Category: News in Brief

Cabinet meeting held outside Male’ for first time

Cabinet held its first meeting outside the capital of Male’ today, on Kulhudhuffushi in Haa Dhaal Atoll.

All ministers attended the meeting apart from Islamic Minister Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari, who was overseas.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair told Haveeru that meeting focused on deciding the date for the establishment of a National University, and issues raised during an early workshop concerning development projects for the Upper North Province.

These included developing roads on the island, harbours, house construction, utilities and how to use recently reclaimed land on the island.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Maldives falls to fifth in Seven Wonders listing

The Maldives has fallen from third to fifth place on the New Seven Wonders of Nature listing.

Haveeru reported Director of the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) Mohamed Adam as saying that the board was preparing new activities to generate more votes for the Maldives.

“We will participate in several fairs in order to get more votes to the Maldives,” Haveeru reported Adam as saying.

At current pace the MTPD predicts Maldives with finish seventh on the list when voting ends in November 2011.

Only 10 percent of the votes for a seven wonder coming from inside its country are considered – 90 percent must originate from outside the country containing the wonder.

People wishing to vote for the Maldives can do so by calling +44 203 347 0901 (international call) and entering 7718 after the automated message. Votes can also be lodged here.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Social protection injects money into island economies, says President

Social protection programmes have had a positive impact on many islands, ensuring access to essential services while injecting money into island economies, President Mohamed Nasheed has said during a tour of Kelaa in North Thiladhunmathi Atoll yesterday.

Money injected into Kelaa’s economy every month in the form of social security payments were instrumental in revitalising and sustaining the island’s economy following the tsunami and the economic downturn in 2009, President Nasheed said.

The President added that 368 Kelaa residents were registered in the government’s Madhana social health insurance programme, while 123 residents received the old age pension of Rf 2000 (US$155).

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

CCHDC holds anti-smoking workshop for civil society

The Centre for Community Health and Disease Control (CCHDC) has held a workshop for Maldives Red Crescent volunteers on the Maldives Tobacco Control Act, in an effort to curb the harmful effects of smoking.

Workshop participants also discussed the impact of tobacco on health, society and the economy.

More than Rf 114 million (US$8.8 million) worth of tobacco was imported to the Maldives in 2009, Haveeru reported.

D

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Baarah’s natural resources to be developed, promises President

The government intends to utilise the rich natural resources of Baarah in North Thiladhunmathi Atoll, President Nasheed has said during a tour of the northern atolls yesterday ahead of the local council elections.

The island has naturally-occuring brackish water lakes, a large lagoon, land and human resources, the President noted, adding that aquaculture projects would be conducted on the island in collaboration with he Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company Limited (MIFCO).

Nasheed also said the construction of the island´s sewerage system has been contracted to Works Corporation Limited and was expected to be completed by the end of the year, while funding had been allocated to construct a larger T-jetty to expand use of the harbour.

The President is now heads south to Kulhulhuffushi, to attend the first cabinet meeting held outside Male’. Ministers traveled to the island last night.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

India to provide IT assistance, medical supplies and sports equipment

Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives Dnyaneshwar Mulay and State Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem have signed a US$5.7 million agreement between the two countries to provide IT assistance to the Maldives.

President Mohamed Nasheed said the agreement would increase the use of technology in the atolls and would be of particular benefit to students.

Furthermore, the Indian government is providing Rf 3.1 million (US$240,000) worth of medical supplies to atoll health centres suffering shortages, and sports equipment worth Rf 2 million (US$155,000).

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police arrest man for sexually abusing stepdaughter

Police have arrested a man from Dharavandhoo in Baa Atoll for allegedly sexually abusing a minor.

Haveeru reported that the victim was the man’s stepdaughter, and that a 38 year-old man from the island had been arrested in a case relating to sexual abuse.

Last week three men were arrested on Hulhumeedhoo in Addu Atoll for sexual abuse of a minor. One of those arrested was also a minor, Haveeru reported.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Turkey “stunned” as Israeli probe rules Gaza flotilla raid “in keeping with international law”

Turkey has said is “stunned” following the release of findings of an investigation by an Israeli probe into the Israeli Defence Force (IDF)’s raid on a flotilla of aid ships in May 2010.

Israel promised an investigation into the legality of the military raid after it received widespread international censure for its actions.

However the commission concluded that the raid was “legally pursuant to the rules of international law”, as was the naval blockade of Palestine, and noted that troops encountered “extreme violence” when boarding one of the ferries, including weapon fire.

Activists from a Turkish Islamist organisation on board the ferry denied the allegations, while Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed the commission had no credibility.

“How can a report ordered and prepared in the same country have any value?” he said.

Groups within Israel, including the Physicians for Human Rights, accused the commission of “moral and legal blindness.”

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

PA has no hand in Speaker no-confidence motion, say Deputy Leader Nazim

People’s Alliance (PA) Deputy Leader and Deputy Speaker of Parliament MP Ahmed Nazim has said that PA has “no hand” in the rumoured no-confidence motion pending against Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid.

SunFM reported Nazim as saying that MPs had spoke against Shahid due to some of the rulings he had made, but that these things were tempered by the situation at the time.

Recently Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) leader and MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali told the media in an urgent press conference that he had information that some DRP, PA and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs were planning to forward a no-confidence motion against Shahid.

However, DRP, MDP and PA MPs have so far denied the allegations.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)