thursday_2_april_2015 - We Love Seychelles – Sesel Sa

www.today.sc
Thursday 2 April 2015
Newsline
n News
n Sports
n Business
n
Electricity tariff:
Feel good factor follow
announcement
n Tennis: Exciting
matches for junior tour
(page 2)
n Life
SR 10/-
(page 4)
Aviation
A dangerously close call
25 seconds: it was that close.
One aircraft was on its way to Seychelles
while the other was headed for Dubai.
They missed colliding into each other by a
mere 25 seconds on Sunday night. Even if
the exact series of events is not yet completely clear, what is known is that the two
aircraft were saved from collision by the
Mumbai Air Traffic Control.
A. De Giorgio
O
n Sunday night, Emirates flight EK-706 left Seychelles for Dubai, with passengers of different
nationalities, including Seychellois, on board. At
about the same time, Etihad flight EY-622 was leaving
Abu Dhabi for Seychelles. Somewhere on their respective routes, those two aircraft nearly collided. According
to the Mumbai Mirror, the aircraft were as close as 25
seconds away from actually crashing into each other.
Continued on page 2
Society
Policewoman
stabs boyfriend
A
Woman Police Constable (WPC) reportedly stabbed her partner on Tuesday night
while he was sleeping, reliable sources
have told this newspaper. The WPC who is in
her late twenties, has two children with the man.
He was taken to hospital while she was arrested.
The police have not confirmed the incident but
sources say the man has indicated he won’t press
charges against the mother of his children. She is
expected to be released from custody soon.
13.10
13.95
13.20
13.85
14.10
14.85
14.15
14.90
19.60
20.65
19.50
20.55
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Thursday 2 April 2015
Seychelles hospital
Dubai based firm takes over
management of renal department
T
A dangerously close call
Continued from page 1
The Times of India and the Mumbai Mirror have reported that the
near miss incident occurred late last
Sunday night, when Mumbai Air
Traffic Control (MATC) noticed that
two commercial aircraft flying over
Indian airspace were perilously close
to each other. They instantly alerted
both sets of pilots by sending instructions through the Resolution Advisory
(RA) from the onboard Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). The
instructions were clear: one aircraft
had to climb while the other had to descend straight away.
A Resolution Advisory (RA), the
Times of India says, is an alert that
goes off in the cockpit if two airplanes
are within 30 seconds of each other. It
also tells the pilot if the object is above
or below him. Besides the alert, the RA
also instructs the flight crew to quickly
climb, descend or level out in order to
avoid any threatening situation. The
pilot has only a few seconds to comply
and implement such emergency manoeuvres.
But how could no one have noticed
before the last-minute alert that the
two airplanes were flying too close
for comfort? While aviation expert
sources quoted in the Indian press
have attributed this close shave to the
fact that the two aircraft had to reroute
through Indian airspace as Yemeni
skies are currently closed due to the
ongoing civil war in the region, a preliminary probe into the midair scare
has brought the role of two Mumbai
air traffic controllers under the scan-
ner because they failed to detect the
aircraft proximity.
The Mumbai mirror yesterday said
that the two persons monitoring the
Mumbai oceanic airspace had changed
shifts 15 minutes before the incident.
But there are also suggestions
that one of the two Gulf carriers had
breached the mandatory separation
levels. There is no confirmation of this
allegation as at now.
Emirates and Ethihad both confirmed the incident, saying they have
each filed an Air Safety Report which
will be forwarded to the Mumbai Air
Traffic Control.
Speaking to TODAY, an Etihad Airways spokesperson strongly rejected
claims that the safety of flight EY-622
from Abu Dhabi to Seychelles, was
compromised.
“The traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), which is fitted on all aircraft, ensured that safe vertical separation of both aircraft was maintained at
all times. Etihad Airways has provided
its safety reports to the GCAA and is
assisting with its investigation as well
as conducting its own investigation
into the incident,” an Etihad Airways
spokesperson told TODAY.
While there have been no reports of
how the passengers in both aircraft were
affected by the incident, it’s possible that
the manoeuvres undertaken by the two
aircraft were felt onboard. It’s not yet
known whether they were told of the
near miss. Any person who was onboard
either one of the flights and who would
like to share their experience can email
us at [email protected]
The ministry of Health has signed a five year agreement with AMSA, the Dubai-based firm.
here are 125 Seychellois
currently on dialysis and
this figure is set to increase
by 20% every year. The Haemodialysis Unit of the Health Care
Agency (HCA) is currently offering renal replacement therapy to
108 patients both at Seychelles
and Baie Ste Anne hospitals. The
number of people with acute kidney disease has almost doubled
from 24 in 2013 to 56 in 2014.
This worrying trend has led
the ministry of Health to look for
ways of bringing more effective renal care to Seychellois. The HCA
operating under the aegis of the
ministry of Health has thus signed
a five-year agreement with a leading renal care firm, the AMSA
Renal Care, based in Dubai, UAE.
This organisation has taken over
the management of the renal care
facilities in the country since yesterday.
This came about, the ministry
of Health explained, when a dedicated team of the HCA under the
guidance of its CEO, Dr Suresh
Menon, started studying possible
solutions to the renal problems
the country is facing. Dr Menon
scrutinized the health care in sev-
The AMSA renal care boasts of a zero mortality rate.
eral countries and held lengthy
and meticulous discussions with
the different agencies before deciding on one of the world’s renal
care providers, AMSA Renal Care
for a five year period.
The firm that boasts of a “zero”
mortality rate since its inception
and is expected to bring big changes in renal care in Seychelles.
This measure, the ministry of
Health has announced, is part
of the intensification of its fight
against renal diseases such as
chronic kidney disease (CKD) and
acute kidney injuries, (AKI) in the
country.
Health experts at the ministry
of Health have expressed their
worry about the increase in the
number of people suffering from
renal problems. The country is
prone to many long term diseases
such as diabetes, hypertension,
obstructed urine flow, pyelonephritis and long term drug abuse
of heroin and cocaine that can
cause CDK.
