Category: News in Brief

French ambassador Mr Michel Lummaux paid a farewell call on President
Mohamed Nasheed yesterday.

The president thanked Lummaux and the French government for their
support in ushering in democracy to the Maldives.

He added he hoped France would continue assisting the Maldives in
consolidating democracy in the country.

Nasheed said French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s contribution was
essential in reaching a resolution on climate change at the
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago.

Last week, Commonwealth heads met for their two-day annual meeting.
They were joined for the first time by non-Commonwealth leaders
Sarkozy, the Danish prime minister and the UN secretary general.

Nasheed said the resolution renewed hope of reaching a climate change
treaty at the summit on the issue in Copenhagen later this month.

Lummaux told the president France would continue to assist the
Maldives and was aware of the vulnerability of low-lying nations such
as the Maldives to climate change.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

The centre for community health and disease control has said testing
for swine flu would resume at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital
(IGMH) from last night onwards, Voice of Maldives reports.

The test has not been available at the state hospital due to lack of supplies.

An official from the health sector said people have tested positive
for influenza A in the capital as well as Haa Dhaal, Shaviyani, Noonu,
Raa, Baa, Alif Alif, Vaavu, Meemu, Thaa and Gnaviyani atolls.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Villa College signed a MoU yesterday with Malaysia’s Open University
for a masters of education programme in the country, Voice of Maldives
reports.

The college said the main purpose of the MoU was to offer the masters
degree course to allow students to complete the qualification without
having to go abroad.

The programme is aimed at school principals, administrators and policy
level officials in the education sector.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

The Elections Commission (EC) has denied a request by the Islamic
Democratic Party (IDP) to revoke the membership of 5,044 people,
Haveeru reports.

Mohamed Tholal, director general of the EC, said the request was
denied as it would have violated the rights of its members.

IDP had filed the request after receiving complaints from the new
members denying they signed for the party.

Umar Naseer, leader of the party, said the request was made as the
party would have to submit a registration update soon. He added the
party would not pursue the matter any further.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

President Mohamed Nasheed conferred the Order of Distinguished Rule of
Izzuddeen to Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin AbdulAziz Alsaud of Saudi
Arabia yesterday.

The medal was given to the prince under article 115 of the
constitution, in recognition of his important contributions to the
development of the Maldives as well as his services globally to
promote Islam, democracy and understanding.

The Order of Distinguished Rule of Izzuddeen was created in 1972 and
is among the highest ranking honours conferred by the state. It is
named after Sultan Hassan Izzuddeen, the Maldivian hero who liberated
the Maldives from foreign rule in the 18th century.

Upon arrival at Muleeage, Prince Alsaud and Princess Ameera were
welcomed with an honour guard conducted by the Maldives National
Defence Force.

At the ceremony, the president said the medal was given to the prince
because of his work “in representing democratic forms in Islamic
countries”.

He added he hoped close ties between the Maldives and Saudi Arabia
would continue to strengthen in the future.

Prince Alsaud praised the president for the smooth transfer of power
that took place in Maldives following the country’s first multi-party
election.

He said that “any investment opportunity that helps the Maldives…we
will be the first to lead in having it executed.”

The prince further commended the Maldives’ efforts to bring climate
change to the world’s attention.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

The Maldives coastguard are highly capable but lack modern technology, one of the heads of the Indian coastguard has said, Miadhu reports.

Mr Gopi is in the Maldives to attend an inauguration ceremony of the 10th Indo-Maldivian joint coastguard training exercise which began yesterday.

He said that he had spent many years observing the Maldives National Defence Force and the coastguard, both of which had come a long way in the fields of education and training.

But, he added, the benefit of both could only be seen if officers had access to modern technologies.

Coastguard commandant Brigadier General Zakariyya Mansoor said the Maldives’ inability to conduct aerial surveillance of the country’s territorial waters was a further obstacle to the development of the coastguard.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police in Seenu atoll Hithadhoo have found equipment used to make alcohol in the woods near the RAF area of the island, Haveeru reports.

During a special operation, police found a 20-litre plastic can containing the equipment. No one has yet been arrested in connection with the discovery.

Last week, police also arrested five people on the island for drug possession. One of the men was found with 65 packets and a small film canister filled with drugs.

Police found a second man with seven packets of drugs and in another bust, three men were arrested near Manik Dhandu carrying six packets of drugs.

Police have not revealed the identities of any of the them

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

The UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression yesterday welcomed the passage of a bill in parliament to decriminalise defamation.

Frank La Rue called for the move when he visited the Maldives in March.

The bill submitted to parliament by the government abolishes articles 150 to 166 of the country’s penal code, under which defamation was a criminal offence and punishable by a sentence of exile, house detention or fine.

In a press release on the UN website, La Rue urged all states where defamation is criminalised to follow the Maldives’ example.

“In addition, any provisions that allow public officials to bring defamation suits with regard to their actions in public office should be totally eliminated,” he stressed.

La Rue said he hoped his other recommendations to the Maldives, such as the adoption of an anti-monopoly legislation, particularly with regard to communications, would be considered.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

President Mohamed Nasheed returned to Male’ yesterday after attending the two-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

This year’s summit was held in the Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago from 27 to 29 November.
During his intervention at the special session on climate change, Nasheed urged concrete action from the Commonwealth to ensure results at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen this month.

The president further thanked British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for their support and assistance to the Maldives to help it reach its goal of going carbon neutral within a decade.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)