President Inaugurates Central Province Transport System and Lays Foundation Stone of Mulah Ferry Terminal
President Mohamed Nasheed has today inaugurated Central Province Transport System and laid the foundation stone of Mulah island’s ferry terminal. President Nasheed visited Mulah by a ferry from Veyvah. Afterwards, speaking at a function held in Mulah, President Nasheed spoke on the importance of a proper transport system for trade and businesses to thrive. The President underscored the achievements in establishing a nation-wise transport system and added the government’s plan was to complete the programme in 7years and to begin basic transport services within the first two years. He noted that with today’s foundation laying of the ferry terminal in Mulah marked the second phase of the programme. The President also gave an update of the developmental projects underway and briefed on planned projects.

J’pura campus branch in Maldives
The Higher Education Ministry is exploring the possibility of opening a Sri Jayewardenepura University branch campus in the Maldives, officials said yesterday. With this in view Minister S.B. Dissanayake had spoken to Maldivian High Commissioner Hussain Shihab. Ministry Secretary Sunil Jayantha Navaratne said Mr. Hussain had responded positively to this request and added that the possibility of opening Maldivian higher education institutions in Sri Lanka was also discussed at this meeting. Dr. Navaratne said the Ministry was prepared to open branch campuses of our universities in some other countries as well but declined to name the countries.

Maldives: Police Bust Christmas Lunch Promotion After Complaints Received From “Public”
Management at the Jade Bistro cafe on Boduthakurufaanu Magu have apologised to any Maldivians that may have been offended by a “festive” lunch promotion offered over the Christmas period that has since attracted protests and the attention of police in the capital. The offer was criticised as a Christmas celebration by religious groups like the Adhaalath Party and the Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM), which have both praised local police for yesterday stopping the promotion at the café.

Maldives to tax tourism from Saturday
The Maldives will introduce a 3.5-percent tax on all tourism-related services from Saturday, the Indian Ocean atoll nation's acting finance minister said Thursday. Hotel owners do not pay any income or profit tax in the Maldives, but the new goods and services tax (GST) will apply to the entire tourism sector from January 1. "It will gradually be extended to other sectors... to reduce relying on indirect taxes, especially import duties that hurt the poor," the minister, Muhmood Razee, told AFP by telephone from Male, the capital. Home to 330,000 Sunni Muslims, the Maldives islands are a magnet for high-spending tourists. The Maldives had received 750,000 holiday-makers in the year to December and the authorities hope the number will exceed 770,000 in 2011. Tourism accounts for nearly two-thirds of the Maldives' economy of over a billion dollars, with the rest coming from fish exports. Razee said the additional income will be vital to attempts to reduce the country's budget deficit to 16.0 percent of GDP in 2011, from the current figure of around 26.5 percent.

                 30 December 2010 | Thursday                 

President Begins a Tour to Some Islands of Mulaku Atoll
President Nasheed, this morning began a tour to some islands of Mulaku Atoll. The President is scheduled to visit six islands. During this tour, the President will inaugurate the transport system in Central Province.

2011 Budget approved with Majlis majority
The 2011 State Budget was yesterday approved by the Majlis with the votes of the majority in favour of it. The budget was approved with 1 amendment and 4 recommendations from the proposed 5 amendments and the 16 recommendations. The chair ruled out most of the recommendations and did not call on a vote on them since they were against the 75th article of the constitution. 69 out of 76 members present within parliament voted in favour of the proposed budget of MRF 12.3 billion. Although there have been no amendment to the total amount, some sub-budgets such as the budget for infrastructure developments, subsidies were amended. The amendment submitted by FaresMathoda MP Ibrahim Muthalib was approved by the Majlis. He proposed the transfer of Rf7.1 million from an infrastructure development fund to help the Islamic Ministry with mosque renovation. The Majlis also approved the recommendation by Kanditheemu MP Mohamed Hussein to include the prioritising of harbour developments projects on a merit basis and those islands most in need, as well as the provision of subsidies for parties providing electricity in areas with an absence of a powerhouse or utilities companies. While the opposition proposed amendments, none from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) made any amendment proposals.

Budget causes concern over reinstatement of civil service salaries - Zuhair
Press Secretary at President’s Office Mohamed Zuhair has said that there is now concern if the government can reinstate the salary of the Civil Service employees next year due to the way the 2011 State Budget was passed. Zuhair told Miadhu Daily that the ratio of the salaries for political posts in 2011 is 4-2 percent. He noted that it was not decided on how the government can get an income of about MRF 250 million to stabilize this. Zuhair said that it is a matter of concern that it was not decided on how to balance the allocated increase of the salary basis to MRF 250 million by the majlis with the state budget. “With such an increase, we still have no plans on how to acquire such an amount. This will end up in hindrances in reinstating the salaries of the civil servants. So there is much concern on the way the Majlis passed the state budget,” Zuhair said.

Govt. in talks over opening Management Faculty in Maldives
The government has had talks with the Maldivian authorities over establishing a Management Faculty affiliated with the Jayawardenapura University in the Maldives. The Minsiter of Higher Education, S.B. Dissanayake held talks today (December 30) at the Ministry with the Maldives High Commissioner, Mr Hussein Shihab regarding this as well as establishing a Maldivian Higher Education Institute in Sri Lanka. They also discussed expanding the scholarship exchange programme between the two.

Xmas theme at Maldives restaurant sparks protests
A RESTAURANT that hung up Christmas decorations in the strictly-Muslim nation of the Maldives sparked angry public protests, police said on Thursday. The Jade Bistro in the crowded capital of Male was decked in colourful Christmas streamers as part of a 'festive food' promotion for diners on the island nation. But Maldivians must be practising Sunni Muslims by law, and any sign of worshipping other religions is forbidden. 'Some people gathered and protested against the decorations, because it was like celebrating Christmas,' police spokesman Ahmed Shiyam told AFP by telephone from Male. Mr Shiyam added one restaurant employee was taken in for questioning on Tuesday and later released. The offending streamers were quickly removed. The restaurant offered a special Christmas menu of turkey sandwiches and Christmas cake but officials said it was the decorations that angered locals.

                 29 December 2010 | Wednesday                 

Cabinet Discusses Policies to Promote Environmentally Friendly Vehicles

The Cabinet, in its meeting today, discussed possible policies that could encourage introduction of environmentally friendly vehicles in the country. The Cabinet specifically discussed possible policies like reducing import duty on or giving a subsidy for environmentally friendly vehicles imported in to the Maldives. The Cabinet decided to study the impacts such policies could have on government budget before setting out specific policies. The Cabinet members also underscored that such policies would help realise government’s carbon neutral plan and lessen dependency on fossil fuel.

President Sends Well Wishes to the Saudi King Following Successful Surgery
President Mohamed Nasheed has sent a message to King Abdulla of Saudi Arabia wishing him well and good health following the successful surgery he underwent. The President’s message reads as follows.
Quote:
I am immensely relieved to know about Your Majesty’s successful surgery, and I send my well wishes for a full and speedy recovery. I pray to Almighty Allah to grant Your Majesty continued good health and well-being.
Unquote.

Floods force evacuations in eastern Australia
Military helicopters were called in Tuesday to help evacuate hundreds of Australians stranded by rising floodwaters, as entire towns were inundated by the worst deluges in parts of the region in decades. Torrential rains following in the wake of tropical cyclone Tasha, which last week crossed into the northeastern state of Queensland before quickly fading, have swollen rivers and flooded scores of farms and homes in the state. Some towns saw their worst floods in 50 years, including Theodore some 400 kilometres (250 miles) northwest of Brisbane, which has been cut off for two days and whose 350 residents were being evacuated by helicopter.

US shakes off blizzard, but not travel misery
The US northeast began Tuesday to shake off the icy grip of one of the biggest blizzards in years, but beleaguered air travelers faced continuing delays from the after-effects of the massive storm. After an evening of ferocious winds, by early Tuesday the storm had fully moved out of New York. The system, packing enormous snowfalls and gales, churned up through Maine and into Canada, leaving a cold tail as far south down the US east coast as the Carolinas.

Corden and girlfriend plan wedding?
James Corden has got engaged to his pregnant girlfriend, according to reports.
According to The Sun, the funnyman, 32, proposed to Julia Carey, 31, on Christmas Day while enjoying a romantic holiday in the Maldives. A friend was quoted as telling the newspaper: "James was down on one knee, it was Christmas Day and there were tears shed. It was magical." James, who plays Smithy in TV's Gavin And Stacey, and Julia, a former TV producer who is now a charity worker, have been dating for nearly a year and were introduced by James's former flatmate, actor Dominic Cooper. The Sun said that the pair are set to marry in 2012 and that James has asked friends to take four weeks for the stag do.

Life sentence for Indian doctor condemned
Activists slammed a life sentence handed down by an Indian court to an internationally acclaimed doctor who was found guilty of supporting Maoist rebels. Binayak Sen was found guilty of carrying messages and setting up bank accounts for the rebels who are active in large areas of central and eastern India. The sentence for sedition and conspiracy handed down in a court in Raipur, capital of the east central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, ended three years of legal proceedings against Sen who received a major award from the Global Health Council in Washington in 2008.

Indian student shot during robbery in US

The 22 Years old Indian student Jay Chandra Elaprolu was shot in United States by unknown robbers. He was dead early on Christmas morning at a convenience store during a robbery. Jay Chandra Elaprolu was working part time at a store as a clerk. He was shot five times and was found dead when police arrived. This incident took place in Pasadena of California State. The manager of the store, Ali Khan said, “Elaprolu was from India and had been working at the store for less than a month.” Police distributed video from store to the local media to find witnesses. According to the police, they are looking for two suspects in the shooting death. The family of Jayachandra Elaprolu received this shocking news from his friends on Saturday night. This tragic incident occurred between 2 am and 3 am (local time) on 25th December. Jayachandra Elaprolu had gone to the United States in July and was doing his study (Masters in Computers). A veil of sadness has descended at the home of Jayachandra in the city of Vijayawada in Krishna district, about 300 km from Hyderabad. Friends and relatives came to console the parents and family members. According to the family members, the body of Jayachandra would be flown within two days. Telugu Association of North America (TANA) has committed to help the family to make arrangements. Same as Jayachandra, in March, 28 years old Prashnath Goinaka was shot murdered by unknown robbers in Oklahoma. He was a student of MBA at the International Technological University at California. In June, Adarsh John was found dead by unidentified people and was doing Masters in Texas University. 12 Telugu students and technicians have been killed in the U.S. within the last three years.