The five year agreement will see
AMSA invest USD10 million dur-
ing the five year period, provide
professional guidance to improve
the current renal services to world
class level with best practices, protocols and policies, ensure quality
by using NKF and ERA/EDTA
accreditation as well as bring in
world class Nephrologists/Internal Medicine specialists and General Practitioners. They will also
conduct professional trainings for
staff and doctors and introduce a
holiday dialysis programme offering access to 50,000 dialysis patients across the world. Currently,
the government spends USD 3.5
million annually on each dialysis
patient.
TODAY has not been able to
confirm whether the operational
costs will reduce with AMSA since
all health officials this newspaper
contacted were unavailable for
comment.
The HCA however organised
a renal care public talk and open
question session yesterday at the
ICCS. Babu Sherad, Consultant
Internist, Nephrologist and Medical Director of AMSA Renal Care
and Loren Reginald, Director for
Medical Services Seychelles spoke
at the session.
Electricity tariff
Feel good factor follow announcement
T
he business community
has reacted positively to
the announcement of the
reduction in the price of electricity. Likewise, members of the
public TODAY spoke to, have
welcomed the measure.
“I do not want to look a gift
horse in the mouth, but hey that’s
a big drop. But now, I wonder
why. Whatever the reason for this
huge drop however, it will really
help us a lot. Like many families,
ours has a big electricity bill at
the end of the month and to see
it go down by half- wow! That’s
something!” Trevor C, a father of
three said.
Mrs. D. Bonne also expressed
her relief at the announcement.
“Sometimes my bill goes up to
SCR700 and when one is on minimum wage, that is heavy. Now I
will breathe a bit easier come the
end of the month,” she said.
The Seychelles Chamber of
The price of electricity down by half since yesterday.
The PUC has confirmed that the drop will also apply to
businesses.
Commerce (SCCI) has equally households and were told that
welcomed the news and ex- they do indeed apply.
pressed its wish that consumers
“This time, it is a significant debenefit from it. The chamber’s crease and it will bring real savsecretariat has explained that af- ings to our businesses especially
ter the news broke on Tuesday, it the production sector. It will alclarified with the Public Utilities low them to be better able to imCorporation (PUC) as to wheth- plement their plans for developer the new tariffs are applicable ment,” SCCI’s Marco Francis said.
to the business sector as well as
“Once the new tariffs start
having an impact on production
costs, it is the hope of the chamber to see that just as PUC has
passed on the benefit of the decrease in the price of diesel onto
the consumers, in the same way
our businesses will also lower the
price they charge for their services and products,” he added.
One craftsman who spoke to
TODAY said he uses quite a lot
of electricity in his woodwork
and added that he was pleasantly
surprised when he heard the announcement.
“I had started to worry because
my production costs kept going
up and up but at the same time, I
did not want to increase the price
of my products for fear they don’t
sell. It was a dilemma but now I
can see some light at the end of
the tunnel because you see, every
little savings on production costs
will have a positive impact. Yes, I
am happy!” he said.
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Thursday 2 April 2015
World Autism Awareness Day
Lighting up hope
As the world – or rather those who spare a thought for autistic people – “light it up blue” today to create awareness about autism and how it affects people, TODAY met a very special woman whose son, five year-old Kyan, suffers from autism.
I
n this touching first-person
account, Kyan’s mother, Helena Sims, shares her joys and
sorrows and tells a story of hope:
people suffering from autism can
live like any “normal” person,
given the appropriate treatment.
“Kyan is my first and only child.
He was a very active and happy
baby who was always ahead of all his
milestones and had started talking
at the right age. I first noticed that
something was wrong a few weeks
after his last MMR vaccine shot
when he was around 16-18 months
old. What I discovered was that he
went quiet and into his own little
world. Also he became very selective
with food and his attention span
was slowly decreasing. The number of words he used to speak also
slowly decreased although he would
repeat the words from his favourite
movies.
Although I had noticed these
changes my relatives and friends
dismissed it to be a phase. However,
I was not convinced and kept an
open mind and started to research
on the internet. Every month, Kyan
started having bad ear infections
which was directing me to the condition. I became worried about ‘glue
ear’ which is a common problem
where a child’s middle ear becomes
filled with fluid and hence he cannot
hear properly. This defect leads to
speech delays. During one vacation
to Italy, I decided to get him a complete ear test and everything turned
Helena Sims and her son Kyan.
out to be fine.
When Kyan reached the age of
two and half, I took him to the early
childhood development centre for
a development and he was referred
to Dr. Erna Athanasius. Although a
proper diagnosis had not been carried out, she suggested that Kyan
could possibly have the Autism
Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Kyan was referred for speech
and occupational therapy sessions.
However, these were not consistent
and nowhere near frequent enough
to make a significant difference. I
took it upon myself to research and
tried to do the activities myself with
Kyan at home. The centre also car-
ried out an ADOS test on Kyan but
the results were inconclusive.
Kyan had started school at the
International school at the age of
three. I had very good and open
communication with his teacher
there and we managed to come up
with a routine that could also be
replicated at home.
Kyan was assigned a one-to-one
at the school and he started to improve. During the summer holidays,
I took it upon myself to take Kyan
to the UK for a thorough examination and diagnosis. I decided to select the best (though it was also the
most expensive) hospital and after
much research, I selected the Great
Ormond street hospital in London.
A series of tests were carried out,
from neurological to psychological,
he saw over six specialists and was
finally diagnosed.
When Kyan was diagnosed, I felt
a great sense of relief to be honest.
I know this may sound strange,
but we finally had our answers. No
more guessing games and worrying. We could now focus on a plan
to get him the help he needs to
improve. Children on the Autism
Spectrum just need to be taught in
a different way, but it can be done.
In 2013, all autism disorders
were merged under one umbrella
diagnosis of ASD. They are then rated on a scale of 1 to 30, 30 being the
highest. Kyan was rated at 24, but
if anyone meets Kyan, they would
think that his condition was mild.
Kyan will soon be celebrating his
sixth birthday and he can now make
sentences and communicate what
he wants by a mixture of sentences
and pointing gestures. In the past,
we used picture cards at school and
at home to get him to articulate. But
I never had a problem with understanding what he wants or how he
feels as I understood all his cues.
