Wu Bangguo praises Maldives’ progress under Nasheed’s leadership
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Wu Bangguo has praised the progress and development achieved by the Maldives under President Mohamed Nasheed’s leadership.

China’s top legislator's visit marks new chapter in China-Maldives ties
Yang Xiuping, Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, was interviewed by People's Daily before Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, makes his upcoming visit to the Maldives at the invitation of his Maldives counterpart Abdulla Shahid.

Dhunya calls to investigate the death of the mother during labour,
but not worried about many hundreds of people her father
Dictator Gayyoom has killed during the regime
Daughter of the Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, Dunya Maumoon has called to investigate the death of a pregnant woman who died after undergoing a cesarean at Laamu Atoll Regional Hospital., but she is not worried about many hundreds of people her Father Dictator Gayoom has killed during his regime in power. Dhunya said this at a press conference held at the Submarine office of the dismissed Deputy Leader of the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP). Dhunya said that those responsible for the death the 36 year-old pregnant woman should be brought to justice.but did not mention a word about the cases of her fathers killings. Dhunya noted that such sad incidents have been occurring with the Government’s decision to privatise hospitals and medical services. She said that the health service quality has deteriorated to an appalling level.and she is not sad about the victims of her fathers regime

117 People Apply for the Membership of Customs Integrity Commission
117 people have lodged applications for the membership of Customs Integrity Commission. This includes 98 males and 19 females. Under the Article 28 of the Maldives Customs Act, the President shall appoint 5 members the Customs Integrity Commission with the approval of the People’s Majlis. After evaluating the applications the President’s Office will send names of five applicants will be submitted for Majlis’ approval.

New Serbian Ambassador presents credentials
New Ambassador of Serbia accredited to the Maldives, Jovan Mirilović has presented his Letter of Credence to President Mohamed Nasheed yesterday. At the ceremony held at the President’s Office to present the credentials, the President congratulated the newly appointed Ambassador and discussed with the Ambassador on ways to promote bilateral relations between both countries. The meeting was attended by Vice President Dr. Mohamed Waheed.

Aslam calls to provide greater opportunities for private sector in renewable energy development
Minister Mohamed Aslam in his keynote address at the opening session of Third Solar Energy Forum calls the international and financial institutions to consider providing greater opportunities to enable private sector participation in the renewable energy development. Minister further elaborated on the challenges faced in the investments in the renewable energy sector and stressed on the importance of speedy removal of barriers in such investments.

Maldives FM urges Dhaka to combat illegal migration
Dhaka needs to combat illegal migration of its workers to Male as thousands of Bangladeshi labourers have landed in the small island nation with false job documents, foreign minister of the Maldives said Monday. Ahmed Naseem said some 50,000 Bangladeshi are now working in his country, --- a nation of only around 400,000 people --- with one-third having no valid documents or registration. The minister said the Maldivian government has planned to register many of these workers, but he urged Dhaka to come up with efforts to tackle illegal migration, which has spawned a thriving business for rogue Bangladeshi recruiters.

China, Maldives eye on boosting parliamentary cooperation to foster bilateral relations
Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo left here on Monday for home, wrapping up his 12-day Asian-African trip which has also taken him to Namibia, Angola and South Africa. During his stay here, Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, met with his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid here on Sunday, calling for closer cooperation between the two parliaments in an aim to push forward the bilateral relations. Wu underlined the development of bilateral relations since the two countries established diplomatic ties 39 years ago, which have yielded substantial benefits for the two peoples.

335 cadets graduate from NDA
UNE: A total of 335 cadets, including three from Maldives and one cadet from Bhutan, were awarded graduation degrees at National Defence Academy (NDA) on Monday. Of the 335cadets, 107 were awarded BA degrees, 123 were awarded BSc computer science and 105 were given BSc degrees. Four trophies and three medals were presented to the cadets who have excelled in the three streams of the graduation programme. Chief guest and NDA alumnus Lt Gen AK Singh, GOC-In-C, Southern Command, said a cadet of NDA is a source of pride and inspiration to the nation. "NDA graduates are inheritors of a great legacy and tradition and they should strive to live up to its values. The nation looks up to the men in uniform for trust and leadership and they should set the example and take the lead so that the others will follow," Singh said.

                 30 May 2011 | Monday                 

Chinese gov’t grants Renminbi Yuan 100 million
President Nasheed and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China Wu Bangguo attended the ceremony held at the President’s Office to sign the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between the government of China and the government of Maldives.

