Three children from Hulhudhufaaru in Raa Atoll have been lost in a canoe, reports police.
Police reported that the three kids went out to the ocean on a canoe yesterday and there was as yet no sign of them.
There were 14 year-old boy and two nine year-old boys aboard the canoe when it left, according to police.
Police and Maldives National Defence Force are searching the area for the missing children.
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(0)He said that did not mean that it was an “official call” from the MNDF.
‘’It is very difficult to track down the person who called, but MNDF and the police are trying to figure it out,’’ Raheem said.
“Although we were all demoralised by the decision of FAM to disallow our participation in the tournaments, we would not do something like this,” he said. “We eagerly want to take part in the FAM tournaments and we are still trying for it.’’
Everything the MNDF did to regain access to the tournament would be conducted in accordance with the laws.
Azim had told local newspapers that a number belonging to the MNDF contacted his brother and threatened that his car will be set on fire.
‘’The phone call was made from an MNDF number to Mohamed Shiyaz [brother of Azim]. The caller said they had been trying to get in touch to me, and told him to tell me they will set fire to my car,’’ Azim told the media.
Haveeru called the number and found it belonged to the MNDF’s communication department.
(0)Dislikes(0)The United States armed forces are to provide new training and operations assistance to the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF), reports Haveeru.
In an agreement signed between the US Pacific Command and the MNDF at Bandos Island Resort on Monday, the MNDF noted that it lacked resources to meet the expanding demand for services in the Maldives.
Under the “Acquisition and Cross Service Agreement” signed by MNDF Vice Chief, Brigadier General Farhath Shareef and Pacific Command’s Logistics and Engineering Director Brigadier General Derek K Williams, the US Pacific Command will help MNDF meet the increasing demand on its services through joint military exercises and training.
25 senior officials from the Pacific region are attending the meeting at Bandos.
(0)Dislikes(0)A storm has hit Addu causing islands to flood and severely damaging houses and property on several islands.
Addu Atoll Councilor Abdulla Sadiq said that Gan, Maradhu, Maradhufeydhoo and Feydhoo were flooded due to the torrential rain,’’ Sadiq said, adding that Feydhoo was the most severely damaged with almost 600 houses affected.
70 houses in Maradhufeydhoo and 10 houses in Maradhu were also damaged in the flood, according to Sadiq.
“Almost 80 percent of the houses in Feydhoo were damaged, including property, and some are now inadequate for living,’’ said Sadiq. “People have been forced to move to their relatives’ houses.’’
In Maradhufeydhoo all the computers in the island school, the school library and the school office were damaged, Sadiq said.
The weather forecast for the area showed steady rain for the next few days as well, he added.
“We are trying to drain the floodwaters and settle the situation,’’ he said.
Although Gan was also flooded, the island has a good drainage system and the streets will drain automatically, he added.
He also estimated that the damage was set to rise to millions of ruffiya.
Meanwhile, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Southern Area reported that the airport and airport office of Gan in Addu were damaged, including the computers and some furniture inside the office.
The MNDF is are now active on the flooded islands and trying to drain the floodwaters.
Deputy Director General of the National Meteorological Department Ali Shareef said the whole of the Maldives will experience heavy rain during the next 24 hours.
”North and central Maldives will experience strong winds and heavy rain,” said Shareef, adding that the Addu Atoll would likely be spared the strong winds and heavy rain that would affect other parts of the country.
(0)Dislikes(0)the MNDF reported that no person was aboard the Harbour Princess when the incident occurred, and no person was injured.
The fire was controlled around 4:00am this morning, MNDF reported.
(0)Dislikes(0)Parliamentary Group Leader of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik has called on leader of the People’s Alliance (PA) Abdulla Yameen to resign from parliament’s National Security Committee.
Moosa accused Yameen, who is the speaker of the National Security Committee, of using his position on the committee to seek revenge against police and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) after his arrest and detention by the government in July.
‘’After Yameen was arrested on charges of corruption, he has been continuously trying to smear the name of police and the MNDF,’’ said Moosa. “He will never succeed by chasing after the police and MNDF to get revenge.’’
