Anand Still Undisputed World Chess Champ

After winning the World Chess Championship for the fifth time. I remember finding his name a couple of decades ago listed as a Grandmaster or whatever they call it when Karpov and Kasparov ruled the world and matches against Deep Blue were drawing a lot attention. I was looking for an Indian because they invented the game and just because there are so many of them.

But I got interested a lot more with Bobby Fischer. The champ who won, disappeared and reappeared to win. They even made a movie out of the chess player who was groomed to become the next Fischer.

Dylan Awarded Medal of Freedom

I just found out that he wrote Blowin' in the wind something which several generations of kids sang at school. What I did know was that he apparently got The Beatles to start smoking pot. Here's my favourite Dylan song which The Rolling Stone magazine dubbed the greatest song ever. Enjoy.

DTAA, India and Mauritius

So thanks to the intervention of our PM the application of GAAR has been postponed by a year. And India wants to renegotiate the DTAA because it is saying that it is losing too much tax revenue and because some are abusing it. Essentially bringing our agreement to the same level as the one it signed with Singapore.

What do you think?

Parliament Gets Ready To Legalise Abortion

In four specific cases. Which would make the 80% who voted for it in our poll a couple of years ago happy. The bill is expected to pass with a similar percentage of votes. For sure it's a bold move but not bold enough. We should legalise it full stop. With not too many questions asked. Because abortion is not a decision a woman takes on a whim. And the quality of service obtained should not depend on the size of her purse.

SAJ Reveals Why He left SSR's Government

Back in 1967 or one year before we became independent: he disagreed with the policies that were being implemented. Which according to him was a sure route to get booted out of power. That's an important revelation and historians will be forever grateful to SAJ who was in the top job for an incredible 16 years. And is, at least for the moment, the shadow Prime Minister. Aneerood Jugnauth also mentioned that those agreements to disagree with the team-builder extraordinaire were heated.

It would be interesting if he would now be as specific as possible about these exchanges for the benefit of us all.

Bundesbank To Accept Tiny Bit More Inflation

From its current level of 2.1%. Which means that the Buba could exceptionally allow price levels to increase to a max of 3%. This should help its European trading partners improve their trade relationships with the continent's growth engine. Think of it as Germany accepting to be a tiny bit less competitive -- by willing to take up a little more inflation than usual and that for a short period too -- to help pull its neighbours out of the current crisis. That will not make the German economy grow faster. Nope. It will more likely, albeit barely, reduce the strong clip at which it has been growing as of late.

Bean-counters, rent-seekers and other clowns who advocate a persistent rupee depreciation should not construe this as a justification for Mauritius to take up more inflation. Our inflation rate is already on the high side. Besides monetary policy has never been a substitute for a blatantly ridiculous land use.

Get Ready To Sing With Jaime

The former mayor of Curitiba who transformed that city of less than two million people into a sustainability Champ. Mr Lerner tells us that 70% of the garbage has been separated for the past 20 years and his famous double-articulated buses have been copied in 83 cities around the world. Jaime also claims that any city in the world can be improved within 3 years and recommends urban acupuncture for quick results. I totally agree. Provided you don't have Bretton Woods pen-pushers colonising you with crappy transformation programs.

Cancer Claims New Victim: Robin Gibb

Cameras Help Solve Stacey Henrisson's Murder

The body of the 16-year old student of Lycée des Mascareignes was found on Sunday. Hats off to Daniel Monvoisin and his CID team of the Western Division for promptly piecing the clues together. See, Mauritius got talent. Lots of it.

Speaking of cameras, there is at least one more place we need to install them.

Coca-Cola Brand Value is Twice Apple's

According to Interbrand's 2011 report which calculates this as a combination of financial performance, role of brand and brand strength. Brand Z has a different story though: it puts Apple in the number one spot ahead of Google. And the sugared water brand is deemed to have less than half the value of the brand from Cupertino.

I am really surprised I didn't find Kozelidir in these two rankings.

Bheenick Identifies 7 Structural Weaknesses

Including lack of strategic planning, over-dependency on Europe and too little R&D. Manou also agrees that as a country we haven't been doing what we are capable of and advocates creative destruction as a sustainable platform for growth. Unlike the rampant bean-counting we've seen since 2005 I guess.

Finally the Governor bragged about our economy showing a fairly good degree of resilience. This doesn't look very serious.

Citizens Clinch Title in Fergie Time

City appeared a bit too complacent in the beginning compared to Manu. I thought they would need at least a two-goal margin to be on the safe side from QPR and given how many matches Sir Alex has won in the last few minutes of a game.

So the cup was heading to United when Rooney scored first. Then it was going back to Etihad Stadium when the Citizens put one in. But afterwards they looked toasted when QPR scored a double. And just when it seemed that the Red Devils had their 20th title in the bag, Manchester City scored two goals in two minutes -- with the last one by Aguero arguably one of the most nail-biting goal in EPL history -- and won the league after 44 years.

What a great season it was. Just hope the next one is as open.

Liverpool lost again. Unsurprisingly.

XLD: There Are Two Types of Actions

Mauritian Couple Abducted in Tana

Benoit Ng and wife Maureen were kidnapped on Sunday. And the nappers are asking about Rs4 million to set their hostages free. Surprisingly, the Foreign Affairs Minister has asked the French and American authorities for help in conducting a ground operation.

Isn't that our GIPM's cup of tea?

As if there are no Ninjas in Mauritius who could go there and sort this thing out. Tana is after all in our neighbourhood.

Remake's Gathering Deciphered

I just stumbled on this funny report of last Sunday's rally. Enjoy.

Sarkozy To Debate Hollande Tomorrow

In their only face-à-face before French voters elect their new President on Sunday. The incumbent wanted 3 such debates to use his superior talking skills to catch up to Hollande who leads by about 8% in the most recent polls. Former life partner and Presidential candidate, Ségolène Royal, has recommended a tit-for-tat strategy.

Will there be any burning stuff in it?