by Angelica Morel and Harry Anacoura of Certa Cito Pty Ltd, based at Providence. The printing of the vests was done by Ronny Adonis of ‘Print it’ company whilst sewing of light reflective strips on the caps was done by ‘Decor Enterprises’, both located next to Certa Cito Pty Ltd. The handing over of the equipment was held at the company’s outlet. ‘Paster Lannwit’ will commemorate its first year anniversary next month and Sister Alice said it has been a good year as people have welcomed them and now look forward to their presence on Saturday nights “as we bring that little ray of light and hope in their lives”, she said. Anyone who is interested to join ‘Paster Lannwit’ can contact numbers 2815554 or 2815555. Owner of Certa Cito, Harry Anacoura (far left) presenting the safety equipment to Gary Johnstone of 'Paster Lannwit'. Charity Next Step gives a helping hand A well-known charity-based organisation is taking the streets today and tomorrow to help out the family that lost their house to a fire at Anse Boileau early Tuesday morning. N. Baker N ext Step, a popular local humanitarian group is organising a fund raising activity for the family whose house burnt down earlier this week. TODAY spoke to Sonny Dogley who says that Next Step usually steps up to help out when people are distressed. "We are especially thinking of the eight children who have lost their home" Mr. Dogley told TODAY. They will be based at the Anse Boileau Supermarket, which is located next to where the Anse Boileau fish market was. There will be a donation box where people can give any amount of money they can afford and the group will entertain the public with songs and give out balloons to children for free. They will start the activity today from 10am to 5.30pm and tomorrow from 10am to 2pm. If people are unable to reach the venue for the two days and wish to make any type of donation for the cause, monetary or otherwise, Sonny Dogley can be contacted directly on 2541516. Any kind of donation is welcome as the family has lost virtually everything they have. Sonny D invites everyone to participate actively to help the family regain its footing. Art Seychelles Pension Fund supports community-based project Seychelles Pension fund (SPF) initiated a mural painting activity, at the exPirates Arms building, as part of their “10 for 10” campaign programme, in collaboration with the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC). D. Laurence T his interactive project hosted by the SPF aimed at highlighting the beauty of Victoria following the erection of the hoarding around the Pirates Arms Complex demolition site on Independence Avenue. Hence, it was also a great opportunity for the schoolchildren to showcase their artistic talents. Mr. Darell Bristol, Marketing Manager at SPF, seized the opportunity to congratulate the artists for a job well done. “I would personally like to thank the schoolchildren, local professional artists and all stakeholders alike for their time and effort put into the materialisation of this project” he said. The mural painting activity held on Saturday included the participation of the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC) and professional artist from Seylar, under the patronage of the National Arts Council (NAC) to bring a colour to the hoarding. The mural painting also involved the participation of the SPF Staff and it involved quite a stretch of the road along the Ex-Pirates Arms building. Artists were encouraged to illustrate themes relevant to their organisational visions and missions. Additionally, The art work incorporates a variety of techniques which includes sea turtle paintings in their natural habitat together with coconut trees with a sunset background, whilst bringing to the fore our cultural, environment and social values. The SPF’s “10 for 10” campaign revolves around ten activities that the SPF will run nationwide to mark their tenth anniversary ranging from environment, health as well as launching new and innovative ideas to help more members join for their retirement. A piece of artwork illustrating a sea turtle painted in its natural habitat. Third time lucky Continued from page 1 In a press release yesterday, Mr Mancienne stated that ‘Linyon Demokratik Seselwa’ is to be the name of the registered political party representing the opposition groups which united at the second round of the Presidential Election in December 2015. He said the party was registered under that name by the Electoral Commission. Other than Roger Mancienne, who is the Chairman and Party Leader, the other members are Clifford Andre as secretaryGeneral) and Roy Fonseka is the Treasurer. “By registering the party under a new name, we wish to tell our supporters that we want to move on and do the work of a serious political organisation, which is to fight for a better system of government for our country and the well-being of the people of Seychelles”, wrote Mr Mancienne. He however added that they will continue to condemn “the deceitful and malicious appropriation of a name” that the opposition used repeatedly and consistently since the Presidential Election and which has become publicly acknowledged as their name. “If another political party does not even have the imagination to think up a name for itself but has to appropriate our name, then it is indeed poor in mind and does not deserve respect” further added Mr Mancienne explaining that ‘Linyon’ was an appropriate label for their party because it is composed of a number of groups which have come together in unity. “It is this unity that is important because we need to ensure a strong voice for the majority of the people of Seychelles”, he concluded. Initially the united opposition grouping had declared its intention to fight for the name ‘Linyon Sanzman’ stating that they will pursue every option to object and prevent the misuse of the name ‘Linyon Sanzman’ by anyone other than the opposition parties and groups which adopted it at the second round of the presidential election. In an earlier statement Mr Mancienne said the new political party will act as an umbrella organisation for the existing parties and groups within the united opposition. He explained that “the existing parties and groups will continue to function under their respective leaders, but are reinforcing their cooperation under the new party to present a common political platform to contest the legislative election”. p4 Friday 8 April, 2016 Basketball AB Boys start basketball league with win First division one matches tonight A. Henriette T he basketball league championship dribbled off on Wednesday night with new comer AB Boys beating PTL Brothers 75-68. AB Boys from Anse Boileau is mostly made up of young newcomers in the sport and is under the leadership of Drifters player, David Boniface. The only veteran player in the team is Charles Sauzier formerly with Ex-Champs. As for PTL Brothers they were in difficulties even before the match started as only five players turned up. The team is a pale shadow of the one that gave other second division teams major problems last year. But PTL Brothers started the match well as their players were more experienced than their opponents and they managed to stay out of foul trouble throughout the match and at the same time dominated the first quarter and most of the second one. They managed to score 25 points by the end of the first quarter compared to 16 for AB Boys. In the second quarter they again started well but towards the end they began to feel tired as they did not have any substitute players as compared to a full bench for their opponents. And Coach Boniface used his subs well, keeping the players fresh. AB Boys began to steal some balls and being young players they were quick on fast break and in the end caught up with their opponent. The Anse Boileau based team scored 22 points in that quarter and PTL 15 meaning by the end of the first half the score was tied on 38 points apiece. PTL Brothers’ level of play kept going down in the third quarter as tiredness crept in and AB Boys buoyed by some very vocal supporters continued to apply pressure especially scoring on fast breaks. At the end of that quarter the score read 52-49. And with veteran Sauzier also helping the young players to keep their calm on court and scoring at times, AB Boys went on to win the match 75-68 