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/ 26 May 2008

China’s push praised and censured in Mauritius

Sitting under a pair of mango trees and sipping coconut water, Toolsy Poorun (87) says he thought he would live in Terre Rouge forever. But then Chinese investment came to this part of Mauritius. Poorun, who lives in the suburbs of the Indian Ocean island’s capital Port Louis, now finds himself caught up in China’s African push.

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/ 13 March 2008

Mbeki opposes assault on rebel Comoros island

South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki said he opposed a threatened African Union-backed assault by the Comoros archipelago’s troops against the rebel island of Anjouan, saying it should be given time for a poll. Hundreds of federal troops have amassed on nearby Moheli island vowing an imminent assault on hilly, wooded Anjouan.

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/ 23 October 2007

Mauritius aims to become ICT hub

Mauritius wants to turn its economy into a regional information and communications technology (ICT) hub in the next few years, according to an official national strategic plan. Targets in the 2007 to 2011 plan include ”a 7% contribution into Mauritius gross domestic product from offshore ICT export services”.

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/ 9 August 2007

Kitesurfers catch the wave in Mauritius

Her blonde hair dripping with salt water, top Austrian kitesurfer Gabi Steidl cuts through the translucent, emerald green waves of the Indian Ocean. Kitesurfing — a hi-tech hybrid of surfing and kite-flying — is fast winning converts: riders harnessed to kites who stand on boards and skim, surf or even leap, often hanging in the air for several seconds.

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/ 20 February 2007

HIV hits drug users in Mauritius

In contrast to the rest of Southern Africa, intravenous drug users have become the group most vulnerable to the transmission of HIV in Mauritius. This has led the Mauritian government to introduce a syringe- and needle-exchange programme in a bid to stem HIV infection among Mauritian drug users.

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/ 20 February 2006

Mauritius looks west

Mauritius may be one of the world’s most glamorous destinations, but agriculturally speaking, there’s not that much of it to go around. As a result, the island’s government and farmers have begun looking west — to the far larger, neighbouring island of Madagascar. For the Malagasy administration, this holds out the promise of increased investment.