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Adhaalathu will not “wait and see” when Islam is mocked
Sheikh Ilyas Hussain has said that Adhaalathu Party will not “wait and
see” when some sections of the Maldives population deliberately mock
Islam. Sheikh Ilyas, who is also the deputy leader of Adhaalathu and
deputy leader of Adhaalathu’s Scholar’s Council, also that Adhaalathu
does not receive the cooperation needed to protect and promote Islam in
the country and certain groups within the Maldives had begun challenging
Adhaalathu’s efforts to promote Islam in the country. He also warned
that such trends are bringing Adhaalathu’s patience to an end, and it is
forced to take some action on the issue. “In Islam, religion and
politics is interconnected. Secularism is un-Islamic” Sheikh noted.
Sheikh Ilyas also said that Adhaalathu Party has played a key role in
the democratic transition of the country and presence of Adhaalathu in
the coalition is one reason why people accepted the new government. He
also said that people has confidence in Adhaalathu to move ahead with
the current government’s religious agenda. Sheikh Ilyas said that the
leaders of the government have forgotten about Adhaalathu’s sacrifices
and the confidence and legitimacy it brings to the government. “We
prefer to solve these issues through dialogue. If that fails, we would
not hesitate to fight against this government like we did against the
last one” Sheikh warned during a series of meetings held in the islands.
Small islands and sandbanks need to be leased for tourism purposes –
President
President Nasheed has said that government would very soon formulate a
policy to lease small islands and sandbanks near tourist resorts, rather
than contracting an individual to manage the island for a nominal
charge. Speaking in his weekly radio address he also said those small
islands would not be usable for agriculture, and government needs to
utilize the islands and sandbanks for something more viable than that.
He also noted that there are many such islands and sandbanks near
Maldivian resorts and government, as a first step, would create a
registry of such islands. President noted that there are 300 islands
which are smaller than a hector and that there are more than 200
sandbanks in the country. He also said that experts believe that those
islands and banks could be used for tourism and ecological purposes than
using them for agriculture and fisheries sectors. President also noted
that in reality these islands and sandbanks are being used by the
resorts and safaris even now, but pays nothing for the state.
Shangri-La Headquarters dispatches a team over strike - TEAM
Headquarters of the world renowned hotel chain Shangri-La has dispatched
a team to investigate the ongoing crisis in Shangri-La Resort at S.
Viligili, Maldives according to Tourism Employees Association of the
Maldives. According to the reports four Maldivians sacked from the
resort is having a demonstration against the management near Linkroad,
according to the TEAM. The incident sparked when four Maldivians were
dismissed by the management and remaining local employee’s began
demonstration in defense of the four men. However management responded
by ordering both the sacked and the demonstrating employees to leave the
island, TEAM’s Deputy Leader who was a member of the TEAM’s delegation
now in Viligili to solve the ciris, said that the original dismissal was
unfair and said that the management cannot even order the demonstrators
to leave the island. He also said a new team is arriving from Hong-Kong
to investigate the matter further. Management of Shangri-La’s Villingili
Resort & Spa has not made a decision about several local staff who are
on strike since Friday, TEAM said. The demonstrations which are being
conducted at Feydhoo harbour, will continue until the team from the
headquarters will take a decision, demonstrators has said.
Prisoners attempt to break out of jail
DPRS has said that prisoners at Maafushi jail have attempted to control
securities and to break out of prison. Director-General Mohamed Rasheed
said that he has reasons to believe that the attempt was pre-planned by
the prisoners. According to Rasheed, the plan by the inmates were to get
hold of the prison guards, and force them to open up neighboring cell
blocks, but the attempt was foiled by the prison guards. Rasheed also
confirmed that 15 prison guards and 3 inmates were injured in the
incident although; most of the injuries are minor ones. Rasheed,
however, was not putting the blame entirely on the inmates, but said
that the overcrowding of the jails also increases the frequency of such
events. Rasheed noted that 35 people capacity cells sometimes hold twice
that figure. “When there are more inmates in the cells, if anything goes
wrong, it turnout to be more dangerous than if it had been when inmates
are lesser. As a result more prison guards are needed to control the
situation” Rasheed explained. “They had a mobile phone at the cell when
the incident happened and used it for communication purposes as well as
to send pictures to the media groups” Rasheed noted. Some sources
suspects that the prison guards are behind such incidents. Miadhu Daily
understands that a team from Human Rights Commission of the Maldives is
in Maafushi Prison to investigate the matter. But the outcome of the
visit is unknown at the time of printing.
India donates a helicopter to Maldives
Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has received the helicopter
pledged by the Indian government Sunday morning, its website has said.
According to the website, the helicopter would be officially handed to
MNDF in a special function to be held at Henveiru Park area on
Wednesday. The “Dhruv” helicopter manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics
Ltd (HAL) has been re-painted with Maldivian flag and a sign saying MNDF.
In a joint statement issued after Indian Defence Minister AK Anthony’s
visit to Maldives in August Maldives government and Indian High
Commission said India would provide a helicopter and assistance to
establish a 25-bed military hospital in Male. The assistance will
improve MNDF’s search and rescue capacity, the statement read.