                 28 December 2010 | Tuesday                 

Swine flu claims 22 lives in Sri Lanka
Swine flu in Sri Lanka has killed 22 people and infected more than 300 over the past two months, the island's health ministry said Monday. Official figures showed that 22 people infected with H1N1 -- swine flu -- had died since October 25 while 342 cases were reported during this period. "The strain of influenza affects peoples' lungs and triggers off a strain of viral pneumonia. The heavy rains and the cold weather helped spread the virus," government epidemiologist Sudath Peiris said. The ministry urged people to avoid crowded places and ordered those managing public phone booths to disinfect them at least eight times daily. The World Health Organization declared the swine flu pandemic over in August, more than a year after the new virus spread around the world, sparking panic and killing thousands before fizzling out.

Ship carrying Pakistanis, Iraqis detained
A ship carrying 16 Pakistani and three Iraqi nationals was detained off the coast of Lakshadweep on Sunday after the vessel illegally entered its territorial waters. The ship was heading to an unknown destination when it was stopped by the Coast Guard and the Navy, the sources said. The ship has been anchored off Lakshwadeep’s capital Kavaratti. Security agencies are questioning the 19 persons on board the ship. Sources said they were not forthcoming in giving out details about their voyage. The initial suspicion amounted to the ship’s movement towards the Maldives, which, according to the sources, is now a preferred destination of the Pakistan-based terror groups. However, the sources did not rule out the vessel sailing towards any of the unoccupied islands in Lakshadweep or Daman and Diu areas.

Bangladesh sand to help keep the Maldives afloat
After looking to buy land in other countries, Maldives is making a last-ditch effort to avoid its citizens becoming climate refugees. It is importing sand. In this endeavour to tackle the effects of global warming, none other than Bangladesh is playing Good Samaritan. Both countries are planning to sign a deal within four months to ship sand to the Maldives. The island nation faces a real threat of being inundated if the sea level rises by even one metre. “We have received a proposal from the Maldives government regarding this. They want to import soil from our country in defence against rising sea levels. A joint committee of both countries is looking into it and we may seal a deal in the next three to four months,” confirmed Muhammad Faruk Khan, the Bangladesh commerce minister, who was in Kolkata last week.

Defence Secretary in Colombo to discuss peacetime engagement
To outline the contours of India's defence engagement with Sri Lanka during peacetime, Indian Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar arrived here on Monday on a three-day visit. He met Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and took part in official-level talks between the two sides. Over the past few years, including in the crucial phases of the war, India had provided know-how and technical support to the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. The Indian defence establishment wants to continue the relationship beyond the civil war years and believes that the Sri Lankan establishment also is deeply interested in a peacetime engagement with the India. Though Mr. Kumar's visit is expected to generally further cooperation between the two neighbours, the real challenge for the two sides will be to identify and agree on the nature of the relationship. Early this month, Indian Navy Chief Nirmal Verma was here to take part in the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Sri Lankan Navy. He used the occasion to engage in wide-ranging discussions with his counterpart and others in the Naval and defence establishment here, sources said. Joint patrolling. The two navies have been in close touch after the Sea Tiger wing of the LTTE was destroyed. From then on, Indian and Sri Lankan Navies have been patrolling the boundaries of their territorial waters. After the many incidents of firing on fishermen, the two navies also tried out joint patrolling to bring down such incidents. The navies of the two countries have been in constant touch in the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay regions and routinely hold flag meetings to share information and sort outstanding issues. The Eastern Command of the Indian Coast Guard, which patrols part of the waters off the Tamil Nadu coast, also takes an active part in these meetings. On Tuesday, Mr. Kumar will pay floral tributes at the IPKF memorial here. The Defence Secretary is also scheduled to meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

President Meets Fuahmulah Crime Prevention Committee

President Mohamed Nasheed has met with Fuahmulah Crime Prevention Committee today. At the meeting held at the President’s Office this afternoon, members of Fuahmulah Crime Prevention Committee expressed concern over the increase in incidence of drug abuse and drug related crimes, rape and other heinous crimes against women, gang violence and major criminal activities in the atoll. Noting that a speedy passage of certain bills on preventing crime proposed to the People’s Majlis was vital to address the matter, they urged the members of the parliament to expedite work on these bills.

President Visits Gulhi Falhu

President Mohamed Nasheed this morning visited Gulhi Falhu, a lagoon North West of Malé that is being reclaimed to develop into a commercial and residential zone. Gulhi Falhu is being developed by Global Projects Development Company. During the visit, the President inspected the progress of Gulhi Falhu revetment and quay wall project contracted to Works Corporation Limited. A 100 meter harbour and two revetments of total of 1442 meters will be built on 10 hectares of land reclaimed under the first phase of the project. When the first phase is completed, Gulhi Falhu will include an industrial zone, port facilities, modern storage and warehouse facilities.

President Meets Italian Ophthalmologist Dr Roberto Pinelli

President Mohamed Nasheed today met with Dr Roberto Pinelli, the founder of ILMO Institute, a private healthcare centre specialising in diagnosis, research and treatment of eyesight defects and eye diseases. At the meeting, the President and Dr Pinelli discussed possibility of the institute’s engagements in the Maldives. Dr. Pinelli has carried out pioneering work in Italy and internationally in the field of refractive surgery and vision.

                 27 December 2010 | Monday                 

Commander-in-Chief takes part in a Minute of Silence to Mark the 6th Anniversary of the 2004 Tsunami

Commander-in-chief President Mohamed Nasheed has participated in the minute of silence observed to mark the unity day in remembrance of the 2004 tsunami. Speaking after observing the minute of silence, President Nasheed noted that the tsunami was the largest and most catastrophic natural disaster to ever hit the Maldives. He also spoke on the extensive damage and destruction caused by the tsunami in the Maldives. Furthermore, the President acknowledged the assistance Maldives National Defence Force provided to the people of the country in their time of dire need following the tsunami. MNDF Chief of Defence Force Major General Moosa Ali Jaleel, Coast Guard Commandant Brigadier General Zakariyya Mansoor, Lieutenant Ahmed Zubair, and Staff Sergeant Nahid from the enlisted corps delivered addresses during the ceremony In the Maldives, the 26th of December, which is the anniversary of the 2004 tsunami that caused loss of lives of many and widespread damage and destruction in the Maldives, is marked as the National Unity Day. The minute of silence was observed throughout the Maldives today at 9.20am.

Moderate Shaheem Resigned from Cabinet

The moderate religious Sheikh and the Minister of State for Islamic Affairs has resigned Thursday sending message to government help continue Islamic studies in the country few hours after the parents of Arabiyyaa School rallying to president’s office seeking help dispersed by police with force. According to some media reports Shaheem resigned when he was summoned to Ministry of Home Affairs suspecting him of a role in the parent’s rally to president’s office. A parent at the rally told Haama Daily reporter that they went to meet the president Mohamed Nasheed after one of the parents near president’s office confirmed President in office. But the government media reported President was out of Male’. Press Secretary at the President’s Office confirmed a letter to President by Sheikh Shaheem but declined to disclose the content of the letter. Adhaalath Party welcomed Shaheem’s move. Shaheem during a protest last Friday said he will continue standing against government unreligious policies even he had to resign from office.

Pak ship enters India illegally, detained
A ship with over 25 Pakistanis and Iraqis on board was detained on Sunday, off the coast of Lakshadweep after it entered Indian waters illegally. It is suspected that the ship could have been moving towards the Maldives, which, according to Indian intelligence, is a preferred destination for terror groups based in Pakistan. A search was conducted on the ship and a special team has been sent from Delhi to interrogate the crew.

Shipping Min may seek Home Min approval for ferry services
The Shipping Ministry today said it may have to seek Home Ministry''s approval for starting ferry services from Maldives and Singapore, as the proposed venture to boost tourism includes going through the coasts of Pakistan. "The only problem is that the route would include touching the coastline of Pakistan therefore approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs is also required," a shipping ministry official told PTI. Maldives sent a proposal for commencing this service to the Ministry of External Affairs during the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) meeting this year, the suggestion was then forwarded to the Ministry of Shipping. The ministry has also received a similar offer from Singapore.

Sri Lanka remembers tsunami victims on sixth anniversary
Sri Lanka today commemorates the sixth anniversary of the deadly Boxing Day tsunami that swept the island in 2004, reported Colombo Page on Sunday. Sri Lanka remembered the thousands of people who lost their lives to the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami that hit the island six years ago with a nation-wide two minute silence from 9:25 a.m. to 9:27 a.m. today. More than 35,000 people perished in the tsunami and over 500,000 lost their homes to the killer waves resulted from the Indian Ocean earthquake in Indonesia on December 26, 2004. The Sri Lankan government has declared December 26 as the National Safety Day to promote a culture of preparedness among the communities for disasters and to commemorate the people who lost their lives due to all natural disasters. The main event to mark the National Safety Day was held a this morning in the Weerasingham Hall in the northern city of Jaffna with the participation of Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratna, Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda, ministers and parliamentarians. At the meeting the Disaster management Center distributed booklets describing measures to take during natural disasters and emergencies to the school children who participated in the event. The now-restored Queen of the Sea, the Southern coastal line train that got swept away by the killer waves, made a symbolic journey this morning to the station near the spot where more than 1,700 passengers on the train died. Elsewhere in the country, religious services of all faiths are scheduled to be held throughout the day to remember the lives lost to the disaster.

President and First Lady Open Drawing the Wave, an Art Exhibition Curated by Ragni Afeef

President Mohamed Nasheed and First Lady Laila Ali, last evening, opened Drawing the Wave, an art exhibition curated by Mrs Ragni Afeef, opened at National Art Gallery. Drawing the Wave exhibits children’s drawings and Mrs Afeef’s own photographs from her visits to Burunee and Madifushi of Thaa atoll, and Meedhoo of Dhaalu atoll two months after the tsunami. The exhibited art pieces were drawn by the children of the three islands, which were affected by the 2004 tsunami. In 2005 and 2006 Drawing the Wave was exhibited in several institutions and museums in Norway.

