A delegation of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has arrived in the Maldives for a good-will visit, reports Miadhu.
Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, Sun Jiazheng, is heading the delegation.
Speaker of Parliament, Abdulla Shahid, invited the delegation to the Maldives.
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(0)Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed launched Wataniya Telecom Maldives’ mobile learning service yesterday afternoon at the Holiday Inn.
The mLearning system, called Education Anywhere, is an initiative from Wataniya, Mobitel Sri Lanka and the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Colombo.The system has been successfully implemented in the University.
mLearning is an interactive tool that uses the internet to create a virtual classroom anywhere there is a Wataniya broadband connection.
Dr Waheed said the service would open more opportunities in higher education for many students who cannot afford to attend classes, or who cannot leave home for other reasons.
He added the government was looking into the possibility of introducing a similar programme for the health and education sectors.
(0)Dislikes(0)Akon’s Supafest show in Malé has been postponed two days before the concert was to take place, due to “technical and security concerns of the artist” according to the show’s Sri Lankan event managers Platinum Entertainment.
Platinum Entertainment said most of the equipment needed for the show, such as the stage, LED panels, and technical staff will not be able to make it to Malé in time for the scheduled concert. But they offered assurances that since “some equipment worth more than $100,000 has arrived to the Maldives,” it is “straight proof that the event is scheduled to go on.”
The show’s delay comes shortly after Maldives police arrested the Sri Lankan organiser of the Boney M concert for fraud, and the government decided to take over running running the show itself.
Akon’s concert has been controversial from the start. Platinum Entertainment first tried to send the star to Sri Lanka, but the government refused him entry into the country because the content of one of his videos was deemed offensive to Buddhist tastes.
He was also initially denied a visa to Australia and missed a performance in Adelaide, but was allowed into the country in time for the Melbourne concert.
When Akon was denied entry to Sri Lanka, Platinum Entertainment received permission from the Maldivian government to host the concert in Male’ and joined forces with local event organisers, Highrise Entertainment, to run the event on 23 April.
Everything was set up for the show to proceed – posters, tickets, government approval and many eager fans billed it as “the biggest concert ever in the Maldives.”
However since the show was announced, there have been complaints from the public and the Islamic Ministry concerning Akon’s lyrics, and especially his performance last year where he simulated sex on stage with a young girl during a show in the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago.
Ali Furushan from Highrise Entertainment said they had difficulty bringing in the equipment, which was being shipped from Sri Lanka, Singapore and Australia. He added that because “it’s the first international event, we didn’t want to do a half-job of it,” so they decided to reschedule the show instead.
He said there were also security concerns from Akon’s management, who were worried about the barricade system.
“The barricades at the show are not interlocking ones,” he said.
Furushan said there had been no concerns regarding the complaints from the Islamic Ministry, saying it was “mostly the technical part” that had forced the organisers to postpone the concert.
Platinum Entertainment will be refunding tickets starting from 12:00pm on 22 April through a hotline (330 7898) and at the Highrise office. They are also refunding money to the show sponsors, “even though they have fully agreed to stick with the event.”
Furushan said they are returning the money to the sponsors because they don’t have a confirmed date yet for the concert, but when they confirm the date, they will start all over again.
“Then we have to re-do all the print material and bring all the equipment back,” he said, noting they had already spent US$2,500 on printing materials alone.
“It’s a big financial loss for the company,” he said, adding that insurance would not cover their losses.
Platinum Entertainment has said because the concert is a multi-national show, “rescheduling will take a minimum duration of six weeks” and they will announce the new date when it has been set.
Furushan confirmed it will take a minimum of six weeks for Akon’s schedule to clear up again. “He’s pretty booked up,” he said, noting he has upcoming concerts in Congo, New York and Los Angeles.
“We hope to have the concert just before the FIFA World Cup,” he said.
Press Secretary for the President’s Office Mohamed Zuhair said the main issues were security concerns from Akon’s management.
He said Akon’s management had “requested the government to assure them of security arrangements from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).”
Zuhair said the concerns for security arose “after certain Islamic scholars and State Minister [for Islamic Affairs Sheikh Ahmed Shaheem Ali Saeed] complained about Akon’s explicit lyrics.”
However he assured “the government will stand firm. The permits have been issued, the president is delighted and has expressed hope that everyone who goes to see Akon has a good time.”
Zuhair added it was a good opportunity for the Maldivian companies sponsoring the event, and it would “hopefully encourage other international stars to come to the Maldives.”
Many young people who Minivan News spoke to claimed they had bought tickets ““not because we like Akon, but to support the event so more artists will come to the Maldives,” one concert-goer said.
Hearing of the show’s postponement, he said: “I am very angry. It’s music! It’s supposed to be everywhere. It can’t be stopped just because someone doesn’t like it.”
He said he would definitely get a refund if Akon can’t come, but will hold on to his tickets for a while.
Akon has meanwhile made a video apologising to all his Maldivian fans for the postponement. It can be seen on the event’s Facebook page.
(0)Dislikes(0)London’s Heathrow Airport reopened flights on Tuesday night after almost a week of flight cancellations due to the volcanic ash from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which erupted last Wednesday and spread a thick cloud of ash over Europe.
Major airports around Europe are now reopening their airspace for more flights to resume, allowing stranded tourists and goods to reach their destinations, although recent reports suggest this is happening somewhat haphazardly.
Anecdotal reports suggest some hotels and resorts are reaching capacity with stranded tourists, particularly those near the airport on Hulhumale.
Controller of Immigration, Ilyas Hussain Ibrahim, said tourists who have been stranded in the Maldives will not have any issues with immigration.
