Mauritius imposes curfew after police shooting sparks violent protests

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius 

Mauritius imposed a curfew on Tuesday over roughly a third of the island in response to rare violent protests that erupted after a police officer shot and seriously wounded a woman.

The Indian Ocean island, popular with tourists for its pristine beaches and coral reefs, has long been seen as a model of prosperity and stability.

But protests against water shortages and the rising cost of living have rocked the island in recent days.

The curfew runs from Tuesday evening until Wednesday morning, affecting 10 administrative regions, mainly on the outskirts of towns.

"My message is clear and uncompromising: we will identify the instigators and all those who are acting against the interests of the country, and they will be held to account," Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam said.

"Those who have carried out these actions will have to face the very heavy consequences warranted by their anti-patriotic acts."

According to witnesses, the police officer fired without warning at the woman, hitting her in the neck. He has been arrested and brought before the courts.

The woman is still in hospital, but the bullet has been removed by a team of Indian surgeons dispatched to Mauritius to save her, according to local media.

The protests had begun before the shooting, with demonstrators using burning tyres to block roads.

After the incident, several cases of looting were reported, notably at two supermarkets, and police stations were attacked, injuring several officers.

The British embassy in Mauritius warned its nationals there may be further protests and to "avoid demonstrations and large public gatherings."

The French embassy in Mauritius has also asked the French community to "exercise caution."

No outbreaks of violence had been reported since the start of the curfew, an AFP correspondent observed on Tuesday evening.

Mauritius has seen remarkable growth since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1968.

Its economy, once primarily agricultural and centred on sugar production, has diversified and is now driven by tourism as well as textiles and the financial sector.

Mauritius even briefly achieved high-income country status in 2020, before its economy was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer but had successful surgery, Vatican says

VATICAN CITY, Italy 

Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer but had successful surgery to remove a lower lobe of his right lung, the Vatican has said in a medical bulletin.

The 71-year-old underwent a 90 minute surgery on Tuesday at Rome's Gemelli Hospital and was subsequently diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma.

"The operation was successful and there were no complications," the Vatican said. "After the operation, the Pope awoke normally and returned after a brief period of observation to his room," it added.

The lump was first detected during what the Vatican has described as "routine checks". The Pope is expected to remain in hospital for about a week.

Earlier, large crowds waited for hours outside the hospital for the Pope.

They cheered greetings and well wishes as he passed, while he waved and smiled back through the lowered back window of his car.

He was then met by staff on the hospital steps. "I'm sorry," one of them commiserated, to which the Pope gave a smile and a shrug. "We're here for you," he was assured.

In its statement, the Vatican said the whole lower lobe of the Pope's right lung was removed "to ensure the procedure was radical". 

A Vatican source told Agence France-Presse news agency further tests were being carried out to see if there was any sign the cancer had spread.

It was Leo XIV himself who on Sunday announced news of his operation to the world, speaking from the balcony in St Peter's Square after delivering the traditional Angelus blessing.

He said the nodule, or growth, on his lung was "contained" and had been found "at a very early stage", but that doctors had advised him to have it removed.

Gemelli's thoracic surgery team operated on the Pope, whose schedule has already been cleared until 20 October to give him time to recover.

Nodules are quite common and not necessarily cancerous, but after it was examined the medical team confirmed it was pulmonary adenocarcinoma, "as suspected by pre-operative tests", the Vatican said.

The Vatican has stressed that the pontiff, who is generally thought to be fit, had no symptoms of infection or illness.

Cardinal Kikuchi Tarcisio Isao of Tokyo wrote on social media that he'd had an audience with Pope Leo on Monday, and said the pontiff felt "nothing wrong" physically.

He said the Pope had decided to check in for surgery as soon as possible because he was due to travel to Latin America in early November, and was keen to stick to that plan.

The trip is particularly significant because it includes a visit to Peru, where the pontiff was a missionary and then a Bishop for many years.

Despite all the reassurances, the news has shaken Catholics all over the world.

"Am I worried? Yes, because I certainly wasn't expecting anything like this," Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin told journalists on Tuesday.

He agreed that the news was like a "bolt from the blue", but said the cardinals had been struck by the Pope's "serenity" and were confident in his recovery.

Arsenal beat Lille 3-0 as perfect Champions League start continues

LONDON, England 

Arsenal blew away Lille with a three-goal blitz in seven second-half minutes for a 3-0 win to extend their perfect start to the Champions League on Tuesday.

Jurrien Timber’s deft finish opened the floodgates just after the hour mark at the Emirates Stadium before Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka rounded off the scoring.