for a well deserved victory in their league debut. But Coach Boniface knows that his team met a depleted PTL Brothers and should expect tougher matches from other second division teams during the championship. Once again it is good to see a young team springing up in Seychelles basketball. Meanwhile tonight, there will be two matches. This was a recommendation that came out during basketball annual general meeting whereby members asked for two matches on Fridays and not to schedule any match on Sundays. So the first two division one sides to be in action will be newly promoted Cascade Bullets against Drifters at 5pm followed by BAYA against RC Dynamics at 7pm. Then on Saturday morning AB Boys (in black and yellow) claimed thier first league victory over a depleted PTL Brothers on Wednesday. from 9am to 2pm, there will be the 3x3 tournament for post secondary schools and in the afternoon at 2pm in a second divi- sion match Anse Etoile will play against Mont Fleuri Ballers followed by a first division match between curtain raiser champi- ons PLS Hawks against Premium Cobras. At 5.30pm, in what promises to be a mouth watering match, Mont Fleuri Dawgz will be playing against Beau Vallon Heat - a repeat of the curtain raiser semifinals in which Heat won over Dawgz. Judo “I will bring back the glory days,” promises new Chairman A. Henriette T Judo is expected to get a new lease of life under the new elected executive committee. Monique Athanase is back as the head of the Judo Association wo years after being ousted out in a controversial manner, members of the Judo Association voted to bring Monique Athanase back as head of the sport for the next two years. Miss Athanase received the majority votes during Judo’s annual General meeting last weekend and she has vowed to put order back into the association and to bring back the glory days. “It is like a normal process because even if I was out of the association I was still in contact with many members. They had been asking me to put my name down for election. I stepped aside so that the former committee members could prove themselves but it seems that the members were not satisfied with their work and have decided to put me back in office with a new committee. So I am happy because I will work in the interest of the athletes as they had been affected a lot during the past two years,” she told TODAY Sports. Miss Athanase feels that the new committee is a solid one. The Vice-Chairman is Jimmy Valentin, the new Secretary General is Paddy King, and the treasurer is Harry Arnephy. The new referees Director is Stephen Joubert whilst the sport director is Terry Mothe. Brigitte Rose is in charge of media and communications. Maxime Payet heads the disciplinary committee and Calixt Cesar is the national team head coach. All members of the new committee are from a judo club. It seems that the sport will be going through a revival this year as some new clubs have registered. There are currently eight clubs which fall under the association with four from Mahe and the other four from Praslin. Miss Athanase first served as judo chairman from 2012 to 2014. She was removed from the post in a controversial manner after being accused of running the executive committee in a dictatorial manner. After that a long dispute started culminating in two opposing camps: Praslin and Mahe. She replaces Mervin Joubert who had been acting Chairman since 2014. Under her chairmanship though judo won the best federation of the year; best coach and best athlete of the year. Dominic Dugasse even qualified for the Olympic Games. “My aim is to continue the work I was doing two years ago and bring judo to new heights. I will be targeting the youths mostly as we have a good group coming up and they need the necessary support so that they can replace the elite judokas when they retire in a few years time. We have good young athletes with good potentials but they were not getting enough competitions. It was always the same athletes who were being exposed to international competitions all the time,” explained Miss Athanase. As for the calendar of competitions the new committee will be using the ones drafted by the old committee but will make some amendments to it. p5 Friday 8 April, 2016 Police raid UEFA headquarters in Nyon over Panama Papers link U EFA has confirmed that Swiss police raided its headquarters in Nyon in relation to a contract leaked from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. Eleven million documents were leaked over the past few days, and it has been alleged that new FIFA president Gianni Infantino signed off on a contract with businessmen Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, who have both been accused of bribery. It has been alleged that the signature of Infantino, who was a UEFA director at the time, is on the 2006 contract, and the 46-year-old has been left “dismayed” by the link. US prosecutors allege that Hugo Jinkis and his son Mariano, while running Cross Trading, bribed South American football officials to gain the TV rights to various tournaments. It is alleged that the pair went on to sell the rights to Ecuadorian TV broadcaster Teleamazonas for three times the price. Today, a statement from the European governing body read: “UEFA can confirm that today we received a visit from the office of the Swiss Federal Police acting under a warrant and requesting sight of the contracts between UEFA and Cross Trading/Teleamazonas. “Naturally, UEFA is providing the Federal Police with all relevant documents in our possession and will cooperate fully.” There is no evidence implicating Infantino in any bribery, nor is there any suggestion that Teleamazonas was complicit in any wrongdoing. NBA roundup Trail Blazers clinch playoff berth with win A l-Farouq Aminu scored 27 points as the Portland Trail Blazers rolled to a big lead, then held on for a 120-115 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday night at the Moda Center. CJ McCollum added 26 points and Allen Crabbe came off the bench for 16 points for the Trail Blazers (4337), who clinched a playoff spot with the victory. Four Oklahoma City starters, including stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, sat out to get a rest. Enes Kanter scored a career-high 33 points and grabbed 20 rebounds for the Thunder (54-25), who have secured the No. 3 playoff position in the Western Conference. Dion Waiters scored 25 points and Anthony Morrow contributed 19 for OKC, which trailed by as many as 23 points in the second half. Mavericks 88, Rockets 86 DALLAS -- J.J. Barea added another clutch performance to the best stretch of his career and Dallas secured a crucial win over Houston at American Airlines Center. Dallas has won five in a row and took a two-game lead over Southwest Division rival Houston going into the last four games of the regular season. The Mavs and Rockets are locked in a three-team race with Utah for the final two Western Conference playoff spots. The victory also allowed Dallas to split the fourgame season series with Houston. The Rockets would have taken the series and, more importantly, a playoff tiebreaker with a win. Mavs Beat Rockets 88-86 to Keep Slim Lead Over Utah, Houston Pistons 108, Magic 104 ORLANDO, Fla. -- Reggie Jackson scored 24 points and Detroit moved a step closer to its first playoff appearance in seven seasons by beating Orlando at the Amway Center. The Pistons can clinch a postseason berth with one more win or a loss by the Chicago Bulls. They clinched their first winning season since 2007-08. Jackson scored eight points in the final three minutes to hold off a late Magic rally. Kentavious CaldwellPope finished with 18 points for the Pistons. Andre Drummond had 13 points and a game-high 16 rebounds, and Reggie Bullock and Tobias Harris each scored 13 points for Detroit. Celtics 104, Pelicans 97 BOSTON -- Boston took another step forward in their fight for homecourt advantage in the playoffs. However, they almost lost to a decimated New Orleans team despite leading by 14 points late in the third quarter. Avery Bradley hit a jumper to snap a 93-93 tie, and Isaiah Thomas scored 32 points as the Celtics fought off the pesky Pelicans 104-97. The win moved the Celtics (4632) into a virtual tie with the idle Atlanta Hawks (46-32) for third place in the Eastern Conference. The Heat (45-32) are