Moosa alleged that Yameen was trying to summon superiors of armed forces to appear before the committee in “a cunning plan” to denigrate the institutions.
“This is a plan to take revenge on police and armed forces,’’ Moosa claimed.
Media Coordinator of PA Ahmed Faisal said Moosa’s comments were “a personal attack” on Yameen.
Yameen and Secretary General of PA Ahmed Shareef were abroad and unavailable for comment at time of press.
(0)Dislikes(0)Maldives Customs Service last night seized 260 toy guns and handed them over to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) for investigation.
Spokesperson for the Maldives Customs Service Ismail Nashid said the shipment was imported to the Maldives from Thailand and the items were classified as toys.
“We are trying to determine whether these guns could potentially be used for other purposes, even though they have been shipped as ‘toys’,’’ said Nashid. ‘’After the investigation sn concluded we will hold a joint press meeting with the media and reveal details.”
The ship was a commercial cargo ship, which was loaded in Thailand, he said.
He said the guns were now under the observation MNDF.
Spokesperson for MNDF Major Abdul Raheem said MNDF had determined that the guns were toys.
“We are yet to find out how dangerous these guns are and in what other ways they could be used,’’ said Abdul Raheem. ‘’We can only provide information about the case after the investigation is concluded.’’
Maldives Customs recently intercepted five three-foot double-edged swords inside a container imported to Maldives from China.
Spokesperson for Maldives Ports Limited (MPL), Hassan Muzni Mohamed, said the swords were discovered during an inspection by customs officers.
The ship that carried the container, ‘MOL KOMATI’, was loaded in China and stopped at a port in Singapore prior arriving in the Maldives.
(0)Dislikes(0)A 50 foot long dead whale has been discovered by Maldives National Defence Force MNDF Coast Guard, near Thaa Atoll while it was drifting on the ocean inwards to the Atoll.
Major Abdul Raheem said the whale was first found by a fishing boat and reported to the MNDF.
”when we reached the area, the whale was drifting towards an island in Thaa Atoll,” said Abdul Raheem. ”if the whale was left drifting, there was the possibility that it reaches the island and that could be a very big trouble for the islanders.”
Raheem said the MNDF tied the whale and drifted it away from the atoll to an area that would not move towards any atoll.
”for health impacts that may rise when a dead whale drifts to an island, we moved it away,” he said. ”it cannot be moved away easily after it drifts to any island.”
The whale was drifted away from the Maldivian islands by a joint operation conducted with the Police, Maldives National Defence Force MNDF and a fishing boat.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Civil Court of the Maldives has today ordered Ministry of Defense and National Security to release the Supreme Court’s key immediately, and allow the reinstatement of the interim Supreme Court.
The case was presented by the Prosecutor General to the Civil Court this morning. The first hearing was conducted almost immediately and the verdict was delivered this afternoon.
‘’We declare in the absence of state Attorney General’s office, to the Ministry of Defense and National Security and to all concerned authorities of the state, the key of Supreme Court should be issued to the Supreme Court at any time Supreme Court wishes immediately,’’ said Chief Judge Ali Sameer, delivering the verdict.
Citing articles 284 and 141 of the constitution, Judge Sameer declared “that no person shall hold the key of the Supreme Court without the consent of the court.’’
Judge Sameer said the PG’s office had the authority to present the case when the work of the Supreme Court was obstructed, or if the Supreme Court came to a halt by any cause, because it potentially obstructed the PG from fulfilling his responsibilities.
The judge also noted that the court order to summon the Attorney General was delivered and that the AG office failed to send representation to the court, and did not inform why.
State Defense Minister Muiz Adnan said he had not seen the verdict and would not comment until he had read it.
When questioned according to the last declaration how long the key will be held by the military, he said he had no information regarding the issue.
Major Abdul Raheem, also a spokesperson of Maldives National Defense Force, said the keys of all the state institutions were kept with the MNDF and issued according to a procedure established by the defence ministry.
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