The hotel has 102 rooms offered at a competitive price of Rs 2,999 and is characterised by a new concept of hospitality known as Urbanlifestyle.

Eric Sirop, manager of the hotel stated, “Voilà Bagatelle is an innovative concept in Mauritius, offering its customers a new way of viewing the world of hospitality.” He added, “The hotel positions itself as a space where the lives, habits, attitudes, value systems and desires of customers will be taken into account. It will be a meeting place with special attention to usability and accessibility.”

Voilà Bagatelle hopes to provide good service at an unbeatable price to customers. “The Urbanlifestyle hotel is innovative in its approach as it is offering customers to go back to basics without compromising on quality and with services that are really useful,” said Sirop.

“Voilà Bagatelle is also accessible to Mauritians who wish to enjoy leisure with the various facilities offered by the Bagatelle Mall,” he added. The booking system is 100 per cent online via their website (www.voilahotel.mu). “Everything is done by a computing platform that lists the rooms available and offers the customer the best price depending on selected dates.” said Sirop.

Badar Mansoor, who reputedly sent fighters to Afghanistan and ran a training camp in North Waziristan, was killed in a drone strike near the Afghan border, Pakistani officials and a member of his group told AFP.

“He died in the missile attacks overnight in Miranshah. His death is a major blow to Al-Qaeda’s abilities to strike in Pakistan,” a senior Pakistani official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

His death was confirmed by one of his loyalists.

“Badar Mansoor was killed in the missile attack,” a militant among his group confirmed by telephone.

Intelligence officials in Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan, said Mansoor had been killed, but other Pakistani officials were divided.

“We’re not sure. We cannot give confirmation just like that,” one of them told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Four militants were reported killed in the pre-dawn drone strike, which targeted a compound in Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan.

It was only the second such attack in Pakistan since US President Barack Obama confirmed the secret drone programme late last month.

Pakistan and the United States are currently taking tentative steps to repair a serious crisis in relations over last year’s covert American raid that killed Osama bin Laden and US air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

The senior Pakistani intelligence official described Mansoor as the “de facto leader of Al-Qaeda in Pakistan” after his predecessor, Ilyas Kashmiri, was reported killed in a drone strike last June.

Unlike Kashmiri, who had a $5 million bounty on his head, Mansoor is not listed on the US State Department Rewards for Justice list.

There was no immediate confirmation of his death from the United States. But one Western counter-terrorism expert described Mansoor as the local chief of Al-Qaeda and one of the Americans’ chief targets in Pakistan.

“If it’s true, this is very good news for the anti-terrorism fight, and this was very important for both the US and Pakistan,” the official said.

He called Mansoor Al-Qaeda’s go-between with Pakistan’s umbrella Taliban movement and a member of Al-Qaeda’s leadership shura in Pakistan.

Mining-powered Australia was the only advanced economy to dodge recession during the global downturn due to the resilience of its resources exports to Asia, but it is feeling the headwinds from Europe’s unresolved debt crisis.

Swan said Australia had already seen Aus$140 billion ‘ripped from government revenues due to global instability’ and urged Europe to take credible and rapid action to put their budgets on a sustainable, longer-term footing.

“There is no doubt the active intervention of the European Central Bank in particular extending the maturity of its lending to European banks has helped
to calm sentiment in recent weeks,” Swan said in a statement to parliament. “The agreement of a new fiscal compact for Europe is also a step in the right direction. But more is needed given the scale and significance of the problems that Europe faces.

“Economic growth in Europe is crucial to achieving debt sustainability. But to achieve stronger growth, Europe must embark on a wide ranging package of structural reforms.

The Australian treasurer added that “these are the tough reforms which Australia has long since introduced like opening up sectors to competition and reforming pension systems.”

Swan will attend the G20 finance ministers meeting in Mexico later this month where he said he would push for more funding for the International Monetary Fund, bolstering calls by the organisation for some $500 billion in extra financing.
The International Monetary Fund, which is part funding the bailout of a string of eurozone nations, wants additional cash to help it deal with future public debt crisis.

“A global firewall in the form of an adequately-resourced IMF alongside a strengthened European firewall will also boost confidence and prevent contagion spreading from Europe to the rest of the world,” Swan said.

“This is the message I will take to Mexico.”

While the Australian economy remains on track with what Swan said was solid growth, low unemployment, contained inflation, and strong public finances, he warned that ‘no economy remains untouched from the fallout from Europe’.

“We’ve seen global turbulence create volatility in our share market, dampen confidence and unsettle consumers and businesses,” he said.