a half-game back in fifth, and the Charlotte Hornets (45-33) are a half-game behind Miami in sixth. Wizards 121, Nets 103 WASHINGTON -- Bradley Beal scored 25 points as Washington earned a needed win without John Wall, downing Brooklyn. Ramon Sessions had 18 points and a season-high 13 assists for the Wizards, who outscored the struggling Nets 67-51 in the second half and led by as many as 28 points. Wall, who played in all of Washington’s previous games this season, was ruled out before tipoff with a sore right knee. The three-time All-Star ranks third in the NBA with 10.2 assists per game and leads Washington in scoring. The victory kept Washington alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but the chances of landing a Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8), lays one in against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. third straight playoff berth are low. The 10th-place Wizards remain 3 1/2 games back of the Pistons for the eighth and final slot with four games remaining. Detroit won 108-104 over the Orlando Magic Wednesday. Washington hosts Detroit Friday. Pacers 123, Cavaliers 109 INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul George scored 29 points, and Indiana took full advantage of Cleveland’s decision to rest LeBron James in a victory over the Cavaliers. C.J. Miles added 21 points for Indiana, which remains in the No. 7 slot in the Eastern Conference playoff chase. The Pacers are onehalf game ahead of the Detroit Pistons, who defeated the Orlando Magic 108-104 Wednesday night. Solomon Hill and Ian Mahinmi each added 15 for the Pacers, and Monta Ellis added 13 points and eight assists in Indiana’s third consecutive victory. The Pacers finished 16-for-31 from 3-point range. Hornets 111, Knicks 97 NEW YORK -- Kemba Walker poured in 34 points to lead Charlotte to a win over New York at Madison Square Garden. Walker now has 13 games with 30 or more points this season, the third-highest total in the Eastern Conference. He was 11 of 18 from the floor, making a career-best seven 3-pointers on 10 attempts. Al Jefferson came off the Charlotte bench to score 24 points in 28 minutes. He had 14 points in the fourth quarter. p6 Friday 8 April, 2016 Champions League Round-up Wolfsburg upset Real 2-0; PSG and Manchester City share four goals W Real’s six-game winning streak was ended as Wolfsburg picked up their first win in four games since beating Gent in the last 16 of the tournament. olfsburg stunned Real Madrid for a 2-0 first-leg victory in the Champions League quarter-finals, while Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City finished 2-2 on Wednesday. A Ricardo Rodriguez penalty and Maximilian Arnold goal from close range gave Bundesliga side Wolfsburg - in the quarter-finals for the first time - first-half goals against 10-time European champions Real. In Paris, Kevin de Bruyne opened the scoring for City, who then went behind to goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Adrien Rabiot before Fernandinho equalized. Real, aiming for a sixth successive semi-final place, were left emp- ty-handed in Wolfsburg, who were full value for their two-goal victory. Dieter Hecking’s side were tactically well set-up and after a cautious start often hit Real on the break, with a number of chances throughout the game to add to their tally. However the home side could consider themselves fortuitous with a penalty award when Andre Schuerrle went down under close attention from Casmeiro, the Germany midfielder appearing to have caught his own heel. It made no difference to Rodriquez who sent Keylor Navas in goal the wrong way with his 18th-minute spot kick to the left, a first goal conceded by Navas in the competition after 738 minutes. The second came seven minutes later when Julian Draxler cut inside from the left and found Bruno Henrique on the right of the penalty area, whose cross was turned in from close range by Arnold. Real, who had been unbeaten along with Barcelona in the competition this season, upped the pressure late on but Wolfsburg dealt reasonably comfortably with the uninspiring visitors to give themselves a real chance of reaching the last four in the return leg next week. “We know what is awaiting us. They will throw everything at us, we have to be ready for it,” Hecking told Germany’s ZDF television. Ricardo Rodriguez opened the scoring for Wolfsburg from the penalty spot after Casemiro had fouled Andre Schurrle. In Paris, City keeper Joe Hart saved an Ibrahimovic penalty in the 14th minute, diving at full stretch to his right. However Hart was partially at fault in the build-up the penalty after a poor punch out, the ball then returned across goal before David Luiz was brought down by Bacary Sagna. Ibrahimovic ballooned the ball over the over the bar when through on goal before City punished a slack pass in midfield by Blaise Matuidi in the 38th minute, with Fernandinho racing through to slip the ball to De Bruyne who drove firmly past Kevin Trapp in goal. City then gifted the French cham- pions an equalizer three minutes later when Hart needlessly played a short goal-kick to Fernando, who was under pressure from Ibrahimovic on the edge of the box. Fernando’s attempt to pass the ball out of danger then deflected in off Ibrahimovic into an empty goal. “It was a terrible first goal to concede, I gave Fernando the ball and he thought there was an option to pass it, the big man (Ibrahimovic) put his size 15s through it and the ball went in,” Hart said. PSG got in front just before the hour when Hart parried Edinson Cavani’s header from a corner and Rabiot finished unmarked in front of goal. The home side almost immediately scored a third when an Ibrahimovic header came back from the bar. City then levelled in the 73rd minute when PSG’s Serge Aurier and Thiago Silva failed to deal with a Sagna cross and Fernandinho’s shot deflected off Silva into goal. Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini said: “The quarter-final continues to be open, we must now play 90 minutes in Manchester but this is a good result for us.” In Tuesday’s first-leg matches, Barcelona defeated Atletico Madrid 2-1, while Bayern Munich were 1-0 winners over Benfica. De Bruyne celebrates in front of the buoyant travelling support as Sergio Aguero (second left) and teammates follow to congratulate him. Friday 8 April, 2016 p7 Air travel Madagascar bound passengers lament regular delays Regular delays of Air Seychelles’ flights to Madagascar causes anguish amongst people flying there regularly G. Jean P assengers travelling on Air Seychelles’ route to Madagascar have spoken out about regular delays experienced on the flights to Madagascar three times weekly. This week’s flight on Wednesday morning was equally delayed like so many others before it, causing a few passengers to vent out their frustration at the airline. One passenger was particularly frustrated with the treatment they received after their flight was delayed, that he called this newspaper to share his ordeal. In talking, TODAY came to the realization that the delayed flight was a regular occurrence and thought it would inquire as to why. Another phone call was placed to that effect and a source within Air Seychelles confirmed to our journalist that flights to Madagascar are frequently delayed, noting that it is because an older aircraft is used on the route. In the case of Wednesday’s flight, it was delayed because of a feared engineering malfunction, it added. It also explained that contrary to popular belief, not all of the old aircrafts have been replaced with new ones following the merger between Air Seychelles and Etihad. TODAY contacted Air Seychelles in a bid to confirm what was said, but by the time of going to press, the airline had not responded to the query. The person contacted said she was not in a position to make a statement, noting that all persons eligible to do so was unavailable. Air Seychelles travels to Madagascar at least three times a week, on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The passenger who placed the initial call to TODAY on Wednesday was more or less complaining about the airline’s failure to take care of them after their flight was delayed. He criticized the airline over what he claimed was a paltry meal voucher from which pas- Air Seychelles travels to Madagascar