Indian Rocket Explodes Seconds After Liftoff
An Indian space rocket carrying an advanced communications satellite exploded in smoke and fire just seconds after lifting off from a launch pad at the Sriharikota space center in Andhra Pradesh state, about 50 miles from the city of Chennai. The Christmas Day launch of the satellite had originally been planned for December 20, but was delayed after engineers discovered a leak in one of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle’s (GSLV) engines, the United News of India reported. The GSLV was carrying a GSAT-5P communication satellite into orbit when it strayed from its planned flight path, and was deliberately blown up by mission control 47 seconds after liftoff, according to state-owned Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman K. Radhakrishnan. Radhakrishnan said the GSLV developed an error shortly after takeoff

                 26 December 2010 | Sunday                 

Maldives to announce new tourism slogan shortly
Maldives will announce a new slogan to promote travel and tourism to the luxury Indian Ocean island destination within the "next few weeks ," according to the Maldives Traveller. The local Minivan News reported that there was confusion among industry insiders after a local media erroneously reported that "Value for Money" will replace the current "The Sunny Side of Life." The online newspaper claimed that Tourism Minister Dr. Mariyam Zulfa's comment that "We will probably go towards a slogan reflecting a value for money product" was "taken out of context" with the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) later saying that the slogan was not yet finalized. MTPB was quoted as saying that "it would be announcing a new slogan in the next few weeks." "The Minister has made it explicitly clear that the new slogan will be designed so that it appeals to a wide range of potential tourists; including those with high incomes as well as tourists seeking a more affordable holiday in the Maldives," Minivan quoted MTPB as saying.

Hi Traveller Announces Special Honeymoon Packages for Select Destinations
Hi Traveller, who specialises in luxury honeymoon holidays, has announced special offers for an array of destinations. Honeymooners booking for these places will be able to bag packages at great prices. This news could bring a smile to honeymooners, specially if they are planning to visit Bali, Kuala Lumpur, Maldives, Mauritius or Sri Lanka in their honeymoon. Hi Traveller, a trusted name as a travel provider of luxury honeymoon packages, has declared special packages for its customers heading for these places. “We offer a range of the most world’s luxurious honeymoon destinations, and cater for all times of the year. Some of these areas include South Asia and South-East Asia where we provide specially designed honeymoon packages. Our most popular destinations include Bali, Kuala Lumpur, Maldives, Mauritius and Sri Lanka.” said a senior executive of the company.

                 23 December 2010 | Thursday                 

Budget Implementation Based on Decentralized Administration – President Nasheed
President Mohamed Nasheed has said 2011 budget will be implemented to support decentralization in the country. Speaking to the people of Omadhoo on Wednesday during his ongoing trip to Thaa atoll, the President said government hoped that with decentralization, local-level participation in the implementation of developmental projects would increase. The President reiterated that to achieve development one of the prerequisites was to establish a governance system that paves way for development. Later in the day, the President visited Kin’bidhoo. In his address to the people of Kin’bidhoo, the President repeated his messages on decentralisation and 2011 budget. The President also gave an update on development projects underway and those planned for the island. The President is scheduled to return to Male later today after visiting Veymandoo.

President Visits Kandoodhoo, Vandhoo and Hirilandhoo
President Mohamed Nasheed today visited Kan’doodhoo, Vandhoo and Hirilandhoo and met with the people. At each island, the President’s remarks to the people were mainly on government’s commitment decentralization and delegating more powers to the people. The President stated that proper development could not be achieved unless the people at local levels are able to participate in the processes of developing their islands. He stressed that this was one of the reasons why government advocated decentralized administration in the country, adding government wanted to make local councils more self-reliant and self-sufficient. In his remarks to the people of the three islands, the President also spoke on the 2011 budget. He said budget allocation for the atolls and administrative regions would be different compared to previous years. The President said a main objective of the budget was to create more jobs help private sector to expand.

Brook, Cipriani 'fly out to Maldives together'
Kelly Brook and Danny Cipriani have flown out to the Maldives for a Christmas holiday. The former couple - who ended their two-year relationship in June - were apparently seen looking "cosy" together as they got on a plane in Dubai. An onlooker told The Sun: "Kelly boarded a plane with Danny and a blonde female friend. They were obviously looking forward to spending some Christmassy time together in the sun. "Hardly anyone recognised them but they looked really cosy. They were laughing and joking and seemed very happy."

Make the most of the Maldives with Adventure World
Adventure World has launched a special Maldives catalogue to provide further support to agents looking to sell the island destination to their clients this summer. “We saw a gap in the market as there was little collateral for travel agents to learn more about the current sales available for the Maldives. This catalogue hopes to provide further support when booking island getaways,” said Neil Rodgers, Head of Product and Marketing, Adventure World. All hotel packages from the Adventure World Maldives catalogue include flights with Singapore Airlines.

Maldives Resort Paradise: Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru
Luxury Vacations: I had daunting preconceived notions of what the Maldives would be like. My mind had always envisioned Tiffany box blue water, creamy white sand, and islands shaded by oceans of palm fronds. My expectations for the Maldives were more than met at Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, the second Maldives resort property of the Banyan Tree resort group. At Vabbinfaru, intimacy and care of the environment are cherished in a luxurious, natural setting. I was impressed by a number of things at Vabbinfaru, three of which I'll highlight as the most dazzling assets.

Indian Ministers May Consider Increasing Fuel Prices Next Week
Indian ministers may meet next week to consider increasing diesel and cooking gas prices after rising crude oil increased losses for state-run refiners including Indian Oil Corp. “Hopefully a meeting will be held at the end of this month,” Oil Secretary S. Sundareshan said in an interview in New Delhi today. “Various options will be looked at.” Crude’s 14 percent gain since June 25, when the federal government last allowed refiners to raise prices, means estimated revenue losses in the financial year ending March 31, 2011, will be 25 percent higher than previously estimated, according to Bloomberg calculations based on data from Sundareshan. China, the world’s biggest energy consumer, raised gasoline and diesel today by less than half of crude oil’s gain in the past month.

                 22 December 2010 | Wednesday                 

Cabinet Sets Out Budget Allocation Policy

Today, the Cabinet set out a policy to allocate 2011 budget among atolls and administrative regions. The policy will facilitate decentralized administration in the country. According to the policy, the recurrent expenditure in the programmes will be allocated as follows:
- 30% to the central government
- 50% to the islands
- 13% to atolls
- 7% to administrative regions
Island-wise, budget allocation will be proportional to registered population, and an equal budget will be allocated for atolls and administrative regions. At today’s Cabinet meeting, the members deliberated on a paper submitted by Health and Family on the issue of people sleeping in the Male’ local market area. The Cabinet decided to hold discussions with stakeholders and formulate a fair policy to address such issues. The Cabinet also discussed Maldives’ ratification of the agreement to establish South Asian Regional Standard Organisation (SARSO), and decided to seek People’s Majlis approval for ratifying the agreement. SARSO is a SAARC agreement aimed, among other things, at promoting and undertaking harmonization of national standards of Member States with a view to removing technical barriers to trade and facilitate flow of goods and services in the region.

Cabinet Outlines Housing Policies under ‘Veshi Fahi Malé’ Programme
At a Cabinet sitting on Tuesday, government decided housing policies under ‘Veshi Fahi Malé’ programme. According to the policies, three categories of people will be eligible for adequate housing under government’s housing programme. They include Malé citizens living in inadequate housing; Malé residents born in Malé who have no permanent residence in Malé; and, people registered under Malé Municipality prior to 30 June 2010.

President Establishes Two Health Services Corporations
President Mohamed Nasheed has established the South Central Health Services Corporation and the North Central Health Services Corporations as government companies with hundred percent government shares. The key objectives of the two companies would be to ensure economic and social development and availability of adequate healthcare for the people of the Maldives. Objectives of the corporations also include establishing and maintaining quality healthcare facilities in north-central and south-central regions in a sustainable manner.

The bliss of Christmas alone
'Try to imagine a house that's not a home," sighed Mud on their 1974 No 1 single, Lonely This Christmas. "Try to imagine a Christmas all alone." A Christmas all alone? What's the problem? I've spent Christmas all alone for years, and I can't think of anything better. By "alone", I really mean alone: without family, friends or, usually, neighbours (the woman next door did once bring me a slice of Christmas cake wrapped in a napkin because she was worried about me). And it's glorious – 24 hours when I don't have to talk to anyone or do anything I don't want to. I look forward to it like other people look forward to a week in the Maldives. That's what it's like: a week in the Maldives, compressed into one day, in a terraced house in south London.

Maldives Intensifies Campaign To Tackle Climate Change
Maldives, facing an existential threat from rising sea levels, has intensified its campaign on climate change, which is led by none other than its president Mohamed Nasheed. Nasheed has figured in Foreign Policy magazine’s 2010 list of the world’s most influential thinkers for his endeavours to check climate change. The magazine has described him as “the world’s most environmentally outspoken president.” Climate change has emerged as the most important aspect of Maldivian foreign policy. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that President Nasheed has been trying to highlight the issue at all global fora. Most recently, while speaking to students in Oxford University, he urged them not to work for oil and coal companies which were responsible for major carbon emissions into the environment. He also pointed out that these companies were also funding campaigns to deny the existence of climate change. He pleaded with the students to instead join those companies engaged in the area of alternative energy sources and green technologies.

UAE discusses insurance cooperation with Maldives
Senior officials from the UAE's Insurance Authority and Maldives Monetary Authority have discussed cooperation on exchange of insurance information and regulations. Discussions were held at a meeting between the Insurance Authority's Deputy Director General Fatima Issac Al-Awadhi and the Maldives Monetary Authority's Governor/Chairperson Fazeel Najeeb and the Executive Director of the Human Resources Division Neeza Imad. The Maldivian officials expressed desire to send financial control staff to the Insurance Authority for training. At the meeting, the two sides also agreed on holding further discussions on signing a memorandum of understanding.

Iran quake kills seven, wrecks villages
A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Iran, wrecking villages, bringing down power lines, and killing up to seven people and injuring hundreds more, Iranian media reported on Tuesday. The late Monday quake, with its epicentre near the town of Hosseinabad in Kerman province, was followed by more than 30 further tremors, including one of 5.0 magnitude, the Mehr news agency said, quoting the geophysics department of Tehran university. State media reported that mild tremors continued into Tuesday near the epicentre of the main quake. "So far damage has been concentrated in villages in the areas of Sahraj, and seven dead and hundreds of injured have been pulled from the debris," Mehr quoted Kerman governor Esmail Najjar as saying.