Kyan is presently in Year One and
has one to one contact time in class
and speech therapy in school, twice
a week. I am happy that Kyan is in
mainstream and we work hard to
keep him progressing. He has made
huge progress for the past one year
and now he is learning verbs in
speech therapy sessions, which is
amazing!
Joining the mainstream school
had made biggest difference in his
life, as I keep a well-organised routine. He has calmed down a lot and
this has allowed him to focus and
progress, both at school and home.
Kyan is a water baby as he loves being in water. He loves swimming
and takes classes thrice a week.
At times it can be very hard and
demanding but I am doing very
well now and no matter the obstacles, I carry on and I refuse to give
up.
Kyan is my pride and joy and I
cannot imagine my world without
Public Holidays
TODAY in Seychelles will not be published
on Good Friday 3 April and Saturday 4 April,
2015. The next edition of your daily newspaper
will be published on Monday 6 April, 2015.
him. The best gift I will ever have is
being his mom. He is my heart and
I am his voice. I am a happy and
very proud mother.
I am a member of the Pearl Seychelles Autism Association and one
of our main goals at the moment is
to raise funds to establish a special
needs centre in the Seychelles where
parents can bring their children for
therapy, socialising sessions and basically bridge that gap that currently
exists in the Seychelles”.
April fools’ Day
Bittersweet
116
S
ome believed in it, others
didn’t. Others yet thought
that the existence of the
new island discovered to the
east of Aldabra had hitherto
been concealed to the public as
part of a vast conspiracy involving foreign governments and copious reserves of hydrocarbons.
By now though, most of you will
have realised that yesterday’s
cover story was just a jest, in
the time honoured tradition of
April Fools’ Day. To those who
got their hopes up, we apologise; and to those who got the
joke, we offer a knowing smile
and a wink.
RESTRICTED GOODS UNDER CUSTOMS MANAGEMENT REGULATION 2014
Under the Customs Management Regulation (CMR), 2014 there are a
number of goods of which the import is restricted in Seychelles. Restricted goods are allowed to enter Seychelles only in certain circumstances or under certain conditions subject to approval of a competent
authority. Restricted goods can only be imported with a valid Import
Permit issued by the Ministry of Finance, Trade and Investment.
Customs is placing more and more emphasis on self compliance, this
puts the onus on importers or their agents to provide the correct information and adhere to importation requirements. Businesses and the
general public are reminded that restricted goods imported by Post,
Courier, passenger’s baggage and sea or air cargo are also subject to Customs control; a valid Import Permit must accompany the goods. Customs continues to encounter situations where goods enter the country
without a valid Import Permits. In such circumstances there are some
consequences as stipulated in the Customs Management Act, possible
outcomes are:
•
•
•
•
goods may be seized;
importer may be asked to re-export the unauthorized goods;
destruction of the goods at importers own expenses; and
Importer may be faced with a fine for landing unauthorized goods
Please note under heading fish and crustaceans, mollusks and other
aquatic invertebrates, there is an immediate ban on aquarium living
organism. Therefore, all aquariums living organism is now prohibited.
See the list below for some examples of restricted goods which required
Import Permit under the First Schedule of the Customs Management
Regulation 2014, for a complete list visit our website www.src.gov.sc
For more information
You can contact Seychelles Revenue Commission on 4293737 or email
us at [email protected] for more information about the restricted goods. The Customs Management Act and its regulations are available on the Seychelles Revenue Commission website (www.src.gov.sc).
Thursday 2 April 2015
p4
Tennis
Exciting matches
for junior tour
There were some gripping encounters during the fourth leg of the Vijay sponsored
junior tour at the Roche Caiman courts last weekend.
By RR
I
n the Under-10 category,
Travis Gedeon bounced
back to win a tough 3rd leg
as he defeated surprise finalist
Matteo Lavigne 4-2 and 4-3 to
win the gold medal whilst Miko
Sugar had to be content with the
bronze medal in this age group.
Denzel Laporte continued his
domination in the Under-12 category as he cruised past Aneesh
Ramani 4-0 and 4-1 in the final.
He again showed his potential
though he needs to take his
training more seriously according to Coach Frederic Canale.
Duncan Accouche claimed the
bronze medal in this group after
he beat Sreysht Venkatakrishnan in the third place match.
In the Under-18 category,
Damien Laporte ruled supreme after returning from
the African Junior competition in Morocco where he finished in 13th overall in his age
group for the singles.
Laporte met with his teammate for the African Junior
tournament Shaun Andriamaro
in the Vijay final and it was a
tight match. Laporte triumphed
4-2, 3-4 and 4-0 due to his intelligent play whilst Theo Barois
was third overall.
The final round in this Vijay
Junior tour will take place at the
Cerf Resort at the end of this
month.
Damien (left) won the Vijay Under 18 junior category (2).
Mosaic JellyfishGet
A mosaic jellyfish floats serenely in the waters of the Coral Sea, about 100 nautical miles from
Cairns, Australia. Jellyfish are ubiquitous in the Earth’s oceans. They can thrive in warm water and
cold, along coastlines or out in the deep. Their bodies are about 95 percent water. And though they
have no brains, jellyfish have somehow been smart enough to survive for over 500 million years.
Sponsored by
https://www.facebook.com/groups/seychellesfishing/
email: [email protected], Tel: +248 2603626
Thursday 2 April, 2015
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Thursday 2 April, 2015
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Thursday 2 April, 2015
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Finance
Making money... and burning it
The Central Bank of Seychelles published its 2014 annual report earlier this week. The document contains a wealth of information on the changing shape of money in Seychelles.
Below are some of its salient points.
Cheques still popular
This rather archaic form of payment is still being widely used in
Seychelles. Despite a slight decrease in the number of cheques
that were cleared in 2014, the
value of the transactions rose by
almost 10%, from SCR14.2 billion in 2013 to SCR15.6 billion
last year. “This implied that in
2014, cheques being presented
were of relatively higher value
than in 2013”, the report deduces.
