Category: News in Brief

Cricket tournament held to celebrate India-Maldives friendship

A cricket tournament for expats and locals organised by the India Club Maldives (ICM) in association with the High Commission of India was held from July 25 to August 1.

The ICM T10 Cup was part of a series of events to mark the three-week long India Maldives Friendship Festival (IMFF) “as part of the celebration of Independence days of Republic of Maldives which is on 26th July and that of India on 15th August,” the High Commission explained in a press release.

“The four teams which participated in the tournament were Team Maldives, Team Sri Lanka, Team Bangladesh and Team India. The tournament was conducted on a league basis and seven matches were played in the League stage,” the press release stated.

Team Maldives were crowned champions after beating Team Sri Lanka in the final.

“At the closing ceremony, HE Rajeev Shahare, High Commissioner of India (also chief patron of India Club Maldives), who was the chief guest and HE Admiral A.S.M.A. Awal, high commissioner of Bangladesh, who was the guest of honour presented trophies and certificates to the teams and officials, participated in the tournament.”

The festival also includes a friendship walk on August 8 and a cultural evening and magic show at the Olympus Theatre on August 12.

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Gayoom denies meeting DRP leader

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has denied meeting acting leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Mohamed ‘Colonel Nasheed, at the latter’s resort during the Eid holidays, reports Raajje TV.

An MP from the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) told the opposition-aligned private broadcaster on condition of anonymity that Gayoom – leader of the PPM – posted a message on a viber group of the party’s parliamentary group denying reports by newspaper Haveeru last week.

“The story in today’s Haveeru about a supposed meeting between me and DRP vaguthee [acting] leader in Kanifushi resort is totally false,” read Gayoom’s message.

“True, my family and I are spending a short family holiday at Atmosphere Kani. But no political activity has taken place. The story is fabricated from A to Z.”

Citing a source from the resort, Haveeru reported on Thursday (July 31) that Gayoom’s children – Farish Maumoon and Gassan Maumoon – as well as son-in-law Ahmed Nadheem also participated in lengthy secret talks with Nasheed over the course of two days.

The local daily further claimed that the PPM parliamentary group’s decision to endorse Muthaz Muhsin as the new prosecutor general in defiance of Gayoom’s appeal for them to vote for his nephew Maumoon Hameed has caused divisions within the ruling party.

Former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Nasheed – who switched to the DRP in March 2013 – has also denied holding discussions with Gayoom regarding the DRP’s future, informing Raajje TV that he only welcomed Gayoom to the resort and offered due respect to a former president.

Nasheed had told Haveeru that there was “no reason” for Gayoom to return to the party he founded in 2005.

Nasheed took over as DRP leader following the en masse departure of the party’s former leadership to the MDP.

Despite a rebranding effort with Nasheed at the helm, the party failed to win any seats in this year’s parliamentary and local council elections.

Gayoom had meanwhile left the party in 2011 following a dispute with former leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and formed the PPM with the loyalist Z-DRP faction.

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Bileiydhoo man dies while removing moss from boat

A 30-year-old man has died in Faafu Bileiydhoo this morning while removing moss from the hull of a boat docked in the island harbor.

According to local media the incident took place around 08:50pm, and by the time he was taken to the hospital – within five minutes – he was dead.

Quoting an island council member local media reported that it has been considered a natural death as the person suffered from a heart condition.

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Studies to resume for students of grades nine and under

Studies will resume for students of grades nine and below when schools reopen tomorrow, reports local media.

In a controversial move in late June, the government decided to shut down schools during the holy fasting month of Ramadan for grades nine and under.

According to the education ministry, schools were instructed last week to resume studies on Monday under normal school hours.

The ministry had also made changes to the annual academic calendar, bringing forward the mid-term break for the second term from August 24-28 to July 20-24.

Additionally, schools have reportedly been instructed to conduct studies on an additional five days of its choosing between August 10 and 28.

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Detention extended for suspect in Thulusdhoo murder

The Criminal Court yesterday extended the remand detention of Mohamed Niyaz – the chief suspect in the murder of a 34-year-old in the island of Thulusdhoo last week – to 15 days, reports local media.

Niyaz was taken into custody on Thursday night (July 31) after he confessed to stabbing Ali Shiham to death earlier that night.

In addition to a knife recovered from the crime scene, police also reportedly searched the suspect’s residence in his presence and collected evidence.

Niyaz reportedly has a criminal record for theft, assault and drug abuse.

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Police appeal for assistance in search for missing 15-year-old

Police have appealed for public assistance in locating a 15-year-old girl who went missing in the capital Malé on July 27.

Mariyam Nafha Nasir, of Huvadhumaage from Thaa Vilufushi, was reported missing by her family on the morning on July 30. She was last seen at her residence in Malé wearing a burqa, a white top, and ice blue jeans.

She was described as slender with black eyes.

Police have urged anyone with information of the girl to call the hotline number 3322111, the emergency number 911, or the family and child protection department at 9790163.


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Man arrested for sexually abusing underage boy

A 38-year-old man has been arrested in Malé on charges of sexually abusing an underage boy.

The Maldives Police Services arrested the man under a court warrant at 6:00 pm on Tuesday. The suspect has been detained for 15 days.

A family member of the victim reported the incident to the police.

Reports of sexual abuse of underage boys have been increasing in the Maldives.

On June 10, the Criminal court sentenced a 38-year-old man to 14 years in jail for molesting a 16-year-old boy. In January, the Ungoofaru Magistrate Court sentenced a 51-year-old man to 10 years in jail for abusing a 14-year-old boy on multiple occasions.

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Fuvahmulah man dies after fall from tree

A 24-year old man has died today after falling from a tree in Fuvahmulah Island.

According to local media, Fareed Mohamed, fell head first from a height of 25 feet when the branch he was standing on gave way. The fall reportedly broke his neck.

Mohamed had climbed the tree to pick a purple coloured berry called dhambu.

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