MONDAY ASH ALERT – TUI mounts massive rescue effort
Cruise ships, coaches and ferries will be used by Thomson and First
Choice parent TUI Travel to bring stranded holidaymakers home. The
company aims to transport home 5,000 out of 40,000 passengers stuck
abroad due to the volcanic ash cloud which has closed UK airspace since
Thursday. Thomson ship Island Escape, currently on a fly-cruise in
Funchal, Madeira, will bring passengers directly back to the UK. The
vessel is due to arrive in Falmouth in Cornwall Thursday. Extra spaces
on board the ship has enabled more than 300 other Thomson holidaymakers
in Madeira whose flights had been cancelled to be repatriated back to
the UK. From Falmouth, people will then be transferred by coach back to
their original UK departure airport. The newly introduced Thomson Dream
ship is also being used to transfer holidaymakers from Majorca to
Barcelona from where onward travel will be arranged. Some stuck in
Alicante will travel via coach to Northern France where overnight
accommodation will be provided. They will then travel via ferry tomorrow
(Tuesday) back to the UK and onto their original UK departure airport.
Others in Malaga will be driven by coach to Costa Brava where overnight
accommodation will be provided. The coaches will continue on Tuesday
morning to Northern France where people will travel by ferry on
Wednesday back to the UK. The company is trying to source further
coaches to repatriate more people and as soon as these are confirmed,
holidaymakers will be updated. All travellers overseas are being
accommodated in hotels, the majority on an all inclusive basis with the
remaining on half board, and resort teams are working hard to keep them
informed with the latest information, the company said. Managing
director Dermot Blastland said: “Our customers are our number one
priority at all times and we felt it was necessary to take action now
given the current uncertainty surrounding air travel. “Our teams have
been working around the clock to put this plan in place so that our
customers can return home to their families without any further delay.”
Vice President speaks on the significance of pre-school education
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has said that pre-school education
plays an important role in the development of children’s minds. He also
said that pre-school education was a platform on which children’s future
could be built upon. He made this statement last night while speaking at
a function in GDh Thinadhoo to mark the anniversary of MM Pre-School.
Continuing on this regard, the Vice President spoke on the noted the
importance of maternal health and education for the proper nurturing of
children. At the same time, he said, pre-school teachers should be well
qualified. He also said that government was giving special attention to
pre-school education by trying to establish pre-school in very island.
Vice President has returned to Malé this morning, after concluding his
tour to South Huvadhoo Atoll. During this tour, he visited GDh Thinadhoo,
GDh Hodehdhoo, GDh Madaveli, GDh Nadellaa and GDh Rathafandhoo, and
enquired about the problems faced by the people of the islands.
President inaugurates MWSC’s Production Centre in Maafushi. Creation of
seven provinces is not for political gain: President Nasheed
President Mohamed Nasheed has officially inaugurated MWSC’s Production
Centre in Maafushi. The inauguration function was held this evening at
the Production Centre. The Production Centre provides desalinated water
to the residents of Maafushi. Addressing the people of the island, prior
to the inauguration function, President Nasheed noted the government
recognised that basic utilities such as water and sewerage were
essential for development and prosperity of the people. He said in
government’s effort to provide those services to everyone in a
sustainable manner, it needed the support and assistance of the private
sector. He added the government therefore was pursuing a policy of
Public Private Partnerships to carry out developmental activities. In
his address, the President also discussed the ongoing process of
decentralisation in the country. He stressed that the government’s
policy to create seven provinces was not for political gain but for the
benefit of all citizens. He said an island or an atoll was too small for
decentralised administration to effect economies of scale. A bill on
decentralisation, which will see local elections to elect local councils
for the first time in the country, is to be voted by the People’s Majlis.
The debate over the bill saw the People’s Majlis deadlocked in its last
term. The government has since resubmitted the bill with amendments. In
his address to the Mafushi people, the President said the government
“does not desire to do anything through arguing and fighting in the
People’s Majlis”, but it always would consider the best interest of the
people. Saying that the government knew how to concede, the President
added “if [anyone] could explain any obstruction to development and the
economy” because of creating seven provinces, “we are ready to concede”.
President Nasheed visited Maafushi Saturday afternoon and returned to
Male in the evening.
Best international politician of the year is
Mohamed Nasheed – Independent
UK’s The Independent has said that President Mohamed Nasheed of Maldives
is the best international politician of the year. According to the
Independent, at Copenhagen, world leaders gathered to peer at the
swelling evidence that we are close to irreparably trashing the planet's
biosphere – and they offered a glib shrug. From the US to the EU to
China, nobody offered to cut carbon emissions by the levels scientists
say are necessary to stay this side of the climate's Point of No Return.
Since then, there has been a regression into denialism across the world.
According to the Independent, the search for wise leaders in climate
change is difficult in a shameful year for climate change, but a handful
of politicians will be remembered for trying to do the right thing. The
most inspiring leader was Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, has bled and
nearly died for his island nation in the Indian Ocean in his peaceful
resistance against the islands' dictatorship, it noted. He was jailed
and tortured – only to become its first democratic president in 2008.
But according to the Independent, it is looking like it could become a
sunken victory: the low-lying Maldives are drowning as sea-levels rise.
"We are on the world's front line," he says. "And, in a sense, its only
hope", to alert the world, he even staged a cabinet meeting underwater
in scuba gear. Nasheed has not only offered a warning, however; he has
offered an alternative. Within 10 years, Maldives will become the first
ever carbon-free country, running entirely on renewable energy sources.
