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Tag: Mauritius

  • Cruise ship banned from docking due to concerns over cholera outbreak within

    Cruise ship banned from docking due to concerns over cholera outbreak within

    The cruise ship en route to Mauritius cannot make a stop due to concerns about potential cholera cases among passengers.

    More than 3,000 people are stuck on a ship near East Africa. They are waiting for test results. If the results are negative, they can leave. If the results are positive, they have to stay in quarantine for more days.

    Esther Verdaas, a tourist from the Netherlands, said that we cannot get off the ship until February 27th.

    ‘But that might take more time. ‘ Someone on the boat might have cholera. If tests confirm this, they may have to stay another ten days.

    She said to BN DeStem that she and her family were on a trip to celebrate a sixtieth birthday, but it has become a very bad experience and they feel like they are just drifting on the sea with no direction.

    One British tourist got stuck in a bad situation on land. He was supposed to get on the ship this weekend, but had to cancel his trip. Now he might have to spend a lot of money to fly back to the UK.

    The 59-year-old man said his partner is too afraid to go on the ship because they are worried it might be contaminated.

    The captain said over the loudspeaker that there was an outbreak of cholera in South Africa and Zimbabwe. He also said that someone on the boat might have the stomach illness. Verdaas said this.

    They were told to be cleaner and more careful about germs. She also noticed that they were cleaning more, including spraying and vacuuming everywhere.

    Officials in Mauritius said they made the decision to prevent any problems with people’s health.

    We have taken samples from the people on the boat to test them, and we should know the results tomorrow.

    The boat was supposed to end its journey in Port Louis, Mauritius and pick up new people. It had 2,184 passengers and 1,026 crew members on it.

    It got to Mauritius one day before it was supposed to because it missed its stop at Reunion Island. But it’s not allowed to go into the port.

    Ms Verdaas said that the people on the plane were feeling anxious and unsure about when they could go home and if they would lose money on hotels they had already paid for but couldn’t stay in anymore.

    She said the amount of food at meals got smaller in case the ship couldn’t get more food for a while.
    The cruise company answered.

    A person who speaks for Norwegian Cruise Line said: “On February 13, 2024, during the South Africa trip of the Norwegian Dawn ship, a few guests felt a little sick with stomach problems. ”

    When the ship came back to Port Louis, Mauritius, the people in charge of the ship met with the local government to make sure everyone on board was safe and to discuss what steps were being taken to keep everyone healthy.

    The Mauritius government has delayed when the current cruise ship can let people off and when the next cruise can start because the local authorities need more testing before they can allow people to come into the country. The new date for both the current and next cruise is February 27th.

    “Plus, we’ve added more team members to help the guests getting on the Norwegian Dawn ship in February. ” On February 25, 2024, they will take a trip from Port Louis, Mauritius. They will also get a free place to stay in a hotel until they can get on the boat. Also, we are helping guests who are currently on the ship with their changed travel plans.

    ‘We care about the safety and well-being of our guests, crew, and the places we go to the most. ‘ We make sure to keep things clean and healthy, and we ask our guests to do the same. If you feel sick, tell the medical team right away.

    Furthermore, we have improved our cleaning procedures on the ship to make sure everyone stays safe. We will keep doing whatever is needed to protect our guests, crew, and the places we go to.

    The ship stopped in South Africa before, and some passengers got a little sick in their stomach, the company Norwegian Cruise Line said.

    The Mauritius Ports Authority said in a statement that they decided not to let the cruise ship come to the dock because they want to keep everyone healthy and safe.

    The authorities care a lot about keeping passengers and the whole country safe and healthy.

    It didn’t tell us what kind of risk to our health there is.

  • UK court affirms outcomes of Mauritius election after 4 years

    UK court affirms outcomes of Mauritius election after 4 years

    The UK court, serving as the ultimate appellate authority for Mauritius, has affirmed the 2019 election results that led to Pravind Jugnauth’s appointment as Prime Minister.