at least three times a week. sengers could not secure a full meal. “We had to top off the voucher from our own pockets to enjoy both a drink and a bite to eat”, he stated. “Most of us had arrived at the airport at 7am, as per the request of the airline to check in some three hours before departure to avoid delays”, he recounted. “This means some of us had nothing to eat thinking we would benefit from an in flight meal soon after we take off.” He said that unfortunately, af- ter boarding the plane, all passengers were asked to disembark due to malfunction with the plane which needed immediate attention. They were told the airline would cater for a meal for them as they wait to find out the fate of the flight. “The delay was not of our doing. It was that of the airline, and it was right to acknowledge it had a responsibility towards the passengers for causing the inconvenience”, he observed. “They should be doing their utmost in this instance to ensure passengers were coping and being taken care of ”, he said, adding “but instead they aggravated the situation in providing the paltry sum for a meal voucher.” He detailed that the voucher amounted to SCR85 and that most of the items on sale at the Airport Cafeteria amounted to half or more of the total. “It was a situation where you had to make a choice between getting something to eat, or getting something to drink. We could not have both,” he explained. “People were obviously annoyed and confronted the members of staff, but we were told they were not in a position to assist us further”. Friday 8 April, 2016 p8 p9 Friday 8 April, 2016 OUT & ABOUT Deepam Cinema This week’s feature is “Batman v/s Superman: Dawn of Justice” Directed by Zack Snyder the film is a followup to 2013’s Man of Steel. Fearing that the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman takes on the Man of Steel, while the world wrestles with what kind of a hero it really needs. It’s been nearly two years since Superman’s (Henry Cavill) colossal battle with Zod (Michael Shan- non) devastated the city of Metropolis. The loss of life and collateral damage left many feeling angry and helpless, including crime-fighting billionaire Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck). Convinced that Superman is now a threat to humanity, Batman embarks on a personal vendetta to end his reign on Earth, while the conniving Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) launches his own crusade against the Man of Steel. Catch it this Friday on the big screen at Deepam Paradiso on Praslin. Call them on 432 2585 to book your seat early or you can contact them via their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DeepamCinema. any three kinds of tapas and get a glass of complimentary Spanish wine. Call us on 4392000. Hotels Travel Explore with more than 35% off with Emirates. Enjoy special fares in economy and business class. Book by 11 April for great fares to select destinations. Limited availability, so book now. Savoy Enjoy a selection of great Spanish Tapas at the Pescado Seafood restaurant every day 12:30pm to 4pm. Order Events Seychelles Sports Fishing Club (SSFC) Come be a part of the SSFC’s National Troll- Restaurants Coral Asia New Sushi menu now available. Call 2618236 for a reservation. ing and Bottom Fishing Tournament from 15 to 17 April. A meeting for skippers is scheduled for Thursday at 4:30pm at the Yacht Club. Competition starts at noon on 15 April at Marine Charter, ending Sunday 17 April at 2pm at the same place. Deadline for registration is 14 April at 6pm. Contact Tarak Patel on 2522106 for more details. Mangouya Fashion show by Mangouya at Gravity Bar. Cultural dress on dis- play by Ms Paquerette. In-house beverage promotions, creole themed dinner plus other entertainments this Friday at the Avani hotel, Barbarons. Health Dr. Murthy’s Medical & Gastro Clinic Visit our general surgeon, urologist, gynecologist and ENT surgeon for any of our surgical services. Call the clinic on 4224290 Shopping Your Look Where luxury and affordability meet under one roof. Open now at Le Chantier Mall. Call us on 2744425, Fashion matters. Smart & Secure Solutions Protect your homes, businesses and other assets. Visit us at Smart & Secure Solutions and buy the best accessories to secure your possessions. Surveillance Simplified. Be smart and secure, call on us at Providence complex, ground floor Shop A3, or call us on 2711269. Cars Isuzu The Isuzu KB Extended cab is now available in stock from SCR499 000 onwards. Call 4389444 to book a test drive. on Mahé and Praslin for more information. mojito. Visit us at eastindiesco.com La Cave a Vin Special promotion on Baileys at La Cave a Vin. But a 1 litre bottle for only SCR425, and get a free JP Cheney bag. Visit us at Premier Building, Victoria. Port O’Vino But the Dulzino sweet red wine, for only SCR69. Visit us at Providecne or Call us on 4374375. East Indies Now available in shops near you, Havana Club, reserve only for the best Premium Tyres Haida - buy the best quality tyres. Visit us at Providence or call on 4373868. Casinos Amusement Centre The Blasting Barrels promotion now ongoing at Amusement Centre until 28 May. First prize SCR50 000, plus other cash prizes. Every Jackpot winner above SCR1000 wins a ticket to be entered in a draw. Entertainment at its best, visit us at Oceangate House from Monday to Sunday from 10am to 2am. Special offers Furniture Cave Trading in quality solid wood furniture. Teak Wood dining set for 4, 6 and 8 people now available. Simple, solid and durable. Visit us at Grosvenor House at Pointe Larue or call 2619535 Hardware Seychelles from A-Z Visit us at Venner Warehouse behind ISPC Seychelles on ex SIBA premises on Bois de Rose and buy a range of baskets available in our new stocks. Call us on 4344900 Seychelles Commercial Bank Register to receive SMS alerts keeping track of your money. Register now and get the SMS alerts for free until the end of the month. Call at any of our branches Dynamics Wholesale promo at Dyamics. Huge savings on selected wines and spirits. Visit us this Friday at our Providence Warehouse or telephone 4416252 Diageo Zacapa. Be old fashioned, buy a world class brand from our Diageo reserve. KDJ Watch out for this lottery on a television screen near you. Our next draw is on Tuesday 12 April. Get yours and stand a chance of winning the SCR145 000 super lotto jackpot. Friday 8 April, 2016 p10 World Health Workers Week Finance Commemorating health workers efforts across the globe Central Bank of Seychelles earned more than SCR20millon profit in 2015 April 4 to 8 2016 is the World Health Workers Week, it is a time to celebrate the hard work of health workers in the world. N. Baker G. Jean T A s part of its strategy on human resources for health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is prioritising the well-being, safety and sanctity of health care workers around the world. WHO also takes a strong position on their protection from illness, violent attacks or any other threats. With the outbreaks of various diseases in developing countries especially, since the health workers are usually the first ones on scene, they are always at the greatest risk. Often many of them work in very dangerous conditions such as war zones and do not have access to proper equipment but still they persevere. They are also often the subject of harsh criticisms by the public as is frequently the case in Seychelles. The World Health Worker Week is an opportunity to mobilise communities, partners and policy makers in support of health workers in all communities around the world. The event was named as a way to commemorate the work they are doing, raise awareness of the challenges they face every The banks’ regulator moves to become more transparent by releasing figures relating to its financial performance in 2015 to the media. Tweets as part of the campaign to increae recognition of health workers efforts. day and to try to fill the gaps in the health workforce by calling on concerned parties to ensure they are offered proper training, supplies and support. The Global Health Workforce Alliance (GHWA or the Alliance) is a partner of the WHO which works to ensure that there are enough health workers in the world. It is a partnership of national governments, civil society, international agencies, finance