China to step up cooperation with Peoples’ Majlis
- Chinese Embassy to be opened
Speaker of the Peoples’ Majlis Abdulla Shahid met with his Chinese counterpart, China's top legislator, Wu Bangguo, at the Peoples’ Majlis yesterday and called for closer relations between the two parliaments.

Supreme Court appeals not to predict court verdicts in public
The Supreme Court of Maldives has appealed not to predict court verdicts in public. The Supreme Court said stated this in a media statement released yesterday in view of the statement of dismissed Deputy Leader of the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) at the Artificial Beach on Friday. The press release said that it Umar Naseer should not make any statements that mislead the public on the rulings of courts. The Court said that this is illegal since this might lead to undue influence on the case now on trial in the court. The court said that it is prohibited by law to accuse the courts of undue influence or the judge's ability or willingness to be impartial.

National Honours Committee opens nominations for National Awards
The National Honours Committee has opened nominations this year’s National Awards yesterday. At a press conference held at the President’s Office, Chairman of the Committee Mahmood Raazee and the members of the Committee provided additional details on the National Awards.

Maldives calls on President Saleh to accept GCC terms for his departure
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives, Ahmed Naseem, yesterday joined growing calls on President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen to accept and implement the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) terms for his departure from office. The Minister was speaking against a backdrop of escalating violence and human rights abuses in Yemen following President Saleh's refusal to cede power as per a transitional plan tabled by the GCC.

Chinese top legislator arrives in Maldives for official visit
China's top legislator Wu Bangguo arrives here on Saturday for an official good-will visit to Maldives with an aim to step up cooperation between the two parliaments. Wu, chairman of Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, was greeted by his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid at the airport.

Maldives to allow duty-free market access
The Maldives will allow duty-free access of Bangladeshi products, including medicine, from the end of this year and has agreed to import a large number of qualified manpower from Bangladesh.

Chef Pete Evans visits Six Senses Laamu, Maldives
Australian masterchef to prepare guest dinners and host cooking class in Six Senses' latest Maldivian resort 13th-15th July 2011, Six Senses Laamu, Maldives. Melbourne-born TV chef Pete Evans is to visit the idyllic southern Maldives to entertain and excite the palates of guests at Six Senses Laamu, the most exciting new resort in the archipelago. In a whirlwind 3-day visit from 13th-15th July he will prepare a five course degustation dinner featuring several of his signature dishes, a four course seafood dinner the following evening, and conduct a cooking class for up to a dozen guests.

Sri Lanka floods displace over 16,000, kill 8
At least 8 people have died and more than 16,000 have been affected by floods and landslides in Sri Lanka, the Disaster Management Center (DMC) reported on Sunday. According to the latest figures released by the DMC, 16,956 in 4,609 families in Kegalle, Galle, Kalutara, Colombo, Gampaha, Kurunegala, and Ratnapura districts have been affected by heavy rains and floods. In addition, rising water levels of Kelani River, one of the country's major rivers, have displaced 67 persons of 15 families, the Colombo Page reported. "Preparedness allocations are already with respective Government Agents and they have made all the arrangements with the help of NGO's and other local volunteers to provide cooked meals to those who have been affected by floods," the DMC Assistant Director Kodippilly said.

Dnata signs up luxury Maldives resort to portfolio
Dnata’s luxury hotels division has signed up a brand new property in the Maldives as the latest in its five-star collection. The Zitahli Resorts & Spa - owned and managed by AAA Hotels and Resorts - is a new product in the 5-star deluxe category. The resort has two separate properties each with its own unique style and service – the first being the Zitahli Kuda Funafaru, and the second, the Zitahli Dholhiyadhoo, scheduled to open in June this year. Zitahli Kuda Funafaru is located on the Noonu Atoll and offers a choice of 50 spacious luxury villas, whilst the soon-to-be-opened Zitahli Dholhiyadhoo is situated on the Shaviyani Atoll (North of Male) and will offer a choice of 100 luxury villas and suites, all with private plunge pools. Both properties are a 50 minute flight from Male.

Are barbecue grills destroying the planet?
This weekend, America's outdoor cooks will fire up their grills and launch the summer barbecue season. How bad is all that burning charcoal for the environment?

                 29 May 2011 | Sunday                 

IMF program will increase the opportunities for international investments- Nasheed
In this week´s radio address, President Mohamed Nasheed highlighted the the International Monetary Fund (IMF)´s announcement of a staff-level agreement with Maldivian authorities on a new three-year economic programme that would be supported by a new IMF lending agreement.

