During a ceremony held yesterday to mark the first Blue Economy Day at the Seychelles Institute of Teachers Education (SITE), the Chief Executive Officer of the James Michel Foundation, Mr. Jacquelin Dugasse, and the Minister of Environment, Energy & Climate Change, Mr. Didier Dogley, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Cooperation.

The aim of the Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation is to ensure harmonization and a holistic approach to the work undertaken by the Government of Seychelles and the James Michel Foundation on the Blue Economy.

Under the MOU, the James Michel Foundation and the Government of Seychelles will pool resources and actions in the following areas:

• Policy compatibility and representation • Joint activities • Exchange of information and experience

“The signing of the MOU establishes the platform for cooperation between the Government of Seychelles and the James Michel Foundation for the promotion of the Blue Economy concept, raise awareness of climate change impacts on Seychelles, advance the cause of small island developing states nationally and internationally,” said Mr. Dugasse.

The ceremony was also organized to celebrate the Youth Ocean Champions. The James Michel Foundation sponsored prizes, which were presented to the children by Mr. Jacquelin Dugasse. The prizes were given for the winners of the national school competition “Blue Economy Career Profile” as well as prizes for Anse Royale primary school and Pointe Larue secondary school for promoting the Blue Economy Concept at community level.

Also present at the ceremony were the Vice President, Mr. Vincent Meriton; Minister for Education and Human Resource Development, Mr. Joel Morgan; and Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture, Mrs. Mitcy Larue.

In celebration of the school summer holidays Victorian Arcade in Walsall will be hosting a day of circus entertainment on Saturday 5th August.

Shoppers and their families are invited to join in with a free circus workshop from 11am until 4pm where youngsters can learn how to juggle, spin plates and more with the help of the Arcade’s professional circus performer.

What’s more, the centre will be welcoming an amazing all round entertainer who will be on hand to entertain children and create balloon models for all visitors to the Arcade. A free face painter will also be helping youngsters get into the circus spirit.

Darren Griffiths, Senior Regional Facilities Manager of GBR Phoenix Beard, commented:

“We are thrilled to be hosting a circus extravaganza here at the Arcade. We hope to provide the perfect opportunity to entertain local kids for free. Our event promises to be a unique experience for the whole family to enjoy.”

Thirteen Leaders directors braved the heat on Thursday 6th July to walk 10 miles in fancy dress - from their head office in Worthing to Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice near Arundel - to raise money and awareness for the firm’s charity partner, Together for Short Lives.

Superman, Thor, Wonder Woman, a giant strawberry and a man on an ostrich were among the characters who walked for more than four hours in sweltering heat.

The group raised more than £4,000 which will go towards Leaders’ fundraising target of £50,000 to support seriously ill children and their families when they need it most.

Allison Thompson, managing director at Leaders, says: “Since we partnered with Together for Short Lives in 2015 we’ve been blown away by the enthusiasm and generosity of our staff, customers and business associates for this fantastic cause. The directors and I wanted to do our own challenge to show our support and contribute to our ambitious fundraising target for the year.

“We are so grateful for all the sponsorship and encouragement we received, and for the warm welcome that greeted us when we arrived at Chestnut Tree House. We were given a tour of the hospice, which is a truly inspirational place and makes such an enormous difference to the children and families they care for.

“This is a cause very close to our hearts and we are delighted that through our partnership with Together for Short Lives we are supporting all our local children’s hospices which do such a fantastic job across the UK.”

Nick Appleby, head of corporate fundraising at Together for Short Lives, says: “We are thrilled with the amount raised by the Leaders directors through their fantastic challenge. The wonderful commitment that Leaders staff show to the charity continues to amaze us!

“The funds raised for Together for Short Lives will help to ensure that children's hospice services can continue to deliver essential 24/7 support for thousands of seriously ill children and their families who rely on their vital care.”

Together for Short Lives supports all 54 children’s hospices across the UK. Leaders named the organisation as its charity partner in 2015 and has raised £95,000 for it since then.

