🇲🇺 Twenty years for the woman who bankrolled a Rs 1.5 billion heroin run

Twenty years for the woman who bankrolled a Rs 1.5 billion heroin run

Bibi Tasleema Bruls, 55, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Assize Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to her role in one of Mauritius's biggest drug trafficking operations. She was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs 200,000.

Three relatives received sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years. All four defendants — from Camp-de-Masque-Pavé — were part of a ring led by Oomar Karrimbuccus that imported over 100kg of heroin. Bruls's specific role: providing Rs 40,000 for fuel when a boat carrying the shipment got stranded at sea, then helping resupply the vessel with water, food, and a satellite phone to get it home.

The operation dates back to October 2018. Two botched sea retrieval attempts — one foiled by bad weather, the other by a mechanical breakdown — nearly sank the whole plot. It didn't. Twenty years is a long time to reflect on Rs 40,000.

Four guilty pleas, four sentences. A drug ring that almost fell apart twice, saved by family loyalty.

Victoria Hospital's radiotherapy unit shut down over safety failures

Cancer patients relying on radiation treatment at Victoria Hospital face disruption after the national nuclear regulator ordered the department closed on 5 May, citing unacceptable risks to the public and environment.

The Radiation Safety and Nuclear Security Authority, RSNSA, invoked emergency powers after the Ministry of Health failed to guarantee adequate protection levels during medical exposures — a direct breach of the Radiation Safety and Nuclear Security Act. The closure stays in place until the Ministry proves every identified failing has been fixed.

Frozen veg, chips, margarine: five staples just got more expensive

Another round of price rises has hit supermarket shelves across the island. Frozen vegetables, chips, margarine, tinned tomatoes, and laundry detergent are all up, with the increases taking effect immediately.

Industry data points to more hikes coming in the days ahead. For households already stretched by a year of climbing costs, this is one of those weeks where the weekly shop quietly gets more expensive and nobody officially announces a crisis.

And we haven't even had the budget yet.

Rs 95 million found sitting in MASA accounts — arts minister calls for forensic audit

Arts and Cultural Heritage Minister Mahen Goondeea has pledged a forensic audit of Rs 95 million discovered dormant in the Mauritius Society of Authors accounts, promising the funds will go entirely to artists. Speaking at an awards ceremony Wednesday evening, Goondeea dismissed reports that the Ministry was planning to claim the money, calling the allegations "lies" and "nonsense." An independent firm has been brought in to trace the origin of the funds and identify the rightful beneficiaries.

A Plaine-Verte depot catches fire — for the second time

A major blaze tore through the Nanhuck depot in Plaine-Verte on Wednesday afternoon, the second time the building has gone up in flames. Emergency services were called at 1:25 pm. Residents in the surrounding neighborhood reported widespread panic as thick smoke filled the area.

Shorts

Baby Ezekiel is home – After weeks of uncertainty, little Ezekiel Aaron Cleo landed back in Mauritius on Thursday afternoon — a moment his family and a country full of well-wishers had been waiting for.

Three more medals at Africa Champs – Mauritius swimmers added three podium finishes in Oran on Wednesday — silvers for Aidan Li Ying Pin in the 100m breaststroke and Anishta Teeluck in the 200m backstroke, plus a bronze.

Police sergeant stays behind bars – A sergeant accused of sexually assaulting a 21-year-old female colleague had his bail application rejected at the Souillac district court on Wednesday.

Mauritius and Réunion tighten security ties – A joint sub-committee meeting in Port Louis on Thursday sealed a new agreement to intensify cross-border crime and drug trafficking cooperation between the two islands.

Certificate of Character Bill passed – Parliament adopted the Certificate of Character Bill with amendments on Tuesday, a law designed to help people with past convictions reintegrate into society by controlling what appears on their official record.

10 months

maximum overtime backlog owed to A&E doctors in Mauritius, per a formal alert sent to authorities by the Emergency Medicine Doctors Union on 28 April. The union says delays have become "considerable."

14.9%

Egypt's annual inflation rate in April, easing slightly from 15.2% in March — a reminder that cost-of-living pressure is regional, not just local.

$6.92 billion

Shell's first-quarter profit, driven by soaring crude prices and trading volatility from the Iran war. Not everyone is losing from this conflict.

Mali's junta leader was the assassination target all along

The Malian army confirmed this week that junta leader Assimi Goïta was personally targeted in the coordinated wave of attacks that struck the country less than two weeks ago. Goïta has since appointed a new army chief of staff, consolidating military command after the assault.

Mali has faced serious pressure from armed groups for months. Confirming that the head of state was the direct target marks a shift — this was not random violence but an organised attempt to decapitate the government.

Ivory Coast scraps its electoral commission

The government dissolved the body responsible for organising elections on Wednesday following sustained opposition criticism over its handling of polls — with no announcement yet on what replaces it.

UN demands Tunisia end crackdown on journalists and civil society

The UN human rights chief called on Thursday for Tunisia to stop the widening repression targeting civil society groups, journalists, rights defenders, and opposition figures.

Middle East war is undoing Africa's best economic run in a decade, IMF says

Sub-Saharan Africa entered 2026 on genuine momentum — its fastest growth rate in ten years at 4.5%, falling inflation, declining debt. Then the Iran war hit. The IMF's new regional report warns growth will ease to 4.3% while inflation climbs back to 5.0% by year-end.

The bigger figure: 20 million people across Africa now face food insecurity as oil, fertiliser, and food costs spike. For Mauritius heading into a budget cycle under import pressure, the IMF's framing — "hard-won gains under pressure" — lands close to home.

US strikes Iranian facilities after attacks on warships

US and Iranian forces exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran targeted American warships, prompting US retaliatory strikes on Iranian facilities. Peace talks are nominally ongoing — Iran is reviewing a US proposal — but this is the sharpest direct military exchange yet.

France opens criminal probe into Elon Musk and X

French prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into Elon Musk and X over alleged algorithm manipulation, fraudulent data practices, and the distribution of deepfakes on the platform.

Iran wants FIFA's guarantee that its soldiers won't get arrested at the World Cup

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted in the United States, Iran's football federation chief Mehdi Taj has a specific problem: the IRGC, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, is designated a terrorist organisation by Washington. Any Guard member travelling with the national team could face arrest on arrival.

Taj is now seeking formal FIFA assurances that Iran and its officials will be treated with respect. An Iranian squad at a US World Cup while Washington and Tehran are trading live fire. The group stage draw alone would be appointment television.