Maldives-China relations prospering- Abdullah Shahid

Speaker of the Peoples’ Majlis Abdulla Shahid said has said to the Chinese news agency, Xinhua, that Maldives-China relations are based on a solid foundation and fundamental understanding, adding that ties between the two countries will continue to prosper.

President sends Victory Day greetings to Sri Lankan President
President Mohamed Nasheed has send a message of greetings to President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa on the occasion of the Victory Day being celebrated in the country yesterday. The President's message to President Rajapaksa read that, “As the Government and the people of Sri Lanka commemorate their Victory Day, it gives me great pleasure to convey warm greetings and sincere good wishes of the Government and the people of the Maldives and those of my own to Your Excellency, the Government and the people of Sri Lanka.” The President also extended his personal best wishes for Sri Lankan President’s good health and well-being, and for the continued progress and prosperity of the people of Sri Lanka. Victory Day in Sri Lanka marks the anniversary of the end of country´s civil war.

ADB praises Maldives' climate change efforts, urges continued fiscal reforms
Efforts by the Maldives to tackle the effects of climate change are highly encouraging, but the country must continue with reforms to address its fiscal deficit, and promote inclusive and regionally-balanced growth, Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda said today.

Great potential to promote Sino-Maldivian economic cooperation: Razi
The trade ties between the Maldives and China have been growing stronger day by day and there is still a great potential for the bilateral economic cooperation, Maldivian Economic Development Minister Mahmood Razee said on Friday.

New study provides global analysis of seagrass extinction risk
A team of 21 researchers from 11 nations, including professor Robert "JJ" Orth of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, has completed the first-ever study of the risk of extinction for individual seagrass species around the world.

Unusual earthquake gave Japan tsunami extra punch

The magnitude 9 earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck Japan on March 11 were like a one-two punch - first violently shaking, then swamping the islands - causing tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds of billions of dollars in damage. Now Stanford researchers have discovered the catastrophe was caused by a sequence of unusual geologic events never before seen so clearly.

                 27 May 2011 | Friday                 

Gayyoom is not above the party charter: DRP
The main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has said that Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, who was given the title as the Honorary Leader, is also not above the Charter of the party.

Previous program of IMF didn’t materialize because then it wasn’t politically possible: Enaz. Given the current political situation the new program is possible
Minister of Finance Ahmed Inaz has said that the previous program of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with the Maldivian Government did not materialize because of then it was not politically possible.

ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda Calls on President Nasheed
President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Haruhiko Kuroda has paid a courtesy call on President Mohamed Nasheed yesterday.

Ambassador Didi participates in the Province of Limburg Climate Parliament
Ali Hussain Didi Ambassador to Belgium and the EU, was invited by Frank Smeets, Deputy Minister for Environmental Affairs of the Province of Limburg (Belgium), to the launch of the Limburg Carbon Neutral policy.

Delegation from Queensland University gives a courtesy call on Minister Shifa
The Minister of Education Shifa Mohamed met with the delegation from Australia who are here as part of the ongoing AusAID project implemented at the Maldives Qualifications Authority. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Education on 23 May 2011, Monday.

All packed food items sold should be labeled- Economic Ministry
Ministry of Economic Development has reminded local traders that the Consumer Protection Law (Law number 1/96) mandates the labelling of all packaged food items sold in shops in Dhivehi or English. The Ministry began drafting the Consumer Protection Regulation on 20 February 2011, and the Ministry made an announcement (A14/2011) that all packaged food items sold in shops should have their details and dates for consumption labelled on the packaging in either Dhivehi or English. This is to be implemented from 1 June 2011, after which those in breach of this announcement will be fined by 100,000/- (One hundred thousand rufiyaa). This applies to all imported food items and those manufactured locally.

ADB Praises Maldives' Climate Change Efforts, Urges Continued Fiscal Reforms
ADB publishes that efforts by the Maldives to tackle the effects of climate change are highly encouraging. Despite this, "the country must continue with reforms to address its fiscal deficit, and promote inclusive and regionally-balanced growth", Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda said today. An investment plan by the Government to make the Maldives the first carbon neutral country in the world within a decade is commendable, given the island nation's extreme vulnerability to rising sea levels. At the same time, the Government of Maldives must continue with efforts to improve its fiscal management by diversifying the tax base, rationalizing expenditure, improving debt management and enhancing privatization of state-owned enterprises, Mr. Kuroda said.