He warns that we all have to make this transition – and fast. "The last
generation of humans went to the moon," he says. "This generation of
humans needs to decide if it wants to stay alive on planet earth"
Hearings on the dismissal of Criminal Court judge
set to begin soon
Judicial Service Commission has said that it the Commission will start
the hearings on a case lodged by its member to dismiss the Criminal
Court judge, Abdulla Mohamed. According to the Voice of Maldives, the
Commission has done the investigatory part of the case, lodged by
President’s member, Aishath Velzini. The Committee which coordinates the
investigation acclaimed that there is merits on the case, and needs
further deliberations. According to the case lodged against the judge,
Judge Abdulla Mohamed has obstructed the judicial processes. Velzini
also raised disciplinary issues against the judge, who is also the chief
judge of the Criminal Court. Judge Abdulla Mohamed has refused a case
submitted by the Presidential Commission, without any explanation for
the reasons for refusal, Velzinin noted. Judge Abdulla Mohamed denies
the charges against him. Judicial Service Commission also confirmed that
a case against Civil Court judge, Mohamed Naeem, who is also the head of
the Maldives Judges Association, is being investigated. Cases against
Mohamed Naeem were submitted by MP for Thimarafushi, Mohamed Musthafa
and President of the Adhaalathu Party, Sheikh Hussain Rasheed. According
to the Commission both cases were their dissatisfaction on the warrant
issued against them. Commission also said that there are other cases
against Naeem as well, but Commission is in no way investigating those
cases to cancel the warrants, it assured. Mohamed Naeem said that he do
not believe that those cases can be investigated by the Commission, as
it does not come under disciplinary issues. He also said that those
warrants are issued under strict adherence to necessary rules and laws.
Dr. Hassan Saeed endorsed as the DQP presidential candidate in 2013
As only Dr. Hassan Saeed has presented candidacy for the election to
appoint the Leader of DQP, Dr. Hassan Saeed has been automatically
elected as the Leader of the party and its presidential candidate for
2013 elections. Abdulla Ismail, party’s registrar has confirmed the news
and said that as per the current rules and regulations of the party, Dr.
Hassan Saeed, who secured third place in the 2008 presidential elections
would compete in the 2013 elections as well. He also confirmed that DQP
Congress would be held on 1 May 2010 and that the congress would be held
once in every four years. According to the registrat of DQP, members
have submitted 14 amendments to the rules and regulations of the party.
After voting on the amendments, elections of Party Leader, three
deputies, president of the women’s wing, president of the youth wing and
10 members to the council would be held. Four names has been submitted
for three deputy leadership positions, however Riyaaz Rasheed, DQP’s
parliamentary group leader was already appointed as a deputy leader, as
on post of three, is going to be the head of the parliamentary group.
According to the sources within DQP, its efforts to make the present
government accountable would strengthen after the congress. DQP was
created on 1 January 2009 and has 3442 members now.
President to attend “B4E” Summit in Republic of Korea
President’s Office has said that President Nasheed is scheduled to
depart to Republic of Korea next week to attend the Business for
Environment global summit. According to the sources, the meeting which
is going to be held from 21 to 23, would also coincide with the Earth
Day, is going to be attended by the key leaders who dominates the
international environment and climate change negotiations. The summit
which is also a bridge between the business society and politicians on
the environment governance would be attended by the business community
as well. According to Republic of Korea, it is making the final
arrangements for the meeting and hopes to make it the best B4E summit
ever.
MDP Parliamentary Group Leader Warns Parliament Speaker
The Maldivian Democratic Party Parliamentary Group Leader
Moosa Maniku (Ricoh) has warned the parliament speaker on consequences
if he does not help support for parliament to adapt provincial
governance. He indicated the speaker Abdulla Shahid of relieving his
position with a vote of no confidence if the MADP leading bill sent to
parliament on provincial governance. Moosa the opposition contradicting
the bill on province is persuaded because they hope to take over the
government which MDP may have see slipping with political and social
pressure. He said if the bill is passed the authority on the government
will be narrowed due to independent provincial system of administration.
He said the parliament accepted the bill with provinces and will b e
passed with the provinces referring to government planned wider
administration they say is aimed to run the government in close
proximity with the people. Moosa criticized Shahid saying that nothing
would go right with DRP representing MP at the parliament chair. He said
if the parliament do not agree on the government proposed bill the
speaker may lose his position at the parliament.
CSC Fear Government Policy Change Could Increase
Unemployment
Civil Service Commission has said that the commission fears the change
in government policies could harm well being of government employees and
may cull hundreds of staff widening the unemployment gap. The statement
appears concern must be addressed to the government for accountability
minutes after Adhaalath Party indicated government required to be the
same. A member from the CSC Mohamed Fahumy Hassan said the government
planning to reduce the civil service employees could deprive several
economic potent and said the commission is against the plan. He said the
government can severe the economy by taking effect to the plan but may
provide a better way to reduce the civil service. Fahumy said the
decision to dismiss staff with the changes would hamper the civil
service but if the government would step up to maintain not introducing
new posts and dismiss the posts where employees quit. But he said
government must decide to allow new posts necessary to civil service.
The statement came in a government controversial establishment of Health
Corporation where the commission is concerned may depress the healthcare
system leaving several staff unemployed.
Best international politician: Mohamed Nasheed
In a catastrophic year for the climate crisis, were there any heroes? At
Copenhagen, world leaders gathered to peer at the swelling evidence that
we are close to irreparably trashing the planet's biosphere – and they
offered a glib shrug. From the US to the EU to China, nobody offered to
cut carbon emissions by the levels scientists say are necessary to stay
this side of the climate's Point of No Return. Since then, there has
been a regression into denialism across the world. The search for wise
leaders in this is difficult, but a handful of politicians will be
remembered for trying to do the right thing.