Sri Lanka bans felling of coconut trees as country faces shortages
Sri Lanka's coconut development minister has banned the felling of coconut trees in an effort to increase coconut production in the face of a severe shortage. Minister Jagath Pushpakumara said that over the past few years, coconut production has decreased because coconut palms are being cut down. He was addressing a media briefing Monday at the Government Information Department.

Israeli doctor’s team leaves after commencing the eye camps
The Israeli team of eye surgeons ‘Eye of Zion’ has left Maldives after commencing their eye camps. Dr. Naftali, who was among the team of the Isreali doctors said that the visit was a success and that they had treated hundreds and operated on dozens of patients. Meanwhile, Anti-Zionist protests were held at their visit from some angry Maldivians. A mass protest was held near Tsunami Memorial on Friday hosting major opposition parties and some local NGOs.

The Majesty of the Maldives: Kanuhura
Luxury Resorts: How does this tiny island keep so many travelers enthralled, thrilled and completely relaxed? That's the question that struck me when I arrived at Kanuhura, one of the Maldives' grandest resorts celebrating its 10th anniversary. I quickly learned Kanuhura is one dazzling spot, not only for its beauty, but also for its ability to spoil guests with countless delights. Here's a snapshot of my favorite findings on a recent stay at Kanuhura: Endless Play: By land or water, Kanuhura is a playground for adults and kids alike. The Water Sports Centre offers every aquatic ride one can imagine, including fun tubes,speedboat rentals, canoes, and kneeboards. Most notably, Kanuhura is a member of the internationally recognized Association of Windsurfing Schools in Germany, or VDWS, making Kanuhura quite the spot for learning to windsurf.

                 21 December 2010 | Tuesday                 

President welcomes the 750,000th tourist to visit the Maldives this year

President Mohamed Nasheed today welcomed Daniella Ruth Selig, who was the 750,000th tourist to have visited the Maldives in 2010. Mrs Selig was also accompanied by her husband and two children. At a meeting with the family at the President’s Office, the President said he was delighted to welcome the 750,000th tourist to the Maldives this year. The British couple expressed their joy to have come to the Maldives for holiday and said they were looking forward to visit again. Mrs Selig arrived in the Maldives with her husband and two children. The family is spending their holiday at Anantara Digu. This is the couple’s second visit to the Maldives.

President Appoints Board of Directors to South Central Health Services Corporation
President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed Dr Moosa Maniku Ibrahim, Hussain Shahid, Abdulla Shareef, Hudha Rasheed, Mohamed Zahir and Ali Hussain Fulhu as members of the board of directors of South Central Health Services Corporation. Dr Moosa Maniku Ibrahim was appointed as the Chairman of the Board. And also President Mohamed Nasheed has established the South Central Health Services Corporation and the North Central Health Services Corporations as government companies with hundred percent government shares. The key objectives of the two companies would be to ensure economic and social development and availability of adequate healthcare for the people of the Maldives. Objectives of the corporations also include establishing and maintaining quality healthcare facilities in north-central and south-central regions in a sustainable manner.

Dr Farahanaz Faizal Appointed as the Non-Resident Ambassador to Spain

President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed Dr Farahanaz Faizal as the Non-Resident Ambassador of the Maldives to Spain.

President Appoints New Ambassadors to Belgium and Saudi Arabia and a New High Commissioner for Sri Lanka

President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed Mr Ali Hussain Didi as the Maldivian Ambassador to Belgium, and Mr Adam Hassan as the Maldivian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The President has also appointed Mr Hussain Shihab as the Maldives High Commissioner for Sri Lanka. Speaking after presentation of their letters of appointment at a ceremony held at the President’s Office this afternoon, President Nasheed said three diplomats appointed today has been rendering their valuable services to represent the Maldives in the international community. He expressed his confidence in their ability and enthusiasm to serve the people of the country in their new posts. The President also spoke on the importance of increasing the people’s awareness of the country’s foreign policy. He said Maldivians should co-exist with peoples of different countries and friendly nations as well as people with different opinions with respect and integrity.

Maldives Tourism Promotion Should Reflect the Government’s Environment Policy – President Nasheed
President Mohamed Nasheed on Sunday attended the 20th anniversary celebration of international hotel management company Hotelplan in the Maldives and the grand opening of water villas added to the company’s Diamond Athuruga Beach and Water Villas. Speaking at the ceremony held at the resort on Monday morning, President Nasheed noted that the environment was the essence of the Maldives’ tourism industry. Highlighting the government’s efforts to combat climate change, the President said the Maldives tourism industry’s promotional activities should reflect the country’s environment and the government’s environment policy. The President reiterated that the government and the people of the Maldives recognized investors in tourism industry as development partners, and their contribution to the development of this country was as significant as the contribution of other multilateral organisations. Diamond Athuruga Beach and Water Villas is Hotelplan’s second property in the Maldives. The resort consists of 46 beach villas and 5 garden villas, in addition to the newly added 25 water villas.

Europe’s travel misery set to continue
Some of Europe’s busiest airports continue to be disrupted by ice, snow and sub-zero temperatures. Europe's busiest airport, Heathrow, is operating a reduced flying schedule until 06.00 on Wednesday, December 22. A maximum one-third of flights are likely to operate during this period, and passengers have been warned to expect further delays and cancellations in the following days and potentially beyond Christmas Day. Passengers have been told not to travel to Heathrow without a confirmed booking. “If passengers can travel at another time then they should do so,” advises the Heathrow website. Emirates and Etihad Airways have put on extra flights to clear passenger backlogs. Emirates said it added three flights out of the UK. Etihad passengers stranded in the UAE were put up in hotels on Yas Island at the airline's expense. The airline estimated 2,000 passengers travelling into or out of London were affected by the closure. Flights were also cancelled on Monday in Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Brussels and seven in 10 services were running at the two main Paris airports. There were also severe delays on the Eurostar rail service between the UK and France and Belgium, and Thalys trains between France and Belgium were also affected. In Italy, the airports at Florence and Pisa reopened after a weekend of cancellations. British Airways is advising its passengers to check their flight status on their mobile phone by visiting ba2go.com. BA says those who do not need to travel at this time can cancel their flight, and get a refund, or change their flight to another date in the next 355 days. BA expects to operate the vast majority of its flights into and out of London Gatwick and London City, although some flights may be subject to delays.

Sri Lanka to allow foreign investigators for war crimes inquiry
Months after a three-member United Nations panel was denied entry to Colombo, the Sri Lankan government on Sunday reversed its decision and allowed foreign investigators to take part in an inquiry into allegations of war crimes committed during the country’s civil war. Sri Lanka had previously refused to allow a panel appointed by Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to investigate the alleged war crimes, describing any investigation as as internal matter. Instead, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa established a national body called the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission to investigate the alleged crimes.

Sri Lanka bans felling coconut trees
Sri Lanka's government on Monday banned the felling of coconut trees as the island battled a severe shortage of nuts -- a dietary staple -- and ordered imports for the first time. Coconut development minister Jagath Pushpakumara said the government had outlawed the cutting down of coconut trees in a bid to maintain local production that has been falling steadily in recent years. "With immediate effect, we have banned the felling of coconut trees," the minister said. The coconut is so important to national cuisine that shortages in the past have had serious political implications and have even been blamed for the downfall of governments.
Last week, the government set a ceiling retail price of 30 rupees (27 US cents) per coconut in a network of state-owned stores, but stocks quickly sold out and then reappeared at more than double the price on the black market. The trade ministry has already placed orders to import coconuts from India. Coconuts have traditionally been a key Sri Lankan export, after tea and rubber, but the conversion of plantations for housing development and increased consumption has led to severe shortages.

Sri Lanka opposition party asks whether Fonseka will be allowed to meet the UN Panel
Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) today asked whether former Army Commander and Democratic National Alliance leader Sarath Fonseka would be allowed to meet the UN Secretary-General's Panel of Experts when it visits the country. UNP parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella told a press conference that since the government has said it was willing to make the necessary arrangements for the Panel to visit Sri Lanka, the government would also have to decide whether the Panel could meet with Fonseka.

Indian PM: 'I have nothing to hide' in telecom scandal probe
India's prime minister said he has nothing to hide and would be "happy" to appear before a parliamentary panel looking into a multi-billion dollar telecom scandal. "I wish to state categorically that I have nothing to hide from the public at large, and as a proof of my bona fides, I intend to write to the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee that I shall be happy to appear before the PAC if it chooses to ask me to do so," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a speech at a national meeting of the ruling Congress party.

WikiLeaks Cablegate: Indian Muslim population largely unattracted to extremism
India's over 150 million Muslim population is largely unattracted to extremism. India's growing economy, vibrant democracy, and inclusive culture, encourage Muslims to seek success and social mobility in the mainstream and reduces alienation. With Indian Muslim youth increasingly comfortable in the mainstream, the pool of potential recruits is shrinking, while Muslim families and communities provide little sanction or support to extremist appeals. This cable is in response to Reftel requesting information on methods used by extremist groups to recruit and train youths under the age of 18. Post notes that India is home to a wide variety of extremist groups, including religious extremists (Hindu, Muslim and Sikh), ethnic separatists, and extremists from the political left (Naxalites) and right (primarily Hindu fascists), all of whom recruit children. However, reftel requests information only on Islamic extremist groups such as Al-Qa'ida, Ansar al-Sunnah, the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), the Taliban and Kashmiri militants, and we will confine our analysis to such groups.

                 20 December 2010 | Monday                 

President Sends Condolences to the King of Bahrain

President Mohamed Nasheed has sent condolences to King Hamad Bin Al-Khalifa of Bahrain following the passing away of his brother Sheikh Rashid bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
The President’s message reads as follows:
Quote:
I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing away of Your Majesty’s brother Sheikh Rashid bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa. On this sad occasion of grief, I send my profound condolences to Your Majesty and your family.
Unquote.

HM King Hamad Receives Cables of Condolences
Manama, Dec. 19. (BNA) His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa today received cables of condolences on the sad demise of Shaikh Rashid bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa from senior Ruling Family members, Shura and Representatives Councils' Chairmen, ministers, senior officials, MPs, members of Municipal councils, dignitaries, governors, Bahraini Ambassadors, Heads of diplomatic missions accredited to the kingdom, Associations' Chairmen, Presidents of Sport Federations and Clubs and citizens. In their cables, they extended their heartfelt condolences and consolation to HM King Hamad and prayed Allah Almighty to rest the late Shaikh Rashid's soul in eternal peace, wishing HM the King continuous good health and happiness.

