COVER STORY

Sexual crimes against women: Are they really on the rise?

The spate of prostitution rings and recently-released statistics point to sexual violence increasingly being targeted towards younger women. What is driving this epidemic? And should we be alarmed?

INTERVIEW

Lormus Bundhoo: “There is a ‘window period’ during which a patient may be tested negative though he has the HIV virus.”

In light of the recent headlines concerning health related issues, Weekly speaks to Lormus Bundhoo, minister of health and quality of life, about what he plans to do about the cases, and how Mauritius can protect itself from the threat of Ebola.

EDUCATION

TEC’s university figures: The dramatic turnaround

The recently released university figures for 2013 from the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) contain quite a few surprises. Weekly looks at the new trends.

THIS IS MAURITIUS

Rakhi festivities: The subtle messages not to be missed

You may have seen many boys and grown-up men over the weekend proudly sporting bracelets of different colours made of thread. These are called Rakhis as the Hindu community celebrated the Rakhi festival on Sunday. The symbolism behind this festival is very important and you may lose out if you do not grasp its full implications.

What you didn’t know about Assumption Day

How much do you really know about the public holiday that has come to be symbolised in Mauritius by the traditional Gâteau Marie (Virgin Mary cake)? Far from being just a tradition among many, Assumption Day is one of Catholicism’s newest and most-debated dogmas.

BUSINESS FOCUS

The rise of MICE

According to the minister of tourism, there will be new developments in the Meetings, Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector. More and more hotels are seeking to exploit this market segment as it also compensates for the low season of European tourists.

HEALTH

The economics of infection

There is no approved vaccine or treatment for Ebola. There are candidates, some of which have shown promising results when tested on non-human primates. But they haven’t gone through the full testing process that is necessary before they are approved for human use, because nobody was willing to pay for it.