[Read More]
ASH ALERT UPDATE - "No-fly" extended until Sunday
Few, if any, flights will be able to operate from airports across the UK
until 01.00 tomorrow (Sunday) at the earliest. The National Air Traffic
Service extended the restrictions from 19.00 this evening in a second
update this morning. The volcanic ash cloud from Iceland which is
causing the shutdown of airspace is "moving around and changing shape,"
NATS said. "We are looking at opportunities when the ash cloud moves
sufficiently for us to make some airspace available within Scotland and
Northern Ireland, which may enable some domestic flights to operate."
But NATS warned: "It is most unlikely that many flights will operate
today and anyone hoping to travel should contact their airline before
travelling to the airport." There had been a glimmer of hope last night
that airports in Scotland, the North of England and Northern Ireland
would be cleared to run flights. But NATS warned in an an earlier update
last night that forecasts indicated that the volcanic ash cloud was
expected to return over the North. A further update is expected at 15.00
this afternoon.
A landslide for Sri Lanka's ruling party
Not in his stars
The president is master of his fate
A SUPERSTITIOUS man, Sri Lanka’s president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, once had
a popular astrologer arrested for foretelling his downfall. Such
insecurity seems unjustified. After defeating Sarath Fonseka, his former
army commander, by 2m votes in a presidential poll in January, Mr
Rajapaksa’s ruling alliance swept the general election on April 8th so
decisively that its hold on parliament seems unassailable. Counting the
rout of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam last May,
commentators have taken to labelling this latest victory a presidential
hat-trick.
[Read More]
S.Lanka's Fonseka to be convicted next week: party
Sri Lanka's detained ex-army chief and opposition leader Sarath Fonseka
is likely to be convicted early next week to prevent him appearing in
parliament, his party said on Friday. Fonseka, who won a seat in
parliament while in custody, is in custody in the capital Colombo and
faces a court martial. He is charged with entering politics while in
uniform and making irregular army procurements, in a process that began
on March 16 and will continue on Monday.
[Read More]
Indian minister denies wrongdoing in IPL scandal
An Indian minister Friday denied any wrongdoing in a scandal over the
ownership of an Indian Premier League cricket team as the government
struggled for an answer to the week-long controversy. Shashi Tharoor, a
former high-flying UN official, has been at the centre of a storm since
Sunday when news broke that a female friend had been granted a free
stake worth 15 million dollars in a new IPL franchise. Indian media
reported that the woman, based in Dubai, was Tharoor's girlfriend.
Tharoor put together the consortium that bought the Kochi team, in
Kerala, the southern state he represents in the parliament, and the
opposition accused him of securing the stake for his friend as a
"consideration" for his services
[Read More]
Governor of Riyadh Prince Salman arrives in the Maldives
Governor of Riyadh His Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al
Saud has arrived in the Maldives, this afternoon. On arrival at Male’
International Airport, Prince Salman was greeted by Special Envoy of the
President, Ibrahim Hussain Zaki. Prince Salman was given a warm welcome
on arrival in Male’. His Royal Highness was escorted from Male’ Official
Jetty to the President’s Office in a procession of the traditional
guards. He was received at the President’s Office by President Mohamed
Nasheed, Vice President Dr Waheed and senior officials of the
government. President Nasheed thanked the Governor for making a visit to
the Maldives and said he was confident that the Prince’s visit would
further enhance the brotherly relations between the Maldives and Saudi
Arabia. The President also noted that Saudi Arabia was an important
development partner for the Maldives and thanked the government and the
people of Saudi Arabia for all the assistance to the Maldives. Prince
Salman said he was delighted by the opportunity to visit the Maldives,
and thanked the President and the government for the warm welcome and
hospitality. President Nasheed also hosted a luncheon in the honour of
Prince Salman at the Official Residence of the President.
President discusses the importance of land use
planning
In his weekly radio address, President Mohamed Nasheed has discussed the
importance of land use planning for a sustainable economy. He said to
make the best use of land, land use planning which took into account
everyone’s interests was needed. Noting that land was one of the most
important assets of the country, the President said one of the purposes
of a land use plan was to facilitate housing opportunities for all
citizens. Other purposes of land use planning were to provide equal
economic opportunities and minimise negative impacts on the environment
and the people, he added. In his radio address, the President also spoke
on how land was historically used in the Maldives. He also discussed
several provisions of the Maldives Land Act which was passed in 2002.
Stressing the need to identify better economic uses of the sandbanks
near resort islands, the President said “the government will in the neat
future create a register of all the sandbanks and small islands”.
Outlining some of the works that the government was doing toward land
use planning and challenges, the President said the unused or abandoned
land in the islands posed difficulties. The President continued, “There
are grievances because while some reclaim vast swaths of land and
exploit them for economic benefits, the state or the public do not get
due profits.” He added it was important to include all such issues in
the plan. President Nasheed stated that the Cabinet was working on a
framework on land, in light of relevant laws, regulations, and other
historical documents.
“The aim is to pave the way for equitable and economically profitable
use of land for all citizens.”