The CBS also expressed concerns
about the fact that non-standard
cheques continued to be presented
for clearing last year.
ing problems and subsequent
reorganization by the CBS in December 2014, the BMI Offshore
Bank “was and remains financially
sound”, the report affirms. According to the Central Bank, the
BMIO’s struggles were “purely of
an operational nature”. Its clients
might be inclined to think otherwise. In other news, one new
banking licence was granted last
year – to Pakistan’s Bank Al Habib
Limited – bringing the total number of banks to nine.
Credit cards not so much
Following the introduction of the
country’s first credit card facility in
2012, to date only two commercial
banks provide this service to their
clients. Internet banking has been
similarly slow in getting off the
ground, with only three banks allowing their clients to make transactions on the internet.
Airtel Money a success
The mobile payment pilot project introduced by the telecoms
company last year was positively
received by both the CBS and the
Department of Information and
Communications
Technology
(DICT). Following the enactment
of the National Payment Systems
Act in August of last year, “it is
expected that Airtel will be applying for a licence to conduct mobile
payment services in 2015”.
BMIO “financially sound”
Despite its correspondent bank-
Bye-bye bad banknotes
Over SCR70.9 million worth of
Gross Foreign Reserves peaked
in June 2014 at USD483 million
before sustaining “some downward pressures” during the latter
half of the year. In similar news,
the country’s reserves generated
USD1.4 million of income, up
from USD0.8 million in 2013,
but significantly lower than the
USD3.5 million generated in 2011.
“As expected the risk re-calibration
restricted income in comparison
to earlier years”, the CBS noted.
Over half a million ten-rupee notes were destroyed last year.
“soiled and mutilated” notes were
destroyed last year. SCR10 notes
accounted for over a third of the
total destroyed bank notes (526
000), followed by SCR50 notes
(421 000). On the other hand,
SCR500 notes fared rather well,
with only 32 000 of them being
destined for the chop.
A fistful of dollars
In 2014, the overwhelming
majority of the country’s foreign
reserves were held in dollars
(77.15%), followed by the pound
sterling (16.4%) and the euro
(2.2%). This is somewhat different to the benchmark composition
of external reserves, which is 70%
dollars, 20% euros and 9% pound
sterling. The reason for this, the
report explains, is that “in 2014
CBS was prompted to tactically
deviate from this strategic currency composition benchmark in
reaction to extremely low interest
rates, which even went to negative
in Europe”.
Appeal of electronic payments
grows
Created in 2013, the Seychelles
Electronic Funds Transfer (SEFT)
system came into its own last year.
Indeed, 43 569 SEFT payments
worth over SCR3.7 billion were
effected in 2014. The growing appeal of the SEFT system also resulted in a 40% drop in the number of SWIFT payments made last
year.
Rise in ATM transactions
The country’s 47 ATM’s serviced
two million transactions in 2014,
up from 1.8 million in 2013. Even
more significantly, the value of
these transactions increased by
17% last year, from SCR1.9 billion in 2013 to SCR2.2 billion
in 2014. According to the CBS,
“this was viewed as a positive
outcome which is in line with
the strategy to modernise the
national payment system and
encourage the public to make
greater use of electronic means
of payment”.
Point of sales transactions up
by 30%
Payments by debit cards are
gaining in popularity. The number of point of sales (POS) transactions increased significantly
last year, from 1 million in 2013
to 1.3 million in 2014. Predictably, POS transactions peaked in
December when over 140 000
transactions were recorded. “This
can be attributed to the increase
in the number of debit cards during 2014 and also the rise in the
number of POS terminals available”, the report states. The latter
reached 2 057 in 2014, up from 1
890 the previous year.
Thursday 2 April, 2015
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Thursday 2 April, 2015
OUT & ABOUT - Your weekend guide
Deepam Cinema
This week’s feature is Furious 7: vengeance hits home
From the director James
Wan, comes the action-packed
thriller movie “Furious 7” starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker,
Dwayne Johnson, Michelle
Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster,
Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges,
Lucas Black and Jason Statham. It is the sequel to the
2013 film Fast & Furious 6
and the seventh instalment
in the Fast & Furious film series. Dominic Torretto (Vin
Diesel) and his crew thought
they left the criminal mercenary life behind. They defeated an international terrorist named Owen Shaw and
went their separate ways. But
now, Shaw’s brother, Deckard
Shaw (Jason Statham) is out
killing the crew one by one for
revenge. Worse, a Somalian
terrorist called Jakarde (Djimon Hounsou) and a shady
government official called Mr.
Nobody (Kurt Russell) are
both competing to steal a computer terrorism programme
called God’s Eye that can turn
any technological device into
a weapon. Torretto must reconvene with his team to stop
Shaw and retrieve the God’s
Eye programme while caught
in a power struggle between
terrorist and the United States
government. Catch it on the
big screen at Deepam Cinema
in Victoria on Saturday and
Deepam Pradiso on Praslin
throughout the whole weekend. Call them on 432 2585 to
book your seat early or you can
log on to their Facebook page
at www.facebook.com/DeepamCinema
Takamaka Bay events Open Daily Every day from 11am to 6pm
the Takamaka Bay/Banyan
Tree Rum Shack is open at Intendance Beach. On a lazy afternoon, you can drop by to try
out a Sega Sundance Sling or a
Paradise Pina Colada. La Plaine Saint Andre
The backdrop of La Plaine
Saint Andre is without doubt
one of the most romantic spots
in Seychelles. On Saturdays
from 7.30pm, join the boys
- Shamir, Brandon and Collin - and let them soothe you
into an evening of great food,
delicious cocktails with chilled
out live music in a setting that
is second to none. For reservations, contact 437 2010 or [email protected]
Restaurants
Bravo
With some of the best cocktails and the tallest burger on
the island, Bravo has all the
right ingredients to make your
dining experience even more
memorable. This includes the
dazzling ambiance of their
chilled and elegant marina environment and live entertainment throughout the weekend.
Contact them on 434 6020 for
further details or reservations
and book early to avoid any
disappointments.
