Tag: maldives news

US Ambassador opens American Centre in new National Library building

United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Patricia Butenis, opened the new American Centre in the National Library Building on October 28.

The centre had previously been called the American Corner and was located in the National Library since May 2004, serving as a resource centre for the public on all things American.

In her speech, Ambassador Butenis highlighted the services offered at the new American Centre, explaining that when when the national library moved in July, “we felt the time was right to rename our facility in order to more accurately represent our growing ties with the people and the government of Maldives.”

The upgraded American Center appears part of a wider effort by the American government to engage with the Maldives. The United States marked its Fourth of July independence day for the first time in the Maldives with a function at Holiday Inn.

Butenis said it had been her desire to enhance and enlarge the role of the American Corner ever since she took on her role as Ambassador for Maldives and Sri Lanka over a year ago.

“We had some dispute with Washington over what to call it, since this is not a consulate,” she said.

Shafeea Shakir, who was worked in the National Library for the past 10 years, has been appointed the coordinator of American Center taking over from Thifla Umar. “We would like to encourage more people to use the resources at the center, as there is so much on offer like audio and videos,” she said.

The center offers free internet access, information about United States via a large collection of DVDs, and an online research database. The center also offers students the chance to participate in ‘Dyn Ed’, a computer based English learning programme. The center further offers events like public readings, films, lectures by various speakers and workshops and exhibits.

Among the speakers who visited Maldives earlier in the year was Imam Khalid Lathif, chaplin of the New York Police Department. Lathif gave talks on ‘Human rights under Islam’ and ‘Women’s rights in Islam’ in the American corner during August.

Ambassador Butenis said a number of Americans would visit Maldives in the coming months and hold discussions at the center. Imam Khalid Lathif is among them, and will return to the Maldives in December along with Dr Richard Navarro, an expert on higher education, who will stay in the Maldives for nine months on a Fulbright fellowship.

“We are also increasing the number of Digital Video Conferences (DVC) with individuals from United States. Experts from Harvard and Yale will present lectures sharing their expertise across nine time zones with American center participants in Male.’ Ambassador Butenis added the lectures would be interactive, as participants will get a chance to ask questions.

DVC had been used recently to conduct a professional development-training programme for National library employees with the Director of the American Centre in Colombo.

Ambassador Butenis said she hoped the technology would prove a useful resource for Maldivian civil society to collaborate with their counterparts in the United States.

An inter library loan programme with the American Center in Male and American Corners in Sri Lanka is also in the pipeline.

“This will increase the selection of books and journals available to Maldivian patrons by over 4,000 titles- a collection that continues to grow each year,” said Ambassador Butenis

Ambassador Butenis ended her speech highlighting the similarities between the two countries.

“Our two countries, half a world apart in distance share much in common. In many ways, your own path to democracy mirrors ours. We have a lot to learn from each other, and the American Center will facilitate further communication and collaboration between the people of the Maldives and the United States.”

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BML ‘phishing’ website targets mobile banking customers

The Bank of Maldives (BML) yesterday issued a statement warning that fraudsters had created a false BML website to deceive the company’s mobile banking service customers, obtaining their bank account number, credit card number and its security code through the fraudulent website.

The fraudsters were inviting BML customers to their fraudulent website under the bankofmaldives.net domain by sending text messages from 00455, claiming it was a registration website for the BML mobile banking service.

The fraud, known as ‘phishing’, is relatively common in the Western world and many banks instruct their customers to never access their website by clicking a link in an email. Technology analyst group Gartner estimate that 3.6 million adults fell victim to such scams in the 12 months ending August 2007, losing US$3.2 billion in the process.

Since then phishing attacks have become markedly more targeted and refined, with the emergence of ‘spear-phishing’, with individual and high-value targets such as corporate account executives being targeted.

BML warned that if any of its customers filled this registration form displayed in the fraud website, the fraudsters will be able to take advantage of them and misuse the information.

The statement said that the mobile banking was a service provided by BML “with high security and confidentiality.”

However, it is the responsibility of the customers to keep confidential information such as their card number, expiration date, pin number and security code, account number, internet banking user ID and its security and password, said the statement.

The BML said the most common method fraudsters used was to obtain information to misuse credit cards and debit cards after obtaining the data by sending emails from sources trusted by the victim, linked to fraudulent sources.

The fraudulent website is designed to appear just like the legitimate website.

BML warned customers to never use a link to access the bank’s website, and recommended its address www.bankofmaldives.com.mv be typed directly into the browser.