UAE Central Bank signs MoU with Maldives Monetary Authority
Central Bank of the UAE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Maldives Monetary Authority on Sunday 19 December 2010 at the Central Bank's Head Office in Abu Dhabi, for cooperation and exchange of information on banking supervision, technical assistance and training, as well as for combating money laundering and terrorist financing. Governor of the Central Bank Sultan Bin Nasser Al Suwaidi and the UAE and Governor of Maldives Monetary Authority Fazeel Najeeb signed the MOU on behalf of the UAE Central Bank and Maldives Monetary Authority respectively. The MOU sets up a mechanism for mutual cooperation in banking supervision on financial institutions operating in both countries and exchange of information in this regard, in line with the international standards relating to exchange of information between banking supervisory authorities, which would contribute to the realization of a sound financial system. The MOU also calls for cooperation with the Maldivian authorities in the field of exchange of information for combating money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT). It also stipulated provision of assistance and training for the Maldives Monetary Authority staff. The Authority will delegate trainees from the Maldives to the UAE to attend international training programs organized by the Central Bank in collaboration with international institutes and other educational institutions at all levels, covering different subjects, such as banking supervision and examination, specialized courses in Islamic banking and AML/CFT. Fazeel Najeeb welcomed this training initiative and thanked Central Bank of the UAE. The MOU emphasises the importance UAE Central Bank attaches to banking cooperation with international supervisory and monetary authorities.

Abu Dhabi luxury hotel regrets Christmas 'overload' of glitzy, gold-decorated $11M tree

US drone missiles kill 25 in Pakistan
A barrage of US missiles targeted Pakistan's Khyber district on Friday for a second consecutive day, killing 25 militants as Barack Obama urged Islamabad to do more to root out terror havens. Pakistani officials said three drone strikes destroyed targets in Khyber, the tribal district nearest to the northwestern capital of Peshawar and this week seemingly subject to an expansion of the covert American campaign. Missiles slammed into compounds in different villages of Tirah, the same valley where a US drone attack on Thursday killed seven militants in either the first or second such strike in Khyber, local officials said.

Wen: Focus On Pakistan And China As Military Allies
During the current visit of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China to Pakistan, the focus has been on projecting China and Pakistan as military allies helping each other in defending their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Chinese Government controlled Xinhua news agency quoted Wen as telling Pakistani Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani on December 17 as follows: “China and Pakistan were, are and will always be good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers.China appreciates the strong support Pakistan has long been offering on issues concerning China’s core interests, and will continue backing Pakistan’s efforts in defending national sovereignty, maintaining social stability and achieving independent and sustainable economic development.” Noting that Pakistan has made huge sacrifice for and important contributions to the global counterterrorism campaign, Wen said his country is ready to work together with Pakistan to promote regional peace and stability. During a meeting with Gen.Khalid Shameem Wynne, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen.Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Chief of the Army Staff, Admiral Noman Bashir, Chief of the Naval Staff, and Air Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, Chief of the Air Staff, at Islamabad on December 18, Wen , according to the Xinhua, called for enhanced military exchanges and cooperation between China and Pakistan so as to cement the bilateral strategic partnership of cooperation. He said: ” The Pakistani military is a steadfast supporter and vindicator of the China-Pakistan friendship, and has played an important role in consolidating and developing their strategic partnership of cooperation.”He applauded the close exchanges between the two militaries in the areas of anti-terrorism and disaster relief, and hoped to further enhance the military links to contribute to the development of bilateral ties. According to the Xinhua, the Pakistani military chiefs who called on Wen described China as an all-weather strategic partner of Pakistan and said the bilateral friendship had withstood severe challenges. The Pakistani military was ready to work jointly with China to play a positive role in developing their strategic partnership of cooperation.

Japan labels China's military a global concern
Japan on Friday labelled the military build-up of rival China a global "concern" and said it would strengthen missile defences against the threat from North Korea, as part of a major strategic review. The changes would also see Tokyo boost its southern forces and submarine fleet and upgrade its fighter jets as part of a shift in its defence focus from the Soviet Cold War threat to southern islands nearer China.

                 19 December 2010 | Sunday                 

Australian Government Awards Maldives Higher Study Worth US 4.1 Million
President Mohamed Nasheed has thanked the Australian government for increasing the number of scholarships awarded to the Maldives this year. Speaking at a reception on Monday, which was organized by Australian High Commission in Colombo in honor of this year’s scholarship recipients and Maldivian alumni of Australian universities, the President said Australian scholarships were an “excellent” bilateral aid programme, which would “fill a huge gap in our human resource needs”.

China, India agree on closer communications, co-op
China and India agreed Thursday to regularize their exchanges of high-level visits and inaugurate a package of other measures to enhance bilateral ties. Reflecting their strategic and cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity, "the two sides decided to establish the mechanism of regular exchange of visits between Heads of State/Government," said a joint communique released after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held talks here with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Corruption is slowly killing democracy and freedom.
The people of the US and Britain have become victims of the corruption of their democratic institutions that are no longer serving the interests of ordinary people. Democracy as a system of government has been subverted to serve multinational corporations, powerful lobbyists and the military-industrial complex. The corporate media is recruited to keep the truth from the people and to sanitise endless wars led by the US with Britain acting as its outrider. Public discussions, and the questions asked are manipulated as if by an invisible hand to leave the ordinary person constrained into accepting solutions that entrench the interests of such groups and enhance their profit margins. These powerful entities that perch above politics are in control regardless of which party or president is in power. If this is not an abuse of democracy, I don't know what is.

Ties with Saudi Arabia, Turkey top priority - Iran’s new FM
Atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi officially took charge on Saturday as Iran's new foreign minister and said Tehran's top priority will be to boost ties with regional power Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Salehi, who oversees Iran's controversial nuclear programme, was named as interim foreign minister after his predecessor, Manouchehr Mottaki, was sacked by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on December 13. "Iran's first priority in diplomacy should be neighbours and the Islamic world. In this regard, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have a special position," Salehi, a fluent Arabic and English speaker, was quoted as saying by Mehr news agency after he took charge of the ministry.

US 'very ready' to counter Iran on nukes –Mullen
Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb, posing a threat to its neighbours, and the United States is "very ready" to counter Iran should it make a move, the top US military officer said Saturday. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, sought to reassure Arabian Gulf nations nervous that an increasingly militarised government in Iran might try to start a war. "The United States takes very seriously our security commitments in the Gulf region," Mullen said following a meeting with Bahrain's king. Bahrain, directly across the Gulf from Iran, is home to a large US navy base that would be on the front lines of any war with Iran.

                 18 December 2010 | Saturday                 

President says amendment to Public Finance Act a “weapon” against government’s achievements
President Mohamed Nasheed has said the First Amendment Bill to the Public Finance Act has been a “weapon” to disrupt the successes from government policies. Speaking in his weekly radio address on Friday following Supreme Court’s temporary order allowing government to continue social benefits services to the public until a ruling by the Supreme Court on the Act, the President said implementing the amendment would have obstructed a number of developmental programmes and services under government’s social protection system. “Some politicians saw the successes from government’s social protection system and economic growth not so much as gains for the public, but as reasons for greater public support for the government. “The First Amendment to the Public Finance Act was [therefore] a weapon to disrupt the scope, the speed and successful implementation of government policies,” said the President. Based on legal advice citing a range of issues with the bill, the President had therefore refused to ratify the bill and sent back it for parliament’s reconsideration. However, the President said on Friday, the People’s Majlis passed the bill again “without any recourse” to government’s arguments. “When I received the bill for ratification, the question before me as Head of State was how culpable I would be to throw the government into a situation where several development programmes and services under social protection system would come to a halt.” He continued, “We had been delaying ratification, but after Supreme Court’s ruling on ratification, we hastened to see the options left.” “For us one of the most important duties is to establish a lawful state… that is why complying with Supreme Court’s ruling is so important.” Following President’s ratification of the bill on Monday, the Attorney General, however, filed a case in the Supreme Court to rule that articles 5, 7, 10(a), 34 of the Public Finance Act contradicted the Constitution and applied for a temporary order until issues arising from enacting the Act were resolved.

President Nasheed welcomes Cancun Agreements
President Nasheed has pledged the Maldives’ backing for the ‘Cancun Agreements’ on climate change, which were adopted last week at a United Nations meeting in the Mexican seaside resort. In a letter sent to Mexican President Felipe Calderón, President Nasheed said that the Maldives “strongly supports” the Cancun Agreements and expressed hope that decisions in Cancun will “form the basis of a new legally-binding treaty to tackle climate change.” The Cancun Agreements build on the success of the Copenhagen Accord, which was brokered at a UN climate summit in the Danish capital last year. The Cancun Agreements include key elements of the Copenhagen Accord, such as emissions reductions pledges from all countries and $100bn of funding per year from 2020, to help developing countries adapt to climate change and pursue low carbon growth. The President congratulated President Calderón for his government’s “remarkable achievement in successfully brokering the balanced package of decisions now known as the Cancun Agreements.” The President’s letter said that the COP16 climate change meeting in Cancun had “restored faith in the UNFCCC process.” The President welcomed, in particular, the inclusive and transparent manner in which the Mexican Government organised the talks and the strong leadership shown by Mexican Foreign Minister Ms. Espinosa, acting as the President of the COP16 talks. President Nasheed noted that the Cancun Agreements reflect the Maldives’ view that all countries share the responsibility in tackling climate change; and developed countries should help developing countries shift towards low carbon development. The President said, he was delighted that this “progressive and cooperative outlook underpins the Cancun Agreements.”

Is IMF Position on Maldives Linked to Gitmo Prisoners, Silence on Climate Strongarm
Leaked cables link Maldives push for International Monetary Fund assistance with the country accepting prisoners released from Guantanamo Bay. The IMF has had nothing to say about this, and Thursday's end of year press briefing by IMF spokesperson Carolyn Atkinson was so abbreviated that even the question could not be asked.

Visit Maldives: Discounted Rates Available Now
Agoda.com, Asia’s global hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed priceline.com Inc., makes the Maldives more accessible through a partnership with boutique airline, Bangkok Airways. Agoda.com, Asia’s global hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed priceline.com Inc., makes the Maldives more accessible through a partnership with boutique airline, Bangkok Airways. Committed to providing convenient, easy-to-book travel to the Maldives, Agoda.com has launched a campaign with top Thai air carrier, Bangkok Airways. With discounted rates at more than 60 luxury properties in the Maldivian archipelago, Agoda.com offers the convenience and security of instant confirmation at each resort, plus great-value stays, with all Agoda.com customers earning Rewards points for every booking.