“Households have become more cautious, and businesses more hesitant in their hiring decisions.” The Australian treasurer also highlighted a strong Australian dollar pressuring trade-exposed industries, such as tourism and manufacturing. “Despite these headwinds, our budget is on track for surplus in 2012-13, well ahead of our peers,” Swan added, saying Australia’s economic fundamentals remained ‘rock solid.’

Zimbabwe again failed to fire as New Zealand, inspired by a century from skipper Brendon McCullum, plundered 373-8 in 50 overs and then routed the Africans for 171 with six overs to spare. Captain Brendan Taylor, whose 62-ball 65 was the high point of the Zimbabwe innings, was left looking for positives from a series in which the gulf between the teams progressively widened.

New Zealand capitalised after winning the toss and electing to bat, with a 153-run opening partnership from Martin Guptill (85) and Rob Nicol (61) laying the foundation for their side’s third-highest one-day international total. McCullum piled on the agony with a swashbuckling 119 from 88 balls, including five sixes, as Zimbabwe’s Brian Vitori suffered the indignity of becoming only the fifth player to concede more than 100 runs in an ODI.

Vitori haemorrhaged 105 runs in nine overs for just one wicket, at one point conceding three sixes in three balls to Nathan McCullum, the New Zealand skipper’s brother, in a horror over that yielded 26 runs. Zimbabwe have two Twenty20 matches remaining on the tour, the first in Auckland on Saturday, in which to salvage some pride.

The home side rode their luck at times but always looked comfortable against a Zimbabwe attack that has failed to adapt to New Zealand conditions. Opening batsman Nicol, a centurion in the last one-dayer, was given out lbw for four in the first over but survived after appealing to the third umpire, who ruled he had got an inside edge off a Vitori inswinger. He should have been out two overs later when a mis-timed pull shot sailed to square leg, only for Tinotenda Mawoyo to ground the catch.

Guptill made the most of the short McLean Park boundary, bringing up his fifth consecutive one-day half century in 38 balls, including four sixes and four fours. Prosper Utseya eventually broke the opening partnership, trapping Nicol lbw, while Guptill went after a bizarre stumping the next ball. The batsman played and missed at an innocuous Ray Price delivery, called a wide, then took off for a single, believing the ball had skidded past keeper Tatenda Taibu.

However, the ball had lodged under Taibu’s arm and the wicketkeeper gleefully pulled it out and whipped off the bails as Guptill tried to scramble back to his crease. It was one of the few pieces of good fortune to go Zimbabwe’s way and the tourists’ run chase began poorly when openers Tino Mawoyo (9) and Stuart Matsikenyeri (5) went cheaply.

Captain Taylor and Taibu combined for a 67-run stand before debutant seamer Michael Bates and substitute fielder Colin de Grandhomme broke the partnership.

Bates snared his first ODI wicket when Taibu holed out to de Granhomme, who had a dream cameo, also catching Taylor at long-on and playing a part in Malcolm Waller’s run-out.

Zimbabwe never matched the 7.5 runs an over required for victory and Taylor’s departure at 5-115 meant there was no real prospect of batting out 50 overs.

New Zealand’s bowlers shared the spoils, with leg-spinner Tarun Nethula and part-timers Nathan McCullum and Kane Williamson taking two wickets apiece.

The café mentions freshly baked cakes and pastries, and although we did not order any, they did look tempting.

Breakfast is on the menu as well and one interesting dish for breakfast was pancakes filled with savoury mince and topped with cheese sauce.

We ordered the Cajun open sandwich on rye bread; the chicken was tender and had a lovely dressing on top. A big bowl of spaghetti bolognaise hit the spot for my hungry son. I also tried the pepper steak pie, and although the pie was on the small side, the cubes of beef were tasty and well sauced.

This is a new restaurant and I am giving it time to improve its service, as the owner was busy cooking in the kitchen and trying hard to train the staff at the same time.

The salad menu looked good and there was even one called Skinny Peach! There were three selections of toasted sandwiches on the menu and the lady next to ours ordered one, which looked scrumptious and filling.

On top of the menu it quotes “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced”.

I love experiencing new flavours, so please email me if you know of any restaurant on the island with the wow factor and you wish me to write about.

Police sergeant Sanjeev Suntoo, 38, from Quatre Cocos tried to take his life by consuming detergent, after an argument with Manisha Takoor, with whom he was having a live-in relationship.

He was admitted to ICU of Flacq hospital. His condition is very serious.