President opens ‘Painting Dreams’, an exhibition
of works by Uz. N. T. Hasen Didi
President Mohamed Nasheed has last evening opened ‘Painting Dreams’, an
exhibition of works by Uz. N. T. Hasen Didi, opened at National Art
Gallery, and released the official catalogue of the exhibition. Speaking
after viewing the exhibits, President Nasheed thanked Uz Hasen Didi for
his numerous contributions to the Maldives society. Uz Hasen Didi is
among the most distinguished intellectuals of the recent history of the
country. His paintings and photographs “can be deemed as symbolic of
what the 20th century meant to many Maldivians”, writes Mamduh Waheed,
Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture in the official catalogue
of the exhibition. ‘Painting Dreams’ is the first exhibition of National
Art Gallery’s exhibition season for this year. The exhibition will stay
open till 20 May 2010.
Edu @ India 2010
16-17 APRIL 2010, Rannaban’deyri Maalam, Dharbaaruge, Male’
A Promotional event, “Edu @ India 2010” focused on the Opportunities
available in the Higher Education sector in India and aimed at the
student community and youth of Maldives is being organized by the High
Commission of India in Maldives in collaboration with Ministry of
Education, Government of Maldives on the 16th and 17th of April 2010 at
the Rannaban’deyri Maalam, Dharbaaruge, Male.
“Edu @ India 2010” is the first of its kind exhibition expected to
attract more than 25 leading Indian Universities, Colleges, and
Professional institutes from diverse streams like Engineering, Medicine,
Commerce, Arts and Science, Business Management, Information Technology,
Fashion Technology, Marine Science, Hotel Management and Journalism.
Educational Consultants of India (Ed.CIL), the pioneer and still the
leading consultant of India is also participating in the event.
The aim of the Edu @ India 2010 is to create awareness on the exciting
opportunities available in the neighboring and friendly country of India
for World Class yet affordable education for the Maldivian students and
to provide first-hand information on all aspects of studying in India
for a foreign student. In this regard, the High Commission of India,
would itself be having a dedicated stall in the event to provide
information on all issues of interest to a prospective student/parent
like the Government of India scholarships available to Maldivian
students, method of application and selection procedure, the available
courses, eligibility norms, information on recognized institutes, method
of admission, cost of living for a self financing student, guidance on
further studies and issue of educational visa etc. The participants from
India would likewise be providing complete one-stop service to the
Maldivian students/parents on the courses available in their institutes.
Though the exhibition is focused on the students planning for higher
studies, it will also have a great deal to offer for the primary and
high school students. Some of the best schools in India based in South
India and having world class curriculum and infrastructure will also be
participating in Edu @ India 2010. On the whole, the event seeks to
bring on one platform, the hugely talented and vibrant youth of Maldives
and the diverse and exciting educational opportunities available next
door in India. Asaree Services Private Limited, Maldives will be the
event managers for the two day fair and the visitor’s time at the fair
would be from 5.00 pm to 11.00 pm (16th April 2010) and from 3.00 pm to
11.00 pm (17th April).
I will hold on to fulfilling my responsibilities entrusted to me by the
people - VP
Maldives first elected Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Maniku
has said that he will hold on to his job, performing the duties
entrusted to him by the people. Speaking to Miadhu Daily today, Dr.
Waheed said that the context in which he spoke at the VTV show is
different than an explicit dislike towards the government, which would
be the reason for resignation. Dr. Waheed was asked by Miadhu Daily
today, if he considers resignation as an option after the interview. “I
have been elected as the second in command of this country. When someone
questions me, I have to say how I feel and further explain if necessary.
I have to express my views as well and that’s what I did at VTV” VP
said. Dr. Waheed has served at different posts at the United Nations,
even after he competed at MDP elections in 2005. Dr. Waheed also said
that he moved to other countries because of the disagreements with the
then government and because of the oppression of dissent in the country.
“I have always wanted to serve the Maldives and its people but I was
forced to leave the country. I have to leave the country for my own
safety. I did for your (Maldivians) well-being as well. If I have been
in the Maldives, I would not be here today to serve you. I went
yesterday, to come back and serve you today” VP said during the
presidential campaign. Dr. Waheed also said that he has learned the
torture and oppression hard way, as his mother was dragged in Male
streets for 3 months and banished for 6 years, simply because she
reflexively said “that’s not true” during one of Maumoon’s on-air
address. In addition to his mother, other family members were also
jailed and tortured, according to Dr. Waheed. Dr. Waheed has elaborated
on the hardship which he and his family has gone through, in the opening
ceremony of the geydhoshu jagaha.
Tourism Sector was destroyed by the previous government - MPs
During the debate on the amendment to the tourism act of Maldives, MPs
has said that it is the short-sighted policy of the previous government
to raise the resort rent for 1.5 year in advance from the resort owner
that jeopardized the Maldives tourism sector within the past 5 years.
MPs also said that government’s raised money was not spent on tourism
sector, but rather on the budget shortfalls of the government. Zahir
Adam, MP for G. Dh. Gadhdhoo, previously a DRP member but now an
independent forcefully questioned the audience on who has actually
jeopardized the tourism sector, in response DRP MPs claims that the
current bill being debated would destroy the tourism sector. Zahir also
said that even the previous sessions of the parliament has requested the
previous government to refrain from such short-sighted policies. Zahir
also requested that the rent procedures be regulated by the provincial
authorities and not by the Ministry. Many MPs who spoke during
yesterday’s session said that they opposed giving the authority to the
tourism ministry to extend the lease as per a regulation.