Join Maui Windsurfing Icons in the Maldives
A group of Maui windsurfing icons and founders of the water clean up organization +H20 will be heading to the Maldives this fall to host a major gathering of water conservationists, celebrities, and water sports icons at the Six Senses Resort and Spa. The event will raise funds for water clean up initiatives worldwide.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Invite Guests to Make a Positive Impact in Communities Around the World This Summer
but for many it's also an opportunity to learn about other people and places, and have a positive impact on the communities they visit. This summer, Four Seasons hotels and resorts around the world are inviting guests to get involved in local community initiatives. The company has a longstanding commitment to building communities, as chronicled on the new Living Values website. "More and more, our guests want to dig deeper and learn about the places they visit, and have a positive impact," says Luis Argote, general manager of Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas. "In Dallas, we've introduced a Build a Birdhouse, Grow a Tree program. Working with the Texas Tree Foundation, we're enhancing bird habitats among the 3000 trees that surround the Resort and raising money for forest preservation in the region."

Luxury Holidays to Maldives again Possible as Ash Fears Blow Over
Everybody remembers last year’s travel fiascos with the cloud of ice and ash that erupted from the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull. Flights were cancelled, people were stranded abroad, and holidays were ruined. It was a disaster. When news emerged about another Icelandic volcano, Grimsvötn, erupting this month, people were understandably worried. Thankfully, the worst hasn’t happened. The ash cloud is (at the time of writing) being blown away from the British Isles and only German airports are currently affected and that may not even last that long.

A skeptic about talks with the Taliban
As I wrote in my column today, there has been a frenzy of meetings in Europe, the Mideast, the Maldives and Kabul, seeking a way to jump start talks with the Afghan Taliban. I think this is worth trying, but without any illusions about its chances of success. Indeed a heedless pursuit of such talks could produce a new Afghan civil war. I spoke about this risk with Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, a former foreign minister of Afghanistan who got thirty per cent of the vote when he ran against Hamid Karzai in 2010 presidential elections. Abdullah was an aide to Ahmed Shah Masoud, the legendary leader of the Northern Alliance, a predominantly Tajik movement that succeeded in overthrowing the Taliban with U.S. assistance. He is now leading an opposition movement that has spoken out against the dangers of talking with the Taliban

Is it possible to pirate-proof a yacht?
Despite the growing plague of Somali piracy, scores of sailors have taken yachts into the dangerous waters off the Horn of Africa this year, and at least three have been attacked. The BBC's Daniel Nasaw in Washington talks to sailors who have faced the voyage and those offering ways of protecting them. It was high morning in the middle of the Arabian sea, more than 600 miles (960km) from land, when the pirates struck the Capricorn.

Great potential to promote Sino-Maldivian economic cooperation: minister
The trade ties between the Maldives and China have been growing stronger day by day and there is still a great potential for the bilateral economic cooperation, Maldivian Economic Development Minister Mahmood Razee said on Friday. Razee made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua prior to the forthcoming visit by Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) -- China's top legislature, to the Maldives.

                 26 May 2011 | Thursday                 

IMF agrees to 3-Year support package for Maldives
Economy is growing robustly
The International Monetary Fund reached a staff-level agreement with the government of Maldives on Wednesday, agreeing to extend its co-operation programme with the government for a further three years.

Scuffles break out between protestors and pro-government supporters
Scuffles broke out between protestors and pro-government supporters at last nights protest by the opposition on the growing concern of the soaring prices of commodities and services. Two hundred to two hundred opposition protestors gathered last night at around 9pm at the Artificial Beach Area and marched towards the Chandanee Square chanting anti-government slogans. However, at 11:15 last night, activists of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) gathered near the protestors and defied them. While the anti-government protestors called for the decrease of the prices of commodities and services, the pro-government supporters called for the increase of the prices of commodities and services. Pro-government protesters, led by MDP activist “Dhunmaari” Nazim broke out scuffles with the opposition protestors, before police dispersed the crowd. The protestors hoisted the national flag at the four corners of the Chandanee Square. They ended the protest while announcing a next round of the protest tonight.

Gasim: I will remain with the opposition for the people
Opposition Jumhooree Party (JP) Leader Gasim Ibrahim has said that he will remain with the opposition and will never join the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). Maamigili MP Gasim Ibrahim said that he will remain with the opposition despite the rumours spread in the public that he has held a secret meeting with President Mohamed Nasheed at the President’s Official House, Muleeaage. Gasim accused the ruling MDP for spreading the rumour to cause friction between him and the people. He said that he will never leave the people to be oppressed further by the government by their failed policies. He said that he will remain truthful to the people and will remain with the opposition to make the government accountable and responsible. Meanwhile, Gasim Ibrahim is also a prominent business figure and was also briefly the Home Minister during the early days of the new government and was the Finance Minister during the previous government.