    The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC), acting as the final court of appeal for 27 countries and territories formerly under British rule, dismissed an appeal from an opposition candidate who raised concerns about the election’s legitimacy.

    In 2021, the Supreme Court of Mauritius had already upheld the election results. The appellant, Surendra Dayal, had contested for a parliamentary seat in the same constituency where Mr. Jugnauth was elected.

    Mauritius, an affluent island nation in the Indian Ocean, gained independence from Britain in 1968.

  • Mauritius court declares gay sex legal

    The top court of Mauritius has changed the law to make gay sex legal. They said that the previous ban was based on old rules from when Mauritius was a colony, and not on the country’s own beliefs and customs.

    British colonialists made it illegal to engage in “sodomy” in 1898, but authorities have not been enforcing this law in recent times.

    The man who likes other men and took the matter to court said he can now love whomever he wants without being scared.

    This decision is made when there is more hate towards gay people and stricter laws against them in some African countries.

    Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni signed a law in May that is against homosexuals. This law says that people who have sex with children or rape someone will be punished with death.

    Many people in Uganda and other African countries believe that homosexuality is not a part of their African culture and goes against their religious beliefs.

    This case in Mauritius was brought by Abdool Ridwan Firaas Ah Seek. He argued that the law against same-sex relationships violated his basic rights, such as the right to freedom.

    The highest court in Mauritius said that the law was not based on the beliefs and customs of the indigenous people of Mauritius, but was instead passed down from British colonial rule.

    The judges said that the decision to implement this was not based on what the people wanted, but was forced upon Mauritius and other colonies by the British government.

    This decision means that individuals cannot be arrested for engaging in gay sex anymore, but the law still needs to be officially removed by the parliament in order to make it legally accepted.

    In legal documents, the state said it wasn’t being unkind to the LGBT community, but the laws can only be changed by parliament when society is ready for it.

    Mauritius became independent in 1968, but continued to prohibit gay sex.

    Religious groups are strongly against getting rid of it.

    Abdool Ridwan Firaas Ah Seek stated that the decision would allow upcoming generations in Mauritius to comfortably and openly accept their sexuality without the worry of being taken into custody.

    The Human Dignity Trust (HDT) stated that it brings an end to over a hundred years of discrimination against LGBT individuals in Mauritius.

    The ruling told African countries that still make same-sex relationships illegal to get rid of these laws.

    In Mauritius, the law says that having gay sex can lead to being put in jail for up to five years. However, the HDT says that this law is mostly not followed anymore.

    There are 64 countries around the world where being gay is against the law, and almost half of them are in Africa.

  • Mauritius abolishes colonial-era law that criminalized same-sex relationships

    Mauritius has overturned a colonial-era law that criminalized same-sex relationships. The country’s Supreme Court declared Section 250 of the Mauritian Criminal Code, which dated back to 1898, as unconstitutional on Wednesday.

    This law had previously made individuals engaged in same-sex relations liable to be imprisoned for up to five years.

    In its ruling, the Supreme Court emphasized that the abolished law did not “reflect any indigenous Mauritian values but was inherited as part of our colonial history from Britain.”

    The decision to repeal the anti-homosexuality law originated from October 2019 when four young Mauritians, representing the rights group Young Queer Alliance, filed a legal challenge against the law, citing violations of their fundamental rights and freedoms.

    The United Nations and numerous human rights organizations have praised this ruling. UNAids stated in a release, “The UN welcomes the decision of Mauritius to join the growing list of African countries protecting the human rights of everyone, including LGBTQI+ people.”

    With this ruling, Mauritius joins the increasing number of African nations that have either decriminalized or legalized same-sex relationships, including Angola, Botswana, Seychelles, and Mozambique.

  • Mauritius cyclone warning disrupts flights

    Mauritius cyclone warning disrupts flights

    A warning of a severe tropical cyclone approaching Mauritius has caused disruptions to fights and public transportation.

    The Mauritius Meteorological Services said at 07:00, a “very intense tropical cyclone Freddy was centred at about 275 km to the north-east of Mauritius”, moving west at a speed of 30km/h (18mph)

    It estimated that wind gusts near its centre was about 300 km/h.