[Read More]
Dr. Zakir Naik Confirmed to lecture in the Maldives
Ministry of Islamic Affairs has confirmed that prominent religious
scholar Dr. Zakir Naik would be in the Maldives from 25 – 31 May 2010 to
deliver a lecture. Dr. Naik, who is traveling to Maldives, upon an
invitation from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, would also be traveling
with his family. The visit will feature three separate lectures, one by
Dr. Naik, another by his son Fariq Zakir Naik and a third one by Dr.
Naiyk’s wife, Farhath Zakir Naiyk, which would be targeted on women.
Zakir Naik is the President and the Founder of the Islamic Research
Foundation, a religious NGO. Mumbai-based peace channel also belong to
the Islamic Research Foundation. In addition to being the channel’s most
popular presenter he is also the most frequent lecturer in the channel.
Many believe Zakir Naik as the world’s most popular Islamic scholar.
Islamic Ministry has been working to bring him since last year. Naik has
held many debates and lectures around the world as well as in Mumbai,
India. One of Naik's debates took place in Chicago in April, 2000
featuring Dr. William Campbell of Pennsylvania, USA on the topic "The
Qur'an and the Bible: In the Light of Science".
[Read More]
Taj Exotica brings home more awards
Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives celebrates being voted as the Best
Luxury Resort in Maldives at No. 6 Worldwide. Taj Exotica’s spa, Jiva
Grande Spa also achieved Best Luxury Spa in Maldives at No. 3 Worldwide
at the Luxury Travel Awards – Reader’s Choice (Australia & New Zealand),
2010. Luxury Travel Magazine is Australia’s premier travel and lifestyle
magazine and the only one devoted exclusively to luxury travel. They
bring out the world’s ultimate luxury resorts, elegant hotels, exclusive
hideaways, private island paradises and supreme spas, among other
things. Taj Exotica got the recognition close at heels of being awarded
the ‘Best Leading Hotel of the World’ by Leading Hotels of the World.
[Read More]
New Kuwaiti Ambassador presents credentials to President Nasheed
The new Kuwaiti Ambassador to the Maldives, Mr. Yaqoub Yousef Al-Ateeqi,
has presented his Letter of Credentials to President Mohamed Nasheed at
a function held this afternoon at the President’s Office. After the
presentation of credentials, the President and the Ambassador discussed
bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to further
strengthen these relations. Speaking at the meeting, President Nasheed
said the Maldives and Kuwait have very close historic relations, and two
countries were good development partners. The President also conveyed
his best wishes to the Emir of Kuwait. Ambassador Al-Ateeqi assured the
President of his commitment to further strengthen the existing relations
between two countries. Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed and Special
Envoy of the President Ibrahim Hussain Zaki were also present at the
meeting.
Government to use e-letter management system –
Cabinet decides
The Cabinet in a meeting on Tuesday decided to use “Government E-letter
Management System” (GEMS), which enables government offices to exchange
communications electronically, starting from 25 April. The system will
be initially started in government institutions based in Malé and the
Southern Province. The government decided to adopt the system after
Cabinet discussions on a paper on the matter, which was submitted by the
Ministry of Civil Aviation and Communication. GEMS is expected to make
government administration more efficient, reduce costs, and improve the
delivery of services. The new e-letter system will also further improve
the credibility, transparency and monitoring of the government
bureaucracy. The system will enable policy makers and other decision
makers to take regular stock of the work of the respective offices and
to ensure remedial actions in cases of delays in responses. One of the
key pledges of the government is to bring government closer to the
people. With GEMS in operation, written queries from the public will be
more recorded and more readily available. The Ministry of Civil Aviation
and Communication will give briefing on the Government E-letter
Management System to all government offices.
Viceroy to open Viceroy Maldives in December 2010
Viceroy Hotel Group has announced that the company will unveil the
newest addition to its growing Viceroy Hotels and Resorts collection
with the December 2010 opening of Viceroy Maldives. The property is
being developed by Maldives-based, luxury hotel developer, EoN Resorts (EoN),
in partnership with Mubadala Development Company (‘Mubadala’).
[Read More]
Bar Council: Announce voluntary pledges
The Government should announce its list of voluntary pledges and
commitments in Malaysia’s bid to seek re-election to the Nations Human
Rights Council for 2010 to 2013, said the Bar Council. “We need a
comprehensive human rights policy to be conformed, adopted and ratified
without reservations,” said its president K.Ragunath. He said for the
past 10 years, the Government had ad-hoc or piece-meal approach to adopt
selective areas of human rights. Malaysia will have to compete with
Iran, Maldives, Qatar and Thailand for the four places in the council.
President ratifies First Amendment bill to Act number 5/2009
President Mohamed Nasheed has today ratified the first amendment Bill to
Act number 5/2009 (Land Transport Act), which was passed by the People’s
Majlis on 12 April 2010. The bill has been published in the Government
Gazette. With the new amendment, requirement to obtain compulsory third
party insurance for all motor vehicles under Article 66(a) of Land
Transport Act has been postponed to come into force 3 years from the
date the Act come ton to office. The Act now also states that a
regulation on Third Party Insurance should be made 6 months before the
Article 66(a) comes into effect. Also, a regulation specifying the
mechanisms for investigation of accidents, identifying the cost of
damage and claim for damage should be made public.