President meets the delegation of European Representatives
President Mohamed Nasheed has yesterday met with the delegation of representatives accredited to the Maldives from European Union member countries currently visiting the Maldives. The delegation included of Ambassador for the European Union Bernard Savage, Ambassador of Germany Jens Plotner, Ambassador of France Christine Robichon, and High Commissioner of United Kingdom James Rankin.

Germany provides Rf6 Million to strengthen the Judiciary
The government of Germany will provide 6 million rufiyaa (€ 330579) over the next two years to expand the Access to Justice (A2J) Project in Maldives. President Mohamed Nasheed attended the ceremony held at the President’s Office yesterday to sign the agreement of German assistance to strengthen Maldivian justice sector between the German government and UNDP.

IMF agreement is a vote of confidence for the gov’t: Zuhair
Commenting on the IMF's decision yesterday, Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said: "The agreement reached with the IMF yesterday is a vote of confidence in the government's handling of the economy. We inherited huge amounts of debt and millions of dollars in unpaid bills from the former administration but have nevertheless managed to cut the budget deficit in half, bring down inflation and raise government income to put our economy on a steady path to prosperity."

EU Ambassador's visit Maldives
The EU Ambassadors showed appreciation and support for the strong role being played by Maldives in the UN, in particular in relation to Human Rights.  The EU Ambassadors expressed their strong support to the process of democratic transition of the Maldives.

Discussions held to create a Natural Disaster Rapid Response Mechanism in SAARC
Recognizing that rapid response to natural disasters as the key to saving lives, the Leaders at the 15th SAARC Summit held in Colombo in 2008 declared to create a Natural Disaster Rapid Response Mechanism in SAARC for responding to and managing humanitarian emergencies during natural disasters. The mechanism is proposed to be created under the currently existing SAARC Disaster management Centre (SDMC) in Delhi.

Maldives and IMF hammer out new 3-year deal
The International Monetary Fund and the Indian Ocean tourist paradise of Maldives had reached a new 3-year deal to fix government finance and stabilize the country and its currency.

San Francisco Photographer Lee Baxter Launches New Online Galleries
Most people will never have the opportunity to see the valleys of Ethiopia or the ice caps of Antarctica in person, but now everybody can see them through the lens of San Francisco photographer Lee Baxter. Baxter has travelled the globe, from Mali to Mongolia to the Maldives, to capture exceptional images of the world’s people, places and cultures. She most recently travelled and photographed Ethiopia and Antarctica and has posted her photographs on her website.

Mott MacDonald Soops Maldives Airport role
Mott MacDonald has been appointed to provide master planning and detailed engineering design for the US$368m expansion of Male International Airport (MIA) in the Maldives. The appointment is by GADL International on behalf of GMR and MAHB consortium, which was awarded the 25 year development and operating concession for the airport. The project includes the development of a new terminal, ancillary buildings and support facilities. The expansion and modernisation of the airport will allow it to cater for the projected future growth of air traffic as to meet and maintain international safety standards. The expansion programme will make MIA the primary gateway for travellers in the Maldives.

Sunny side up in the Maldives
Have Elizabeth Hurley and Mrs Abramovich found the perfect beach?
It is an island where the sand has been pumped onshore from the Indian Oceanbut this artifice does not make it less alluring, or even less perfect. It has a tranquil turquoise sea and provides barefoot luxury so seductive that for Ms Hurley and many others, the Maldives is addictively compelling, for some on an almost obsessional scale. Before lunch on Boxing Day, for instance, there was already a waiting list of 771 people desperate to stay this Christmas on the One&Only resort, on the island of Reethi Rah. It's a tiny dot of land just off India in an archipelago so small that it is really more a scattering of islets - often mere bumps or lumps of sand - that make up the Maldives.

                 25 May 2011 | Wednesday                 

Will move forward with the gov’t even by setting aside those who obstruct benefits to the people- Ali Waheed
Thoddoo MP, Ali Waheed has said that he will move forward with this government even if it means setting aside those who would obstruct benefits to the Maldivian people. Speaking for the first time at the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) podium after switching from the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Ali Waheed said that he will work to maintain the government by acting inside and outside and in margins of the chart.

