<B>Firecracker victim dies</B>

Burnt with firecrackers on New Year?s Eve, Maya Nudurchand has died of septicaemia. She was crossing her garden when firecrackers blew up under her long nylon skirt, which caught. Her legs were severely burnt and she was hurt by a shattered bottle. However, respecting Maya?s wishes, her family will not lodge any complaint against their neighbours.

<B>Indian Oil takes off </B>

IOC will start to stock and distribute oil products in Mauritius next month. Its oil terminal in Mer Rouge is nearly completed. The company expects to cover 20% of the local market in five years. It is also planning to open ten filling stations around the island. It is only waiting for the authorities? green light to start building.

<B>Ralph Lauren agent attacked</B>

Head of Intelligence and Operations of Fakebusters, agent for Polo Ralph Lauren, Marcel Lapierre, claims to have been ?slapped in the face and beaten up? by tradesmen in Grand-Bay. Ajay Beegoo, spokesman of those shopkeepers was present during the incident and apparently tried to calm down the situation. He insists that he has nothing to do with the aggression.

<B>Bishop answers State</B>

Bishop of Port-Louis, Mgr Maurice Piat, in an official letter, agrees to take charge of the education of the underprivileged, but not alone. He admits the Church has a role to play but its contribution can only be ?modest?. The Bishop adds that it is the State?s responsibility to provide education to all children. A ?quality education? must be given to the poor, but it demands a lot of resources that the Church does not have.

<B>Widows? swindlers caught</B>

CID is investigating a 1 million-rupee embezzlement to the detriment of Social Security. The victims are in fact real widows whose pension were reduced. The mastermind, Ismaël Malleck, is said to have asked women to call at various Social Security offices and report that they had contracted nika (religious marriage) with men who had meanwhile died. As soon as the cases were processed, they were paid a pension, of which a commission went to Ismaël. When the genuine wives noticed their pensions had been reduced, they filed complaints and a long enquiry led to the arrest of eight pseudo widows and their accomplices. The wives have recovered their normal pensions but no arrears.