MDP to go to Supreme Court on decentralization
Maldives Democratic Party has submitted a resolution which would call on
the Supreme Court, requesting for a constitutional interpretation on
whether it is constitutional or unconstitutional to have “provinces” in
the Maldives. In press conference held by the MDP Parliamentary Group,
main co-sponsor of the bill, H. A. Dhidhdhoo MP Ahmed Sameer said that
the main objective of the bill is to remove the deadlock on the
decentralization bill, as provincial governance is the heart of MDP
manifesto. Ahmed Sameer repeatedly said that as the people has accepted
the MDP manifesto during 2008 elections; it is a duty of the government
to deliver on those promises. Sameer also said he hope that a decision
on the decentralization bill would be kept on hold until the Supreme
Court ruling. He also urged DRP also to utilize Supreme Court if there
is a disagreement, rather than using force. Sameer also said that the
Court will issue a historic and fair decision on the subject. MP for H.
Dh. Baarah, Mohamed Shifaz said that Speaker have been collaborating
with the DRP to make sure that government bills fails to pass at the
parliament. MP for Henveiru Dhekunu, Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said the only
reason why DRP is against provinces is to eliminate the credibility of
the MDP manifesto and said that DRP decision is not constructive. Hamid
also said that he feels that DRP MPs lives in a very “controlled”
environment and is naturally against decentralization, but one reason
why countries like India and China developed is the decentralization.
MPs also noted that even in the South Asian region, all countries except
Maldives has embraced decentralization. The press conference was also
attended by many members of the MDP parliamentary group.
UN to provide USD 40.6 million to Maldives
United Nations and Maldives Government has signed the agreement on the
USD 40.6 million, as pledged during the donor conference. The agreement
was signed at a special ceremony held at Ministry of Finance and
Treasury. The assistance would be utilized in Maldives efforts to
achieve the UN’s Millennium Development Goals and to achieve the goals
in the Maldives Strategic Action Plan. Of the USD 40 million, health
sector will receive USD 3.1 million and fight against narcotic drugs and
AIDS will receive USD 4.6 million. Environment, Climate Change and
natural disasters will receive USD 15.6 million. Speaking at the Event,
Mansoor M. Ali, UN’s Acting Resident Coordinator in the Maldives said
that Maldives has achieved remarkable progress in achieving MDGs.
Mansoor also said Maldives had already achieved 5 of the 8 MDGs and that
he is hopeful of achieving the remaining three by 2015, deadline
achieving MDGs. Speaking in local language Mansoor also said that
Maldives and UN shares a special bond. Minister Ali Hashim thanked the
UN on behalf of the government at the ceremony. He also said that some
institutions are not performing as expected, and said that for the
progress to be achieved all government and state institutions shall
perform to its maximum. Although as part of donor forum pledges UN alone
has materialized USD 40.6 million, opposition DRP previously said that
the donor forum only materialized “less than USD 20 million”.
Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition wins elections
President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling coalition has won Sri Lanka's first
postwar parliamentary elections further consolidating his political
dominance after the battlefield defeat of the Tamil Tigers last year.
Friday's victory follows Rajapaksa's re-election in presidential polls
three months ago. Despite opposition allegations the president wants to
monopolize power, he is a hero to many of the country's Sinhalese
majority hoping for a new era of development and reconciliation. The
Election Department said Rajapaksa's United People's Freedom Alliance so
far has won 117 of the 225 seats contested in Thursday's polls. Its
tally was expected to rise. A party must win 113 seats to get a simple
majority and form a government. Rajapaksa called the results a "triumph
of democracy." "It is a clear restatement of the confidence the people
placed in me," he said in a statement. It remains unclear whether
Rajapaksa's coalition can secure the two-thirds majority needed to
change the constitution _ which could open the way for an amendment to
allow the president to serve beyond the end of his second term in 2017.
The closest rival, the United National Front, has so far won 46 seats.
"It's a personal victory for the president," Jehan Perera of National
Peace Council activist group said of the election result. "It's a very
big majority ... What it means is that the voters have given the
government a blank check."
[Read
more]
Peru glacier collapses, injures 50
Around 50 people suffered injuries Sunday when part of a glacier broke
off and burst the Hualcan River banks in a development the local
governor attributed to climate change. The mass of glacial ice and rock
fell into the so-called "513 lake" in the northern Ancash region,
causing a ripple effect down the Hualcan, destroying 20 nearby homes.
"Because of global warming the glaciers are going to detach and fall on
these overflowing lakes. This is what happened today," Ancash Governor
Cesar Alvarez told reporters, linking climatechange to the disappearance
of a third of the glaciers in the Peruvian Andes over the past three
decades. A 2009 World Bank-published report warned Andean glaciers and
the region's permanently snow-covered peaks could disappear in 20 years
if no measures are taken to tackle climate change. According to the
report, in the last 35 years Peru's glaciers have shrunk by 22 percent,
leading to a 12 percent loss in the amount of fresh water reaching the
coast -- home to most of the country's citizens.
UN climate talks wrap up after fresh rows
Three days of talks aimed at putting a new gloss on UN climate talks
ended here late Sunday after new textual trench warfare less than four
months after a stormy summit in Copenhagen.
Countries wrangled for hours beyond the scheduled close over the work
schedule under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
and what blueprint to adopt for further negotiations. "The negotiations
were very tense. There is a lot of mistrust," said French chief
negotiator Paul Watkinson. "Some delegates don't seem to have taken
onboard what happened in Copenhagen and the need to gain quick, concrete
results." As the 194-nation forum struggled with a sour mood, UNFCCC
Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer warned that the process would be dealt a
crippling blow if it failed to deliver a breakthrough at a November
29-December 10 meeting in Cancun, Mexico. Cancun had to yield a
"functioning architecture" on big questions, including curbs on carbon
emissions and aid for poor countries, de Boer said in an interview with
AFP. "We reached an agreement in Bali (in 2007) that we would conclude
negotiations two years later in Copenhagen, and we didn't," he said.