Vehicles gifted to Maldives Police Service by Government of India
The first consignment of vehicles gifted by the Government of India to Maldives Police Service has reached Male’. Miadhu Daily understands that the Indian Government will gift Maldives Police Service with about 160 vehicles. It is reported that this will include 40 four wheeled vehicles. The Indian Government also sent 4 containers of other materials as a gift to the Police which include state of the art instruments and tools to develop the Forensic Laboratory of the Police. DCP Muneer said that a special ceremony will be held when all consignments arrive to Maldives. Miadhu Daily was also informed that the vehicle consignments were not gifted because of the SAARC Summit to be held in Maldives. The Indian Government gifted Maldives with the large vehicle shipment to develop Maldives Police Station. Meanwhile, the relations between the Maldives and India has been at a very high level. The Indian Government has been extending generous assistance to Maldives.

Baby turtles latest guests at Centara Grand Maldives
They were, in some ways, like any other newly-arrived guest at the Maldives: blinking in the sudden golden sunlight, easing their way across the soft, warm sand, and heading instinctively for the sparkling ocean. These were, however, not tourists, but newly-hatched sea turtles that emerged to the delight and wonder of staff and guests at the Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa. To the great surprise of everyone on the island, which is located in the South Ari Atoll, the mother turtle had come ashore in the early hours of March 15, dug a hole in the sand with her flippers, and laid more than 100 eggs before making her way back to the ocean.

Obama’s Middle East Address: Challenges And Opportunities – OpEd
Obama’s much awaited “Arab Spring” address has met with both criticism and appreciation from all quarters concerned. It has simultaneously been hailed as having got a touch of reality and criticized as having no understanding of reality. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu who coincidentally is visiting the United States has reacted by saying that Obama’s proposal of an Israeli retreat to pre-1967 lines would leave Israel with “indefensible” borders. He has gone a step ahead and approved construction of 1,550 housing units in two Jerusalem settlements as a direct affront to Obama’s statement that “The dream of a Jewish and democratic state cannot be fulfilled with permanent occupation”. The GOP has also criticized that Obama “threw Israel under the bus” and has handed Palestinians a victory even before negotiations have begun. But international observers have termed Obama’s speech as “the most detailed peace vision” but falling short of a formal peace plan, something that could disappoint many in the Arab world who had expected Obama to deliver concrete results after taking office in 2009. Netanyahu has said in a statement that “the viability of a Palestinian state cannot come at the expense of Israel’s existence.”

Netanyahu: No Return to 1967 Borders
Israel is prepared to make "generous" concessions for peace in the Middle East, but cannot go back to the country's "indefensible" 1967 borders, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said after White House talks with Barack Obama. Netanyahu's comments came after Obama, the US president, had said the 1967 borders, with mutually agreed land swaps, should form the basis for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, in a major speech on the Middle East on Thursday. "A peace based on illusions will crash upon the rocks of Middle Eastern reality... I think for peace the Palestinians will have to accept some basic realities," Netanyahu said.

                 19 May 2011 | Thursday                 

Dictator Gayyoom urges DRP members to remain steadfast in the party
Founding Leader of the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and former President of Maldives, Dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom has urged the members of DRP to remain steadfast in the party. In a press statement released yesterday, in view of the reports in the media that some members of DRP are leaving the party, DRP Founding Leader Gayyoom said that he appeals all members to remain steadfast and not leave the party.

Gayyoom is attempting to tamper with the system of political parties -- Zuhair
Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair has said that the former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom is attempting to tamper with the system of political parties. Speaking to Miadhu Daily, Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said that Former President Gayyoom is trying to use his influence upon the party system when the party system is in its infancy in the Maldives.

STO cuts down marketing expenditure from 3.4m to 1.06m
State Trading Organisation (STO) has cut down their marketing expenditure from 3.4 million Ruffiya in 2009 to 1.06 million Ruffiya.in 2010 Speaking to Miadhu Daily, STO Managing Director Shahid Ali said that in as a measure on the economic crisis that hit the world in 2008, the company decided to cut down the marketing budget.

Maldives Police Service Singes MOU with Maldives Customs Service
Maldives Policer Serivice and Maldives Customs Service yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that provides a cooperation framework between both institutions. Addressing in the ceremony, Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh pointed out the importance of this MOU, and also said that this MOU will help in the process of law enforcement of the country.

Maldives Withdraws from New7Wonders Campaign
The Cabinet has decided to immediately and unilaterally withdraw the Maldives from the New7Wonders of Nature contest. The Cabinet on April 24 discussed a paper presented by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture proposing the Maldives’ withdrawal from the contest. The Cabinet made the final decision Tuesday after deliberating on the recommendations of the cabinet subcommittee that was convened to further investigate the matter.

