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Official estimates suggest that around 55% of the town's drinkable water is lost to leaking pipes.

Official estimates suggest that around 55% of the town's drinkable water is lost to leaking pipes.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States abducting Venezuela’s president,and U.S. President Donald Trump’s public musings about annexing Greenland all point in the same direction. After decades marked by Western dominance, economic globalization and the expansion of multilateral institutions, the ostentatious exercise and threat of raw military power are back at the center of world politics. Overall, we are seeing the return of overt geopolitics: a style of major power politics that does not bother to hide behind international law or multilateral norms. That’s good news for China – and bad news for Taiwan.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States abducting Venezuela’s president,and U.S. President Donald Trump’s public musings about annexing Greenland all point in the same direction. After decades marked by Western dominance, economic globalization and the expansion of multilateral institutions, the ostentatious exercise and threat of raw military power are back at the center of world politics. Overall, we are seeing the return of overt geopolitics: a style of major power politics that does not bother to hide behind international law or multilateral norms. That’s good news for China – and bad news for Taiwan.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States abducting Venezuela’s president,and U.S. President Donald Trump’s public musings about annexing Greenland all point in the same direction. After decades marked by Western dominance, economic globalization and the expansion of multilateral institutions, the ostentatious exercise and threat of raw military power are back at the center of world politics. Overall, we are seeing the return of overt geopolitics: a style of major power politics that does not bother to hide behind international law or multilateral norms. That’s good news for China – and bad news for Taiwan.

Un net changement s’impose dans les prévisions météo en Algérie. Après une courte accalmie, les conditions hivernales reprennent de la vigueur avec le retour des […]

L’article Pluies abondantes, chutes de neige et vents violents ce mercredi 4 février : voici les wilayas en alerte est apparu en premier sur .

Dans le cadre de notre cycle de discussions sur l'histoire des Balkans, l'Institut français de Serbie a l'honneur d'accueillir l'historien Bernard Lory, grand spécialiste de l'histoire des Roms dans les Balkans, qui participera à des discussions à Belgrade (le mardi 3 février) et à Niš (le mercredi 4 février). Il se rendra ensuite, le 5 février, en Macédoine du Nord, à Skopje.
Bernard Lory est un historien français reconnu, professeur émérite de l'INALCO (Institut national des langues et (…)

- Agenda / Dans les Balkans

Le programme de renouvellement du parc national de transport de voyageurs se poursuit. Mardi soir, le port de Djen Djen, dans la wilaya de Jijel, […]

L’article Renouvellement du parc algérien : une nouvelle cargaison de bus arrive au port de Djen Djen est apparu en premier sur .

Le président de l'Assemblée nationale 9è législature, Louis Gbèhounou Vlavonou, présidera ce mercredi 4 février 2026 une cérémonie officielle d'hommage à Me Adrien Houngbédji, ancien président du Parlement.

Un ensemble d'études consacrées à Adrien Houngbédji, qui a dirigé l'Assemblée nationale lors des 1ère, 3ème et 7ème législatures, lui sera officiellement remis ce mercredi 4 février 2026.

La cérémonie se tiendra à partir de 10 heures au Palais des gouverneurs à Porto-Novo. Cette initiative vise à reconnaître la contribution de l'ancien président de l'Assemblée nationale à la vie institutionnelle et à l'enracinement de la démocratie parlementaire au Bénin.

Plusieurs autorités politiques, députés, universitaires et personnalités sont conviés à cette cérémonie.

Avocat et acteur politique de premier plan, Adrien Houngbédji est le président-fondateur de l'ex Parti du Renouveau Démocratique (PRD) fondu dans l'Union Progressiste le Renouveau (UP-R).
Me Adrien Houngbédji a été Premier ministre de 1996 à 1998, sous la présidence de Mathieu Kérékou, puis président de l'Assemblée du Bénin de 2015 à 2019.
M. M.

Les relations entre l’Algérie et l’Italie continuent de se consolider. Le président de la République, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, a reçu ce jour un appel téléphonique de […]

L’article Tebboune reçoit un appel de Meloni : Alger et Rome coordonnent leurs priorités communes est apparu en premier sur .

