Category: News in Brief

Government closes school for grades 9 and under during Ramadan

The Ministry of Education has on Tuesday announced that school sessions will not be held for students in grades 9 and under during the month of Ramadan.

The regulations that they released further state that school sessions for grades 10 to 12 should begin after 9am and should last a duration of three hours per day.

The ministry also ordered schools to ensure that no activites are held at the times of Maghrib and Ishaa prayers, and that any activities that are held at night should be held in such a way that allows students to attend Tharaaveeh prayers – special prayers held after Ishaa during Ramadan – as well as the weekly sermons organised by the government.

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Police holding discussions to repatriating Iranian fishermen

Police have announced that they are holding discussions on the matter of repatriating 14 Iranians on a fishing boat found in Maldivian seas.

The boat was discovered near the island of Thimarafushi in Thaa Atoll on June 6, after having been lost at sea for two months.

Police revealed that the boat and its crew are now in the island of Madifushi in Thaa Atoll.

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Housing Minister Muiz to be questioned at the People’s Majlis

Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Dr Mohamed Muiz will be questioned at tomorrow’s session of the People’s Majlis.

Muiz is being summoned to the Majlis upon a request from Addu-Meedhoo MP Rozaina Adam to clarify if the government has planned any development projects for Addu city.

Individual MP s can seek to question government ministers through the speaker of the Majlis with chosen minister having to be informed fourteen days prior to the questioning.

The Addu City Council has earlier stated that funds for a number of development projects in the city which were pre-approved by the Housing Ministry were not subsequently included in the 2014 national budget.

Addu is the Maldives’ second most populated area with over 30,000 inhabitants.

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Broadcasting commission to formulate regulations on listed events

The Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) has decided to formulate new guidelines on broadcasting and rebroadcasting listed events.

The move comes during an ongoing investigation into cable TV provider Medianet’s broadcasting of the FIFA world cup without obtaining the necessary rights.

The MBC said it had decided to formulate separate regulations on listed events in order to eliminate difficulties in obtaining event rights and protect rights of private and public broadcasters.

The commission intends to consult the broadcast advisory committee and the public on a first draft of the regulation

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Youth Ministry voices concerns that some companies fail to pay Ramadan allowance

The Ministry of Youth and Sports has voiced concerns that their investigations show some companies do not pay the mandatory Ramadan allowance to members of its staff.

They further stated that even among those companies that do pay the allowance, some fail to follow the guidelines defined in the Employment Act.

According to the act, every Muslim employee must be paid one third of their salary as Ramadan allowance. If the amount is below MVR 2000, employers must pay a minimum of MVR2000. If the amount exceeds MVR10,000, then employers must pay only up to MVR10,000.

The ministry called on all private companies to follow the law and pay the allowance as defined in the regulations.

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Sri Lanka’s President Rajapakse to visit the Maldives on Wednesday

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse will arrive in the Maldives on an official state visit on Wednesday.

President Rajapakse will be accompanied by his wife, cabinet ministers and parliament members.

According to the Maldives President’s Office, President Abdulla Yameen will hold official talks and an official state dinner in Rajapakse’s honor.

Rajapakse’s visit marks the first visit by a head of state to the Maldives since Yameen assumed the presidency.

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Civil Aviation Authority transferred under Ministry of Tourism

President Abdulla Yameen has transferred the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority under the direct supervision of the Minister of Tourism Ahmed Adeeb.

Minister of National Defense and National Security Mohamed Nazim previously administered the authority.

On June 19, Yameen abolished the Ministry of Transport and Communication after dismissing Transport Minister Ibrahim Ameen.

Regional airports were brought under the administration of Tourism Ministry while the Transport Authority was brought under the Ministry of Economic Development. Ministry of Home Affairs will now administer the Communication Authority.

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More than 53,000 poor to receive Zakat

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has said 53,200 people will be eligible for Zakat – the obligatory alms tax collected from the accumulated wealth of all able Muslims – this year.

Approximately one quarter of people registered as poor were from the capital Malé, which is home to more than a third of the population.

The total number of people who registered as ‘poor’ with the ministry in 2013 was an approximate five percent increase from the previous year.

The ministry has said that MVR47 million was collected last year as Zakat andout of this approximately MVR21.3 million will be distributed to the poor – each person is expected to receive MVR400.

While the ministry only registered people who earned less that MVR2000 in previous years, this year anyone with an identification card could be registered as poor.

Speaking to Haveeru, a ministry official has said this year the ministry will depend on the honesty of the persons seeking the money and reminded that it is not permitted in Islam for undeserving people to seek this money.

As a reminder, the ministry has placed a notice with the religious ruling on the matter outside the office delivering Zakat money.

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