Category: News in Brief

Maldives tipped sixthon BA’s top 10 destinations for 2011

The Maldives is predicted to be among the top 10 most popular travel destinations for 2011, according to a list released by British Airways (BA).

“The response we’ve had to the launch of routes like the Maldives, Las Vegas and Marrakech has been incredible,” said BA CEO Willie Walsh Chief executive Willie Walsh.

‘We’ve seen destinations in the Caribbean and Indian Ocean becoming even more popular with leisure travellers looking for sun and relaxation. Those after 24-hour cities are heading towards New York, Las Vegas and Japan,” he said.

BA’s top 10 destinations for 2011:

  1. Marrakech
  2. San Diego
  3. New York
  4. St Kitts & Nevis
  5. Puerto Rico
  6. Maldives
  7. Japan
  8. Las Vegas
  9. Mauritius
  10. St Lucia
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Is the Maldives really an ideal poster boy for climate change: Asia News Network

Anyone who has been to the capital Male’ would have an impression that all the country’s efforts to combat climate change are doomed to fail, writes Jofelle Tesorio in Asia News magazine.

“Even the basic element of sanitation in this crowded capital seems wanting. There are no trash bins on the island and the streets are littered with plastics, bottles and other rubbish. The heavy use of bottled water is owed to the fact that the country doesn’t have its own water source. Water comes from desalination plants.

“Unabashed building constructions continue and there is no indication that the residents are willing to give up on
using smoke belching motorcycles and cars because they are seen as status symbol. In fact, despite the narrow streets, choking parking areas and high import tax on vehicles, people still buy cars and motorbikes.
“Only migrant Bangladeshis use bicycles, which is usually a source of mockery among Maldivians. Male’ doesn’t have a centralised sewage treatment plant that cleans the sewage before pumping it out to the sea. This scenario is definitely in contrast with the overall perception of the Maldives as a premier high-end destination with pure and pristine nature.

“About 330 tonnes of garbage make it to Thilafushi Island, known as the ‘Rubbish Island’, each day. Only a handful of the 190 resorts in the Maldives have their own recycling facility and sewage treatment plants.”

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NGOs to train female candidates to compete in local council elections

A group of local NGOs will train female candidates in the hope of boosting the number of women competing in the local council elections, to be held in February 2011.

The training program is organised by Maldivian Network on Violence against Women, Transparency Maldives, Democracy House and Democracy Network, Haveeru reported, with the first round to be held at Bandos Island Resort from December 19-21.

“The candidates will be taught how to carry out a campaign and organise public speeches,” said Project Coordinator Nafia Abdulla. “We are focusing this round on the female candidates competing in the [local council] election. But the opportunity will be given for women involved in politics if we have open seats,” Haverru reported Nafia as saying.

Ninety women are expected to take part in the three round training programme.

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MNSL reduces debt by US$7 million

The Maldives National Shipping Limited (MNSL) has reduced its US$16 million debt to US$9 million, closing its Sri Lankan branch, downsizing its Singapore office and gave off leased containers.

“Our objective is to settle the [remaining] debts by next year,” Haveeru reports Chairman Mohamed ‘Senco’ Shareef, as saying. “After we took over the management of the company, we took several measures to reduce expenditure including reducing employees and administrative expenses.”

The company now expects to purchase a 5000 tonne cargo carrier following the sale of the 12,000 tonne “MV Maldive Enterprise” currently anchored at an African port because of a malfunctioning engine and costing the company US$2,000 daily.

“We are checking the prices. We expect to buy a 5000 tonne cargo carrier for about US$1.9 million. We hope that we would be able to settle the debts with the new cargo carrier and an existing one,” Haveeru reported Shareef as saying.

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Did the US manipulate climate talks, asks Democracy Now

The Maldives was one of the fiercest critics advocating for a robust climate treaty, observes Amy Goodman on Democracy Now.

However the leaked US Embassy cables reveal that in February, two months after the Copenhagen talks, the US deputy climate change envoy, Jonathan Pershing, met the European Union climate action commissioner, Connie Hedegaard, in Brussels, where she told him, quote, “the Alliance of Small Island States countries ‘could be our best allies’ given their need for financing.”

The cables show talks between officials between the Maldives and the US referring to several projects costing approximately $50 million. The Maldives has since wholeheartedly embraced the Copenhagen Accord.

Amy Goodman interviews US Special Climate Change Envoy Todd Stern, and John Vidal, the Environment Editor for the UK’s Guardian newspaper.

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Police investigate man’s alleged sexual assault of granddaughter

Police are investigating allegations that a 72 year-old man from Seenu Atoll sexually abused his five year-old granddaughter.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the suspect was arrested on December 2, 2010, and released three days later.

He said that the allegations against the man were made by the girl’s father, who was now separated from the mother.

“It seems like there is a family problem as both father and mother are separated,” he said.

As with any cases relating to alleged sexual assault, Shiyam said that the police would also be working with the Ministry of Gender and Family to provide support to the family.

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President of the Maldives visits Salisbury: Salisbury Journal

President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed visited Salisbury over the weekend prior to his return to the island nation yesterday, the Salisbury Journal newspaper has reported.

He was welcomed by UK Conservative Party MP John Glen and founder of the Friends of Maldives NGO, David Hardingham.

Salisbury was home to a group of Maldivian exiles for five years from 2003, and became the launch pad for their campaign for democracy, the newspaper reported.

Hardingham’s cottage in Friary Lane is now the Maldives’ Honorary Consulate.

Mr Glen was sent out to the island nation in 2007 and 2008 by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy to help the then-opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) draw up its manifesto.

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India pledges financial support for Male’ hospital overhaul: report

India’s government has pledged to provide Rf2.7m in aid designed to try and boost services being offered at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’, Haveeru has reported.

The funds form part of a package that is expected to provide new examination equipment and medical consumables at some point during the next month ahead of additional plans to renovate the hospital.

Zubair Mohamed, Managing Director of Male’ Health Services Corporation (MHC), reportedly announced that more details on the nature of aid being made available for renovating IGMH would be announced after the completion of negotiations between the Maldivian and Indian governments.

The hospital has recently experienced uncertainty over the issue of its future management on the back of protracted discussions with the India-based medical company, Apollo Hospitals.

Just last month, local media reported that Health Minister, Dr Aminath Jameel, claimed a deal between the Maldives government and Apollo Hospitals to manage IGMH had fallen through.

“We had to terminate the agreement because they [Apollo] were unable to meet the terms and conditions stated in the agreement.
Every agreement specifies deadlines to settle certain matters,” Dr Jameel reportedly said. “We have also informed them [Apollo] that the agreement has been terminated.”

Senior staff at the Health Ministry and Chair of the Maldives’ Privatization Committee, Mahmoud Razee, told Minivan News at the time that they had not been informed of the deal’s collapse and had only heard media reports.

The government reportedly terminated the agreement with Apollo after the Indian medical giant was unable to invest the agreed amount to develop the hospital.

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Private groups sought for local heritage promotion

Private parties are being sought by the government to aid in the conservation and promotion of historical sites across the country, according to news reports.

Haveeru has reported that a total of 68 sites, including Utheemu Palace and the Ihavandhoo Hirigalu Mosque in Haa Alif Atoll, the Matheerashu coffin, the National Museum and a host of historical mosques, will all be included in the plan.

The country’s Heritage Department, which is linked to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, said that the decision was made due to growing demand and interest among the public.

December 15 has been set as a deadline for private groups wishing to express an interest to the Heritage Department in supporting the programme, the paper added.

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