Some 444 police offciers lined up at the Gym­khana grounds on Saturday.

The issue of law and order in Mauritius still remains the talk of the town with the ever-increasing crime rate. Responsibilities are shared in this regard and the major chunk rests on the
shoulders of the law enforcers, the Mauritius Police Force.

The recent price revision on petrol on the local market has sent ripples across the country.

If you travel to your workplace by your car everyday, then you must be among one of those lucky ones who can still afford the luxury. Yes, you heard it right; it is indeed a luxury to be able to do that and this privilege is gradually slipping away from many of us.

Mauritians are steadily walking up to the unique art form of theatre.

Theatre is an artistic expression that reflects truthfully some aspects of life. It can project shortcomings and raise awareness about issues affecting the society. It might not necessarily solve society’s problems, but it can definitely stimulate thoughtprovoking ideas.

Obesity has been tagged as a global epidemic.

I had a teacher in his 40s who once shared a joke about his own physical condition. He said that without the help of a mirror he would not be able to check the lower part of his body. With his bulging belly, it was quite obvious and that remark, although hilarious was quite true.

People are opting for more economical and environment-friendly vehicles.

The soaring prices of oil, almost reaching $ 140 a barrel on the international market, will surely force us to tame our wild dreams of owning the most powerful cars of prestigious brands.

Hansley Legentil (riot head gear), prime suspect in the Quatre Bornes rape case.

Sexual assault on women is quite a common occurrence and there is no single week that goes by without any such news being splashed in local newspapers. At such a pace, the seriousness of the problem might fade out because the more often you hear of it the less shocking it becomes.

This scene is by no means an everyday occurrence in Mauritian classrooms.

Pictures of a student being slapped in front of his classmates that made headlines in a weekly paper days back sent shock ripples to the entire population. The video clip that was posted simultaneously on the Défi Media website turned out to be more shocking as per the reactions that poured in.

Mauri­tius is more vulnerable to external shocks compared to other countries.

Mauritius does not produce its own staple foods. This fact has not bothered us until the major rice and flour producers like China, India, Australia and Pakistan among other countries, decided to drastically cut down on their exports of these commodities or simply disrupt the process to ensure their own food security.

Awareness must be created at an early age on the hazards and addictive nature of tobacco.

In Mauritius, one student out of three has smoked a cigarette at least once. And this is not all. Statistics reveal another startling reality about smoking habits in this country : some 15% of school goers between 13-15 are regular smokers.

The local public transport system was put to test last week and the results it achieved were far from being satisfactory. The heavy downpour accompanied by thunderstorms on Wednesday last taught many a lesson on various fronts to the transport sector.