Foreign Minister Naseem expresses support for declaration of a Palestinian state
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Naseem has held discussions with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on issues concerning the peace process and the Palestinian reconciliation agreement. President Abbas said that the peace process has been stalled due to the Israeli refusal to stop settlement activities and terms of references for the peace process.

Foreign Minister of Maldives visiting Israel
The foreign minister of the Republic of Maldives, Ahmed Naseem, is visiting Israel from 16-20 May 2011. This is the first visit to Israel by a Maldive official on the level of foreign minister. During his visit, FM Naseem will meet with President Shimon Peres and have dinner with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman. The Maldive foreign minister will lay a wreath at Yad Vashem and visit other sites throughout Israel. He will also meet with officials of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.

Floating 'green' golf course for Maldives
A floating golf course is planned for the Maldives. The "scarless development," the developers say, will have a zero carbon footprint on the ecosystem of the climate change-vulnerable archipelago nation. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has predicted that rising sea levels of up to nearly 2 feet would swamp many of the Maldives' 1,192 low-lying islands.

Heavy rains a suspect in sharks' deaths
rash of deaths among leopard sharks in San Francisco Bay may be linked to heavy winter rains diluting saltwater in the bay, wildlife officials say. State biologists investigating a rash of leopard shark casualties over the past month say they think the body chemistry of the fish may be thrown fatally off balance by the torrents of fresh water flowing into shoreline lagoons where they sharks prefer to give birth and search for food, The San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday.

Ocean warming detrimental to inshore fish species
Australian scientists have reported the first known detrimental impact of southern hemisphere ocean warming on a fish species. The findings of a study published in Nature Climate Change indicate negative effects on the growth of a long-lived south-east Australian and New Zealand inshore species - the banded morwong.

Protests against the soaring prices of essential items and the economic mismanagement of the government rock Male.
AS Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed turns 44 on May 17, he will be searching for a lot of answers: how did the popular revolution, ushered in through the first democratic elections in over 30 years, wither away? What unpopular steps did he, the youngest head of state in the region, initiate since he assumed office on November 11, 2008, to antagonise so many people in his country in such a short time? After all, until as recently as two and a half years ago, he was one of them. Repeatedly jailed from 1990 on one pretext or the other, including a charge relating to terrorism, this Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience, who was at one point forced to become a political refugee in England, is now compelled to handle protesters in the same Republican Square where he once sat to observe Black Friday (August 13, 2004), a day that commemorates the people who suffered at the hands of the Maldivian National Security Service

                 16 May 2011 | Monday                 

Islamic Ummah will not stay silent in the face of falsehood- Shaheem
Former State Minister of Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has said that the Islamic Ummah will not stay silent in the face of falsehood. Speaking at the function held at Masjidul Furgan to commemorate the Palestinian day of mourning known as the Yawm al-Nakba (day of catastrophe) in a show of Muslim solidarity, Shaheem said that it is an individual obligation upon every single Muslim to speak the truth in the face of falsehood.

Current Gov’t is responsible to the tragic state of the people today: Thasmeen
-Will never leave DRP
Leader of the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Ahmed Thasmeen Ali has said that the current government is responsible for the tragic state of affairs that the people of the Maldives are living today. Speaking at the rally of DRP held at Lhaviyani Naifaru, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali said that MDP government has repeatedly broken the trust of the people they purport to serve. DRP Leader Thasmeen said that The Maldivian people have given the government, two years to sow the seeds of the promised harvest. He said that two years into MDP administration has passed and now the people are becoming increasingly frustrated and disillusioned with the government. In a time when there are stories among the public that one of the most vocal opponents of the government, DRP Deputy Leader Ali Waheed, has joined MDP, DRP Leader Thasmeen said that he will never leave DRP. Thasmeen said that with his steadfastness in the DRP Leadership he will make the party even much more stronger and more attuned to the needs of the Maldivian people, more committed to the democratic values it promotes and undoubtedly more capable of delivering on its promises.

