Author: Minivan News

Maldivian vessel held at Colombo port upon court order

A cargo vessel of Maldivian origin has reportedly been held by port authorities in Colombo, Sri Lanka, over claims the ship’s owners had not paid outstanding dues.

Haveeru has reported that the Sri Lanka Ports Authority has said that the vessel was detained last week following the issue of a court order concerning payments.

Shanthi Weerakoon, Director of Merchant Shipping for the local port authority, told the newspaper that ship detentions often occurred in cases where cargo companies were believed to have delayed payments to shipping agents or port officials. Weerakoon added that no timeframe had been set to release the ship at present depending on possible outstanding payments.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Dutch ambassador departs, Italian ambassador arrives

Ambassador of the Netherlands to the Maldives Leoni Cuelenaere is departing the Maldives while the new Ambassador of Italy accredited to the Maldives Fabrizio Pio Arpen Am presented his credentials to the President yesterday.

In a farewell meeting with Cuelenaere President Mohamed Nasheed expressed his gratitude for the work done by the Dutch Ambassador and highlighted major joint ventures between the government and the Maldives, including Royal Boskalis Westminster and Dutch Docklands. Cuelenaere in response praised Nasheed’s initiative to open up the Maldivian economy and strengthen democratic institutions.

Meanwhile, the new Italian Ambassador Fabrizio Pio Arpea presented his credentials to the President, and spoke about the proposed trip of 20 Italian students to the outpost of the University of Milano-Bicocca in the Maldives.

Arpea reiterated the importance of the ongoing business engagements between the two countries, especially in tourism – Italy is historically one of the Maldives’ strongest European markets.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

President teaches economics at Dharumavantha School

President Mohamed Nasheed presented a lecture on the government’s financial reforms to economic students at Dharumavantha School.

The President explained the need to make state revenue sustainable with the government’s new tax regime, and how the introduction of a goods and services tax, business profit tax and income tax would benefit the economy.

A video series of the lesson are available on the President’s Office website.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

DRP backs speedy investigation of infanticide cases

The opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has backed police efforts to investigate and convict women suspected of infanticide, after the the corpses of two premature babies and one recently born infant were found in the capital.

“I call on the government to give equal importance to social issues as it does to political issues. Crime cannot be prevented by the simple existence of a law against it,” DRP MP Rozaina Adam said at a press conference yesterday.

“We see the government working at top gear to solve some problems, but nothing is done to solve these issues. We don’t even see government officials advocating against these crimes,” Haveeru reported Rozaina as saying.

Three women have been arrested in connection with the discarded infants.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Man arrested for allegedly robbing an expat

Police have arrested a man in Seenu Atoll Feydhoo for allegedly robbing an expat teacher working on the island.

SunFM reported that he robbed the Indian teacher of his laptop, jewels, pen-drive and a mobile phone.

Police told the paper that all the items were recovered after the suspect told police where they were hidden.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

14 year-old boy stabbed on way home from school

A group of unknown assailants have stabbed a 14 year-old boy, after he refused to hand over his mobile phone to the group.

Haveeru reported that the boy was attacked while he was walking home from school.

The boy has now been admitted to hospital for treatment and is in a critical condition, according to reports.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Maldives enters race to host AFC Challenge Cup tournament

The Maldives has joined Nepal and Palestine in the running to become the host nation for next year’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup finals.

According to the Asian football association, the three nations have been asked to sign the confederation’s Organising Association Agreement (OAA) and agree to its last of requirements in order to stand as possible host candidates for the event, which is held contested every two years among a number of second tier national football teams represented by the AFC.

The hosting decision is expected to be made by June 14, 2011, with all three potential nations standing to hold a major AFC finals event for the first time.

Back in March, the Maldives’ national stadium in Male’ hosted every single Group C qualifying match for the 2012 Challenge Cup finals, with the home team coming out on top to qualify alongside second place Tajikistan.

The last three challenge cups taking place in 2010, 2008 and 2006 took place in Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh respectively.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Maldives will back creation of Palestinian state on 1967 lines: Foreign Minister

The Maldives will back the creation of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders at the next UN Human Rights Council meeting, Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem said on his return from visiting Israel and Palestine.

“We’ll do everything we can to establish a sovereign Palestinian state,” Naseem said, at a press conference today.

Naseem met Palestinian President Abbas during his trip, who accepted an invitation from the foreign minister to visit the Maldives.

While in Israel, Naseem met Israeli President Shimon Peres and the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Maldives a carbon technology lab for the world: Sunday Times

The Maldives, aiming to be a zero-carbon nation by 2020 ahead of any other country, is like a ‘lab’ of technology for the world where future ways of reducing carbon into the atmosphere is developed here before being implementing across the world, writes Feizal Samath for Sri Lanka’s Sunday Times.

A two-day technology road-show in Male, the capital on May 9-10 which brought industry, technocrats and government officials from 22 countries including the five largest economies in the world – US, China, Japan, India and Germany, showcasing technological advances and knowledge.

President Mohamed Nasheed and Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam attended the event with Miss Universe 2005, Natalie Glebova.

According to Tourism Minister, Mariyam Zulfa, the Ministry recently signed a MoU with Swiss-based myclimate to prepare a strategy for voluntary carbon offsetting measures. “We will be looking at things like developing a model eco island as a resort of the future. We are working on the carbon footprint. While the airlines will look after themselves, the resorts are also looking at renewable energy for most of their needs,” she said adding however that the biggest challenge is the diesel that goes into generators which are used by all resorts.

If in 2010 it was worry about islands sinking, then this year the climate change-savvy country says there are much more serious issues.

“Sea level is rising but that’s not our main challenge,” noted Aslam, adding that shifting of islands when the sea level rises is a more complex issue.

“The islands are a dynamic feature and when sea level rises there would be changes. If you look at the morphology (structure of organism) these islands sit within a reef system. As the water level rises the hydrodynamics within the reef system will also change.

Full story

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)