Avani Barbarons Resort &
Spa
Come and celebrate Easter
with your family and friends
by the poolside whilst enjoying an international wine buffet of live cooking stations for
only SCR999 per person (VAT
and service charge included)
which includes live entertainment while the kids have extra
fun with festive activities and
an Easter egg hunt. For reservations and more information contact 4673000 or [email protected]
Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay
Resort & Casino
Those who are looking to indulge themselves this Easter
with a wide range of grilled
food this weekend need look
no further as the Silhouette
Lounge & Garden in the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort
& Spa is currently offering
a live barbeque station for
only SCR480 per person and
SCR240 per child from 12pm
till 2.30pm. The kids are sure
to have great fun with the
games and activities all lined-
up for Sunday. For more information contact 4287287 or
[email protected]
Kempinski Seychelles Resort
If you’re staying or heading
down to Baie Lazare this Sunday, let yourself be tempted to
try out any one of Kempinski’s
restaurants. The Windsong Restaurant is hosting an Easter BBQ
lunch from 12.30pm to 4.00pm
for SCR1,100 per person which
includes access to pool and recreation facilities. While the Indochine Restaurant will be offering a five course dinner menu
from 7.30pm to 10.30pm for
SCR1,200 per person. All prices
are inclusive of VAT and service
charges. For more information
contact 4386666 or fbadmin.
[email protected]
Nightlife
Katiolo Nightclub
Who is this year’s Sexy Easter Bunny? Well there is only
one way to find out. Make sure
to head down to Katiolo for
another awesome Saturday
special. Smash Kid will be performing some of his greatest
hits while Katiolo’s resident
DJs will be mixing some of
the hottest clubbing anthems.
Free entrance for the ladies
before 12am as well as one
free Easter chocolate for the
first 50 guests. Admissions
strictly 18+.
Gran Kaz
Experience a weekend of fun
at the Gran Kaz on Francis
Rachel Street. Happy Hour
at the Mercury bar kicks off
as from 4.30 to 6.00pm this
Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and features some great
discounts on selected drinks.
There will be live music from
7pm till 11pm. On Saturday,
Gran Kaz will be the scene
of a cocktail fiesta with quality entertainment provided
by resident DJ O-M-G. Make
sure to try out the establishment’s new tapas and cocktail
specials on offer every Friday
and Saturday. Sunday will
also once again feature the
Saturn Band while footie fans
can enjoy their favourite sport
on the big screen.
Thursday 2 April, 2015
p10
POPCORNER
What’s the Hype on...
FURIOUS 7: vengeance hits home
I
The crew reunite once again and this time its personal...
f you are the sort that appreciates
action-packed
thriller movies and have
especially been following all
the Fast & Furious film series,
then you certainly do not want
to miss the seventh and perhaps, last installment. “Furious 7” is the sequel to the 2013
film Fast & Furious 6 and is the
first film of the series to take
place after the 2006 Fast and
the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The
movie was directed by James
Wan and consisted of the usual
big Hollywood names with the
likes of Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle
Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster,
Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges,
Lucas Black and Jason Statham.
The film marks the final appearance of Paul Walker, who
died last November in a car
crash whilst the movie was only
half-completed. After Walker’s
death, filming was delayed for
script re-writes, and his brothers Caleb and Cody Walker
were used as stand-ins to complete his remaining scenes.
The Plot
After defeating Owen Shaw
and his crew, Dominic Toretto
(Vin Diesel), Brian O’Conner
(Paul Walker) and the rest of the
crew are able to return to the
United States and live normal
lives again as they had always
wanted. Dominic Torretto and
his crew thought they left the
criminal mercenary life behind
them once and for all. However,
Owen’s older brother, Deckard
Shaw (Jason Statham), is after Dom and his crew, seeking
revenge for his brother’s death
and putting the entire crew in
danger once again. After learning of Han’s death, the crew sets
out to find the man who killed
one of their own, before the
killer finds them first. Worse,
a Somalian terrorist called
Jakarde (Djimon Hounsou)
and a shady government official called Mr. Nobody (Kurt
Russell) are both competing
to steal a computer terrorism
programme called God’s Eye
that can turn any technological
device into a weapon. Torretto
must reconvene with his team
to stop Shaw and retrieve the
God’s Eye programme while
caught in a power struggle between terrorists and the United
States government.
Find out how the rest of the
story unfolds by catching it this
weekend on the 3D big screen
at Deepam Cinema in Victoria on Saturday and Deepam
Pradiso on Praslin throughout
the whole weekend. Please note
that there will be no shows on
Good Friday in Victoria but
four shows are scheduled for
Saturday. On Praslin, shows are
scheduled for both Friday and
Saturday. Call Deepam on 432
2585 to book your seat early or
you can log on to their Facebook page at www.facebook.
com/DeepamCinema
The character from Fast and the Furious’ Tokyo Drift, Sean Boswell, makes a come back.
(left) Deckard Shaw and Luke Hobbs are destined to clash in this epic movie.
Dominic Toretto and Brian O’Conner (left) have to come up with a plan how to stop Deckard Shaw and retrieve
the God’s Eye programme.
The movie will keep you at the edge of your seats with its state-of-the-art effects and action scenes.
p11
Thursday 2 April, 2015
World Autism Awareness Day
In a world of their own
Every year on this day, autism organisations around the world mark the Autism Awareness Day with fundraising and awareness campaigns. The International School Seychelles joined the campaign in line with this year’s theme – “light it up blue” by having
everyone dressed in blue in a special ceremony at the school premises on Tuesday.
N. Dennis
L
ight it up blue. The students
and staff of International
School Seychelles (ISS) lit it
up blue on Tuesday to pay tribute
to people suffering from autism.
Every student and staff member
wore blue ribbons of support and a
special Autism Awareness bracelet
sponsored by the Pearl Seychelles
Autism Association.
The day started off with a flash
mob performance by the primary
and secondary students while the
early childhood section had numerous activities such as painting, dressing up as blue fairies and
more.
The Pearl Seychelles Autism Association had set up a blue stall in
the school quadrangle. They distributed pamphlets and flyers as
part of their campaign. The International School Seychelles facilitates special training for children
diagnosed with autism.
TODAY in Seychelles spoke to
the ISS facilitator in charge of the
Special Education Needs (SEN)
Yolandi Roux who said that the
school’s “involvement with Pearl
The flash mob performance at the school.