    “On this trajectory, Freddy continues to dangerously approach Mauritius and represents a direct threat,” it said.

    The weather agency warned people not to go to the sea and advised the public to follow all precautions and stay in safe places.

    The country’s national carrier, Air Mauritius issued a schedule of flights that it cancelled.’

  • These are the most innovative African countries in 2022

    A report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has evaluated innovation levels across 130 economies to determine the most innovative markets in the world in 2022.

    Switzerland is the most innovative economy in the world in 2022 – for the 12th year in a row – followed by the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. China is nearing the top 10 while Türkiye and India enter the top 40 for the first time, according to the GII 2022.

    Port Louis, Capital of Mauritius

    Port Louis, Capital of Mauritius

    According to the report, Mauritius emerged the most innovative African country, and climbing seven places to 45th on the Global Innovation Index (GII). Unlike most African countries, the report said Mauritius has a high human development score. Its economy has grown robustly in the last half a century, especially on financial services, tourism and information technology.

    This year, sixteen out of the 25 economies from Sub-Saharan Africa covered this year improved their ranking. Botswana took the biggest leap forward, reaching 86th position, and in so doing overtaking Kenya (88th) among the top 3 for the region. Other notable improvers within the region are Mauritius (45th), Ghana (95th), Namibia (96th) and Senegal (99th). South Africa remains unchanged in 61st place – and continuing to fail to improve consistently over time.

    Here are the top 10 most-innovative countries in Africa, according to the 2022 Global Innovation Index

    1. Mauritius
    2. South Africa
    3. Kenya
    4. Cabo Verde
    5. Tanzania
    6. Namibia
    7. Rwanda
    8. Senegal
    9. Botswana
    10. Malawi

     

    Source:pulse.com

  • Mauritius oil spill: Thousands march in Port Louis

    Thousands of people have marched through the Mauritian capital, Port Louis, in protest at the authorities’ handling of a massive oil spill, and the discovery of 39 dead dolphins.

    Many wore black and waved the national flag, while honking horns and drumming.
    Many called for the government to resign and had T-shirts with the inscription: “I love my country. I’m ashamed of my government.”

    It is the biggest protest the country has seen in recent years.

    About 1,000 tonnes of oil spilled into a sanctuary for rare wildlife after the Japanese ship MV Wakashio struck a coral reef on 25 July.

    Many Mauritians believe the government could have done more to prevent the spill. There is also criticism over the decision to deliberately sink part of the ship after it split in two.

    At Saturday’s protest, one woman told the BBC’s Yasine Mohabuth: “I am present today because we want the truth.

    “They didn’t do anything when the ship approached our coastline – 12 days they didn’t do anything until the oil spill and now thousands of people and marine people are affected.”

    Mauritians in the diaspora also held demonstrations in cities including London, Paris and Perth.

    The government has promised to set up a commission to investigate the spill.
    The captain of the ship has been arrested and charged with endangering safe navigation. He has not yet commented.

    It is not yet clear what caused the death of the dolphins, who were found washed up on the shore this week.

    Experts have examined two of the dolphins’ bodies and say they had bite marks from sharks but could find no trace of hydrocarbons in their bodies.

    Environmental campaigners have demanded an independent investigation, saying they were either killed as a direct result of the spill or when it was scuttled.

    Tourism is a major industry in the Indian Ocean island nation, and the spill has been a massive blow to the country, coming on top of the coronavirus pandemic, which has restricted international travel.

    Source: BBC

  • Dolphin deaths in Mauritius rise to 25

    The number of dolphins found dead in Mauritius, where the sea has been polluted following a huge oil spill last month, has risen to 25, causing more sadness and anger among locals.

    A further seven dead dolphins were found on Thursday morning by residents off the south-east coast in Grand-Sable and Pointe-aux-Feuilles.

    The mammals have been sent for a post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death.