No diplomat will favour any party- Swedish Ambassador
Swedish Ambassador to the Maldives Lars-Olof Lindgren has that no diplomat will favour any political party. He said that during a courtesy call on President Mohamed Nasheed yesterday. Discussions during the meeting at the President’s Office were focused on upholding the system of democratic governance and promoting business and trade relations in order to strengthen the growth of the economy. Speaking at the meeting President Nasheed highlighted the government’s dedication to uphold democratic values and ensure the continuity of the young democratic system. At the meeting the President also noted the prospects business opportunities in the Maldives for Swedish investors and importance boosting the economic activity between the two countries. The Ambassador congratulated the President on his commitment to preserve democratic governance and promote human rights. The Ambassador also spoke on the importance of increasing the people’s awareness on the current political climate of the country.

Illegal to use the logo of a political without party authorization- Elections Commission
President of the Elections Commission, Fuwad Thaufeeg has said that it is illegal to use the logo of any political party without the party’s official authorization. In a time when the news of the fuming internal crisis between DRP leadership and DRP founding leader Gayyoom’s faction who has been using DRP’s logo in their rallies has been making headlines in the media, according to the Elections Commissions the logo of a political party is the intellectual property of that party and it is illegal for others to use it without the authorization of the party.

President meets IMF mission
President Mohamed Nasheed has yesterday met with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission to review the IMF programme in the Maldives under its Stand-by Arrangement and Exogenous Shock Facility to assist economic recovery in the Maldives.

Maldivian students and families in Mysore celebrate University Graduation 2011
Maldivian students and families residing in Mysore recently celebrated the completion of University studies for this year (2011). To mark this, a colourful function was held in the name of Maldivian Students Graduation - 2011 at Golden Landmark Resort in Mysore city. This was an unofficial ceremony organized and financed by the students before most of them depart. Their University-organized official graduation function will be held nearly one year later.

Did Osama kill Obama?
The news that Qaddafi's son and three grandchildren were killed in a bomb raid in Tripoli was soon eclipsed by the announcement that Osama bin Laden had been found, killed in combat and quickly buried at sea, some seven hundred miles away, and thus not the most obvious choice of burial location unless you wanted to hide something. But these days, journalists don't ask difficult questions anymore, and the world media were full with world leaders grasping the opportunity to sound jubilant and reassert their unswerving loyalty to America and the so-called war on terror. That war, we are told, is not dead with Osama, but likely to be intensified. Al-Qaeda, by now having outdone even McDonald's as a true American brand name, lives on and the soap opera continues.

Indian government vows to pursue Bhopal case
India's government vowed Thursday it would continue to press for harsher sentences for the men convicted for the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy after a setback in the Supreme Court this week. On Wednesday India's top court turned down a request to upgrade the charges for the seven executives found guilty of negligence for the disaster that has killed tens of thousands of people. "The Supreme Court order does not end the case as two petitions are pending in the local court in Bhopal," said Home Minister P. Chidambaram. The police and state government are hoping a local court will accept charges of culpable homicide against the executives, which would carry a maximum sentence of ten years. The men were convicted of negligence last year, more than 25 years after the event, and handed two-year prison sentences. Following a public outcry over the delay for justice and what were perceived as lenient sentences, the federal and state governments announced a host of measures to help survivors, including trying to press for harsher charges. "It is not as though we have reached the end of the road," Chidambaram added. Thousands were killed instantly and tens of thousands over the following years after the disaster, when a pesticide plant operated by US-owned Union Carbide leaked toxic gas into surrounding slums.

Early drug therapy curbs HIV transmission: study
People with HIV who take antiretroviral drugs before their health declines have a 96 percent lower risk of transmitting the virus to a partner, a breakthrough global study released Thursday said. The large study that covered mainly heterosexual couples in Africa, India and the Americas was hailed by AIDS experts as a "game-changer" that will transform how the disease is managed, 30 years after it first surfaced.

ECOS reviews proposed 'Carbon Farming Initiative'
A review of the potential benefits and risks associated with the Australian Government's proposed Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) features in the April-May edition (160) of CSIRO's ECOS magazine. The CFI aims to enable Australian farmers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate tradeable carbon credits.

'Liquid smoke' from rice shows potential health benefits
Liquid smoke flavoring made from hickory and other wood - a mainstay flavoring and anti-bacterial agent for the prepared food industry and home kitchens - may get a competitor that seems to be packed with antioxidant, antiallergenic and anti-inflammatory substances, according to a new study in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. It is the first analysis of liquid smoke produced from rice hulls, the hard, inedible coverings of rice grains.

Human lung stem cell discovered
For the first time, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have identified a human lung stem cell that is self-renewing and capable of forming and integrating multiple biological structures of the lung including bronchioles, alveoli and pulmonary vessels. This research is published in the the New England Journal of Medicine.