Seychelles Autism Association
has been quite long standing and
at our school we have a number
of children who have been formally diagnosed with autism. As a
school, we have vested interest in
raising awareness and the profile
of the SEN, especially for autism.”
“Despite the differences, we
strongly believe that the signs and
similarities allow them to commu-
nicate and work together. We are
an international school with a local context and we pride ourselves
of the fact that we all the same in
the community,” said Ms. Roux.
Commenting on the blue event,
the chairperson of Pearl Seychelles
Autism Association, Lyn Lavigne
said that, “the association has organised events to raise awareness
of the general public all through
the month of April. The idea is
to get the community at large involved in this campaign.”
“Presently we have 24 parents
who have an autistic child and
most of the autistic children need
special care. On this note, we
need professional people who are
fully trained to support the autistic children. The children are in a
world of their own and need care
and support from all of us. We
are looking for a special education teacher in Seychelles who is
trained in autism to come forward
to help the parents. This condition
not only affects the family but also
the community,” Ms. Lavigne told
this newspaper.
The ISS event came to an end
with children photographed with
blue balloons while the school’s
Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
sold blue cup cakes, cookies and
ice-cream to raise funds for the
autism society.
The association will be selling
cakes in front of Victoria post of-
fice, today at 10:00 am. The
next big event will be on Saturday 4 April, when the National
Sports Council will be organising an Autism fun run/walk in
Victoria at 4:30 pm. Members
of the public can collect participating forms at the NSC or
download them from the association’s Facebook page. There
is a registration fee of SCR 25.
All participants are asked to
wear blue to support the campaign.
p12
Thursday 2 April, 2015
Lifeline
Celebrity Profile:
Banksy (c. 1974–)
Joni Mitchell in “intensive care” in Los Angeles
hospital
Banksy is the pseudonym of a “guerrilla” street artist known for his controversial, and often politically themed, stenciled pieces.
Source: Bio.com
Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is intensive care after being
found unconscious in her Los
Angeles home.
She was rushed to hospital on
Tuesday afternoon.
A statement released on her
website said she “regained consciousness on the ambulance
ride to an LA area hospital.”
It went on to add that the
eight-time Grammy winner is
“currently in intensive care undergoing tests and is awake and
in good spirits.” In December
she told Billboard magazine that
she has a rare skin condition,
Morgellons Disease, which prevents her from performing.
Gaza family “tricked” into
selling Banksy painting for
$175
the release of the 2010 documentary Exit Through the Gift
Shop. The film, which premiered
at the Sundance Film Festival,
was nominated for an Academy
Award.
In October 2013, Banksy took
to the streets of New York City.
There he pledged to create a
new piece of art for each day of
his residency. As he explained
to the Village Voice, “The plan
is to live here, react to things,
see the sights—and paint on
them. Some of it will be pretty
elaborate, and some will just be
a scrawl on a toilet wall.” During that month, he also sold
some of his works on the street
for $60 a piece, well below the
market value for his art.
Synopsis
Banksy, a street artist whose
identity remains unknown, is
believed to have been born in
Bristol, England, around 1974.
He rose to prominence for his
provocative stenciled pieces in
the late 1990s. Banksy is the subject of a 2010 documentary, Exit
Through the Gift Shop, which examines the relationship between
commercial and street art.
Artistic Career
Banksy began his career as a
graffiti artist in the early 1990s,
in Bristol’s graffiti gang DryBreadZ Crew. Although his
early work was largely freehand,
Banksy used stencils on occasion.
In the late ‘90s, he began using
stencils predominantly. His work
became more widely recognized
around Bristol and in London, as
his signature style developed.
Banksy’s artwork is characterized by striking images, often
combined with slogans. His work
often engages political themes,
satirically critiquing war, capitalism, hypocrisy and greed. Common subjects include rats, apes,
policemen, members of the royal
family, and children. In addition
to his two-dimensional work,
Banksy is known for his installation artwork. One of the most
celebrated of these pieces, which
featured a live elephant painted
with a Victorian wallpaper pattern, sparked controversy among
animal rights activists.
Other pieces have drawn attention for their edgy themes
or the boldness of their execution. Banksy’s work on the West
TODAY in History
A Palestinian man says he
was tricked into selling a mural
by the artist Banksy that is estimated to be worth hundreds of
thousands of dollars.
Rabie Darduna told the BBC
he was given less than $175
(£118) for the image drawn on
the only remaining door of his
house in Gaza.
It was one of thousands of
homes destroyed during last
year’s war. Banksy visited Gaza
in February and used the rubble
as a canvas for his politicised
graffiti.
April 2nd is the 91st day of the year
1992: Mob boss John
Gotti convicted of murder
2005: Pope John Paul
II Dies
A jury in New York finds mobster John Gotti, nicknamed the
Teflon Don for his ability to elude
conviction, guilty on 13 counts,
including murder and racketeering. In the wake of the conviction,
the assistant director of the FBI’s
New York office, James Fox, was
quoted as saying, “The don is covered in Velcro, and every charge
stuck.” On June 23 of that year,
Gotti was sentenced to life in
prison, dealing a significant blow
to organized crime.
John Joseph Gotti, Jr., was born
in the Bronx, New York, on October 27, 1940. He rose through
the ranks of the Gambino crime
family and seized power after ordering the December 1985 murder of then-boss Paul Castellano
outside a Manhattan steakhouse.
Behind closed doors, Gotti was a
ruthless, controlling figure. Publicly, he became a tabloid celebrity, famous for his swagger and
expensive suits, which earned
him another nickname, the Dapper Don.
On this day in 2005, John Paul
II, dies at the Vatican. Six days
later, two million people packed
Vatican City for his funeral, the
biggest in history.
John Paul II was born Karol
Jozef Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland in 1920. After high school,
he enrolled at Krakow’s Jagiellonian University, where he studied
philosophy and literature. During World War II, Nazis closed
the university, forcing Wojtyla to
seek work in a quarry and, later,
a chemical factory. By 1941, his
mother, father, and only brother
had all died. Pope John Paul II
is remembered for his successful efforts to end communism, as
well as for building bridges with
peoples of other faiths, and issuing the Catholic Church’s first
apology for its actions during
World War II. He was succeeded
by Pope Benedict XVI. Benedict
XVI began the process to beatify
John Paul II in May 2005.
