Category: News in Brief

President visits Gulf Craft International Boat Show

President Mohamed Nasheed visited the Gulf Craft International Boat Show together with the Maldives National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Liveaboard Association of Maldives.

During the tour of the show at Dharubaaruge, the President visited stalls and sought information about the products exhibited in the show. The President was also accompanied by Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed.

Gulf Craft International Boat Show 2010 will be held from 16 to 18 October at Dharubaaruge and the lagoon area in front of the President’s Office.

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President concerned over rising reports of mistreatment of children

President Mohamed Nasheed has expressed “deep concern” over increasing reports of mistreatment of children in the country, including rape and sexual abuse.

Speaking during his weekly radio address, Nasheed said that protecting children was an important part of the government’s role.

He publicly thanked opposition DRP MP Rozaina Adam for her work on the domestic violence bill and its submission to parliament.

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Kuwaiti billionaire shows interest in presidential yacht

A billionaire from Kuwait has expressed interest in buying the Maldives presidential yacht ‘Arumaazu’, following the Gulfcraft International Boat Show held over the weekend.

Haveeru reported that the billionaire went to see the yacht, which is anchored at the Presidential Retreat of Aarah, and remarked that while it was a beautiful yacht “it needs some repairs.”

The US$4.7 million yacht was acquired and used by the former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, but has been left to fall into a state of disrepair given the country’s current financial depredations.

Maldives National Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MNCCI) Deputy President Ismail Asif told Haveeru that “special parties” and investors had expressed interest in the yacht.

“We are just facilitating the interested parties to see the yacht. The government will carry out the process of selling it. It is not put on auction. The government has not informed the selling price. The price will be negotiable,” Asif told Haveeru.

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Commonwealth Secretary General arrives in Maldives, visits Hay Festival

Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma has arrived in the Maldives for his first official visit to the country.

Sharma will meet representatives of both ruling and opposition political factions, including Parliament Speaker Abdulla Shahid, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Mariya Ahmed Didi, opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and the new Chief Justice, Ahmed Faiz Hussain. ‘

Yesterday the Secretary General attended the Hay Festival at the Presidential retreat in Aarah, attending a session on the country’s climate plan towards carbon neutrality.

A press conference is scheduled for this afternoon.

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Filladhoo islanders horrified after youths record nude footage in bathrooms

The Maldives Police Service have arrested three youths on Filladhoo in Haa Alif Atoll after they allegedly recorded and released explicit footage of islanders bathing with spy cameras.

Haveeru reported islanders as telling police that the suspects had deliberately targeted adolescent girls at the local school, with one of the videos reportedly showing a 17 year old girl having a shower.

“The school students are really scared. No one is sure whether there is not a nude video of him or her,” an islander told Haveeru. “This is not something people should do. Some are not even going out of their homes because they are ashamed.”

The bathrooms of many local houses on islands are traditionally unroofed, however the incident has reportedly led to a number of islanders trying to roof their bathrooms.

The three youths were arrested after nude videos of girls from the island were found on a hard disk.

One Filladhoo resident told Haveeru that “we are lucky that we do not have a girl in our house.”

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President appoints ACC member and HRCM president

President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed Hassan Luthfee as a member of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), and Mariyam Azra as the President of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM).

President Nasheed said he was “very pleased to appoint a female president to HRCM” and expressed confidence that Azra would “diligently work to protect and defend human rights in the Maldives.”

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Island Aviation to transfer three departments to GMR

Island Aviation Services (IAS) will lose its profitable cargo services, ground services and Maldivian ground operations to Indian infrastructure giant GMR when it takes over the operations at Male’ international airport, reports Haveeru.

IAS Managing Director ‘Bandu’ Ibrahim Saleem told Haveeru that the company recorded a Rf67 million profit from the three departments in 2009 (Rf56 million in 2008).

GMR is to transfer 248 employees to the same posts and salaries under a two year contract commencing in late November, IAS Admin Manager Ali Nashaath told Haveeru.

“We got the assurance on last Monday. We have already started the transferring process,” she said. “We transferred those departments as we did not have any other choice,” adding that ministers had sought to extend the arrangement to 2012.

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Coastguard report discovery of body part

The Coastguard have discovered a body part they believe may belong to one of the three children missing Hulhudhufaaru in Raa Atoll, reports Haveeru.

Coastguard Deputy Director Mohamed Saleem told Haveeru the body part was found eight miles off Hulhudhufaaru and delivered to police. It will be examined by the police and Health Ministry, he said.

13 year-old Ahmed Junaid, nine year-old sibling Ibrahim Sadin and nine year-old Ali Ashraf, have been missing since Saturday evening. An capsised canoe believed to have belonged to the children was discovered on Tuesday.

The Coastguard has appealed to vessels travelling in the area to be alert for any sign of the missing children.

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Commonwealth Secretary-General to visit Maldives

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma will visit Maldives from October 16-18, and will meet with the President, opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Ahmed Faiz Hussain.

The Secretary-General is also scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed, Health and Family Minister Dr Aminath Jameel, Minister of Human Resources, Youth and Sport Hassan Latheef, Speaker of the People’s Majlis Abdulla Shahid and the Chairperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party Mariya Ahmed Didi.

Discussions are expected to focus on capacity-building for socio-economic growth, climate change and other issues faced by small island developing states like Maldives.

“I look forward to further discussions on [the President’s] vision for Maldives and how the Commonwealth can work hand-in-hand with his administration and other stakeholders in Maldives to support national development, including the consolidation of democratic processes, institutions and culture, and in particular, the promotion of the Commonwealth’s Latimer House Principles that define the balance between the three branches of government,” Sharma said.

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