Part of the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) camp office on Gaakoshi in Male’ has been annexed by the Housing Ministry to make way for flats as part of the government’s housing program, reports Haveeru.
The plot of land had been leased to the party until work was to begin on the flats, Deputy Housing Minister Mohamed Faiz told Haveeru.
Haveeru reported that the office has now been dismantled and walls demolished.
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(0)The Islamic Ministry began distributing Rf220 per person as alms today.
82,573 people are reported to have paid a total sum of Rf2,324,543.30 as alms this year. This is up Rf260,000 from Ramadan 2010.
The alms came collectively from Male, Hulhumale and Vilimale.
Alms collected in Hulhumale ward are being distributed in the ward, and alms collected in Male and Villimale are available at the ministry.
(1)Dislikes(0)Four Seasons Kudu Huraa resort will host six of the world’s most famous surfers for the 2011 Surfing Champions Trophy, starting from August 29.
Competing surfers include Josh Constable, Mark Richards, Layne Beachley, Nat Young, Damien Hardman and Mark ‘Occy’ Occhilupo, with over 20 world titles to their names.
The five-day event will take place from August 31 to September 4. Representatives from the resort said the event would highlight the Maldives as an attractive surfing destination alongside its already widespread fame as a dive destination.
(0)Dislikes(0)The UNDP has called for nominations for the 2012 Equator Prize, a biannual award recognising local innovation in advancing sustainable development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities.
“Eligibility for this cycle of the prize has been broadened to accommodate a wider range of community-based initiatives and has been expanded to all countries receiving support from UNDP,” the organisation said in a statement.
“Water and energy access, food security, and adaption to climate changes are the development challenges of our time,” said Director of the UNDP’s Environment and Energy Group, Veerle Vanderweerd.
The UNDP noted that past recipients of the prize have included “grassroots” initiatives in small-scale fishing, wildlife protection and sustainable energy and water access.
The 25 winners of the international prize will receive US$5000, and 10 recipients will receive US$20,000.
Nominations can be submitted online at www.equatorinitiative.org
(0)Dislikes(0)Registrations for alms at Ramadan are up by 1,300 this year in Male’, Haveeru reports.
Over 10,600 people are said to have registered as of Thursday, August 25. Alms will be distributed in Male’ on Sunday, August 28. This is one day earlier than the Islamic Ministry had originally planned.
Alms this year, or nisab, costed Rf53 per person for Basmati Rice, and Rf32 per person for Thailand Rice. Registered alms recipients can pick up their sum from the Islamic Centre in Male and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) in Hulhumale between 1 and 3pm on Sunday.
(0)Dislikes(0)The President’s Office has announced that fishermen’s income has been increasing steadily over the past few months, while the price of fish has remained constant.
President Mohamed Nasheed said the government aims to support income growth for fishermen, and provided there are no changes to the industry’s current operations, profit levels will be maintained.
Speaking in his weekly radio address, the President further stated that retailers have reporters higher profits this Ramadan than in recent years. He noted that market prices have been controlled, and said the Maldivian economy was moving in the right direction.
Crime ratings have dropped in the past few months, and violent crime rates are notably low, the President claimed.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Bank of Ceylon (BOC) has said it will open a branch in Addu City in time for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit, which is scheduled for that site in November.
The bank’s chairman said construction will start as soon as the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has approved the proposal, reports Haveeru.
BOC has also provided a US$10 million revolving credit line to the Maldives with a six percent interest rate.
Sri Lankan media is reporting that the credit line will be used to purchase fruit and vegetables from Sri Lanka.
(0)Dislikes(0)Officers from the Air Wing of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) participated in the 2011 Pacific Air Rally this week in Colombo. The event is held every two years, but this is the first time it has been held in Sri Lanka, Haveeru reports.
The rally, hosted by the Pacific Air Command of the US Air Force and the Sri Lanka Air Force, took place at the Ratmalana and Ampara Air Force bases between August 22 and 26.
MNDF forces participated in the Command Post Exercise, which focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief coordination between participating countries.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Maldives’ first contemporary jazz album has been presented to President Mohamed Nasheed by Maldivian artist Shameem Mohamed (Shambe).
The album, Feshun, is an arrangement of guitar, saxophone, drums and bass. It also features Maldivian vocalist Mariyam Rifga Rasheed. The group of six musicians, who studied at the International College of Music, in Malaysia, worked on the music collaboratively, said Shambe.
“I created the main idea, but kept the freedom for each and every person to add their own ideas to the composition.”
Shambe, who majored in composition and contemporary jazz at the college, told Minivan News that after graduating from university he wanted to do something new for the Maldivian music industry. “I looked around and realised that the kind of music I was learning and composing wasn’t available in the Maldives. So I decided to put my mother tongue [Dhivehi] over a jazz fusion and call it Maldivian Jazz.”
Shambe said he had originally wanted to do the album with Maldivian musicians, but limited resources forced him to record in Malaysia.”There are some very good musicians in the Maldives,” he said, “but the recording studios here are not advanced enough to match the work being done by other groups today.”
The group began production for the album last October in Malaysia. They played a live concert on Malé in July, and have lately been on break for Ramadan. Shambe reports a good response from his home audience.
Shambe cited the group Cosmo Squad as an inspiration, and said the album pulls from funk, latino, bossanova, samba and swing styles. He noted that because Dhivehi words are generally short, the group stretched them to create “a more laid back feel.”
“It may sound like it’s not clear, but that’s how it should be in order to feel like jazz. I think the effect will help make the music more accessible to audiences across the world,” said Shambe.
The group’s agent, Mohamed Bassm Adam, told Minivan News that Feshun is targeted for the tourism industry. He thinks the album could encourage other local artists who are interested in Western music styles.
The album has also drawn local attention. Shambe said he was surprised to see a good turnout at the presentation ceremony last night. “I was actually a bit nervous,” he said. The President’s Office reported that the album would refresh the Maldivian music market.
“The President is an admirer of all music genres, especially jazz and the blues,” said President Mohamed Nasheed’s Press Secretary, Mohamed Zuhair.
Shambe said the group will be returning to Malaysia at the end of August to perform and promote the album. He said he would like to market it globally. “It will take some time to promote it, and I will need guidance and advice, but I hope that with time it will work out.”
Feshun is a product of the Maldives, and copyrighted under Universal Publishing Sdn Bhd (Malaysia). Artist Shameem Mohamed is signed under StarMount Records (Malaysia).
The album is available in music shops and online for rf200, and will soon be available in resorts priced from US$20.’
To listen to sample tracks, visit Feshun’s Facebook page
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