Tag Archives: Mauritius

News, Politics, Government

S.Africa wary of Namibia ahead of Cosafa Cup quarters

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South Africa coach Gordon Igesund is wary of Namibia before a Cosafa Cup quarter-final in Zambia on Saturday.

The ‘Brave Warriors’ have shocked ‘Bafana Bafana’ (The Boys) twice in previous editions of the annual southern Africa national team championship.

Boths upsets came in Windhoek with an extra-time goal bringing a 3-2 victory and Namibia winning another showdown on penalties after a 1-1 stalemate.

South Africa received a FIFA rankings-related bye into the quarter-finals this year and withdrawals have robbed Igesund of half his original 20 players.

Namibia secured a date with their neighbours by defeating Indian Ocean challengers Mauritius 2-1 and Seychelles 4-2 to top Group A.

Both wins came at the compact Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka, the setting for a last-eight double-header with title-holders Zimbabwe facing Malawi first.

Tackling Bafana Bafana is a dream come true for Namibia coach Ricardo Mannetti, a South Africa-based professional for many years.

His most successful spell was under Igesund as unfashionable Cape Town outfit Santos defied the odds to be crowned 2002 South African Premiership champions.

“Anything can happen when Namibia face South Africa because it is always an emotional occasion,” recently appointed Mannetti told reporters.

“We have defied the odds to shock Bafana Bafana several times in the Cosafa Cup and I would love to get one over my former boss Gordon.”

Igesund concedes that the 66-place advantage South Africa enjoy over Namibia in the FIFA world rankings will count for little this weekend.

“It would be foolhardy to take Namibia for granted after they achieved good victories over Mauritius and the Seychelles.

“They held Africa Cup of Nations champions Nigeria in a World Cup qualifier last month and that is sufficient warning for us,” he stressed.

While Mannetti watched his team waste many chances when beating the Mauritians and the Seychellois, Igesund battled with a spate of pull-outs.

“My players are not horses,” fumed Kaizer Chiefs official Bobby Motaung after withdrawing four players.

Other clubs preparing for a new Premiership season took similar action, leaving Igesund with a squad including two players from second-tier side Jomo Cosmos.

Anger over a $10,000 (7,600-euro) bonus offer to Malawi caretaker coach Tom Saintfiet has overshadowed the clash with Zimbabwe.

The Belgian says he is working for free and will pocket the cash only if Malawi win in Nigeria during September and reach the play-offs for 2014 World Cup slots.

“Why do officials not make similar offers to the players?,” asked captain and midfielder Joseph Kamwendo before the squad left for Zambia.

“We have been fighting for bonus increases for a long time, but officials just ignore us.”

Kamwendo, once on the books of South African giants Orlando Pirates, says he and his team-mates will get just $85 (65 euros) each for toppling Zimbabwe.

Ex-Namibia and Ethiopia coach Saintfiet has made changes to the list of predecessor Edington Ng’onamo, including axing goalkeeper Charles Swini.

Zimbabwe coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels can draw confidence from a 1-1 friendly draw in Malawi last month as he takes an experimental squad to Lusaka.

Among those called up for the first time are strikers Tendai Ndoro and Lot Chiwunga and goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube.

The other …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Concludes Month-Long Immersion in Dubai

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Concludes Month-Long Immersion in Dubai


During Five-Week Relocation, Starwood’s Leaders Visited 19 Cities in 12 Countries Covering 38,000 Miles from World’s Most Vibrant Travel Hub

DUBAI–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Marking the conclusion of Starwood’s month-long relocation to Dubai, Frits van Paasschen, President & CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYS: HOT) , today shared highlights and insights from the company’s immersion in the Middle East.

Throughout the month of March, van Paasschen and members of Starwood’s Senior Leadership Team met with 3,000 associates, conducted nearly 50 owner meetings and visited all 14 Starwood hotels in Dubai, which is the company’s second largest hotel market behind only New York City. The team also took advantage of Dubai’s strategic location to travel to 19 cities across 12 countries, meeting with government officials and potential development partners in fast-growing markets, including Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and India. During the five-week relocation, the team travelled 61,000 kilometres (38,000 miles) – the equivalent of circling the globe one and half times.

Over the course of the month, more than 200 of Starwood’s senior leaders and General Managers travelled to Dubai as the company ran day-to-day operations almost 7,000 miles and an eight-hour time zone difference away from the company’s global headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.

During the relocation, Starwood executives also met with more than 150 corporate and leisure customers who drive business to hotels globally. The Middle East is an increasingly important outbound travel market, and regional membership in Starwood Preferred Guest, the company’s loyalty program, has increased 140% over the last five years.

“It is hard to overstate the potential for our business in this region of the world. By bringing our executives here and spending time with our partners and local teams, we are uniquely positioned to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime growth opportunity,” said van Paasschen. “I have no doubt that our time spent here will drive future hotel contracts in the region, accelerate Starwood’s position as the most global high-end hotel company and further define our culture.”