institutions, researchers, educators and professional associations dedicated to identifying, implementing and advocating for solutions. In a bid to increase appreciation of the work being done by these workers a campaign has been launched on Twitter where short videos have been published on the World Health Worker Week page to explain why health workers count and articles on the work being done by health workers in difficult conditions. Read more at #HealthWorkersCount or #WHWWeek on Twitter. Tumblr is also being used to spread the message and on there you can read articles and interviews on the #WHWWeek: Health workers speak page. he Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS) has said it recorded a profit of SCR 20.5 million last year, in comparison to SCR1.3 million earned the previous year. Governor Caroline Abel told members of the media the overwhelming difference is a common occurrence for the bank, especially since it is putting away money in reserve. She said other factors, for example tightening up liquidity to ensure continued stability in the financial sector, also impacted its operation considerably in 2014 as opposed to last year when the rupee gained on the dollar allowing CBS to loosen its monetary policy in the latter stages of the year. Despite the constraints, CBS was able to put away US$86 million last year she said, bringing the country’s reserve to US$536 million at the end of the 2015 fiscal year, from US$464 million the year before. Generally speaking the bank and the financial sector over performed last year Miss Abel explained noting that a profit for CBS gives confidence to stakeholders in the sector. She was speaking while presenting CBS’ annual financial report to members of the local media in a special presentation at CBS’ premises. She said the presentation was meant to open up the bank to the scrutiny of the public so that its dealings are perceived to be more transparent in the future. Asked then why CBS recently decided to tighten up monetary policy if the financial sector over performed last year, she said tightening up the financial sector is in a sort taking measures to ensure inflation does not become excessive. Inflation stood at 3.2 percent last year she revealed, but despite it being on the low side throughout the whole of last year, Miss Abel said measures are taken by the bank whenever the acceptable ceiling of 5 percent is threatened. She said recent developments to award a thirteenth month salary, and exemption on tax for a sector of the workforce, as announced by the government, has caused an important increase in the number of rupees in circulation, which could drive up prices. “A trend is already showing that more foreign exchange has been purchased from banks during the first quarter of the year, signaling not only an increase in purchase power, but also a rise in prices and eventually that money may leave the country”, stressed the governor. She said the stability of the rupee and the financial sector overwrites monetary policies which may weaken the rupee and cause inflation to rise. “Inflation level stands at 3.6 percent for the first quarter of 2016, and all indication is that the prices of goods will continue to go up in the coming months, explained Miss Abel, who was responding to questions as to why fiscal policies have been tightened up yet again. Other important figures released by the bank at the presentation pertained to economic growth which stood at 4.3 percent during 2015, coming down from 6.2 percent the previous year. The IT section recorded the most growth, expanding by 94 percent last year, journalists learned. The external debt of the country stood at $894 million, or 60 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). p11 Friday 8 April, 2016 Pop corner Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice The first live-action film to feature both Batman and Superman. N. Baker T he film was announced in 2013 at the San Diego Comic-Con International and premiered at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City on March 19 2016. With a cast with the likes of Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne, Batman), Henry Cavill (Superman), Laurence Fishburne (Perry White) and Amy Adams (Lois Lane) among others, you know it must be more than an average piece of work. And with The movie promises lots of action. a title like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it is pretty clear that the movie is an epic one which promises long sessions of goose-bump inducing fights. Two years after Superman’s battle against Zod, Bruce Wayne is still feeling bitter and helpless because of the amount of collateral damage and lives lost in Metropolis. With the conviction that Superman is now a danger to mankind, Batman embarks on a personal vendetta to get rid of him while Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), obsessed with defeating Superman, starts his own war against this god-like superhero. The official synopsis goes like this “ Fearing the actions of a godlike super hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modernday savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really Food How to encourage your children to eat pulses 2016 has been declared the International Year of Pulses by the United Nations. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) will be the party responsible for implementing the year’s objectives. One of their aims is to create opportunities to encourage connections throughout the food chain that would better use pulse-based proteins. N. Baker T he health benefits of pulses are worth the effort of trying to include them in the daily diet. Some of those benefits include the ability to reduce bad cholesterol; they have several vitamins and minerals (B vitamins, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc, folate, thiamin and niacin; they are rich sources of fibre, complex carbohydrates and protein; and they also have a low glycemic index which means they do not cause a fast rise in blood sugar after eating. Some studies also show that eating pulses is a good way to manage blood sugar levels, something which is particularly important for people with diabetes. However, people do not like to consume pulses, and as many parents can testify, the battle is greater with children. This is why FAO has researched some tips to help parents with this task. Pulses are versatile ingredients, they can be used as a main meal; lentils with sausages that Seychellois love or a side dish next to a nice and spicy grilled fish. But trying to convince a toddler to eat lentils or other types of pulses is sometimes quite the arduous task. Here are a few tips to help you ease your children into the habit. Start with the familiar Almost everyone likes a good burger, and nowadays there are all sorts of burger patties from pork to fish to chicken. You they helped to create. Take your kids with you to the shop when you go shopping for the pulses and let them choose the pulses they want to eat. When you’re making the veggie patties for example, let the kids help you mix and shape the patties. It is important to incorporate pulses in our diet. can also make them out of vegetables! To encourage children to eat pulses you could try making burger patties out of lentils or beans or a mixture of the two. Just substitute the meat for the pulses. Think of how many people like “gato piman”, and it is made out of lentils. Eliminate mushiness Sometimes children are put off by texture of foods, they don’t like their beans to be too mushy for example. Get rid of this feeling of mushiness by using dried beans instead of canned ones, the texture is more pleasant. Just make sure to soak the dried beans overnight before cooking. Involve the kids in the preparations Getting children involved in the cooking process can make them excited about trying the dishes Make the dish look pretty Beans, peas and lentils are easy to arrange on a plate to create different designs. Shape your beans into happy faces or your lentils into shooting stars, or let the children design their own plate of pulses. Mix into your favourite soups and sauces Cooked lentils, beans and peas can easily be pureed and stirred into soups, stews and even sauces. They not only add depth and flavour, but also help thicken your soups and stews to make them heartier and