    A total of 18 dead dolphins had swept to shore on Wednesday, with environmentalists blaming their deaths on the oil spill caused by a Japanese-owned vessel that ran aground on coral reef on 25 July.

    The fisheries minister said that “at first glance” their deaths did not appear to be connected to the spill.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Finger-pointing begins over Mauritius oil spill

    As salvage teams rush to pump oil out of a Japanese-owned ship grounded off the coast of Mauritius, politicians on shore are starting to spread the blame.

    The government has called the situation an “environmental crisis”, and following a request from Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, France and Japan have assisted.

    But opposition politicians are demanding to know how Mr Jugnauth’s government could have allowed the spill in the first place.

    Meanwhile, the Reuters new agency quotes an inspection body in Japan as saying the vessel passed its annual check in March without any problems.

    Cracks in the hull of the MV Wakashio are getting worse, according to the police, whose spokesman Shiva Cooten told the BBC on Tuesday “anything” could happen.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Vivo Energy Mauritius launches three new generations of lubricants

    Vivo Energy Mauritius, company holding the Shell franchise in Mauritius, is expanding its product range with three new generations of lubricants in the Shell Helix and Rimula ranges. Derived from a new generation of synthetic oil, these products help reduce greenhouse gases (CO2) 1 and save fuel2. They also meet environmental requirements and the needs of new vehicles on the market.

    Shell Helix Ultra 0W20 motor oil with SN PLUS specification is designed with Pureplus technology and can be used by hybrid vehicles as well as compact gasoline engines requiring 0W20 grades, or even those that use 5W20 grades. This oil has a low friction formulation which allows fuel economy and therefore helps to reduce CO2 emissions.

    Shell Helix Ultra ECT 5W30 C3, suitable for gasoline and diesel vehicles, is an approved oil for vehicles such as BMW, Mercedes, Nissan, Hyundai, Porsche and others. This product is imperative for all diesel vehicles that recommend the use of a low SAPS (or low SPAsh) lubricant. The particularity of low SAPS is the low rate of sulphated ash, phosphorus and sulfur contained in the product. It has the advantage of protecting the emissions systems and keeping the diesel particulate filter clean.

    Rimula Synthetic 10W40 is a 100% synthetic oil which also has the low SAPS (or low SPAsh) characteristic. It was designed only for diesel or heavy goods vehicles such as buses, trucks or construction machinery, and can also be used by vehicles meeting Euro 2 – 6 standards.

    Matthias de Larminat, Managing Director of Vivo Energy Mauritius said: ”Our products are now available in the market through authorized dealers, specialist shops and garages, and the Shell service station network. Already a leader in terms of the development of economical oils, Shell never develops a formula without taking into account the specifications of car manufacturers. Using a Shell product allows you to protect your engines as well as your investment. Always choose the best one so that your vehicle can perform at its maximum capacity.

    The market for automotive oils and lubricants is small and ultra competitive in Mauritius, it is imperative to constantly adapt our offer to meet automotive innovations and the expectations of users increasingly concerned about the good health of their vehicles. We are convinced that users will be able to give this new generation of motor oils a welcome that lives up to Shell’s reputation.”

    Lubricants Manager at Vivo Energy Mauritius, Bernard Domingue said that the engines being smaller while being more powerful, the choice of the right lubricant is therefore crucial for the proper functioning of the engine and its components.

    Shell has maintained its leadership position in the global lubricants market for the 13th consecutive year. Its lubricants are approved by many car manufacturers including Ferrari, Maserati, BMW, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen.

    Source: africabusinesscommunities.com

  • Mauritius confirms first three coronavirus cases

    Mauritius has confirmed its first three cases of coronavirus.

    Two of the three cases involve cruise ship workers aged 21 and 25, while the third is a traveller from the UK aged 59.

    Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said the three have been placed in isolation.

    He said the government was tracing all the people the traveller was in contact with.

    The government has closed all schools and borders points of the Indian Ocean island nation. It has also banned commercial flights and tourists for the next two weeks beginning Thursday.

    Source: bbc.com