ICD, Horizon Fisheries sign financing deal
The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) and Horizon Fisheries Private Ltd. of Maldives recently signed an agreement leading to ICD financing the expansion of Horizon fish factory. The expansion will cost $20 million. This is the single largest ICD's investment in the Maldives. The financing agreement was signed by ICD's Chief Executive Officer and General Manager Khaled Al-Aboodi and Horizon's Chairman Qasim Ibrahim, and witnessed by senior officials from ICD and Horizon. The financing agreement, among others, involves the financing of Horizon factory expansion and development of a world-class fish processing facility at Maandhoo in Laamu Atoll, a cold storage facility and infrastructure development in Hoadedhdhoo Island of Maldives. The facilities will contribute to sustainable fisheries in the south central region of the Maldives while providing additional employment to the local population.

                 9 December 2010 | Thursday                 

President Calls for a Concerted Effort to Combat Corruption
In his message on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day, President Mohamed Nasheed called for a concerted effort to prevent and tackle corruption. Highlighting the importance his administration accords to preventing of corruption, President said all its policies are therefore centred towards this goal. The President further urged the public and private sectors to work more closely with the government on this issue. The President, in his message, also called on all government offices to give their full cooperation to the Anti-Corruption Commission in its efforts to combat corruption. He further added that all government activities must also be conducted in a transparent accountable manner. Stressing on the evils of corruption, he stated that parents need to foster ethical values in children and said the society as a whole must strive to free ourselves from corruption.

President Meets US State Legislators from Oregon

President Mohamed Nasheed today met Oregon State Senator Jacqueline Dingfelder and Oregon State Representative Ben Cannon, who are currently visiting the Maldives. At the meeting held at the President’s Office this afternoon, the President shared his views on Maldivian politics and democratic reform process. He also discussed with US legislators the government’s efforts to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people. Oregon state legislators’ visit is a part of the initiative between the Maldivian Democracy Network and US Embassy in Colombo to contribute to legislative capacity building in the Maldives. During the visit, State Senator Dingfelder and State Representative Cannon will conduct a number of programmes, including a workshop to provide a forum where Maldivian MPs and the US legislators share experiences and transfer knowledge.

Scotland to help paradise generate its own green energy supply
SCOTTISH expertise in renewable energy is to be used to help tackle climate change in a tropical island country in the Indian Ocean. Experts from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen are to carry out a potentially groundbreaking study into the wave, tidal and ocean thermal energy potential of the Maldives. The Maldives government fears the low-lying islands will be among the first to be affected by rising sea levels linked to climate change - and aims to go "carbon neutral" by 2020. Under the scheme Robert Gordon University will assess wave, tidal and ocean thermal energy potential before the two countries can work together to build the future energy supply of the Maldives. A report from the university is expected to be released in the first half of 2011

Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives
Award yourself an early Christmas present and head to the Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa, Maldives! Valid for travel between 9-24 December 2010, pricing starts at $199USD per night in the Beach Suite for 2 adults. If you're after a midlife-breakdown holiday, a single person starts at $149USD per night. If it takes three to tango, an extra person sharing (adult or child) is at $99USD per night. All persons are subject to $8USD per person per night bed tax. To get there from Male Airport, return seaplane transfers are $315 USD per adult / $158USD per child under 12.

                 7 December 2010 | Tuesday                 

President Extends Hijri New Year Greetings
President Mohamed Nasheed has sent greetings to the people of the Maldives, on the occasion of the Hijri New Year. In his message to the people the President said: “It gives me great pleasure to extend sincere greetings and good wishes to the beloved people of the Maldives on the happy occasion of the Hijri New Year”. The message also stated that as we greet a new Hijri year, it was a great opportunity to strengthen the unity amongst us and that resolving issues between families as well as political parties will pave the way to our national progress. President Nasheed has also sent New Year greetings to the leaders of friendly countries and heads of international organisations. He has also been receiving New Year greetings from them.

President Returns after the UK visit

President Mohamed Nasheed has returned to Malé, this afternoon, after concluding his official visit to the United Kingdom. During the visit, the President addressed the Oxford Union, one of the oldest debating societies in Britain. In an impassioned speech at the Oxford Union, the President criticized fossil fuel companies for funding “malicious” climate denial campaigns. The President said that he sensed “weakness” behind attacks fuelled by the ‘Climategate’ to “malicious slurs” against people like Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Chair Rajendra Pachauri and former US President Al Gore. He told the Oxford students that he viewed these disinformation campaigns as “death throes” of a “dying industries”, stating that dominance of world economy by fossil fuel companies was coming to an end. In addition to speaking at the Oxford Union, the President also met with Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne. He also participated in the BBC’s HARDtalk programme and gave interviews to a number of news organisations in the UK.

World Should Overcome Rich and Poor Divide to Move Forward in Climate Change Debate – President Nasheed
In his interview to BBC’s HARDtalk programme, President Mohamed Nasheed said the Maldives was committed to its stance on climate change that it was not an issue or a debate between the rich and poor countries. Rather, he said this is a debate for everyone, and the world should find a way to move away from the disagreements between developed and developing world. The President said he believed “this is the only way we can move forward” in this debate. In this regard, he said a number of countries have accepted this reality and “what we are seeing now is that it is moving along these lines.”

Cancún summit: Rich countries accused over £30bn climate aid promise
India's environment minister says delays in payments could wreck the prospects for advancing a global deal. A fresh fault line opened up at the Cancún climate summit today after rich countries were accused of failing to deliver on their promise of $30 billion in aid to countries that will experience the worst ravages of climate change. The commitment to $30 billion in climate aid between 2011-2012 was the single biggest concrete outcome of last year's Copenhagen summit, and US officials used the promise of cash to get poorer countries to support the accord. But America and other richer countries had been too slow in awarding the so-called 'fast-start' finance, and those delays could wreck the already slim prospects of advancing a global climate deal, Jairam Ramesh, India's environment minister, , said.

Renewing old friendships with the Maldives
T was a time to renew old friendships when the president of the Maldives visited Salisbury at the weekend. On hand to welcome him were businessman David Hardingham, MP John Glen and members of the Friends of Maldives. Salisbury was home to a group of Maldivian exiles for five years from 2003, and became the launch pad for their campaign for democracy. President Mohamed Nasheed, a former political prisoner, went to school with Mr Hardingham, who founded the Friends. His cottage in Friary Lane is now the Maldives’ Honorary Consulate. President Mohamed Nasheed, a former political prisoner, went to school with Mr Hardingham, who founded the Friends. His cottage in Friary Lane is now the Maldives’ Honorary Consulate.

British minister postpones visit to Sri Lanka - report
British parliamentarian and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Alistair Burt has postponed his Sri Lanka visit, a PTI news report said. Burt was reportedly scheduled to visit Sri Lanka from Monday on a three-day tour. He was also expected to travel to Maldives and Bangladesh. Local media citing British High Commission sources in Colombo reported that the visit has been cancelled. However, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office is yet to confirm the cancellation.

The Internal Political Situation In China
An editorial published on October 15, 2010, by the Communist Party controlled “Global Times” said: “China has changed a lot. In the future it will continue to adopt gradualism to bring about changes. No force can compel the nation to change what cannot be changed at the moment….. The Chinese cherish stability. They don't want to let a radical revolution overwhelm current reforms. In respect to reforming the political system, China needs political wisdom and constant drive. It doesn't need to rush its fences.” This editorial was published on the eve of the four-day fifth plenary session of the 17th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, which was held at Beijing from October 15 to 18. Even though the main item on the agenda of the session was the approval of the next (12th) Fife-Year Plan, there was considerable speculation in China and abroad that the session might set in motion a programme of political reforms as a follow-up to the economic reforms launched by Deng Xiao-Ping in 1978 and the administrative reforms that followed in 1982.

Obama's Great Airwave Robbery
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps has been making noises again about the inadequacies of American Journalism, and the need for a "public value test" to save it from "its hour of grave peril." This follows the same line taken by self-appointed critics of cable news like Jon Stewart. But if Stewart mocks cable news, Copps is playing with fire by hinting at using government regulation to control the content of what news organizations broadcast. It is likely that over the next ten years, the network news will cease to exist entirely. CNN is going through the stages of a prolonged death spiral. Local affiliates are cutting back on TV news. Copps' public comments on the BBC indicate that he will pressure television stations to run news programs. According to Copps, the stations use airwaves that belong to the American people and are therefore obligated to serve the public interest.

Wikileaks Shows US Micro-Managing Pakistan
Two things stand out in the Pakistan-specific Wikileaks Cablegate: (i) the United States is micro managing Pakistan in every conceivable sphere of activity to the extent that Pakistan emerges as a mere satrapy of the Americans; (ii) Pakistan, like an impish child, is habitual of defying the guardian’s diktats and as a result the US is nowhere close to its ultimate strategic goals of controlling the Pakistani nukes and weaning the state away from jihadi terrorists. The leaked American embassy cables also show that the Pakistani military and the intelligence agency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) are deeply involved in the country’s nuclear power politics, quite often at variance with American interests.

                 6 December 2010 | Monday                 

Vice President Meets the Visiting Cadets of the Youth Exchange Programme

Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has today met with cadets and officers from Bangladesh, India, Singapore and Sri Lanka, who are currently visiting the Maldives under the Youth Exchange Programme. At the meeting held at Hilaaleege, the official residence of the Vice President, Dr Waheed said this programme was a unique opportunity to learn about the cultures of other participants, and exchange knowledge and experience. He also said their visit to the Maldives was a special opportunity to experience the culture of the country especially life in a developing island nation. The Vice President further said this visit would give them a different perspective on climate change and the awareness of how immediate the threat of climate change was for some countries such as the Maldives. Cadet Youth Exchange Programme aims to visit and participate in cadet corps activities in the exchange countries, and create among participants the awareness, understanding and appreciation of each other's socio-economic and cultural realities.

