Category: News in Brief

Maldives-India Friendship Festival finale to be held Sept 17

The Grand Finale of the India-Maldives Friendship Festival will be held this Friday September 17 at Dharubaaruge from 8:00pm.

A 14-member Bollywood Variety Dance and Music Troupe will perform, sponsored by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). The High Commission stated that a “reputed Maldivian cultural group” will also perform.

Chief Guest President Mohamed Nasheed will also make an address.

Tickets (includes refreshments) are priced at Rf 50 and are available at Indian High Commission on Athireege Aage in Male’.

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President appoints two HRCM members

President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed Ahmed Abdul Kareem and Dr Ali Shameem as members of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM).

Nasheed has previously appointed three members approved by Parliament to the five member commission out of the eight names proposed.

Speaking after the event, Nasheed reiterated that past human rights abuses must be investigated “for the socio-political harmony of the country.”

The pair were sworn in by Supreme Court Judge Abdulla Areef at a function held in the President’s Office.

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Maldivian schoolgirl wins second place in Egypt’s 18th International Quran Competition

A 12 year-old Maldivian girl has come second in the 18th International Quran Competition, held in Egypt, after successfully memorising six books of the Quran.

Haveeru reported that Rifdha Mohamed Rasheed, competed against adults in the two round non-Arab section, placing first in the first round and second in the second round.

The youngest of 100 participants from 68 countries, Rifdha was presented with 20,000 Egyptian pounds (US$3500) in prize money by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for her accomplishment.

The fifth grade student at Arabiyya School told Haveeru she would like to compete again to gain first place.

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Mobile phone subscriptions surpass population: Telecoms Authority

The number of mobile phone subscribers in the Maldives has reached 475,192, according to figures released by the Telecommunications Authority of Maldives.

Given the country’s population (2009) of 396,334, this figure many indicate that almost a quarter of the population have more than one mobile phone.

Prepaid was the most popular, with 403,184 such subscriptions, while 72,008 were postpaid mobile users.

Fixed lines totaleed 48,112 at the end of August, with most lines (35,075) in Male, Villingili, Aarah, Hulhule and Hulhumale. Resort islands total 980 lines, while there are 224 on uninhabited islands.

The country has 12,248 ADSL internet users and 1087 connecting over ISDN.

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National interests being put before political differences, claims President

President Mohamed Nasheed has congratulated party leaders of both the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) for putting national interest ahead of political differences.

Speaking during his weekly radio address, Nasheed said talks between the government and DRP to determine inhabited islands were going “very smoothly”. The review of the islands is necessary to comply with local elections law.

Nasheed also promised the Maldives would use its seat on the UN Human Rights Council – which is assumes on Sept 13 – to promote human rights in other countries and consolidate democracy and human rights in the Maldives.

The Maldives faces numerous domestic challenges to human rights, including what the government has previously described as a ‘culture of torture’ that persists in certain institutions, while the US State Department recently put the Maldives on a watch list for human trafficking.

Minivan News recently reported that the exploitation of Bangladeshi labourers rivals fishing as the Maldives’ second greatest export earner after tourism.

“[Human rights] were denied to Maldivians until recently. We will use the seat to consolidate democracy in the Maldives, and protect human rights in the Maldives,” Nasheed said.

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Spreading hate, one prejudice at a time

No country or religon has a monopoly on religious nutcases, writes Vir Sanghvi in the Hindustan Times.

So much was read into the announcement by Pastor Terry Jones that he would burn the Koran on the anniversary of 9/11 that this formerly obscure preacher must be delighted. His Koran-burning announcement set off a global debate about Islamophobia. Editorials were written about the clash of civilisations.

And the world’s politicians — starting with Barack Obama — lined up to persuade the old boy to throw his match-box away on that day.

Jones wants us to notice. That’s why he announced his intentions well in advance. And that’s why he has gone on TV denouncing Islam. In the process, he has converted himself from a previously obscure figure to the lead item on news broadcasts all over the world. We have elevated him from small-town weirdo to global champion of redneck ignorance — and he didn’t even have to burn the Koran. All he had to do was threaten to burn it.

In that sense, he is no different from Osama bin Laden who kills people and then puts out videotapes bragging about the murder. No religion and no country has any monopoly on religious nutcases. And sadly, hatred always finds a market.

Read more

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Woman acquitted of killing newborn baby

The Juvenile Court has acquitted a woman who police alleged killed her newborn baby, ruling that her three confessions contradicted each other.

Police alleged that at 2:00 on July 16, the then 16-year old woman drowned the baby after giving birth in the bathroom of her home, before putting its body into a plastic bag and throwing it into a lagoon on the south side of Dhanbidhoo in Laamu atoll.

The court noted that according to article 52 of the constitution, no confession is admissible as evidence unless made in court by an accused who is in a sound state of mind.

Haveeru reported that police checked all women on the island between the ages of 12 and 45 in the island after the dead infant was discovered in the lagoon.

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18 year-old sentenced to one year’s prison for entering room of under-age girl

The Criminal Court has sentenced an 18 year-old boy for entering the room of a 13 year-old girl with the intention of having sex with her, reports SunFM.

The radio station reported that the 18 year-old man was charged for “staying in isolation” with an under-aged girl, with the intention of having sex with her.

The accused denied the charges in court and claimed that it was a set-up by the girl’s mother.

According to SunFM, the boy claimed the girl’s mother phoned him through the girl’s phone, and invited him to come over before reporting him to police.

However, the Criminal Court declared that although the 18 year-old claimed he entered the girl’s room with her consent, she was not of an age that could give consent to do such an activity.

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Police reveals identity of dead man found inside guest house

The police have revealed the identity of a dead man found inside the ‘Off Day Inn’, a guest house in Male’, reported local newspaper Haveeru.

Haveeru reported that police identified the person as Ali Sadham, 25, Vistharee Villa, Maradhoo in Seenu Atoll.

Police have not revealed the cause of the death, the paper reported.

The person’s body was discovered inside a room in the guest house yesterday.

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