🇲🇺 Government cancels Camp-Thorel lease as Kala Samurai mystery deepens

Government cancels Camp-Thorel lease as Kala Samurai mystery deepens

Eight days after the riot, the state has acted. The Ministry of Agro-Industry cancelled the hunting and fishing lease held by Hémisphère de l'Est over 178 hectares of state land at Camp-Thorel, effective 48 hours after a notice sent on 23 May. The Forest Service found multiple breaches of the Shooting and Fishing Leases Act along with violations of the lease conditions, which had been running since September 2022.

Investigators are still hunting for the woman the internet has named 'Kala Samurai' after footage showed her apparently passing a sharp object to a rioter during the 17 May clashes. Housing Minister Shakeel Mohamed publicly called for witnesses, warning the inquiry is losing time and suggesting a deliberate effort to shield her identity may be at work. He also flagged social media posts he says are trying to ignite communal tensions around the incident.

A lease terminated eight days after the riot it helped spark is the fastest accountability this site has seen in years.

FCC unravels Ally Royals' network through Influencer Awards organisers

Bobysen Ramasawmy, bailed on 21 May after an arrest linked to the Financial Crimes Commission's investigation into influencer Ally Royals, told investigators he first met Ally Royals while co-organising the 2020 Influencer Awards MU event. He is suspected of alerting Ally Royals to an imminent arrest, which investigators say may constitute obstruction.

The FCC is now probing whether connections formed at that event evolved into more structured influence circle, examining the awards' funding sources and the roles of everyone involved in organising it.

Should some police officers carry guns? Shakeel Mohamed wants the debate

Opposition MP Shakeel Mohamed has pushed for a public conversation on arming selected police units, citing a run of violent incidents as evidence the force lacks sufficient deterrent.

Mohamed stopped short of advocating blanket armament. His proposal is targeted: specific units in high-risk situations. The call comes days after a detainee in Plaine-Magnien slipped free of handcuffs and attacked an officer before being recaptured.

Thailand caps Mauritians at 15 days without a visa

Mauritians planning a Thai trip will need to adjust. Thailand has tightened its entry rules and capped Mauritian visitors at a 15-day stay under the existing visa-free arrangement. A longer stay now requires applying for a visa before departure.

Mauritius sits second in Africa on the powerful-passport rankings, yet that passport keep losing days in destinations that used to welcome it freely.

Environment ministry issues Stop Order to halt Calodyne construction

After years of dust, noise and unanswered complaints, residents near the Calodyne site got the result they had been pushing for: a formal Stop Order from the Environment Ministry halting construction this week. Locals called it the most significant development in their campaign to date.

Shorts

CEB: Rs 1.5bn in extra fuel bills – Three fuel shipments bought at double the usual price have cost CEB an extra Rs 1.5 billion since February.

Frozen pump prices widen state deficit – Keeping pump prices frozen while global oil climbs is widening the gap between what consumers pay and actual cost.

Inmate found dead in Beau-Bassin cell – A 40-year-old man was found dead in his cell at Beau-Bassin prison on Sunday morning; an inquiry has been opened.

New mayor sworn in at Rose-Hill – Louis Toussaint André has been elected mayor of Beau-Bassin/Rose-Hill after Gabriella Batour resigned from the position.

Metal rod in throat sent woman to India – A 24mm metal piece lodged in Isabelle Héliotrope's trachea during a meal required emergency surgery in India to extract.

1 out of 13

EIA development permits at Les Salines completed in 20 years, with most projects on state-owned land never progressing past the approval stage, the Environment Minister told parliament.

12 routes

Suspended by Morocco's Royal Air Maroc due to surging fuel costs tied to the Middle East conflict, a sign the Iran war's economic reach extends far beyond the region.

21 assists

Set by Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes this Premier League season, a new single-season record, earning him the league's player of the year award as United finished third.

Ebola death toll passes 200 in DRC as WHO raises risk to highest level

The World Health Organization has elevated the Ebola risk rating for the Democratic Republic of Congo to its highest level, with more than 200 people now dead and the African Union warning that 10 neighbouring countries face serious exposure to the virus.

Aid organisations are still struggling to reach the eastern DRC regions where the outbreak is spreading fastest. Mauritius activated its Ebola contingency plan earlier this month as a precaution.

Tinubu locks in Nigeria's ruling-party nomination for 2027

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu won his party's primary by a landslide, securing the All Progressives Congress nomination ahead of the January 2027 presidential election.

Can an election be competitive when the result is already written?

Ethiopia votes on 1 June in what analysts call one of the least competitive elections in recent memory, with PM Abiy Ahmed all but guaranteed to win.

US and Iran say peace talks are making real progress toward ending the war

Three months of conflict, and suddenly both sides want out. President Trump announced that Pakistan-mediated talks have produced genuine movement toward a deal, with discussions centred on nuclear weapons and the Strait of Hormuz. No agreement signed yet.

Reopening Hormuz would cut global fuel shipping costs within days, which matters for Mauritius, whose energy import bills have been climbing since February.

Turkish police storm opposition HQ to eject its elected leader

Turkish police entered CHP headquarters to eject party chair Ozgur Ozel after a court voided the 2023 congress and reinstated former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

Ukrainian drones set fire to Russian oil terminal at Novorossiysk

Ukrainian drones hit a Novorossiysk oil terminal, a Perm Krai chemical plant and a Russian tanker in one overnight push, sparking a fire at the Black Sea port.

Barcelona put four past Lyon to claim a fourth Women's Champions League

Barcelona dismantled Lyon 4-0 in Oslo to win their fourth Women's Champions League title, with Ewa Pajor and Salma Paralluelo scoring twice each. Lyon had dominated this competition for the better part of a decade before Barcelona's recent run.

The scoreline flattered no one. Barcelona were faster, sharper and finished without mercy. Women's club football has its own dynasty now.