Victory takes Arsenal into a share of the lead at the top of the Champions League table alongside Barcelona and Sporting Lisbon.

Mikel Arteta was able to use the wealth of resources at his disposal as he made five changes to the side that beat Leeds 2-1 on Saturday.

But it was Lille boss Davide Ancelotti, son of Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, who was the happier after a goalless first half.

The visitors even had the ball in the net but Ayase Ueda was flagged offside.

Bruno Guimaraes came closest to breaking the deadlock for Arsenal before the break when he fired wide from close range and then saw a powerful shot from range parried by Berke Ozer.

The Gunners quickly went through the gears in the second period once Timber dinked the ball over Ozer from Noni Madueke’s pass.

Arteta had left arguably his three most potent attacking weapons on the bench and the introduction of Saka, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard made an immediate impact.

Saka’s low cross picked out Eze whose deflected shot flew into the top corner to end any doubt over the destiny of the three points.

The England winger then finished off an exquisite team move from Havertz’s cut-back for Arsenal’s third.

There were further cheers from the home fans when Olivier Giroud came on as a late substitute for Lille on his return to the club, where he scored 105 goals in a six-year spell.

But Giroud could not conjure up another Emirates goal as Lille remain without a Champions League point after their defeat to Real Betis on matchday one.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 14/10/2026

 

Former DRC President named leader of new rebel coalition

GOMA, DR Congo 

Former DR Congo President,  Joseph Kabila, has been named the leader of a new rebel coalition seeking to oust the government.

The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) said it aimed to coordinate "resistance forces" to end "tyranny" in Democratic Republic of Congo and would pursue the goal "by all means, including force".

Its unveiling on Monday is the clearest indication so far of Kabila's direct involvement in an armed movement a year after he was sentenced to death in absentia for treason. 

He had previously denied having links to the M23 rebel group.

The Congolese government has not commented.

The coalition was announced at a press conference at Kabila's residence in Goma, the largest city in eastern DR Congo, which has been under the control of the M23 since last year.

M23 leader Sultani Makenga will serve as one of Kabila's four deputies in the new movement. The other three also come from the AFC-M23 alliance which last year seized much of mineral-rich eastern DR Congo.

The announcement of the new group comes days after Kabila delivered an address in which he said he would set out how Congolese people should act to "rescue" their country.

On Friday, Kabila accused President Félix Tshisekedi's government of disregarding proposals he had put forward last year, including some aimed at ending the conflict in eastern DR Congo.

Kabila also accused the government of undermining constitutional rule, mismanaging the economy and failing to improve security. He further alleged arbitrary arrests of political opponents and military officers.

The government has not publicly responded to those claims.

Kabila, 55, ruled DR Congo from 2001 until January 2019, when Tshisekedi took office following a disputed election.

The former president had remained largely out of public view for several years but has become increasingly critical of his successor's administration.

The formation of the new coalition comes at an uncertain time in a country that has been wracked by violence for decades.

More than 100 militia groups are active in eastern DR Congo amid ethnic tensions and fighting for political power and control of lucrative natural resources.

Tshisekedi's second term ends in 2028 but in May he said that elections, which are due then, may not be held because of the conflict.

He also hinted that he may seek re-election for a third term "if the people want".

The parliament has since passed a bill that could pave the way for a referendum that could remove the constitution's two-term limit.

Last month, authorities clashed with protesters holding demonstrations in the capital against the proposed changes.

"No new Ebola cases since first-ever death" - Kenya says

NAIROBI, Kenya 

Kenyan authorities on Sunday said the country has recorded no new cases of Ebola following the death of a positive patient on October 5, according to a statement by the country's health ministry.

Kenya reported its first-ever case of the virus last week, after a 40-year-old man was tested positive in the Democratic Republic of Congo and travelled to Nairobi, where he died.

Authorities set out to trace the victim's contacts and urged people who developed symptoms to seek medical care.

Tests were conducted on 293 samples but none came back positive. Of the 122 people listed in the deceased patient's contact list, 108 are currently in quarantine and have not shown symptoms.

The Ministry of Health has urged the Kenyan population to remain vigilant and respect safety measures. The government has set up a phone number, 719, for anyone seeking information on Ebola.

Last week, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said there was no Ebola outbreak in Kenya at this stage, but just an imported case.

The current Ebola outbreak in the DRC was declared on May 15 and is caused by the Bundibugyo strain for which there is currently no treatment or vaccine.

The country has recorded 8 978 cases and 4 336 deaths, according to figures released by the National Institute of Public Health on Sunday.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 13/10/2026

 

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 12/10/2026