richer in nutrients. Save room for dessert Yes, you can use pulses in desserts! Although it is not customary in Seychelles cuisine you can easily add beans for example into your own desserts. Cooked black beans can replace eggs in many chocolate cake and brownie recipes, or lentils in carrot cakesand the kids will never know the difference! If you would like to incorporate pulses in your cooking in a variety of ways from now on try visiting www.pulse.ab.ca for some delicious recipes. needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.” That should be enough to send you running to the cinema. If you are looking for an action packed evening don’t forget to book your seat at Deepam Cinema, Pension Complex on Praslin, very early as the tickets for this much awaited movie might be very quickly sold out. Man Vs God p12 Friday 8 April, 2016 Lifeline ‘Harry Potter’ chair sold for almost $400,000 at auction Celebrity Profile Jodie Foster (1962–) Jodie Foster is an award-winning American actress best known for her roles in the films Taxi Driver, The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs. Source: Biography.com A chair that author JK Rowling sat on while writing the first two Harry Potter books has sold at a New York auction for nearly $400,000 (£283,000). The 1930s piece was one of four mismatched chairs that the British author picked up for free in Edinburgh, Scotland, before she rose to fame. Ms Rowling originally auctioned the chair to benefit her charity in 2002. She hand-painted the chair, which auctioneer James Gannon said made the piece so valuable. It features the phrases: “O, you may not find me pretty but don’t judge on what you see” and “I wrote Harry Pottery while sitting on this chair”. Janet Jackson delays tour again to ‘plan family’ Pop star Janet Jackson has announced she is planning to become a mother, and postponed all upcoming tour dates. The announcement comes a month after she scrapped concerts in the UK and Europe, and affects 55 further concerts in the US and Canada this summer. Speaking in a Twitter video, the 49-year-old told her fans: “My husband and I are planning our family - so I’m going to have to delay the tour. “Please, if you can, try and understand that it’s important that I do this now. “I have to rest up [on] doctor’s orders. I will continue the tour as soon as I possibly can.” Early Career and Education Jodie Foster was born Alicia Christian Foster (she was later nicknamed “Jodie”) in Los Angeles, California, on November 19, 1962. The daughter of Evelyn “Brandy” Ella and Lucius Fisher Foster III, Foster is the youngest of four children. The future Academy Award winner began her acting career at the tender age of 3, with a role as the Coppertone Girl in a television commercial for the iconic brand of suntan lotion. A precocious and bright child from the start, Foster began talking at nine months and had taught herself to read by the time she was 3 years old. Despite never having taken an acting class, she dove headlong into show business in 1968 with her first television show, Mayberry R.F.D. From there, she would continue on to a busy career as a child actress, with Brandy Foster always by her side, playing the dual role of manager and mother. “My mom managed me when I was young,” Foster later recalled. “I still treasure her impact. She was very strong, self-educated, but wasn’t pushy. She’d stay in the trailer and read magazines while I worked.” Foster’s first foray onto the big screen came with roles in the Disney movies Napoleon and Samantha (1972) and One Little Indian (1973). All the while, Foster was studying at the private prep school Lycée Français de Los Angeles, juggling a chal- lenging course load and becoming fluent in French. Foster’s unforgettable and controversial breakout film role came when she was only 12 years old. Taxi Driver (1976), an iconic and dark Martin Scorsese picture set in the gritty underbelly of 1970s-era New York, saw Foster playing a child prostitute who becomes the obsession of the title character, played by Robert De Niro. Taxi Driver garnered Foster an Oscar nomination, establishing her as a teenage star and leading to roles in popular films like Freaky Friday (1976) and Foxes (1980), further cementing her place as Hollywood’s next darling. But Foster was uncomfortable with her growing fame. In search of anonymity and an ordinary collegiate experience, she enrolled in Yale University after graduating high school. The famous Ivy League rigor didn’t seem to intimidate the young actress, as she immediately enrolled in upper level French courses. “I chose Yale basically for writing and literature,” she says. “Of course, you can’t be sure—you get your first D and could decide to be a chemistry major.” In 1981, a disturbed man named John Hinckley Jr. shattered the young actress’s dream of a quiet college life when he attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan, saying he did it in order to impress her. While she attended college, Hinckley became obsessed with TODAY in History April 8th is the 98th day of the year 563 B.C.: Buddhists celebrate birth of Gautama Buddha 2013: Margaret Thatcher dies Acclaimed Actress and Director After graduating from Yale, Foster made the transition from child star to mature actress, appearing in a series of mostly unremarkable pictures through the mid-1980s. Her next widely acclaimed role came in another intense and gritty picture, when she played rape survivor Sarah Tobias in The Accused (1988). For this performance she won both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress, establishing her as one of Hollywood’s most esteemed serious actresses. Foster made a strong impression again in 1991 with her performance as FBI agent Clarice Starling in blockbuster hit The Silence of the Lambs (1991), in which Foster’s character goes head to head with the unforgettable psychopath Hannibal Later Career Foster has been very selective about her projects in recent years. She reunited with her Maverick colleague Mel Gibson in the offbeat drama The Beaver (2011). For the film, Foster served as its director and as Gibson’s co-star. She also worked with Roman Polanski on his dramatic comedy Carnage (2011) around this time. Foster and John C. Reilly play a New York City couple who become involved in a dispute with another couple (Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz) in the film. In recent years, Foster has continued to pursue filmmaking. She stars opposite Matt Damon in the sci-fi film Elysium (2013). Around the same time, she began working on a new directing project: Money Monster (2013), a film about a television star who becomes a Wall Street guru through insider tips. Cecil B. DeMille Award In January 2013, Foster received the Cecil B. DeMille Award, an honorary Golden Globe Award that is annually awarded to a performer for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment” by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The famously private actress and director took time in her acceptance speech to thank her former partner, Cydney Bernard. She described Bernard as “one of the deepest loves of my life ... my heroic co-parent, my ex-partner in love but righteous soul sister in life, my confessor, ski buddy, consigliere, most beloved BFF of 20 years.” The speech marked the first time that Foster had publicly talked about being a lesbian. She also acknowledged that she and Bernard had been raising two sons together. “I am so proud of our modern family,” she said in her speech. “Our amazing sons, Charlie and Kit, who are my reason to breathe and to evolve, my blood and soul.” Personal Life In April 2014, Foster married her girlfriend Alexandra Hedison, an American photographer and actress, in a private weekend ceremony. The couple began dating in October 2013. Hedison previously dated Ellen DeGeneres for three years before splitting in 2004. Music Merle Haggard, an American country music legend, dead at 79 American country music legend Merle Haggard has died of pneumonia on his 79th birthday, his manager confirmed. Source: BBC.com e is credited with helping to define the “Bakersfield sound”, country music with a distinctive twang and lack of sophisticated production. Haggard wrote songs, sang and played fiddle and guitar, usually singing about American pride and outlaws. He was