Feed aggregator

Roger T. beging im Jahr 2023 ein unfassbares Verbrechen. Auf dem Weg aus dem Ausgang nach Hause überfuhr er Aliyah B. (†17) Er würgte und zerquetschte die Teenagerin sogar. Der kranke Grund: Er wollte schon immer mal eine Frau umbringen.

CSS und Helsana triumphieren, Groupe Mutuel blutet: Der jährlich publizierte Wechsel-Report zeigt die Verschiebung auf dem Schweizer Krankenkassen-Markt – und, dass ausgerechnet Geringverdienende teuer versichert sind.

Die Schweiz schwitzt und in den Badis brodelt es: Die Schwimmbecken der Nation werden zum Brennpunkt der Schweizer Politik. Wo bleibt die Abkühlung?

Ein Bauernhaus in Tschappina GR brannte am Montagabend vollständig nieder. Ein Leser filmte den Löscheinsatz mit seiner Drohne.

Zwölf Jahre lang gehörte Miroslav Klose der Titel als WM-Rekordtorschütze. Am vergangenen Dienstag zog Lionel Messi mit ihm gleich – und seit dem Österreich-Match steht der Argentinier nun allein an der Spitze der ewigen WM-Torjägerliste.

Elias Filet wechselt vom FC Aarau nach Belgien. Der Franzose erzielte in der abgelaufenen Saison 20 Tore in der Challenge League.

Martin Demichelis übernimmt den Trainerposten bei RB Leipzig. Der Argentinier hat eine lange Vergangenheit in Deutschland.

Capturée dimanche matin à l’entrée d’un immeuble résidentiel de Hassi Messaoud, la lionne qui avait semé la stupeur dans cette ville du sud-est algérien a […]

L’article L’info est tombée : on connaît le sort de la lionne de Hassi Messaoud est apparu en premier sur .

Drohungen, Abbruchszenarien und ein Eklat mitten in den Gesprächen: Auf dem Bürgenstock wirkt vieles wie ein diplomatisches Desaster. Doch ausgerechnet das Fehlen eines zentralen Akteurs könnte die Chancen auf einen Deal zwischen den USA und dem Iran erhöhen.

Le président de la République, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, a donné le coup d’envoi officiel de la 57e Foire internationale d’Alger (FIA) ce lundi 22 juin, au Palais des expositions […]

L’article FIA 2026 : Tebboune lance officiellement la 57e Foire internationale d’Alger est apparu en premier sur .

Ein Dieb klaute beim Bike-Weltcup in Lenzerheide einen gigantischen Gruyère-Werbelaib und trieb auf dem Heidsee. Am Morgen fand ihn ein Leser schlafend auf dem Käse.

Andy Kessler schmiss seinen CEO-Job bei BMC. Dann gründete er in Basel mit Gerard Vroomen die Edelveloschmiede Open Cycle. Ein Gespräch im Sattel.

Für ihr Idol tun Fans beinahe alles. Um auch ja keinen Moment des Konzertes zu verpassen, tragen Fans von Olivia Rodrigo etwa Windeln zu den Veranstaltungen. Das kann ziemlich unangenehm für die Sängerin werden.

Die Preise für das mobile Surfen im Ausland sind deutlich gesunken. Dennoch zahlen Herr und Frau Schweizer oft zu viel. Ein Preisvergleich des Beobachters zeigt, wo die Sparpotenziale liegen.

Die beiden Schwestern Aulona (†17) und Erza Z. (†23) aus Olten sind nicht mehr. Sie verloren bei einer tragischen Karambolage im deutschen Bundesland Baden-Württemberg ihr Leben. Blick konnte mit dem Vater der jungen Frauen sprechen.

By James Alix Michel
VICTORIA, Seychelles, Jun 22 2026 (IPS)

« James Alix Michel warns that without real finance and precaution, ocean pledges risk remaining only on paper. »

Now that the lights have dimmed in Mombasa and the delegations have gone home, a simple but necessary question remains: did the first Our Ocean Conference on African soil truly move the world from promises to protection? The conference was indeed the first held in Africa, under the theme “Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future,” with a stated focus on culture, communities, livelihoods, marine protection, climate resilience and sustainable blue economies.

James Alix Michel

The answer is that an important step was taken, but not yet a decisive one. Africa was placed at the centre of global ocean diplomacy in Mombasa, and that in itself mattered because the conference was designed to spotlight regional leadership and priorities at a moment of growing pressure on marine ecosystems.

For African coastal states and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) – or, as they are better understood, Large Ocean States – this is not an academic debate. It is about the future of economies, food security, cultures and dignity, because the ocean underpins trade, tourism, livelihoods and resilience across the continent and among island nations.

Seychelles has long argued that prosperity depends on a healthy ocean. That conviction helped shape the blue economy approach in Seychelles and the South-West Indian Ocean, and it has been expressed in practical policy through marine spatial planning and the legal protection of 30 percent of Seychelles’ Exclusive Economic Zone, roughly 410,000 square kilometres.