Qatar Airways celebrated the arrival of its inaugural flight to Alexander The Great Airport, Skopje on 17 July with a press conference and gala dinner at the Marriott Hotel Skopje. The events were hosted by Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Ehab Amin, who welcomed VIP guests including the Republic of Macedonia’s Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr. Goran Sugareski; TAV Macedonia General Manager, Mr. Alp Er Tunga Ersoy; Macedonian Ambassador to Qatar, Mrs. Vukica Krtolica Popovska, and Qatari Ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Hassan Bin Abdullah Zaid Al Mahmoud.

The gala dinner invitees, including Macedonian and Qatari VIPs, honoured guests from the travel industry and media, all enjoyed a dazzling line-up of entertainment and a headline performance by famous Macedonian singer Jana Burceska.

Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Ehab Amin, said at the press conference: “I am delighted to be here today to celebrate the launch of Qatar Airways flights to Skopje, our new gateway into Eastern Europe from our hub, Hamad International Airport in Doha. Qatar Airways is proud to bring the five-star experience to the Macedonian capital, which is so rich in culture and history.”

General Manager of Airport TAV Macedonia, Mr. Alp Er Tunga Ersoy, said: "Doha, known as the Pearl of the Arabian Gulf, will be an exciting travel opportunity for Macedonian citizens, both in terms of leisure and business, but it will also enable Macedonians who live in Australia and New Zeland to visit their motherland. We hope that the Republic of Macedonia, with its natural beauty and cultural-historical heritage, will be an interesting destination for Qatari tourists and business travellers. The presence of Qatar Airways in the Republic of Macedonia as a brand will make Skopje Airport even more attractive as a market, opening new possibilities for its development, while additionally contributing to further traffic growth.”

Qatar Airways is expediting its expansion in Eastern Europe, with service to Prague, Czech Republic and Kyiv, Ukraine set to commence by the end of August. The award-winning airline is committed to bringing more visitors to Eastern Europe by adding a further level of choice for passengers travelling to or from Croatia, Hungary, Azerbaijan, and other Eastern European destinations.

In response to increasing demand, flights to Zagreb increased to a 10-weekly service last year, while Budapest and Baku both increased to a 12-weekly service in June 2017. Inbound tourism to Eastern Europe is expected to grow after the airline’s route launches of Serbia, Armenia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria in recent years.

The new route to Skopje will also provide the people of the Republic of Macedonia the opportunity to connect to more than 150 destinations on the airline’s global network via its hub, Hamad International Airport, in Doha.

Qatar Airways will operate the four-times weekly service to Skopje with the award-winning Airbus A320, featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 120 seats in Economy Class. Both Economy and Business Class passengers can enjoy the airline’s relaunched superior entertainment system, offering up to 3,000 entertainment options.

In addition, the commencement of air cargo service to Skopje by Qatar Airways Cargo will promote air trade growth in Republic of Macedonia by connecting the country with its major importers in North East Asia via the airline’s state-of-the-art Doha hub. The cargo carrier’s newly launched Climate Control Centre enhances its seamless cool chain solutions and offers perfect transit services to support the exports of fruits and fresh produce out of Skopje to various destinations across its global network.

Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, this year celebrates 20 years of Going Places Together with travellers across its more than 150 destinations business and leisure destinations. One of the world’s fast growing airlines will continue to add a number of exciting new destinations to its growing network in 2017 and 2018, flying passengers on board its modern fleet of 200 aircraft.

The East-Midlands’ drinkers are curating a collection of increasingly premium drinks at home, with the average household ‘drinks cabinet’ now worth in excess of £200, according to a new nationwide study by premium tonic and mixer specialist Franklin & Sons, and the East-Midlands’ monthly drinks bill tops £100 per household.

Yet it appears we could be spoiling enjoyment of our top tipples with poor choices and habits when it comes to mixing our favourite drinks, with using warm, flat mixers and no ice among the top home drinking sins.

The study of 2,000 householders – commissioned to mark the height of the summer G&T season – found that the average British home now has a selection of spirits worth £63.20, with gin, whisky, vodka and rum at the top of the nation’s list of favourite spirits.