Dutch royal family to
return Nazi looted art
The Dutch royal family has said
it will return a painting from its collection thought to have been looted
by the Nazis during World War
Two.
The painting, by Joris van der
Haagen, had been bought by
Queen Juliana from a Dutch art
dealer in 1960.
The palace said an investigation
looked at tens of thousands of art
works in the House of Orange’s collection.
Officials have contacted the heirs
of the original owner, who was not
named, to arrange its return. “A
Jewish collector was forced in 1942
to hand over the painting Haagse
Bos with view over Huis Ten Bosch
Palace by Joris van der Haagen to
the (Nazi) bank Lippmann, Rosenthal & Co in Amsterdam,” said the
report, which was commissioned by
the palace in 2012.
Bank barrier, between Israel and
Palestine, received significant
media attention in 2005. He is
also known for his use of copyrighted material and subversion
of classic images. An example of
this is Banksy’s version of Monet’s famous series of water lilies
paintings, adapted by Banksy to
include drifting trash and debris.
Banksy’s worldwide fame has
transformed his artwork from
acts of vandalism to soughtafter high art pieces. Journalist
Max Foster has referred to the
rising prices of graffiti as street
art as “the Banksy effect.” Interest in Banksy escalated with
Identity
Banksy’s identity remains unknown, despite intense speculation. The two names most
often suggested are Robert
Banks and Robin Gunningham. Pictures that surfaced
of a man who was supposedly
Banksy pointed toward Gunningham, an artist who was
born in Bristol in 1973. Gunningham moved to London
around 2000, a timeline that
correlates with the progression
of Banksy’s artwork.
p13
Thursday 2 April, 2015
Airtel Music Awards
“Please don’t stop the music”
T
he 2014 Airtel Music
Awards changed venue at
11pm on Saturday, just after the highly anticipated award
ceremony which took place at the
ICCS.
Music lovers and night enthusiasts alike, reluctant to call it a
Mampi and Tequila Boom co-owner, Zelda Sinon, in the VIP Lounge.
night, made their way to Beau
Belle’s Tequila Boom for the official after-party, organised to
celebrate Seychelles’ effervescent music scene.
Winner of the Carnaval 2015’s
official song contest, the charismatic Telsy, took to the stage
for a live performance of her
newest single, “Girls Night Out”
followed by Zambian sensation
Mampi and her crew. Accompanied by her two dancers and a
back-up vocalist, Mampi’s overall performance was indeed the
highlight of the evening as every one of her vocal accentuations, twerks and hip-displacing moves resulted in screams
of enthusiasm coming from a
most appreciative audience…
Telsy’s fresh performance was the perfect warm up for spectators as
Mampi and her crew took to the stage.
The atmosphere was already picking up before the live performances
began.
Thursday 2 April, 2015
Hyundai Atos, Passion Red, 2007. Only
57,000km, Road Licence/Vehicle Test
until December 2015. SCR 130,000
ono. Tel. 2507414
Kia Picanto Full Option 2010, model in
excellent condition.
Contact Telephone number: 2559137
Toyota Hilux Vigo 2010. S1337. Price
negotiable. Call: 2863836 after 1pm or
SMS anytime.
For Sale 1500 Sqm of land at La Misere.
Partly oversees the sea. Tel: 2812599
Newly built 3 bedroom house at Baie
Lazare. Nice property. Must sell.
Price: SR 2.4 Million. Negotiable.
Tel: 2525080
D&D cutting and cleaning services.
Tree cutting and site cleaning.
Please contact Darrel Bouchereau
on 2547683 or 2571681
Gratis cold/hot drinking water
in your house. Economy 15.00035.000 SCR/yearContact: 2830313
African Spiritualist, astrology is a
gift passed down from generation
to generation.
Are you disappointed? Good news
for those with bad luck, relationship, health and business problem.
Visit the web: www.princemalikh.weebly.com or phone
+27781680395
2 Offices Available For Rent
Each 6.7metres x 5.6 metres
Situated at Providence Industrial Estate
Contact: 4 676 000 For Viewing
Available for long-term rent as of 01st
April, two brand new apartments of 1
bedroom each.
Situated at Reef Estate, Anse Aux Pins.
Full furnished and air conditioning for
SCR 12000 each.
Available for long term rent two apartments
of 2 bedrooms each in a pleasant location,
full furnished + air conditioning. Located at
Beau Vallon, Labatie. SR16,000 per month
each. Tel: 2579719 or 2585078.
One bedsitter, fully furnished with air
condition available immediately
Please contact Tel. 2534237
One 150 SQM high-roof warehouse at
Providence Zone 20.
Phone: 2711100 for details.
House for rent in quiet area of La
Misere: 2 bedrooms with ensuite;
Furnished. SCR 16,000 per month.
Tel: 2718325.
To rent for long term: 2 bedroom
house in quiet area at Upper Capusen,
Anse Aux Pins. 5 mins walk to main
bus station, and sea-side. Monthly rent:
10,000 negotiable. For further info
please email: [email protected]
or viber 00447476358666.
Fully furnished two bedroom house. Quiet
location. Two minutes drive to the main
road and the beach. Call: 2743014 anytime.
Espace Maison is looking for an “on
trade sales representative”
Interested candidates please send
recent CV with photograph to
[email protected] or
[email protected]
Closing date 23rd March 2015
21 Jan – 19 Feb
Don’t stick your nose in
someone else’s business today unless they expressly ask
you to do so. Partners and
colleagues are a bit touchy at
the moment, so even if your
intentions are noble don’t try
to run their affairs for them.
23 July – 22 Aug
You are determined to
move up in the world and
if you start making things
happen now it won’t be
long before you are in a position of prominence. Once
you get a taste for power
you won’t want to go back
to where you were before.
20 Feb – 20 March
Time is moving on and the
world is moving with it – so
why are you standing still?
Your attachment to the past
is understandable but the
best way to enjoy happiness
and success is to earn them
anew each and every day.
23 Aug – 23 Sept
The planets are very much
on your side at the moment. Mars, especially, is
urging you to take a few
risks and show the world
what you are capable of.