Mombasa offered a chance to bring that blue economy vision onto the African and global stage in a new way. The conference theme captured what is at stake: Africa’s seas and coasts are central to its history and hopes, and they stand on the frontline of climate change, overfishing and pollution.

During OOC11, leaders and ocean champions repeatedly called for the world to “make 30×30 real” – to ensure that the pledge to protect at least 30 percent of the ocean by 2030 translates into real outcomes for biodiversity and for coastal communities, not just new lines on a map. That shift from declarations to implementation is welcome, because paper protection alone will not restore fish stocks, strengthen reefs or secure coastal livelihoods.

But leadership is measured not only in the strength of statements. It is measured in the courage to say no when the risks are too great, and in the willingness to share fairly the costs of global stewardship.

On deep-sea mining, the precautionary voice is louder than ever. A growing number of governments support a moratorium, ban or precautionary pause, and one widely cited 2026 account linked to the earlier Seychelles-led call said more than 40 countries now support a pause. Other sources show the coalition has grown steadily over time, with additional countries publicly backing precautionary approaches as scientific concern has deepened.

That trend matters because the scientific and governance uncertainties remain profound. Advocates for caution argue that opening the deep ocean to industrial mining before its ecosystems are properly understood risks damage that could be widespread, long-lasting and irreversible, which is why calls for a pause remain central to responsible ocean policy.

Mombasa added to the political pressure for caution, but it did not resolve the issue. There is still no clear, binding global decision to pause exploitation in the deep ocean, and that leaves a shadow over the very blue economy future that African states and SIDS are being encouraged to build.

On 30×30, declarations and new marine protected areas continue to multiply. Yet too often, protection remains on paper: boundaries are drawn, but boats and budgets are not; management plans exist, but monitoring and enforcement are weak or absent. The gap between legal designation and effective protection remains one of the defining weaknesses of current ocean policy.

For SIDS that have already placed vast areas of their Exclusive Economic Zones under protection, the reality is stark. Seychelles has already legally protected 30 percent of its EEZ and exceeded earlier global marine protection benchmarks, but the long-term cost of managing such large areas is high and continuing. This is precisely where global ambition begins to collide with unequal capacity.

That is why the current architecture for financing ocean protection is not fit for purpose. SIDS are repeatedly asked to safeguard globally significant marine spaces, yet access to international funding often remains constrained by income classifications that do not reflect vulnerability, exposure, or the global value of these protected waters. Without predictable financing for science, surveillance, enforcement and community engagement, even the most celebrated MPA announcements risk remaining partial victories.

It is neither fair nor sustainable to expect a few small nations, with limited populations and fiscal space, to carry the long-term costs of managing huge marine areas largely for the world’s benefit. If the international community wants 30×30 to succeed, it must match moral expectation with material support.

So what should be the message after Mombasa? What would it mean, in practice, to make 30×30 real and to honour the theme “Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future”?

First, every new square kilometre of protected ocean must be backed by the means to protect it. That means clear objectives, robust management plans, trained personnel, and the technologies and partnerships needed for effective monitoring and enforcement.

Second, a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining must be secured. This is not anti-development; it is responsible leadership in a time of profound uncertainty, and it reflects the growing international view that exploitation should not proceed before science and governance can guarantee protection from irreversible harm.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, a new compact of fairness in the ocean is needed. If SIDS and African coastal states are being asked to safeguard a disproportionate share of the world’s blue heritage, then the international community must share proportionately in the responsibility to finance and sustain that protection.

From Victoria to Mombasa, from Seychelles to the African mainland and beyond, the message remains unchanged: the ocean is not for sacrifice. It is for stewardship. It is for people. And it is for a common future.

OOC11 helped shift the conversation. It amplified Africa’s voice, elevated the concerns of SIDS, and underlined the need to move from promises to protection. But the journey is far from over. History will not judge the world by the elegance of its communiqués. It will judge by the state of the seas, the resilience of coastal communities, and the legacy left to those who will inherit this blue planet.

James Alix Michel is the former President of the Republic of Seychelles and founder of the James Michel Foundation.

IPS UN Bureau

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

  

 

Mit Sandro Schärer ist die Schweiz zum ersten Mal seit 2010 auch wieder bei den Schiedsrichtern an einer WM-Endrunde vertreten. Zuvor stellte die Schweiz stets Schiedsrichter – und sorgte damit auch für viele Kontroversen.

In Deutschland droht auf der Autobahn A8 Gefahr für Leib und Leben. Ein Gefahrguttransporter könnte in die Luft fliegen. Nun musste eine Ortschaft vorsorglich evakuiert werden.

Christian V. (71) wurde seit Montag in Ascona vermisst. Nun hob die Polizei die Vermisstenmeldung wieder auf.

TV-Legende Patricia Boser (58) gibt Einblick in ihre Finanzen: «Vom Fernsehen allein wird man nicht reich.» Mit Eventmoderationen und als Markenbotschafterin verdient sie jedoch «sehr gut», verrät sie.