Close-up-of-a-yellowfin-tuna-swimming-in-the-sea. Credit: Freepik---EyeEm

By James Alix Michel and Dona Bertarelli
VICTORIA, Seychelles, Feb 3 2026 (IPS)

The world is entering a decisive period for the future of the ocean. With the High Seas Treaty coming into force and meaningful progress being made on the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, global momentum for stronger marine governance is building. Yet, new pressures linked to the push for deep-sea mining — the extraction of minerals from seabed thousands of meters below the ocean surface — threaten to undermine these gains. To safeguard progress, global decision-making will have to keep pace with such emerging risks. In this context, Africa will host several global discussions in 2026, including those that will shape the ocean’s future, with a series of opportunities for leadership starting with the African Union Summit in February to the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya in June.

Dona-Bertarelli-and-James-Alix-Michel-meeting-at-Our-Ocean-Bali-in-2018. Credit: Dona-Bertarelli-Philanthropy

As two long-standing friends of the ocean who have witnessed both its fragility and its generosity, we view the ongoing discussions on deep-sea mining as a moment that calls for careful, science-based and inclusive reflection. This is especially true in a region of the world where people depend on a healthy ocean for livelihoods, culture, spirituality and climate resilience, and where more than 30 per cent of Africans, roughly 200 million people, rely on fish as their main source of animal protein.

These concerns are particularly relevant to the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), one of the most biodiverse marine regions in the world, with endemism as high as 22 per cent yet at the convergence of multiple environmental stresses. Coral reefs and mangrove forests are deteriorating, while illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and sand mining put additional pressure on already fragile ecosystems. The lasting impacts of the 2020 Wakashio oil spill in Mauritius show how quickly harm to the ocean can ripple across communities. In such a fragile setting, the introduction of a new extractive industry demands the highest level of scrutiny.

In the face of these emerging challenges, Seychelles has an important role to play. For decades, it has demonstrated leadership in championing the blue economy and protecting marine ecosystems. Early ratification of the BBNJ Treaty, along with advocacy for High Seas marine protected areas such as the Saya de Malha Bank, has positioned the country as a respected voice for responsible ocean governance. If deep-sea mining begins in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean is likely to follow, including on the mid-Indian Ridge east of Seychelles’ EEZ and within the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries agreement region. Catalyzing a new wave of continental leadership on deep-sea protection would advance a vision of ocean stewardship grounded in equity and sustainability. A precautionary pause on deep-sea mining would give concrete expression to that vision.

Polymetallic nodules on the deep seabed. Credit: Deep-Rising

Scientific research continues to underline this need for caution. Deep-sea mining would have an irreversible impact on seabed ecosystems and species. And recent studies of the midwater zone, where waste plumes from deep-sea mining would spread, show that mining particles could reduce the nutritional quality of the natural food supply for zooplankton by up to ten times. This would decrease food quality and trigger effects that move through the food web, ultimately affecting larger species and the overall health of the ocean millions of people rely on. In an environment where more than 99.99 percent of the deep ocean floor has yet to be explored or directly observed, introducing large scale industrial activity could cause damage that cannot be undone.

The economic risks for the region are equally significant. The Western Indian Ocean’s natural assets have been conservatively valued at 333.8 billion dollars, making the ocean one of the region’s most important sources of long-term wealth. Within this, fisheries represent the single largest asset and a cornerstone of economic resilience. The region generates about 4.8 percent of the global fish catch, roughly 4.5 million tonnes each year, underscoring how many economies and communities depend on healthy stocks. In Seychelles and across the region, tuna fisheries in particular underpin national revenue, employment and food security. Undermining the sustainability of fisheries could therefore not only threaten livelihoods but also diminish long-term economic opportunity.

Deep-sea-creature. Credit: Schmidt-Ocean-Institute

The accelerating push for deep-sea mining activities also raises concerns about repeating historic patterns seen in other extractive sectors across Africa. The uneven distribution of benefits from land-based resource exploitation has shown how easily local communities can be left with environmental impacts while external actors capture most of the value. Without strong governance frameworks that ensure fair participation and transparent decision-making, current deep-sea mining models risk following a similar trajectory, privileging short-term economic gain for multinational corporations over regional priorities.

Finally, the argument that deep-sea mining is necessary for the renewable energy transition is also increasingly at odds with current evidence. Rapid advances in recycling technologies, circular economy approaches, and alternative materials are already reducing the projected demand for minerals from new extractions. These pathways can support the global transition without the need to industrialize one of the least understood parts of the planet. The United Nations Environment Programme has also made clear in their 2022 report that “there is currently no foreseeable way in which investment into deep-sea mining activities can be viewed as consistent with the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles”.

