<B>Cuttaree ousted from WTO race </B>

All the hopes that a Mauritian would be appointed as head of the World Trade organisation (WTO) are dashed. Jayen Cuttaree failed in the second round of consultations. Former European Union (EU) trade commissioner, Pascal Lamy, and Uruguyan candidate, Perez Del Castillo, will fight out the final match. Even if Jayen Cuttaree benefited from the support of the African, Carribean and Pacific (ACP) countries, this was obviously not enough to get through the second round. Pascal Lamy has of course been favoured by EU countries while the Cairns Group and the G-20 (big developing countries such as China, India, Australia, Brazil, Uruguay) voted for Perez del Castillo. The unsuccessful Mauritian candidate however hopes that the points he raised during his lobbying in Geneva, will remain on the agenda regardless of the person, who is elected. Pascal Lamy now seems to be the favourite in the race. As for Jayen Cuttaree, now that his hopes of a major international mission are behind him, he will be a candidate in the general elections on 3rd July in Stanley-Rose-Hill, the constituency where he has been elected since 1987.

<B>Virus in Port-Louis identified as ?Chikungunya? </B>

It is confirmed now that the blood samples sent by the ministry of Health to a virology laboratory in Amsterdam have revealed the existence of a dengue-like virus (also called Chikungunya). Several people from Arsenal and La Paix streets in Port-Louis suffering from joint aches, fever and red spots went to Jeetoo Hospital last week. Some of them also felt crippled.

The Chief medical officer of the ministry, Dr Shyam Sungkur, says it is not a fatal virus unlike dengue fever. The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and could have been introduced from East Africa or South East Asia.

The symptoms last for about 10 days and are treated by pain-relieving drugs as no vaccine exists. For the time being, all the cases reported are from the Port-Louis region.

<B>Chagossians? ?home? visit postponed</B>

The voyage of a hundred Chagossians to their native archipelago where they will visit their ancestors? graves has been postponed once again by the British government. The leader of ?Groupe Réfugiés Chagos?, Olivier Bancoult, however, appears conciliatiory towards the British authorities. He said it is only a ?technical problem? and seems sure that he will achieve his aim soon. ?A principal condition for chartering the ship was that the owners would be responsible for securing reclassification of the RTS Sinbad Nui as a passenger vessel. Unfortunately, they have not been able to obtain the appropriate certification in time to undertake the voyage on 7 May,? said a communiqué from the British High Commission.

<B>The speaker is back to party politics</B>

Dev Ramnah has resigned from the post of speaker of the National Assembly.

For one reason only: ?I?m going back into the political arena?. After being the speaker for five years, he says he is going back into politics with a sense of having done his duty. Although he didn?t give any details about his future constituency, he asserted that he would be a candidate for the ruling alliance.

<B>Eye transplants made easier</B>

An eye bank has been inaugurated at Victoria Hospital. Thanks to the Human Tissue (Removal Preservation and Transplant) Bill and the opening of this bank, the ministry of Health intends to make eye transplants easier for people suffering from blindness. The minister gives the assurance that transplants will be made in a transparent and ethical way. ?With this new legislation, patients will now not have to wait too long before being operated on.?

<B>Couple killed in hit-and-run</B>

During the early hours of Sunday morning, a couple was killed in Coromandel whilst coming back from a night-club in Beau-Bassin. The couple was riding home on a moped when a car, coming at full speed, hit them from behind and ran over both bodies. The driver then fled leaving the couple, critically injured. By the time the ambulance arrived, they were both dead from serious fractures and burns. The police are still looking for the driver, who is said to have been driving without a licence.