Future of Higher Education Is Linked With The Future Of Shaping Our Democracy – Says Vice President

Speaking at the Consultation Workshop on Future Higher Education in the Maldives, Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed said the future of higher education was linked with the future of shaping our democracy. “I don’t believe that we can have a thriving democracy without a free and high quality education system”, he said. Vice President Dr Waheed said we need to stimulate new ideas in an intellectually free environment if we are going to strengthen and consolidate a liberal democracy. He said higher education system will build and thrive on what happens at lower levels. And therefore, he said, it was necessary that the education system improve the “very weak liberal arts education foundation that we have today”, to create a stimulating intellectual democratic environment. He said: “We need to broaden our understanding and our conception of needs of higher education in our country than merely filling vacant jobs”. The Consultation Workshop on Future Higher Education that was held today was organized by the department of higher education with the assistance of the World Bank. The main objective of the workshop is to consult with a wide audience of stakeholders in higher education, which would lead to the preparation of a master plan in higher education in the Maldives.

Maldives president says poor countries should cut carbon too
Poor countries in addition to rich countries should try to cut their carbon emissions, says President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives. He branded the idea that equating a need for development with a right to emit high levels of carbon as ‘quite silly’. Mr Nasheed spoke to the BBC during the launch of a report which outlines countries’ vulnerability to impacts of climate change. Authors of the report suggest that every single nation will be affected. His speech was controversial given that it is unusual for the top leader of a developing country to promote their fellows to cut their carbon footprint. The president also spoke out about money which had been pledged to developing economies by Western governments as part of the ‘fast-start’ initiative during last year’s climate talks. He said that The Maldives was yet to receive any of it.

The best summer beaches
THE Escape team have sought out five of the best deals available this summer, sure to have you lazing around - or out jet skiing - in no time. Go on, dive in. If you're talking beaches - and if you're not, let's - you're surely talking the Maldives, in the Indian Ocean. The 26 coral-and-sand atolls are pretty much all beach, when you think about it, rising to just 2.3m above sea level. With summer temperatures of about 30C and the humidity kept down by the cooling sea breezes, it's the perfect place to catch a little sun. Club Med Kani is the ultimate carefree base, with its new lagoon suites built on stilts over the water offering a panoramic view of the little island of Kani and the vast ocean stretching away beyond. Each private suite has a terrace and you can go snorkelling right from your doorstep.

Maldives PM: 'You cannot cut a deal with Mother Nature'
A year on from the dashed hopes of Copenhagen the world's politicians are trying again. In Cancun Mexico at the United Nations Climate Change Conference they are renewing efforts to find a deal capable of combating man-made global warming. President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives is one of the most vocal advocates of urgent action. Rising sea levels could submerge his Indian Ocean islands by the end of this century. He spoke to HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur about why he's disappointed in America and China's failure to make binding commitments.

You can watch the full interview on Monday 6th December 2010 on BBC World News at 0430, 0930, 1530 and 2130 GMT and on the BBC News Channel at 0430 and 2330.

Centara Gold adds benefits to Maldives package
Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives is introducing its Centara Gold plan on 01 January 2011, which for a small surcharge adds a range of benefits to the all-in package. Centara Gold adds to the package 60 minutes of treatments daily at Spa Cenvaree, for adults only, a daily selection of soft drinks and beers in the mini-bar, access to 24-hour Wi-Fi internet, and complimentary snorkeling equipment. Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives can be made through all leading Indian Ocean tour operators. Centara Gold must be reserved at the time of booking, and has to apply to all guests within the party. Set amongst the islands and blue ocean of South Ari Atoll in the Republic of Maldives, 25 minutes by seaplane from Male, Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives offers the ultimate in barefoot luxury along with a range of exciting activities that will appeal both to couples and to families.

                 5 December 2010 | Sunday                 

President Appoints Mike Mason as Energy Advisor

President Nasheed appointed Mike Mason as his advisor on energy, at a ceremony held at Oxford University on Friday evening. Mason, a world expert on renewable energy, carbon finance and offsetting, is tasked with providing the President and his office with strategic advice on how the Maldives can switch from oil based power to renewable energy, in order to improve the country’s energy security and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Mason founded Climate Care, one of the world’s first carbon trading companies, in 1997. Since then the company has become a market leader in the development of projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions around the world. In April 2008 Climate Care was acquired by JP Morgan – one of the world’s foremost investment banks. Mike initially qualified as a mining engineer and worked mostly in Africa early in his career. He then gained an MBA and moved to business development in the oil industry. In 1994 Mike went to Oxford University to study Environmental Change and Management, where he also taught environmental economics for several years. The post of Energy Advisor is an unpaid position. Mike will split his time working between Oxford and the Maldives.

Vice President Inaugurates Cleaning Programme of Malé Swimming Area
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed this morning inaugurated the programme, jointly organised by Ministry of Human Resources, Youth and Sports and Swimming Association of the Maldives, to clean Malé swimming area. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held at Malé swimming track, the Vice President spoke on the importance of keeping all public places clean. He said cleaning community and public places was part of the Maldives’ history and culture. In this regard, he noted that development should not mean abandoning such activities that were ingrained in our society. Rather, he said development was carrying forward such activities in a way they complement the development. Maldives National Defence Force, Divers’ Association of the Maldives and swimmers of Swimming Association of the Maldives participated in the cleaning programme.

President criticises fossil fuels companies for funding “malicious” climate denial campaigns
President Mohamed Nasheed made an impassioned speech to Oxford students Friday evening, calling on students not to work for oil and coal companies who are poisoning the atmosphere, threatening climate vulnerable countries like Maldives and funding campaigns denying the existence of climate change. In his speech, which was given at Britain’s famous debating chamber, the Oxford Union, President Nasheed was highly critical of what he called “campaigns of disinformation” against the science of climate change.

WikiLeaks cables reveal how US manipulated climate accord
Embassy dispatches show America used spying, threats and promises of aid to get support for Copenhagen accord

Hidden behind the save-the-world rhetoric of the global climate changenegotiations lies the mucky realpolitik: money and threats buy political support; spying and cyberwarfare are used to seek out leverage. The US diplomatic cables reveal how the US seeks dirt on nations opposed to its approach to tackling global warming; how financial and other aid is used by countries to gain political backing; how distrust, broken promises and creative accounting dog negotiations; and how the US mounted a secret global diplomatic offensive to overwhelm opposition to the controversial "Copenhagen accord", the unofficial document that emerged from the ruins of the Copenhagen climate change summit in 2009

                 4 December 2010 | Saturday                 

President Nasheed Launches a Major New Global Report on the Climate Crisis
President Mohamed Nasheed today released the Climate Vulnerable Monitor 2010, a major new global report on the state of the climate crisis by DARA, a Madrid based leading humanitarian organisation, and the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), a group of committed most vulnerable countries. The Climate Vulnerability Monitor, backed by leading international authorities on climate change, reveals distinct vulnerabilities in 184 countries and all regions of the world to short-term impacts of climate change, and categorises these countries based on the degree of their vulnerability to climate change. The Maldives is categorised acutely vulnerable – a country most vulnerable – to the impact of climate change.

Maldives never had a more open environment for journalists – Vice President
Addressing the participants of basic journalism course facilitated by Shahyb Media Consultancy, in collaboration with the Maldives Polytechnic and MNBC, Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has said the Maldives had never had a more open environment for journalists and media in general. At the closing ceremony of the basic journalism course, held at the Maldives Polytechnic last evening, the Vice President urged all participants, and journalists in general, to be objective and report facts when reporting news. He implied that journalists´ objectivity in reporting news was vital for the society to respect and believe in their news reports. Basic journalism course run by Shahyb Media Consultancy was provided rudimentary skills in news reporting for newcomers in the industry.

President Nasheed receives the World Technology Award for Policy

President Mohamed Nasheed has received the award for Policy at the World Technology Awards 2010 convened by the World Technology Network in New York City. The Awards gala was the culmination of a two-day long World Technology Summit that brought together many of the world’s most innovative individuals, firms and organisations across various fields of science and technology.

Government Plans to Partner with Oxford University for Future Presidential Scholarships

President Mohamed Nasheed has announced government is trying to partner with the Oxford University to offer scholarships for future Presidential Scholars who achieve best results at A-level examinations. Speaking in his weekly radio address on Friday, the President said future Presidential Scholars will be selected by Oxford University ensuring greater fairness and transparency. The President is scheduled to discuss details of the arrangements with Oxford University during his ongoing visit to Britain. In his weekly address, the President also discussed other engagements of his visit to Britain. On Thursday, the President held talks with senior members of the British government, including Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs William Hague, and Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne. Besides his UK visit, the President discussed 2011 budget in his radio address. The President said 2011 budget aimed at job creation, with a target of 20,000 jobs in 2011. As an incentive for job creation in the private sector, he added, loans for small to medium enterprises will be facilitated through the budget.

President Meets with British Cabinet Ministers

President Nasheed held talks in London this morning with senior members of the British government, including Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs William Hague, and Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne. President Nasheed discussed security and bilateral issues with William Hague, including the threat of Somali piracy in the Indian Ocean and the need to consolidate recent democratic gains in the Maldives. The President and the Foreign Secretary also discussed areas in which the Maldives and the UK can better co-operate, including in international forums such as the United Nations and in climate change diplomacy. William Hague apologised to the President for the absence of British Prime Minister David Cameron, who is currently travelling in Zurich, Switzerland. Climate Change dominated discussions between the President and Chris Huhne. Chris Huhne praised the Maldives for its global leadership, ensuring the voices of climate vulnerable countries, such as small island states, are heard during climate change negotiations. Huhne also commended the Maldives’ carbon audit and plans to become carbon neutral by 2020.

The lagoon show! The heavenly Maldives is now open for buyers with bulging wallets
The Maldives is hardly the most convenient place for a holiday home — as lovely as those little thatched huts on stilts over aquamarine lagoons might look. It’s a ten-hour flight, followed by a seaplane or boat from Mali to reach the 1,200 low-lying coral islands in the Indian Ocean. But without a market for foreign buyers, there hasn’t been a healthy turnover of -properties for sale — until now.

Vanity Fair Nominates Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed
Mark Hertsgaard, author of a forthcoming book on climate change, nominates Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed for his work on environmental issues.