The powers that be will respect you more if you fight
for what you believe in.
21 March – 20 April
If you have been looking to
get rid of a responsibility
that has become a burden
then now is the time. The
planets make it possible for
you to cut important ties
without creating resentment, so go for it and don’t
look back.
24 Sept – 23 Oct
You will need to read
between the lines today
because what someone is
trying to tell you is simply
not true. You like to believe the best of people, of
course, but this is one of
those occasions when you
need to be suspicious.
21 April – 21 May
The pace of life will pick up
over the next few days and
that’s good news because
you have been operating
well below capacity. With
Mars in your sign you will
find it ridiculously easy to
get things done – but get
others to help you too.
24Oct–22Nov
Partnersandworkcolleagues
may seem more dominant
now that Mars is moving
through your opposite sign,
but the only power they have
overyouisthepowerthatyou
choose to give them. What
will you give them today?
Nothing, hopefully.
22 May – 21 June
You may be lacking in selfbelief at the moment but
it need not be a problem.
Whatever you feel about
your prospects if you just
keep plugging away you
WILL accomplish something worthwhile. Others
think highly of you even if
23 Nov – 21 Dec
You need to be on top of
your game today, physically, mentally and emotionally, and that means
a positive attitude is a
must. Don’t let anyone tell
you that you are aiming
too high or expecting too
much because it isn’t true.
22 June – 22 July
There is a huge luck factor
working in your favour now
and if you are smart you
will milk it for all it is worth.
Don’t worry that you might
not deserve some of the good
things you get – the universe
says it’s your turn to benefit.
22 Dec – 20 Jan
Mars in the most dynamic
area of your chart makes
all things possible, so forget
about the things that went
wrong and focus on the
things that are going to go
right. This is potentially a
great time for you, so seize
the initiative.
The Islander Hotel of Praslin is looking
for a cook with 3 years of experience.
Qualified candidates should call
4233224 for an interview.
Looking for a general cleaner at Riverside Pointe. Call: 2512007.
NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION
Willrose Enterprises Ltd
(IBC No. 136274)
Notice is hereby given that Will rose
Enterprises Ltd of 103 Sham Peng
Tong Plaza, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles is being dissolved and the dissolution commenced on the 31 March
2015. Who has any claims against the
company must lodge their claims
with the liquidator within 1 month
hereof.
GRAND PLUS LTD. of 1755 Coney
Drive, 4th Floor, Belize City, Belize
has been appointed as a liquidator of
the company.
Dated 16 March 2015
GRAND PLUS LTD., Liquidator
NOTICE OF FINAL DISSOLUTION
DIGITAL CITY LTD.
Notice is hereby given under Section
92(8) of International Business Companies Act, 1994 that DIGITAL CITY LTD.,
IBC No 077904 was dissol ved and struck
of the Register of International Business
Companies on the 26th day of March 2015
Dated this 0 I st day of April 2015
Ms. Sheila Wilna Magnan
For and on behalf of
UNITED CONSULTING LTD.
Liquidator
Down
1. Not short
2. Margarine
3. A people of eastern Europe
4. Diminishes gradually
5. An island in the Marianas
6. Gaelic
7. Comportment
8. Traverse across snow
9. Gave to understand
10. Politicians
11. Stalk
13. Dominance
14. Abuzz
20. Covers a house
21. Fraud
25. 1 1 1 1
26. Embarrass
27. Also called “Hoops”
28. Wide
29. Utilisers
30. Long narrow openings
31. Metric unit of area
33. Double-helix molecules
35. Resort
37. South American country
39. Moving back and forth
42. Hindu princess
44. An aromatic ointment
47. Territories
49. Giggles
52. Harlot
53. Chocolate cookie
55. Valley
56. Islamic prayer leader
57. Weathercock
58. Found in some skin lotions
59. French for “Moon”
60. Stair
62. Bacon Lettuce Tomato
Yesterday’s solution
Across
1. Misplaced
5. Precious stone
8. Drink in small amounts
12. Leaf of the talipot palm
13. Papal court
15. Nautical mile (speed)
16. A low tide
17. Fertile areas in deserts
18. Small island
19. Ruling bodies
22. Doctrine
23. Decay
24. Symbol
26. Soak up
29. 7th planet
31. Fabric made from camel hair
32. Wades across a stream
34. Repasts
36. Coarse file
38. Recluse
40. Cease
41. Ridge of gravel from a stream
43. Brother of Moses
45. Estimated Time of Arrival
46. Foreshadow
48. Burns with hot liquid
50. Albacore
51. Macaque
52. Short for Robert
54. Persons
61. A Semitic people
63. Hyrax
64. Overindulge
65. A deep shaft
66. Jargon
67. Sharpen
68. A stupid person
69. Scottish for “Uncle”
70. Ooze
1. In which Dickens novel was Miss Havisham jilted on her wedding day?
2. What does the girls name Donna mean?
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. What did the first issue of Playboy in 1953 not have?
4. The Germans call them Stumphhose – what are they?
5. What is converted into alcohol during brewing?
6. In what year was Britain’s Prince Andrew born?
Grand Anse, Praslin
Tel: +248 4237 441
Fax: +248 4237 442
7. What is Canada’s national animal?
8. UNHCR is the United Nation’s High Commission for what?
Editor - Deepa Bhookhun
[email protected]
9. Who said “The die is cast” (on crossing the Rubicon)?
10. Who secretly married Sara Lowndes in November 1965?
Quick Quiz Answers: 1. Great expectations 2. Lady – From Latin 3. Date – unsure if it
would continue 4. Tights 5. Sugar 6. 1960 7. Beaver 8. Refugees 9. Julius Caesar 10.
Bob Dylan
BMW 3-Series model 320d
Silver colour, low mileage.
Can be viewed at Autoland in
Providence Industrial Estate.
Price negotiable. Contact: 2727140
Looking for 5 Security Officers with at
least 3 years work experience. Interested candidates should send their CVs to
[email protected].
Closing date: Wednesday 11th March
2015.
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
Business Development Manager - Veronica Maria
[email protected]
ISSN: 1659-7265
Thursday 2 April, 2015
p15