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Group claims ‘2000 strong’ protest against Dhiraagu over privacy and latency concerns

A group of Maldivians calling themselves “Firaagu’’, led by Firaagu Mohamed, have scheduled a protest against the first network service provider in the Maldives, Dhiraagu (Dhivehi Raajjeyge Gulhun), claiming to have “many issues” with the company.

Protest organiser Firaagu Mohamed claimed that more than 2000 people have said they would join the protest.

“We are expecting 3000 to join us on the day of protest, January 1. We will launch a website and a hotline this month so that everyone joining can discuss and disclose more information about the protest,’’ said Firaagu.

Protesters will gather at Jumhoory Maidhaan and will march towards Dhiraagu Head Office in Medhuziyarai Magu, Firaagu said, claiming the group would also be distributing T-Shirts.

Firaagu, who claims to have obtained information concerning matters of privacy and latency from a whistleblower inside the company, say they will present their allegations in the lead up to the protest.

“We do not want our every move sniffed and monitored. And do not give us false messages when we try and call somebody by saying ‘The number you are calling is switched off’,” he alleged.

Outside the resorts, the country’s telecom providers are among the most marketed and media savvy organisations in the country, and desired employers among many young people.

Spokesperson for Dhiraagu Mohamed Mirshan yesterday told Minivan News that Dhiraagu had not received any information regarding the planned ‘Firaagu’ event officially.

”If anyone had any issues concerning Dhiraagu, they could always contact us,” Mirshan said. ”we are always easily accessible,” Mirshan said.

”Expressing peoples views on large companies through social network is very common in the Maldives as well as in other countries,”

Mirshan said if the protest was organised by a genuine person he would have contacted Dhiraagu before deciding to launch a protest.

“I have also seen the page on Facebook, and its credibility looks doubtful,” he added.

Dhiraagu is one of the only two network service providers in the Maldives, and has been providing telecom services for 22 years.

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First charter flight from Mumbai brings 107 tourists to Addu

An inaugural charter flight from Mumbai, India to Seenu Atoll Gan arrived in the country on Sunday with 107 tourists, reports Haveeru.

The Kingfisher charter flight was organised by Indian travel agency Make My Trip in collaboration with the Maldives Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC).

The tourists were greeted upon arrival by Home Minister Mohamed Shihab, Indian Ambassador B M Muley and senior officials of MTDC and Gan Airport Company in a backdrop of traditional boduberu music.

While over a 1,000 Indian tourists have booked holidays at the Herethera resort, according to MTDC, the Kingfisher charter flights will operate bi-weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The travel agency meanwhile revealed that their goal was to bring over 6,000 Indian tourists to the Maldives – Indians currently account for just three percent of visitors to the country.

Previous charter flights from Italy and Germany introduced after the opening of Herethera in 2007 were short-lived and cancelled prematurely.

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Hinmafushi prison to be changed to a rehab

The state home minister Ahmed Adil have said that ”Asseyri” prison in Hinmafushi would be changed to a rehabilitation centre, reports Haveeru.

Haveeru reported that the rehabilitation centre would be opened by next year according to Adhil.

Next year February the centre would start delivering its services to those in need, according to Haveeru.

The Home ministry is currently working on ways to raise fund that is needed to re-built the prison as a rehabilitation centre.

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Reformed delinquents released back to families

A number of reformed juvenile offenders at the Children’s Correction Training Centre in Feydhoo Finolhu have been released back to their families, reports Haveeru.

Juvenile Justice Unit Director General Hamid Yousuf from the Home Ministry explained that about 25 children aged 13 to 17 successfully completed reformatory programmes while an additional four children were expected to take two more weeks.

The centre is now preparing to receive a new batch of juvenile offenders, he said.

The programme includes academic courses, art classes, instruction in craftsmanship as well as entertainment and sports activities.

Funds have been earmarked in next year’s budget for a new juvenile detention centre, said Hamid, as juvenile offenders currently had to be kept in jail with adults after sentencing.

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BML director’s board constituted at AGM

A 10-member director’s board for the Bank of Maldives was constituted at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday night, reports SunFM.

Three members were elected to represent public shareholders while seven were appointed by the government.

Of four candidates contesting for the three public representatives, former State Trading Organisation CEO Ahmed Mohamed won the highest number of votes, followed by Mohamed Abdul Sattar, Manchangoalhi Tulip, and former director at the Finance Ministry Ibrahim Mohamed, Noonu Holhudhoo Nelam.

While current Chairman Adam Ibrahim, Maafanu Asrafeege, retains his post, the other government appointees include Aishath Noordeen, Maafanu Thaagidhoshuge, Jaisham Ibrahim, Manchangoalhi Anuma, Assad Ali, Maafanu Vaarevila, Azban Fahmy, Maafanu Finivaage, Hassan Muzny, Galolhu Atha, and Nuha Mohamed Riza, Henveiru Meerubahuruge.