Last month Starwood announced that it will increase its Middle East and Africa (MEA) portfolio by more than 60 percent with nearly 50 new hotels set to open over the next five years, adding more than 14,000 guest rooms to the …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

This Day in History

Today in History for 2nd April 2013

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Historical Events

1590 – States-General appoints earl Mauritius, viceroy of Utrecht
1877 – 1st Easter egg roll held on White House lawn
1878 – 1st issue of Rotterdam’s Newspaper
1980 – Wayne Gretzky becomes 1st teenager to score 50 goals in a season
1991 – Rotterdam Daily Newspaper begins publishing
2001 – 63rd NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: at Metrodome Minneapolis

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1863 – Henry C Van de Velde, Flemish painter/architect (Art Nouveau)
1907 – Luke Appling, American baseball player (d. 1991)
1959 – Juha Kankkunen, Finnish race car driver
1959 – Carmen Ayala-Troncoso, NYC, 5K runner
1962 – Clark Gregg, American actor
1976 – Rory Sabbatini, South African golfer

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1657 – Jean-Jacques Olier – French catholic priest, founder of the Society of Saint-Sulpice (b. 1608)
1865 – Richard Cobden, founder Anti-Corn-Law League, dies at 60
1872 – Samuel Morse developer of electric telegraph, dies at 80
1892 – Willem J d’Ablaing van Giessenburg, Dut baron/genealogist, dies at 79
1951 – Simon Barere, pianist, dies while perfoming at Carnegie Hall
1961 – Wallingford Riegger, US composer (Bacchangle), dies at 75

More Famous Deaths »

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at HistoryOrb.Com – This Day in History

News, Politics, Government

11 killed in flash floods in Mauritius capital

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Officials say flash floods blamed on climate change killed at least 11 people in the capital of the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.

Officials said most drowned in rivers of water that rose swiftly Saturday in a pedestrian underpass and an underground car park.

Torrential downpours slammed Port Louis. The meteorological office reported 152mm (6 inches) of rain fell in less than an hour. It warned there could be more storms.

Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam declared Monday a day of mourning. On national radio Sunday he blamed climate change for the floods.

He said there also was heavy property damage.

National TV showed people clinging to each other as they waded through hip-high water in a central street. L’Express newspaper showed cars floating away.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Interval International Welcomes Fun Club Mauritius to Its Global Vacation Exchange Network

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Interval International Welcomes Fun Club Mauritius to Its Global Vacation Exchange Network

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services and an operating business of Interval Leisure Group (NAS: IILG) , announced the affiliation of Fun Club Mauritius. The shared ownership apartments are within Plage Bleu, a gated beachfront development close to Grand Baie, a popular tourist centre on the island of Mauritius.

“This property is a tranquil alternative to larger resorts in the area, yet it’s only a short walk to some of the island’s best swimming beaches along Trou aux Biches and a short drive to shops and nightlife in Grand Baie,” said Darren Ettridge, Interval’s senior vice president of resort sales and business development for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

The open-plan units at Fun Club Mauritius include 10 apartments, two penthouses, and two villas. The apartments have a private lawn or large balcony with barbecue and outdoor seating. Furnished to a high standard, the air-conditioned units have full kitchens and laundry facilities. En suite amenities include flat screen TVs with cable service, DVD player, and iPod docking station.

The resort’s manicured grounds surround a large swimming pool with shaded loungers. Guests also enjoy housekeeping and concierge services, and complimentary Wi-Fi. Just across the road, cars or scooters are available for visitors who would like to tour the island.

Renowned for its tropical beauty and moderate climate, with year-round temperatures ranging from 22 to 300C (72 to 860F), Mauritius is a popular vacation and honeymoon destination for Europeans because no entry visa is required.

“Our goal was to create a private and tranquil home from home experience for families on vacation,” said Mahendra Ghumundee, CEO of Fun Club Mauritius. “We are proud to partner with Interval International and confident that members who visit us on exchange will have memorable stays.”

Mauritius is approximately 1,200 miles off the south eastern coast of Africa and is served by major airlines, including daily flights from Johannesburg. The resort is a 50-minute drive from the International Airport Plaisance SS Ramgoolan.

About Interval International

Interval International operates membership programmes for vacationers and provides value-added services to its developer clients worldwide. Based in Miami, Florida, the company has been a pioneer and innovator in serving the vacation ownership market since 1976. Today, Interval has an exchange …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Articles of Interest

'Lost Continent' Detected Under Indian Ocean

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By Rob Quinn The remains of an ancient continent ripped apart by plate tectonics tens of millions of years ago may lie under the Indian Ocean, researchers say. Scientists who analyzed beach sand on the island of Mauritius found tiny crystals of zirconium silicate that were hundreds of millions of years older than… …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Newser – Home

Science & Technology

Fragments of continents hidden under lava in the Indian Ocean

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The islands Reunion and Mauritius, both well-known tourist destinations, are hiding a micro-continent, which has now been discovered. The continent fragment known as Mauritia detached about 60 million years ago while Madagascar and India drifted apart, and had been hidden under huge masses of lava. Such micro-continents in the oceans seem to occur more frequently than previously thought, says a study in the latest issue of Nature Geoscience. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Phys.org