BECAUSE he had the playfulness and savvy to convene the world’s first underwater Cabinet meeting (Nasheed and his ministers wore diving gear) to dramatize the potential impact of climate change on the Maldives—not to mention the many other places on Earth less than seven feet above sea level, including much of New York, London, and Washington, D.C. BECAUSE at last year’s U.N. climate summit in Copenhagen he wasn’t afraid to demand what many consider impossible: a return to 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the at¬mosphere, a goal which was derided as hopelessly unrealistic by government officials from Washington to Beijing but which more and more science suggests is imperative to our civilization’s survival. “The idea,” as Nasheed told Vanity Fair in Copenhagen, “is that people will agree not to kill others.” (And, in the end, 112 of the world’s less powerful nations did agree.) BECAUSE before he was an environmentalist he was a freedom fighter who was jailed and tortured while leading a movement against authoritarian government in the Maldives. In 2008, Nasheed became president in the first genuinely free elections in his nation’s history. BECAUSE he is no saint: like Barack Obama, he is a secret smoker—though, again like Obama, he does not allow himself to be photographed in the act for fear of setting a bad example. (More underwater Cabinet meetings can only help.)

Tips for investing in high-end homes
Despite the numerous Government policies to cool the property market in Singapore, the high-end residential segment has not been adversely affected. To begin with, the Government measures implemented thus far are targeted at the mass market, which has seen property values rising ahead of economic recovery. Based on Jones Lang LaSalle estimates, the average resale capital value for areas outside the prime residential districts in 3Q2010 is 10.1 per cent above its last peak in 1Q2008; in contrast, the high-end properties are still trading at some 8.4 per cent below, on average.

Huvafen Fushi: Dreaming of the Maldives
It’s the age-old question: If you were marooned on an island, what would you wish for? Michelin star-worthy cuisine and an impressively stocked wine cellar might work. What about an underwater spa where you could watch aquatic life during a massage? Hmm, not bad. How about an 3,500 sq. ft over-the-water villa? Would that work? If this sounds like your style, then you should totally check outHuvafen Fushi, Maldivian for “Dream Island.”

WikiLeaks 'Vindicated Israel'
The U.S. is under attack by an enemy within. Skilled at game theory warfare, this foe targets the most sensitive realm of U.S. national security: its relations with other nations. The online publication of a quarter-million documents chronicling diplomatic exchanges is notable both for what’s omitted and what’s included. To determine whether this latest release was a form of espionage, analysts need only examine how this treasure trove of trivia was peppered with documents certain to damage U.S. relations.

WikiLeaks: The Israel-Palestine Dimension
WikiLeaks, the website dedicated to publishing covertly acquired information, shook the diplomatic world on 28 November by starting to publish excerpts from more than 250,000 confidential documents it claims to have in its possession. In partnership with five Western newspapers, including the New York Times and the Guardian of London, it began putting out “redacted” versions of these documents – that is to say, the newspapers have cooperated with WikiLeaks in an attempt to reduce the potential danger to individuals from some of the more sensitive material, but not in any way to mitigate the embarrassment to the United States or its allies. It was quickly apparent that the disclosures have indeed angered Washington by exposing the inner workings of US diplomacy, including candid assessments of world leaders

                 2 December 2010 | Thursday                 

Infiltration feared through Maldives-Andaman route
Vice-Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, said here on Wednesday that according to intelligence input, “our neighbouring country has been attempting to infiltrate India through the Maldives.” “There is fear that the Maldives-Andaman route will be used by some hostile countries to infiltrate in mainland India and we have increased security keeping that in mind,” he told journalists on the sidelines of a press conference organised as part Navy week celebrations here. December 4 will be celebrated as ‘Navy Day' throughout the country.

U.S. Commodities: Sugar Declines as Indian-Supply Concerns Ease
Sugar futures declined, snapping a five-session rally, after India said it may allow exports next month. Sharad Pawar, India’s farm minister, said that the government will decide on easing export curbs in the third week of December. The Indian Sugar Mills Association said the nation, the world’s second-biggest producer, may allow sales of as much as 2 million metric tons in the year started Oct. 1. In November, the price fell 5.4 percent, ending a five-month advance.

Indian Idol Abhijeet Sawant beaten up by angry mob
At around half past eleven on Tuesday night, Abhijeet and his friends, including aspiring singer and good friend Prajakta Shukre were returning from a Juhu restaurant when the Sedan driven by Prajakta rammed into a two-wheeler, injuring the driver and the pillion rider seriously. When locals gathered around the accident spot and argued with Prajakta, Abhijeet, who was driving another car, promptly jumped to her defence and reportedly had a heated argument with the locals. The angry mob then beat up Abhijeet.

Indian shares rise 1.7 pct on economic boost, IOC surges
Indian shares rose 1.7 percent on Wednesday to their best close in nearly two weeks as hopes of strong economic and corporate earnings growth triggered bargain hunting, after the market had fallen 2.6 percent in November. The manufacturing sector in Asia's third-largest economy expanded at its fastest pace in six months in November on the back of robust new business and a sharp rise in export orders, a survey showed on Wednesday. This came a day after data showed the Indian economy grew more than expected in the September quarter, defying weakness elsewhere.

                 1 December 2010 | Wednesday                 

President Departs for UK

President Mohamed Nasheed has departed for Britain this morning. The main purpose of his visit is to address the Oxford Union, which is one of the oldest debating societies in Britain. The Oxford Union had, in the past, hosted a number of prominent leaders such as Dalai Lama, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, former US Presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan. During his visit, the President will also meet with officials of UK government and discuss issues of mutual concern. The President will also use the opportunity to call for a comprehensive and balanced climate package as countries gather in Cancun next week.

Government to Hold Community Cabinet Meetings

The government has decided to introduce Community Cabinet meetings, with the aim of bringing government working closer to the people. The decision was taken on Tuesday after Cabinet deliberations on finding ways to enhance Cabinet workings. With Community Cabinet meetings, that will enable people to interact directly with the Cabinet, the government believes it will be in a better position to receive public inputs into decision- and policy-making, and understand public concerns on issues. For the Community Cabinet meetings, Cabinet ministers will travel to islands and hold meetings open for entire island communities. Community Cabinets are forms of community forums held in few other democracies to strengthen government-public relations. At today’s Cabinet meeting, which was held at the President’s Office, the Cabinet also discussed on using information communication technologies to improve the speed and quality of communication and flow of information between the Cabinet and the public. The Cabinet decided to post its decisions on new media tools like Facebook, Twitter and other social networks which will be open for greater public discussion. Already a Cabinet digitalisation project, managed by the Cabinet Office at the President’s Office, is underway and will be launched in December.

WikiLeaked: Tom Sawyer goes to Brussels
The Wikileaks archive gives a fascinating glimpse into just how deeply into the diplomatic toolbox U.S. officials had to dig as they were seeking new homes for Guantanamo detainees. Many of the tactics were variations on the classic quid pro quo: Diplomats gave money to the Maldives and Kirbati and offered face time with President Obama to Slovenia. They tried to guilt long-time allies like Germany into shouldering some of their burden. And they sweet-talked anybody who would listen. But the most creative diplomatic method was probably applied in Belgium: brazen, unabashed reframing of the situation. A cable from the Brussels embassy addressed to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested that in her meeting with Belgian leaders, she should present the arrival of Guantanamo detainees not as a problem, but as an opportunity. "We have also begun to suggest the possibility of Belgium stepping forward from the chorus line and up to the footlights on Guantanamo," the cable reads. "Helping solve the USG's [the U.S. government's] -- and Europe's problem with Guantanamo is a low-cost way for Belgium to attain prominence in Europe."

Better and Brighter
The Maldivian telecom space boasts of a mobile teledensity of 153.50% (till Aug 2010). The region has grown considerably in the last few years. Till August 2010, it had 48, 112 users of fixed-line connections, its mobile subscribers stood at 457,136 lakh. However, broadband penetration (ADSL) was limited to 12,248. The outstanding growth of the region can be easily gauged from the fact that the region has more mobile connections than its total population-highest in the Saarc region.

US offered to trade Gitmo detainees with Maldives for IMF assistance: WikiLeaks
The Maldives tied acceptance of Guantanamo Bay prisoners to United States help in obtaining International Monetary Fund (IMF) assistance, according to a confidential US diplomatic cable leaked by the controversial whistleblower website, WikiLeaks. NY Times cited the diplomatic missive as saying that the Maldives agreed to bring in Guantanamo Bay prisoners in return for US help in getting IMF assistance.

Hotel Asia Maldives International Culinary Challenge to be held in Male, Maldives from July 14-16, 2011
The seventh Hotel Asia Maldives International Culinary Challenge 2011 will be held in Male, Republic of Maldives from July 14-16, 2011. Held since 2002, the event is now an annual challenge. Alan Palmer, Chef and member of the World Association of Chefs Society (WACS) has been appointed as the Project Director for this event. The culinary contest will be organised by Maldives Exhibition and Conference Services (Pvt) Ltd (MECS), a subsidiary of South Asia Exhibition Services (Pvt) Ltd based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In 2010, the event attracted nearly 300 Chefs from countries like Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Mauritius, Malaysia, Philippines and the local participants from Maldives. For the first time in 2010, we had six participating Chefs from South Korea. In 2011, the contest is likely to attract up to 50 international competitors and target 400 Chefs. A majority of the competition’s categories are spot preparations with simultaneous judging and feedback.

Swiss Minaret Debate Flares Up
1 year after Swiss voters approved a ban on the building of minarets, both pro and contra groups are launching new campaigns to put the issue back on the political agenda. An anti-minaret movement led by Ulrich Schlüer of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party presented a manifesto on Monday against the Islamisation of Switzerland. The document underlines Switzerland’s Christian foundations and aims to prevent the creation of a parallel society inspired by Islamic sharia law.

Ecuador Offers Asylum For WikiLeaks Founder Assange
Ecuador's deputy foreign minister, Kintto Lukas, says that if WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange needs a home, his nation would be happy to provide one. Assange, an Australian, has angered and embarrassed Washington with the release by his online whistle-blowing organisation of hundreds of thousands of sensitive documents on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as well as U.S.diplomatic cables. He faces an international arrest warrant over the alleged sexual assault of two Swedish women -- claims which he denies and calls a part of a smear campaign.

We can eliminate HIV/AIDS among children by 2015: WHO
New Delhi, 1 December 2010: Although new HIV infections show a downward trend in countries of the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Region, particularly India, Thailand, Nepal and Myanmar, HIV/AIDS is still a serious public health problem. Perhaps the most vulnerable group are children with HIV/AIDS, whose numbers have increased by 46% between 2001 and 2009. Elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015 is possible and WHO is committed to this goal.