Despite the government’s claim that a provision in the bank’s code of governance that excludes the government from voting to elect members violated the Companies Act, the Chairman overruled the objection, insisting that BML’s articles of association were in order and that minority shareholders had to be protected.

Local daily Haveeru meanwhile reports that concerns of disgruntled shareholders were not addressed at the meeting, frustrating many of the 340 in attendance.

While the bank recorded profits of Rf49 million (US$3.8 million) last year the director’s board decided not to issue dividends based on BML’s financial straits.

BML profits in 2009 fell by Rf220 million (US$17.1) from the previous year.

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Deadlock loosens, as landmark Supreme Court ruling establishes separation of powers

The landmark Supreme Court ruling last week over article 171(i) of parliament’s rules of procedure establishes clear legal precedent for the separation of powers, according to Attorney General Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad.

Parliament was cancelled for the entirety of last week because MPs from both major parties kept clashing on points of order over parliament’s endorsement of cabinet ministers, who were reappointed by the President in July after resigning en masse in protest against the “scorched earth politics” of the opposition majority parliament.

Now, the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) argues that cabinet ministers should be endorsed individually, and is reported to have a list of six ministers it wishes to disapprove. The government meanwhile wants a wholesale endorsement of the cabinet, a function it argues is “ceremonial” arguing that a no-confidence procedure already exists.

At the height of the deadlock several weeks ago, which led to opposition protests, the government went to the Supreme Court in late August claiming that Article 171(i), which states that presidential nominees for the cabinet must be questioned by a parliamentary committee “to determine qualification, educational background and competence”, was outside the constitution.

The Supreme Court issued an injunction against parliament debating the endorsement, but consistent derailment of proceedings by DRP MPs led the Speaker to finally cancel all sessions last week.

The Supreme Court ruled last Thursday that while article 171(i) of the parliament’s rules of procedure does not contradict with constitution, it cannot be used in endorsing cabinet ministers.

Dr Sawad said the ruling “clearly establishes that even if the Majlis does something outside its stated precinct in the constitution, such an act will be ultra vires (beyond its powers)”.

“In terms of legal precedent it has established a Supreme Court endorsement of separation of powers theory in the constitution, and identifies the separate legal precincts of the executive, legislature and judiciary,” he added.

While the ruling installs boundaries for parliament, it is unlikely to resolve the deadlock by itself.

“In terms of the deadlock in the Majlis over cabinet confirmation, the ruling says the Majlis cannot put additional stipulations on endorsing ministers. The ruling still leaves it open to political parties to resolve the matter,” Dr Sawad said.

The DRP has been insistent that it will respect the Supreme Court’s ruling, and that its protests were directed not at the Court but at the government’s use of “delaying tactics” to avoid the controversial cabinet endorsement.

DRP MP Ahmed Mahlouf told Minivan News that the party would still seek to have ministers endorsed individually.

Independent MP Mohamed ‘Kutti’ Nasheed meanwhile wrote on his personal blog that although Article 6 of the new Judicature Act – which has been in force for over a week now – stipulates that each Justice must announce his verdict separately, both the ruling and the sole dissenting opinion was announced by the Chief Justice.

“I wouldn’t dare say they issued the ruling in violation of the law,” he wrote. “But I can say that the way they acted and how it is laid out in the law is not the same.”

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Islamic Minister condemns humiliation of tourist couple

The Islamic Minister of the Maldives Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari has strongly condemned the humiliation to a foreign couple by the celebrant of a renewal of vows ceremony held at Vilu Reef Resort and Spa.

The video of the wedding ceremony held at Vilu Reef, in which the celebrant degrades oblivious couple with a torrent of insults in Dhivehi, appeared on social networks last week.

The couple were initially told in English that the ceremony was a ‘traditional Maldivian’ ceremony, “according to Islamic and Arab norms”, and then attacked as “infidels” and “swine” in Dhivehi during the US$1300 proceedings.

“The religion of Islam has not taught us to treat non-Muslims as enemies,’’ clarified Dr Majeed. “While a tourist is in a country with a valid visa,  according to the rules and regulations it is a responsibility of the state institution to provide them protection.’’

Dr Majeed said that “under no circumstance” did Islam allow a person to be humiliated or robbed of their money or property if they did not follow the religion.

The Islamic Minister also appealed for resorts not to conduct any irreligious activities “to delight the tourists.”

Police have now arrested the celebrant, who was an assistant working at the Food and Beverage Department, and another individual involved in the ceremony, and are holding discussions with the Prosecutor General to determine the charges.

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