● PM attends SADC summit ? The prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, is in Lusaka, Zambia, for the 27th Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit. The main themes on the agenda are expected to be the regional economic integration and the development of infrastructure in Southern Africa. As discussed in the summit in Lesotho last year, Mauritius is holding an international conference on poverty next year and the summit in Lusaka will be an opportunity of preparing it.

● Controversial new academic year ? The beginning of the year was not exactly restful for students and lecturers of the University of Mauritius. After being told that some would be relocated in secondary schools of the region, others were bluntly sent home on Monday morning for lack of space. On Wednesday, the university management issued a communiqué to its executives stating that three students would now submit one dissertation for their degree. This has caused a uproar from both students and lecturers. All these decisions are the result of the financial difficulties the UoM has been encountering for the past few years.

● Sagar gets third hotel ?The long negotiations that Sagar Hotels and Resorts Ltd (SHRL) was having to purchase the Berjaya Hotel have been successful against the mere amount of about Rs 1 billion. It has pipped other hotel groups for the opportunity this week. The Méridien, another hotel belonging to Sagar in Mauritius, has already expressed its wish to manage the new hotel. With its latest acquisition, Sagar now has 650 rooms on the island and employs about 2,500 people. The third hotel of the group, the Balaclava Luxury Collection will be operational in December this year. It will be a five-star hotel of 195 rooms with three restaurants, three bars, game rooms, two pools, a business centre and a modern spa.