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💬 THE BIG STORY
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Laura Travady walks back through the crime scene as a second death enters the frame |
On Wednesday, Laura Beatrice Travady, 29, was escorted back to Cité La Brasserie, Forest-Side, for a crime scene reconstruction led by the Major Crimes Investigation Team. She stood where her partner Bryan Alifoykooye, 35, was found with a fatal throat wound on 11 April. Travady maintained her version throughout the exercise. Sangara Gengan, second suspect in the case, was also present. |
Bryan was a first-division footballer before a career-ending injury changed his path. Friends called him 'Pioux': fast feet, always smiling, the kind of player who would stay on the pitch in the rain. 'We all played football in the family,' his brother Steven said. 'I used to play too and I passed it on to him.' His death has left a gap in the La Brasserie community. |
Investigators are now looking into a second suspicious case: a 47-year-old Curepipe man whose body was found on wasteland in Riche-Terre in February 2025. An autopsy recorded pulmonary oedema from a drug overdose. His family raised alarms at the time after someone allegedly tried to access his bank account after he died. Police have not confirmed any criminal act in that case, but Travady's name has now appeared in new statements. |
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🇲🇺 IN MAURITIUS
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Air Mauritius flights to Asia flying clear of the Middle East crisis, for now |
Three airlines, no disruptions: that is PM Navin Ramgoolam's answer to concerns about the Hormuz crisis hitting Mauritius-Asia air routes. Air Mauritius, Air India, and IndiGo are all running normal schedules to India and Malaysia. Code-sharing arrangements between Air Mauritius and both Air India and Malaysia Airlines remain active. |
PM Ramgoolam also addressed speculation about a strategic airline partnership, saying the national carrier is looking at options but has made no decision. There are no direct flights between Mauritius and China, a route Air Mauritius last operated in January 2020. As crude oil climbs past $120 a barrel and fuel surcharges bite across the industry, that corridor is unlikely to reopen soon. |
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The taxi drivers who love Uber while others drag it to court |
Can a transport law written in 1966 shut down an app that has already logged over 120,000 openings in a month? The Supreme Court takes up the challenge this Monday, as opponents of the Alalila-Uber platform argue it operates outside the existing transport framework. |
On Thursday, a group of taxi drivers turned out in Port Louis to back the platform, saying it has lifted their earnings. The logic is simple: instead of hunting for fares, the app brings passengers to them. Revenue is up. The court case looms. |
The judge on Monday will decide whether Mauritius modernises its taxi rules or just preserves them. |
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Exam fees climb in 2026 and some families are already stretching thin |
Registration fees for the SC and HSC examinations have risen notably this year, adding to financial pressure on households already squeezed by fuel prices and the broader cost of living. For many parents, the new figures mean hard choices about what to cut this term. |
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Second arrest in Rs 20 million tax firm fraud as money trail hits two accounts |
Rs 1.2 million sitting in her bank account sealed it. The FCC arrested Leenakshi Joysuree, a former team leader at a tax advisory firm, on a provisional money laundering charge. She is the second person detained in the case, after Hemraz Leckraj was picked up last Friday. Both are suspected of siphoning Rs 20 million from client accounts. Joysuree was released on Rs 150,000 bail with strict reporting conditions. |
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🗞️ SHORTS
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Heavy swells through Friday morning – Four-metre swells forecast along the Mascarene coast today and tomorrow, with a high seas warning in effect. |
Silver Bank loses its banking licence – The Bank of Mauritius formally revoked Silver Bank's licence with immediate effect, closing book on its collapse. |
MSAW chair resigns over minister's interference – MSAW's chairperson Anuja Ghoorah-Ramkissoon stepped down, accusing a junior minister of meddling in the animal welfare body. |
Workplace violence cases heading to DPP – Prosecutions for workplace violence are being prepared with the DPP's office, Labour Minister Uteem announced Thursday. |
Unions boycott today's pre-budget talks – Trade union federations boycotted this morning's pre-budget consultations, saying PM Ramgoolam's absence made the sessions pointless. |
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🔢 BY THE NUMBERS
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Rs 33.4 million – raised by the Financial Crimes Commission across four days of public auctions of seized assets. Cars, electronics, and other confiscated goods went under the hammer this week as the FCC's first major sale exercise wrapped up Thursday. |
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30.6 billion rand – in brand value for Absa Group, which climbed into Africa's top three most valuable banking brands per the 2026 Brand Finance report. The South African lender, which also operates in Mauritius, posted a notable rise in valuation year-on-year. |
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3.5% – the US inflation rate in March, the highest reading since 2023. Gas prices are the main culprit, pushed up by the Iran war and the Hormuz blockade. The Federal Reserve is now expected to hold interest rates longer than markets had priced in. |
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🌍 IN OUR BACKYARD
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Africa takes stock of what US aid cuts actually cost it |
A three-day World Health Summit in Nairobi closed Wednesday with a pointed message: the continent can no longer outsource decisions about its own health systems to Washington. The gathering brought together African health ministers and global officials as the reality of US funding withdrawals continues to bite. |
The summit called for African nations to build self-funded health capacity rather than rely on external donors. No binding commitments emerged, the conversation has shifted noticeably since the cuts were announced earlier this year. |
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Burkina Faso locks down its capital after fresh Mali strikes |
Mali's latest wave of attacks has put Burkina Faso on edge. Security forces in Ouagadougou tightened controls this week in a precautionary response, the ruling junta citing concerns about potential spillover from its eastern neighbour and ally. |
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Mugabe's youngest son deported from South Africa after shooting case |
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, youngest son of Zimbabwe's late president Robert Mugabe, was given a deportation order by a South African court after admitting he had entered the country illegally. He had been in custody since mid-February following a shooting incident. The court combined the illegal-entry plea with the pending firearms matter to issue the order. |
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🗺️ AROUND THE WORLD
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Washington wants a coalition to reopen Hormuz as shipping stalls |
The Trump administration is seeking international partners to restart cargo movement through the Strait of Hormuz, where blockades by both the US and Iran have effectively halted traffic. Diplomats are briefing allies but no formal coalition has been announced. |
Crude oil has already crossed $120 a barrel on signals that the blockade could be extended. For Mauritius, which imports almost all its fuel, the clock on those supply stocks is ticking. |
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Zelenskyy wants the fine print on Putin's ceasefire offer |
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he wants specifics on Vladimir Putin's proposed short-term ceasefire and has sought clarification from President Donald Trump's team on where Washington stands. No timeline or terms have been agreed. Zelenskyy's position is that a durable pause require binding guarantees, not just a handshake. |
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Arsenal and Atletico trade penalties in a 1-1 Champions League semi |
Arsenal and Atletico Madrid drew 1-1 in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final in Madrid on Wednesday night. Both goals came from the penalty spot. The return leg at the Emirates leaves neither side happy: Arsenal needed more away goals, Atletico needed to win at home. PSG confirmed separately that Achraf Hakimi will miss their return leg against Bayern Munich with a thigh injury. |
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🧠 THE DEEP END
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Three fake grenades from AliExpress, stopped at Mauritius customs |
Between March and April, customs officers at the Plaine-Magnien freight centre intercepted three plastic replica hand grenades and tactical gear branded 'Eshooter', all ordered via AliExpress. The items look convincing enough to set off alarms. |
Not functional, but local regulations prohibit replica weapons that could be mistaken for the real thing. No arrests reported. Customs has not said who placed the orders. |
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