a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame with dozens of albums and top hits. The singer, who battled lung cancer in 2008, had recently cancelled April tour dates due to illness and said he hoped to be back on the road in May. Rolling Stone magazine has described him as “the backbone of one of the greatest repertoires of an all American music, plain-spoken songs populated by the kinds of working people Haggard grew up with: farmers, hobos, convicts, widows, musicians and drunks”. His top hits include Mama Tried, The Fugitive, If We Make It Through December and Okie from Muskogee. He was born in California in 1937, living in a converted boxcar with his family and quitting school at a young age to hop freight trains across the south western part of the US. He spent three years in prison for breaking into a cafe while drunk, Rolling Stone notes. Then-governor of California, H Beyonce sues over ‘Feyonce’ label Singer Beyonce is suing a US company to stop it from selling merchandise branded “Feyonce”. Texas firm Feyonce Inc sells clothing, and other items such as mugs with the label, on its website. The pop star claims the label is too near to her own trademarked name and confuses customers and fans and damages her reputation. The singer also claims in court papers filed in Manhattan that the company has ignored her requests to stop. Beyonce’s complaint accuses the San Antonio company, and three individuals, of “brazenly” selling the Feyonce-labelled merchandise. Legal papers accuse the firm of “trademark infringement, unfair competition, trademark dilution, among a score of other statutory and common law violations”. Foster, writing her love letters and calling her on the phone. She eventually testified during Hinckley’s trial and admitted to being badly shaken by the experience. Nevertheless, Foster returned to work shortly after the incident, starring in Svengali alongside Peter O’Toole, finding in acting a release from the intense and unwanted scrutiny Hinckley’s actions had drawn her way. Lechter, played by Anthony Hopkins. For this role, Foster collected her second Academy Award and Golden Globe. Firmly established as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars and enjoying the professional and financial freedom to follow a different path, Foster turned to directing. When asked about the differences between acting and directing, she said, “Well, you have control, but you also have 175 people involved. Acting, for me, is exhausting. I’m always so energized by directing. It’s more intense to direct. I can pop in and express myself, then pop out again. It’s a huge passion for me.” Her featurefilm directorial debut, Little Man Tate (1991), won widespread plaudits from critics. Between her occasional directorial projects, Foster continued to act in hit movies such as Maverick (1994), Contact (1997) and the box office smash Panic Room (2002). Foster’s choice of scripts spans from blockbuster to indie and foreign. In The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002), she played a nun, Sister Assumpta, while also producing the film. After taking a small part in a French film, The Very Long Engagement (2004), Foster returned to big-budget Hollywood fare with Flightplan in 2005. On this day, Buddhists celebrate the commemoration of the birth of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, thought to have lived in India from 563 B.C. to 483 B.C. Actually, the Buddhist tradition that celebrates his birthday on April 8 originally placed his birth in the 11th century B.C., and it was not until the modern era that scholars determined that he was more likely born in the sixth century B.C., and possibly in May rather than April. For the rest of his life, the Buddha taught and gathered disciples to his sangha, or community of monks. He died at age 80, telling his monks to continue working for their spiritual liberation by following his teachings. Buddhism eventually spread from India to Central and Southeast Asia, China, Korea, Japan, and, in the 20th century, to the West. Today, there are an estimated 350 million people in 100 nations who adhere to Buddhist beliefs and practices. On this day in 2013, Margaret Thatcher, the first--and so far only--female prime minister of the United Kingdom, dies in London at age 87 from a stroke. Serving from 1979 to 1990, Thatcher was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century. She curbed the power of Britain’s labor unions, privatized state-owned industries, led her nation to victory in the Falklands War and as a close ally of U.S. President Ronald Reagan played a pivotal role in ending the Cold War. A polarizing figure, Thatcher, nicknamed the Iron Lady, was credited by her admirers with championing free-market, conservative policies that revitalized the British economy, while critics charged these initiatives hurt the nation’s lower classes. After Thatcher died in April 2013, more than 2,000 guests from around the world attended her funeral at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, which in 1965 was the site of Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s funeral. The country music star was battling pneumonia. Ronald Reagan, expunged his criminal record in 1972. Haggard’s former publicist Jim Della Croce told the BBC that the singer was as influential as the Beatles in country music. “He was the bottom line in country music and the gold standard to which every country artist measured himself,” he said. “He was a nice guy with a great sense of humour. He was a very literate man.” Musicians gave their tributes to Haggard on Twitter shortly following the news of his death. Country musician Luke Bryan tweeted that “a true hero was lost”. “Literally just fell to the floor. Can’t believe we lost the hag. RIP Merle Haggard,” tweeted country musician Dierks Bentley. Friday 8 April, 2016 p13 Lanatir Senk plant andemik Sesel En plant i andemik ler i ganny trouve dan en sel lokasyon, tel ki en zil, en pei ou en lot landrwa defini. Sesel i annan apepre 850 lespes plant ki fleri, ladan 250 i endizenn e sa i enkli 75 ki andemik. Tou lezot plant Sesel in ganny entrodwir e laplipar zot i anvaisan e zot met bokou lespes andemik an danze. Annou dekouver en pti pe plis lo senk plant andemik Sesel. N. Baker Fri Bwa mediz. Bwa rouz Son non laten i Dillenia ferruginea. I en plant ki ase popiler, e ou kapab trouv li dan bann lafore ki lo bann montanny ki ase o, selman lo bann zil Mae, Pralen, Sil- wet e Kiryez. Sa pye dibwa i kapab ariv ziska 20met oter. Erezman, son legzistans lo plizyer zil i ede pou anpes li vin tro rar, alors pour le moman I pa ganny rekonnet koman en lespes ki an danze Fler bilenbi maron. Bwa rouz. Ray of hope-Ibrid Balzamin sovaz. disparisyon. Bilenbi maron Son non laten i Colea seychellarum. I en pti pye dibwa ki ariv apepre 8-10 met oter, son fler i sorti direkteman lo son tron e son bann fri i annan laform sosis e zot ase epe. I annan trwa landrwa kot ou kapab vwar sa plant lo Mae, Pralen e Silwet. Menas prensipal pour sa plant se lenvazyon bann plant ki sorti aletranze e ki andomaz son labita. An plis, lobzervasyon i montre ki son bann plant adilt pe kontinyelman diminyen alors sa plant I osi lo lalis plant an danze disparisyon. Kapisen Son non Laten i Northea hornei . Kapisen i en plant ki ase komen e ki kapab ganny trouve anler lo some bann montanny lo zil Mae, Pralen, Silwet, Kiryez e Felisite. Sa pye dibwa i kapab ariv ziska 20met oter. I osi prezan dan Park Nasyonal Morn Seselwa e i annan proze rebwazman ki pe ganny antreprann avek sa plant. Son pli gran menas se bann plant kin ganny entrodwir e ki pe kontinyelman propaze. Bwa mediz/jellyfish tree Son non syan tif ik i Me dusag yn e oppositif ol ia . I e n n ban n pye dibwa pl i ra r dan l e mon n . T i an n a n l af re ye r ki i tin f in i dispa re t, ziska dan ban n l an n e n 1 9 7 0 kot de tr wa pye ti gan ny de kouv e r, se pa n dan , sa l e spe s i touza n a n v wa disparisyon . Sa pl a n t I ka pa b ariv ziska 1 0me t ote r e son f e ya z i e pe . Son l e kors i koul e r gri f on se e i an a n bokou pti f an n l o l a. I f l e ri ban n pti f l e r bl a n e i ase dif isil pou v wa r zot pa rmi son f e yaz. Z is te man se son ba n n f l e r ki’n f e r l i gan ny sa n on Bwa me diz akoz zot re san bl e “ Me dusa ” ki dan mitol ozi Gre k; i ti e n ma dan m ki ti an n a n se rpan l o son l ate t ol ye se v e . Belzamin Sovaz Son non syantifik i Impatiens gordonii e i en plant tre rar. I pous ater dan bann lafore imid. Sa plant i parmi bann ki an pli gran danze disparisyon Sesel. Popilasyon sa plant ki Mae pe ganny proteze dan park Nasyonal Morn Seselwa e lo Silwet par Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles. Son pli gran menas se lapopilasyon zonm ki kontinyen ogmante e detri li par aksidan. Pour sey ogmant son popilasyon en versyon ibrid sa plant ti ganny kree e vann ek dimoun ki ti oule pour plant kot zot lakour; i apel “Ray of hope”. Fri pye kapisen. Friday 8 April, 2016 For long term rent two bedroom apartment at Le Niol (new) with parking, furnished. Serious persons call on 2753234 for viewing. 