White-sand-and-clear-turquoise-water-on-a-Seychelles-beach. Credit: Unsplash—Alin-Mecean

In parallel, African-led nature-positive initiatives are demonstrating how ocean resources can be managed in ways that support both people and the environment. Initiatives such as the Great Blue Wall aim to create connected networks of protected and restored marine areas that strengthen biodiversity, climate resilience and community wellbeing across the WIO region. These efforts demonstrate what a regenerative blue economy can look like in practice. Preserving these gains requires ensuring that new activities do not compromise the progress already made.

Across the continent, young leaders, civil society and scientific institutions are calling for greater accountability in decisions that shape our collective future. Their message is clear: long-term wellbeing for everyone must come before short-term gains for a select few. This call also echoes a growing movement worldwide, with more than 40 countries now supporting a pause on deep-sea mining, including France, Fiji, Chile and Mexico. A precautionary pause on deep-sea mining is not a rejection of economic progress, but a commitment to sound science, inclusive dialogue and responsible stewardship. We are hopeful that countries in Africa and elsewhere in the world will hear this call and secure the future of the ocean for generations to come.

James Alix Michel is the former President of Seychelles (2004–2016) and a global advocate for the blue economy, ocean conservation and climate resilience.

Dona Bertarelli is a Swiss philanthropist, IUCN Patron of Nature and biodiversity champion, deeply committed to a healthy balance between people and nature.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Une affaire de vol de vivres dans une école a été examinée ce mardi 03 février 2026, lors de l'audience correctionnelle de flagrant délit du tribunal de première instance d'Abomey-Calavi.

Un homme, la quarantaine révolue, a comparu devant le tribunal de première instance d'Abomey-Calavi ce mardi 03 février 2026, pour vol de vivres dans une école. Les aliments selon les déclarations à la barre, ont été volés lors d'un cambriolage perpétré par des hors la loi pendant les congés de fête. Dans ladite école, aucun gardien n'assure la sécurité, a déclaré la directrice présente au procès. Les malfrats selon ses déclarations, auraient emporté 7 sacs de maïs, 9 sacs de riz, 40 bidons d'huile de 5 litres, un sac de sel de cuisine, des boîtes de tomates et des pâtes alimentaires, et plusieurs autres aliments destinés aux apprenants.
L'enquête a conduit à l'interpellation d'un individu. Une partie des vivres volés aurait été retrouvée chez lui. Interrogé, il a déclaré que c'est l'un de ses parents enseignant dans la partie septentrionale du pays, qui lui a donné.
Le dossier est renvoyé au 24 février 2026, pour comparution du parent ayant fait don de vivres au prévenu et son époux, et pour continuation.

F. A. A.

Die Staatsanwaltschaft in Paris hat eine vierjährige Haftstrafe gegen Marine Le Pen beantragt. Ausserdem soll sie eine hohe Geldbusse zahlen.

GAM Assurances figure parmi les finalistes des Intelligent Insurer Awards 2026 – MENA, dans la catégorie Meilleure Transformation Digitale en Afrique et au Moyen-Orient. Une […]

L’article GAM Assurances finaliste aux MENA Intelligent Insurer Awards 2026 pour sa transformation digitale est apparu en premier sur .

TASR: Maroš Žilinka főügyész szerdán (2. 4.) nyilatkozik Robert Fico (Smer) kormányfővel folytatott megbeszéléséről, ezt a Facebookon jelentette be. „Holnap 10-kor figyeljék a sajtótájékoztatómat, amelyen nem csak a kormányfővel folytatott megbeszéléséről fogok beszélni” – közölte Žilinka.

Epstein-Akten enthüllen: Mette-Marit von Norwegen war Gast in den Anwesen des verurteilten Sexualstraftäters. Ein Foto zeigt sie 2013 auf seiner Couch und wirft neue Fragen zu ihrer Nähe zum Sexualstraftäter auf.

Credit Suisse soll bei NS-Konten Untersuchungen Informationen zurückgehalten haben, sagen US-Senatoren. Am 3. Februar wurden in Washington fast 100 Nazi-Konten enthüllt. Die UBS zeigt sich offen für weitere Aufklärung.

Bundespräsident Guy Parmelin hat in Dubai die Staatschefs verschiedener Länder getroffen. Mit dem Präsidenten der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate unterzeichnete er eine Absichtserklärungen.

Die Nato plant einen neuen Einsatz in der Arktis, um den Konflikt um Grönland zu entschärfen. Mit verstärkten Patrouillen und Übungen soll die militärische Präsenz im hohen Norden ausgebaut werden. Start ist in den nächsten Tagen.

The appointment of a dead opposition politician to a presidential panel caused embarrassment.