A 16-year-old girl from La Caverne, Vacoas also attempted suicide by consuming toxic substances. She was taken to Apollo Bramwell hospital by her father, Jean Francois Mamode. The doctors stated that her condition was serious.

While Malini Choyle, 38 from Dubrueil, also attempted suicide by consuming toxic substances. She was admitted to Jawaharlal Nehru hospital and is serious.

The police plan to interrogate her husband Vijaykumarsingh Choyle.

The deal was agreed to by financial liquidator Roger Boodnah, who is responsible for the liquidation of Infinity BPO company limited.

An offer of Rs 2.5 million was accepted by Barclays Leasing.

He was seeking Rs 3.7 million, which is what was paid by Infinity Holdings, a subsidiary company that managed the assets of Infinity BPO at Barclays Leasing, for the acquisition of the car on lease. The car was returned on May 17, 2011 by Jean Suzanne at the leasing company.

According to a spokesperson of the bank, the offer was selected following a tender exercise. The liquidator will be paid the full amount following an agreement, which was reached between both parties.

Boodnah was accompanied by senior attorney Thierry Kœnig and lawyer Iqbal Rajabalee while André Robert represented Barclays Leasing.

These include the new appointees for Island chief executive (ICE), chairperson of Rodrigues Regional Assembly (RRA) and others at the administrative level.

According to latest reports, the current chairperson of RRA, Chenlyle Lamvohee will be ousted. The current ICE, Joseph Ahleong is expected to be replaced by Jacques Hee Hong Wye. Department heads of various executive councils are expected to be be changed from next week.

President Sir Anerood Jugnauth is expected to visit Rodrigues during the weekend for the oath taking ceremony of the 21 members of RRA.

The leader of MR, Nicolas Von Mally is ready to ‘review the RRA Act under a regional government chaired by the OPR’. However, he crititcised the OPR for failing to cooperate with MR’s previous proposition of amending the law.

OPR currently has 11 members from a total of 21 while the Front Patriotique Rodriguais, led by Johnson Roussety and the MR occupy the remaining 10 seats.

The OPR plans to go to the Supreme Court following legal advice over amending clause 11 (10) of the RRA Act to gain one more seat at the RRA.

“There is a pressing need to formulate national pastoral guidelines for handling such cases,” Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle said on the final day of a summit
on the clergy abuse scandals at the Vatican’s Gregorian University.

“The relative silence with which the victims and Asian Catholics face the scandal is partly due to the culture of shame that holds dearly one’s humanity, honour and dignity,” Tagle told bishops and cardinals from around the world.

Tagle said Asian Catholics had initially looked on the scandals as a problem “mainly tied to Western cultures.”

“But such a view changed when similar cases surfaced in Asia,” he said.

Citing his native Philippines as an example, Tagle said that laws on abuse by the clergy were “not fully developed yet” and the Church was generally following “the unfolding jurisprudence in the United States.”

Catholic leaders have been meeting for an unprecedented four-day conference on the issue of child abuse, which has rocked the Catholic Church in recent years after thousands of scandals mainly in Europe and the United States.

One of the main aims of the meeting is to ensure that Catholics in other parts of the world such as Africa, Asia and Latin America learn from the experience of the Church in Western countries in rooting out abuse.

The Vatican has asked that all national bishops’ conferences must submit by May a set of guidelines for dealing with child abuse, a task that has been complicated by cultural and legal differences in different countries.

The OPEC now expects daily demand this year of 88.76 million barrels per day, down from its forecast a month ago of 88.90 million bpd. The new forecast also represents an increase of 0.94 million bpd from the level seen in 2011, according to revised OPEC data. “Waning OECD economies are negatively affecting the oil market and imposing a considerable range of uncertainty over the short term,” the report said in reference to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

It pointed in particular to concern over US growth prospects and potential fallout from the eurozone debt crisis. In Europe, “the severity of the situation has lessened, but many challenges remain,” OPEC noted.

The cartel’s 12 members account for about 30 per cent of global crude oil output and they expected demand to increase mainly in China, India, the Middle East and Latin America.

Another factor that could curb demand worldwide however was higher oil prices. “Firming retail petroleum prices are expected to have a negative impact on oil demand across the globe,” OPEC said.

“The transportation and industrial sectors are the ones most affected. The use of oil in both sectors is slowing noticeably worldwide,” it added. Crude prices edged higher in London trade on Thursday on hopes that protracted talks over a Greek debt deal were set for a conclusion, analysts said.