2 Warehouse Bays Available For Rent Each 8.5 metres x 5 metres Situated at Mont Fleurit (next to Printec Press). Contact 4 676 000 For Viewing The Islander Guest House on Praslin is looking for a gardener preferably a male. Interested candidate should provide a reference. Please contact 4233224 to fix for an interview. 15 Hp Mercury Boat motor. Tel: 2521533 Final Notice of Dissolution for Anzio Enterprises Limited: IBC No. 122259 150 Sqm high volume warehouse at zone 20 providence in secure area available for immediate rental. Call 2711100 for more information and viewing. Pursuant to Articles 92(6) of the IBC Act we hereby confirm that effective the 5th day of April, 2016 the winding-up and dissolution process of Anzio Enterprises Limited, a Seychelles International Business Company No. 122259, of F20, 1st Floor, Eden Plaza, Eden Island, Seychelles is completed having met all criteria set forth under the Seychelles International Business Companies Act 1994, as amended. Dated this 7th day of April, 2016 Wanted female singer to sing in a band in any hotels. Anybody interested. Must be reliable. Please contact the following number 2580442 Low Wee Meng, Lea 1 Raffles Place #39-01 One Raffles Place Singapore 048616 Liquidator Chevrolet utility pick up. Very good investment for small business. Year 2014. Sport version 1800cc. Full option. A/C. Alloy rims. Built in CD Player. Serious buyers only call 2594175 Kia Rio, red in colour, in very good condition. Mileage 38000km. Manual transmission. Insured at 300k. Asking price is 245K. Tel: 2511886 21 Jan – 19 Feb Life should come easy to you now but for some reason you seem intent on finding ways to make it hard. Don’t tie yourself in knots when you don’t have to. The new moon urges you to go with the flow – and with a smile on your face. 23 July – 22 Aug Try not to let a minor difference of opinion come between you and someone you love. It may seem to you, or to them, that there is no room for compromise but there is always room for compromise, especially when the moon is new. 20 Feb – 20 March Go out of your way to be nice to people today, even the ones who don’t deserve it. By changing your attitude toward them, even if it is only an act, you will help them change too and, who knows, you might one day be genuine friends. 23 Aug – 23 Sept Little things do sometimes go wrong in life, so don’t lose heart and don’t start thinking that they will never go right again. Bad times are never so bad that they cannot be improved. And good times are always around the next corner. 21 March – 20 April Do something out of the ordinary today, something that marks you as a true individual, not just another clone. The last thing you want is to be thought of as the same as everyone else, so go out of your way to show that you are special. 24 Sept – 23 Oct Cultivate an air of secrecy about what you are doing. It will intrigue those you live and work with and make it less likely that they will place obstacles in your path. It’s good to be open and honest but sometimes you need to keep something back. 21 April – 21 May You don’t have to do as other people say or live the way they want you to live. Today’s new moon will help you break free of the bonds that others impose on you, as well as the bonds you impose on yourself. 24 Oct – 22 Nov Fate, in its wisdom, has decided that you need to work more in an area that does not come easy to you. Don’t try to evade what you are being asked to do. Far from being a bad thing it will open up new opportunities for you. 22 May – 21 June If you want to get things done over the next 24 hours you will need to be crafty – your middle name! You don’t have to lie to those you live and work with, but you do have to keep your true motives hidden. Your future could depend on it. 23 Nov – 21 Dec You need to be firm with someone who has been telling you one thing but doing another. Make sure they know that, up until now, you have been forgiving, but that as from today you will come down on them hard if they step out of line. 2. What was the last item shown on British TV before WW2? 22 June – 22 July Speak and act from the heart. Don’t keep your feelings to yourself. It may not come naturally to you to open up but you can do it if you try and you must try if you are to win round the one who means the most to you. 22 Dec – 20 Jan Be wary of people who arrive bearing gifts for no good reason. It could be they genuinely want to be nice but it could also be they are up to something. You may not want to be suspicious but you don’t want to lose out either, do you? 8. In which country could you spend a Kwanza? Down 1. Box 2. A Maori weapon 3. Highly excited 4. Tart spiciness 5. Contemptuous smiles 6. Due 7. Accomplished 8. God of love (Greek mythology) 9. Detector 10. Massed attacks 11. Alewife fish 12. Tantalize 13. A brief indulgence 21. Slow to learn 25. City in Nevada 26. Type of cheese 27. Festivity 28. Leave out 29. Inexact 30. Stratum 31. Utilizer 34. Backside 36. Cores 37. A river in central Europe 38. Dried hemp leaves 40. The front part of the lower leg 45. They come from chickens 48. Having a woven pattern 50. Secret or insurance, for example 51. A barren region of limestone 52. City in Nebraska 53. Hearsay 54. A red fluorescent dye 57. Slender woodwind instrument 58. Scarce 59. He built an ark 60. A river in Spain 61. Wet feed for pigs 62. Collections Yesterday’s solution Across 1. Arguments 6. Lyric poems 10. A cereal grass 14. Heathen 15. Was attired in 16. Flutter 17. Make amends 18. Knowing a secret (2 words) 19. One more than three 20. Toughness 22. Anglo-Saxon slave 23. Carpet 24. Elaborate 26. Self-centeredness 30. Entices 32. Darn! 33. Sheep sounds 35. 9 9 9 9 39. Also known as 41. Used to make whiskey 42. The female germ cell of a plant 43. An exact duplicate 44. Withered 46. Wanes 47. A beverage made from pressed apples 49. Vapors 51. Monetary unit of Slovakia 54. Comes from a chicken 55. A river between China and Russia 56. Sadness 63. Avatar of Vishnu 64. Loose sleeveless cloaks 65. Having high moral qualities 66. Fired a projectile 67. Spore-producing structures 68. Fortune telling card 69. Vetch 70. Avid 71. Stores 1. What is produced in a ginnery? Published by TODAY Publishers (Seychelles) Limited, P.O. Box 999, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles Printed by “The Print House (Pty) Ltd.”, Providence Industrial Estate, Mahé, Seychelles. Tel: +248 4290 999/950/951 Fax: +248 4325999 [email protected] 3. Who is the most filmed comic strip character? 4. Which country invented the bedsprings? 5. Atephobia is a fear of what? 6. Who was the first person elected to US swimming hall fame? Grand Anse, Praslin Tel: +248 4237 441 Fax: +248 4237 442 7. What’s the difference between fog and mist? Editor - Russel Vidot [email protected] 9. What did Spanish scientists fit to cows to increase milk yield? 10. Name the first Grand Prix driver to use a safety belt in 1967? How To Play The objective is to fill the blank squares with the correct numbers •Every row of 9 must include all digits 1 to 9 in any order •Every column of 9 must include all digits 1 to 9 in any order •Every 3 x 3 sub-grid must include all digits 1 to 9 in any order Fill the other empty cells with numbers between 1 and 9 A number should appear only once on each row, column and 3 x 3 region General Manager - Veronica Maria [email protected] ISSN: 1659-7265 Quick Quiz 1. Cotton 2. Mickey Mouse 3. Zorro 4. Greeks 5. Imperfection 6. Johnny Weismuller 7. Seeing distance of under 1 000 yards 8. Angola 9. False teeth 10. Jackie Stuart Friday 8 April, 2016 p15