“We are willing to extend their visas,” he said. “There is no problem with visas expiring. The problem is when they over-stay their booking at the hotels and resorts.”
Deputy Director at the Ministry of Tourism Hassan Zameer said no resorts have reported any cases of stranded tourists to the ministry, but they have informed resorts not to take passengers to the airport unless their flight has been confirmed.
Zameer said members of government, the tourism industry and resorts met earlier this week to discuss the situation, and said some resorts had offered to give their guests discounts “so long as they are not losing money.”
He said he did not know whether any resorts were implementing these discounted rates.
Zameer noted that “if this situation is prolonged it will be very costly to [the resorts],” and they are trying to help guests how they can.
Deputy Minister of Tourism Thoyyib Waheed said the ministry does not have any statistics on how many tourists have been stranded in the Maldives or how many were expected to arrive but were stranded in Europe.
But he added the airport has set up a hotline (call 332 2211) to help tourists with information on flights.
Staff at the One & Only Reethi Rah resort said most of their guests have extended their stay for at least four nights, but could not give any more details about whether they were giving special rates or any other assistance to these guests.
Many resorts around Malé that are reported to be over-booked with stranded tourists did not wish to comment on how they are handling the situation.
Stranded in paradise
Minivan News spoke to one British couple with their two young kids who had planned to return to the UK on Monday, when Sri Lankan Airlines informed them their flight had been cancelled and they would have to stay in the Maldives until flights resumed.
Because the airline is not party to the EU legislation, it does not have to provide financial assistance, such as accommodation and food vouchers, to its stranded customers.
The couple said they knew some people who were flying with British Airways and noted that BA customers were getting compensation from the airline.
They stressed the point that insurance would not cover any of their expenses, noting “nothing is covered.”
Because they were staying at a resort that cost US$450 per person per day plus food, they have found new, more affordable, accommodation in Malé until they can be rebooked on a flight home.
“We’re just waiting for Sri Lankan Airlines to call us,” they said. “There’s a three-flight back-log.”
The couple added they were meant to be back at work in the UK early this week and their kids should be back at school.
“We’re losing our salary on top of the extra expenses,” they said.
They noted neither the airline, the resort or the government had assisted them in any way.
An Italian couple had a different story to tell. They were stuck in Shanghai and were told their best option was to take a flight to Kuala Lumpur and then to Cairo. But by when they reached KL, they discovered their flight to Egypt had been cancelled.
“So we came to the Maldives to relax for a few days,” they said, adding that they had no swimsuits or beach clothes, “just scarves and jackets.”
They had been told of a flight back to Italy on April 29, but were still awaiting confirmation from their airline and are hoping to get back on Sunday, if possible.
“For now, we will go relax at a nice resort with beautiful beaches,” they said.
Two young Britons said they had not yet been affected by the volcano since their flight was originally scheduled for tomorrow, and are hoping they will be able to keep their seats.
Many import/export businesses, such as tropical fish exporters, have also faced difficulty since they cannot send their products to Europe. Cargo has been stopped in hubs like Dubai and stored by the airlines, while some if it has been returned to the Maldives.
With airlines gradually reopening their flights again, goods and products are now queued, waiting to reach their destination.
(0)Dislikes(0)President Mohamed Nasheed and First Lady Laila Ali departed for South Korea last night.
They will be participating in the Business for Environment Global Summit (B4E Summit) which will take place in Seoul from 21-23 April.
The summit allows for dialogue and business-driven action for the environment, with some of the topics on the agenda being resource efficiency, renewable energy and climate change policies and strategies.
During their visit, President Nasheed will also meet with the President of South Korea, Lee Myung-Bak, to discuss ways of strengthening diplomatic relations between the two countries.
(0)Dislikes(0)Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed spoke yesterday at a meeting on human trafficking in the South Asia region, and called for an effort from law enforcement agencies, government authorities, civil society and international organisations to combat human trafficking in the region.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) produced a report on the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking of Women and Children for Prostitution, where they said the Maldives is a country “where the primary form of trafficking is forced labour.”
Dr Waheed noted although the problem is global, Asia has the highest index of human trafficking.
The vice president said there was a concern that “human trafficking could become a growing problem in our country,” and noted the suggestions made by the ADB and IOM.
He said the government is working on combating the issue, and has mechanisms in place to repatriate victims who are brought to the Maldives.
He said there needed to be a more vigorous effort to form legislation and governmental machinery to combat trafficking.
(0)Dislikes(0)President Mohamed Nasheed ratified the bill on presidential transition yesterday, which details the process of a presidential transition.
The Act states if the President-elect or Vice President-elect require expenses or services, the Director General of Transition should provide them. These services include office space with furniture and equipment, office supplies, staff salaries and a provision of technical experts and their salaries.
The Act also states no funds will be provided for services and facilities in connection with any obligations incurred by the President-elect or Vice President-elect, either before the day of the announcement of election results or after the inauguration.
The bill was originally passed by Parliament on 6 April 2010.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Cabinet has decided on an administrative framework on land use, which was put in place yesterday.
The framework includes how the government can use and manage the country’s land, including sandbanks and lagoons.The Ministry of Housing, Transport and Environment will keep a register of all the lands in Maldivian territory.
The framework stipulates that islands given for government ministries can be given to a third party only with the Cabinet’s approval.
The Cabinet also discussed their 2007 decision to build five airports in different islands, and decided to continue to construction of all five airports.
(0)Dislikes(0)A 33 year-old man was injured last night in a robbery near the ‘neutral city’ park on Alikileygefaanu Magu, reports Miadhu.
The victim received a serious injury to the head and was stabbed in the stomach. He was taken to IGMH Intensive Care Unit.
The victim was allegedly attacked by a group of people on motorcycles.
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