And we are also clearly becoming more discerning, with more than half our spend on spirits now going on premium or craft options costing more than £15 a bottle, while the rest of the nation’s average drinks cabinet is made up from a collection of beers, lagers and ales worth £15.13, cider (£10.66), red wine (£27.06), white wine (£22.88), Champagnes and sparkling wines (£28.68), port (£15.36), sherry (£12.04), and fortified wines (£11.84).

Irrespective of geography, though, Franklin & Sons’ study also found that the current out of home cocktail craze in the nation’s pubs, bars and restaurants has now most definitely found its way into our homes. Three out of 10 respondents said they had recently hosted or attended a cocktail party and seven out of 10 said they regularly mixed cocktails at home, with no fewer than 29 popular creations on the nation’s home drinks menu, including a Dark ‘N’ Stormy (dark rum and ginger beer served over ice and garnished with a slice of lime), a Woo Woo (vodka, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice), and even a Gimlet (gin and lime juice).

World’s Best Spirits drinks consultants Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley – regular contributors to Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch – comment: “It’s clear from Franklin & Sons’ findings that, as a nation, we are becoming increasingly discerning, knowledgeable and adventurous about what we are drinking.

As the summer holidays kick off, parents across the UK are expecting to spend £468 on entertaining their children, according to the Post Office Money annual Parents’ Summer Spending report.

The costs associated with the summer break have decreased by 14 per cent compared with last year – although remain almost a fifth (17 per cent) higher than in 2012, when Post Office Money first conducted the research. With a third (33 per cent) of parents admitting they spent more than expected last summer, the anticipated fall in costs this year may suggest that many plan to keep a closer eye on their spending over the coming weeks.

Summer expenditure year-on-year

With the recent heatwave sweeping the country many parents will already have kicked off their summer spending; 27 per cent of parents spend more as a result of good weather, as they look to make the most of the sunshine.

When it comes to entertaining, two in five (40 per cent) parents expect to spend the most money visiting attractions, while 37 per cent of parents say family meals out will be their biggest cost. Just over a quarter (28 per cent) expect to spend the most money on treats for their children, with 22 per cent stating a holiday abroad will be their biggest expense.

There are also additional costs, aside from entertaining their children, which bump up the overall cost for mum and dads.  Parents expect to spend an average of £43 on other people’s children in addition to their own, as well as expecting to pay £78 on childcare and £97 on fuel – pushing the total potential summer expenditure to £686.

While their children will be excitedly counting down the days until summer, many parents are busy planning how they’ll cover the increased cost of summer, with over half (52 per cent) worried about how they will afford the summer costs – 41 per cent also feel under pressure to compete with other parents’ spending.

Owen Woodley, Managing Director at Post Office Money, said: “There can be many hidden costs over the summer months and while two in five parents we spoke to have the cash to cover these additional costs, many do not. 13% of parents told us they are planning on dipping into their savings, 9% will draw on their credit card and some families are even saying they’re likely to miss bill payments or even take a mortgage holiday to help manage this overspend.

“Planning in advance to find the best ways to cover any shortfall now can help relieve financial pressure and avoid negative financial implications further down the line.”

Some ‘savvy’ parents would even consider making little sacrifices now to help fund this summer’s spend – with 26 per cent saying they would consider sacrificing buying new clothes and 21 per cent prepared to give up going out during the evenings and at weekends. Some parents would also consider sacrificing saving during the summer period (22 per cent).

Owen Woodley continues: “If parents do plan to use credit, they should review their credit services to ensure they have the best value product to suit their needs. Avoid going into an unapproved overdraft to avoid unnecessary fees and penalty charges and review if your credit card offers the most competitive rate of interest. Some credit cards offer 0% interest rates, allowing you to spread the costs over a number of months, without incurring interest on the balance until the interest free period ends. These cards can also provide balance transfer facilities where you can transfer existing credit balances to another card that charges less interest. By using the next couple of weeks to consider the different options available to them, families can help relieve themselves of the worries connected with their upcoming summer spending.”