Category: News in Brief

Adhaalath Party opt out of presidential race for sake of “national stability”

The Adhaalath Party (AP) will not be nominating a presidential candidate in the upcoming elections for the sake of “national stability”, the party president was quoted as saying in local media.

AP President Sheikh Imran Adbulla claimed that if the party were to declare a candidate for the presidential elections it could throw the country’s political situation into turmoil, local media reported.

“We have decided not to put forth a candidate and form a coalition. Our hope is not to form a coalition with just one party, but a coalition made with many parties,” Imran was quoted as saying in local newspaper Haveeru.

Imran said that the party’s committee will have to submit a report in two months in regard to the coalition arrangement.

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Two men arrested with 60 bottles of alcohol

Police arrested two men with 60 bottles of alcohol on Wednesday night.

Police said that the two men were a Maldivian aged 52 and an expat aged 31 years old.

According to police, the two men were caught in a special operation conducted following an intelligence report received by police.

Police said they were carrying the bottles in a small pickup truck and were stopped while they were on Chaandhanee Magu, the main tourist strip in Male.

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Maldivians warned of influenza threat in India

Maldivians travelling to India have been warned by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) about the spread of influenza in the north of the country.

HPA’s Epidemiologist Dr Aishath Aruna told Sun Online that the virus had been misreported in local media as swine flu. Instead, influenza H1N1 is not swine flu and is less dangerous.

So far 450 people have been affected by influenza in Rajasthan in northern India, of which 94 people have died from the virus.

Local media reported that most of the deaths have been pregnant women and that the chances of the virus spreading to other parts of the country are high.

Dr Aruna told local media that influenza H1N1 virus had been observed in the Maldives since 2010, and that the virus prolongs and intensifies the symptoms of common colds.

Maldivians visiting India are advised to avoid crowds, wash hands with soap frequently – especially after coughing or sneezing – and make sure to receive vaccinations should your doctor advise you to.

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Dead body found between Villimale’ and Gulhi Falhu

A dead body has been found in the sea between Villimale’ and Gulhi Falhu today (February 13), local media has reported.

Authorities are currently searching for a German tourist who went missing on Sunday after jumping into the sea from an anchored yacht near Male’.

According to local media, police confirmed a body had been found in the sea but refused to disclose any further details.

Local newspaper Haveeru reported that the missing man jumped from the yacht MY Enok to conduct some repair work.

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Project to improve Maldives’ education system launched

A project to review and improve the education system in the Maldives has been initiated by the National Institute for Education (NIE).

The ‘Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Curriculum Reform’ will be a seven year-long project to be carried out with the assistance of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), local media reported.

Speaking at a ceremony to launch a baseline survey planned to be conducted under the project initiative, Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Education Azleen Ahmed said the survey is to understand the impact the newly planned syllabus will have on teaching and learning.

“The purpose of such an initiative, taken up with the support of UNICEF, is to understand the current situation of the education system in the Maldives, and to understand the impact the newly planned syllabus will have on the children.

“At the end of the survey, we will know the changes that we require to bring to the new syllabus, and also to the education system as a whole. We will also be able to identify the problems with the current education system, and also the difficulties faced by children while learning,” Azleen was quoted as saying in local media.

Data for the survey will be collected from children of grades 4, 7 and 9 from schools across the country, local media said.

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Police continue search for missing German tourist

Police are searching for a German tourist who went missing after he jumped in the sea from a yacht moored near Hulhumale.

According to police, the man reportedly jumped into the water in search of his missing companion, who was later picked up in a speed boat and taken to hospital.

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said the military’s policy was to conduct searches for three days after a person was reported missing.

Local newspaper Haveeru reported that the missing man jumped from the yacht MY Enok to conduct some repair work.

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All murderers involved in 2012 murder cases found: police

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) have claimed that all murderers involved in cases last year have been found, local media reported.

In a promotional video uploaded on YouTube, police claimed that murderers who killed MP Dr Afrasheem Ali, lawyer Ahmed Najeeb, Police Lance Corporal Adam Haleem and Ayyube in Kudahuvadhoo in Dhaalu Atoll had all been found.

Local media reported that trials against some of the murder suspects are still ongoing in court, whilst others have been convicted and sentenced to death.

Cases related to theft increased last year and the seizure of drugs by MPS had reached a record high, police claimed.

Other figures from the video, as reported by local media, stated that 29 brothels have been closed down, while cases related to domestic violence against women and children sent for prosecution had increased and organised crime had been “controlled”.

In an effort to reduce crime, the Crime Prevention Department will now operate under the Public Affairs Department, local media reported.

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Civil Court rejects case against Home Minister

The Civil Court has rejected a case accusing Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed of influencing the ongoing trial against former President Mohamed Nasheed.

The case was filed by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mohamed Rasheed, however it was rejected by the Civil Court on the grounds that Rasheed had no connection with the case involving the former president at Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court, local media reported.

The case filed by Rasheed against Jameel stated that remarks made by the home minister on January 29 could influence the judges in their ruling against Nasheed, local media reported.

Jameel – who was formerly Justice Minister under Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s administration – was reported in late January as stating that it was “crucial to conclude the case against Nasheed before the approaching presidential elections, in the interests of the nation and to maintain peace in it.”

He alleged the delay in Nasheed’s prosecution was due to “various reasons”, and would very likely have “adverse effects on the political and social fabric of the nation”.

“If things happen  this way, people will start believing that it was due to the failure to address some issues in the Maldives’ judicial system, which need to be looked into. And in my opinion, the courts will have to take responsibility for this,” Jameel said in an interview with news website Haveeru.

The MDP’s case requested the court to rule that Jameel should not make comments that could influence any ongoing trials.

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Storeroom fire reported at Palm Beach Resort

A storeroom at the Palm Beach Resort in Lhaviyani Atoll caught fire last night (February 9), requiring the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) to intervene.

MNDF Media Officer Abdulla Ali told local media that MNDF fire fighters attended the scene and were eventually able to bring the blaze under control by about 9:00pm yesterday evening.

A team from Lhaviany Naifaru police station and firemen from MNDF northern command area travelled to the resort around 6:55pm last night after being informed of the blaze, according to media reports.

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