"The finishing line has now been moved to Cancun, and I wouldn't be
surprised if the final finishing line in terms of a legally binding
treaty ends up being moved to South Africa," at the end of 2011.
"Copenhagen was the last get-out-of-jail-free card and we cannot afford
another failure in Cancun," de Boer said. "(...) If we see another
failure in Cancun, that will cause a serious loss of confidence in the
ability of this process to deliver."
[Read
more]
President pardons Ibrahim Moosa Luthfee, co-founder of Sandhaanu
Internet Political News Bulletin
President Mohamed Nasheed today pardoned Mr. Ibrahim Moosa Luthfee of
Addu Atoll Hithadhoo Fen Muli. The pardon was issued under Law 2/2010 on
Clemency and Alleviation of Penalties. Mr. Luthfee was sentenced to life
imprisonment and an additional year for disobedience to an order in
2002. While in Colombo for medical treatment in 2003, he gave the slip
to his guards and travelled to Switzerland. Mr. Luthfee has been living
in self-imposed exile in Switzerland as a UNHCR refugee ever since.
President encourages more women to enter politics
Speaking at the closing session of the orientation seminar on gender
mainstreaming and gender responsive budgeting, President Mohamed Nasheed
has encouraged a greater number of women to enter politics. He said that
having women’s voice in all sphere’s of national life was important and
that women’s participation in politics would lead to a more complete
insight of the needs of the entire nation. While underlining the
government’s commitment to promote equal participation of men and women
in political, social and economic spheres he said this vision could be
realised only if every individual member of the society was committed to
achieving this goal and actively worked towards the elimination of all
gender differences in our society. Stating that violence against women
was a growing concern, President called on the people to condemn such
gender discriminatory behaviour, and to make a renewed commitment to
protecting our society from such evils.
President attends inauguration of Hitachi
participation in the operation of MWSC
President Mohamed Nasheed today attended the inauguration of Hitachi
participation in the operation of Malé Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC).
The launching ceremony was held this morning. Speaking at the function,
the President thanked the Japanese government and its people for all the
assistance rendered to the Maldives and said he was pleased to see the
cooperation extended to business and investments. “I hope many more
firms will see the Maldives as exciting place to do business and pioneer
new technologies in the field of water, waste and energy,” said the
President. Noting that although Maldives was surrounded by water, safe
water is in short supply, the President said fresh-water lens underneath
each island was becoming insufficient to meet people's needs. He further
said population growth; changes in lifestyle; and, climate change were
some of the reasons for the depletion of water resources. Continuing in
this regard, he said “only 18 islands in the country have proper
sewerage systems and only 4 islands have water networks”. The President
said due to high price of electricity, the cost of desalinated water was
very high. He said, therefore, utilizing renewable energy sources was
needed for providing potable water at affordable prices. MWSC was
established in 1995 in Male'. On January 11, 2010, Hitachi Plant
Technologies, Ltd. reached an agreement with the government of Maldives
to take for a joint venture partnership water and sewage company Male'
Water and Sewerage Company Pvt. Ltd. Hitachi Plant Technologies'
involvement in the operation of MWSC is expected to lead to upgrading
water supply and sewage services of the Maldives.
President discusses special measures to increase
enrolment level in higher education
n his weekly radio address, President Mohamed Nasheed has discussed
special measures that are needed to be taken to increase Gross Enrolment
Ratio (GER) for tertiary education to 40 per cent over the next five
years.
The Gross Enrolment Ratio is a measure that shows the general level of
enrolment in primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education.
“International organizations have been telling that developing countries
must increase their GER to 40 – 50 per cent in order for them to be
successful in the new world economy,” he said.
President Nasheed stated increasing GER would require reforms in school
system and increasing enrolment at upper secondary level.
He noted that out of every 4 students, 3 took up the commerce stream,
and as a result, they had limited opportunities for employment and
higher education.
The President laid out some of the measures that the government plans to
take to increase the GER.
He said one of the first measures was to pass the Maldives National
University Bill as soon as possible.
As a second measure he noted identifying research work that is currently
done at government offices, and transferring such work to the national
university to be established.
Stating that for developed countries there was one doctor for every 1000
people, he noted the Maldives required 340 doctors.
“To provide quality healthcare services, it is crucial to start medicine
courses in the Maldives.”
If the Maldives did not start medicine courses, he added, it would face
a number of challenges to expand healthcare.
President also said the government aimed to provide loans for higher
education outside the country. He added the government would give loans
to 50 students for nursing and other medicine courses.
Another measure that the President mentioned was starting degree courses
in new areas such as architecture, quantitative surveying and town
planning.
The President identified capacity building in the judiciary as another
important area.
“To improve this sector, I held discussions with the German government
during my recent visit. Under assistance from Germany, a project is
designed, [and] is to be submitted to concerned authorities Tuesday,”
said the President.
He added that under the project, the current courses would be reviewed;
a new master’s course in law would be designed; orientation training
would be given; [college] library would be developed; and, a model
courtroom is to be made.
The President said the success of those plans and measures greatly
depended on the College of Higher Education. He stated the College
Rector Dr Hassan Hameed and Vice Rector Hussain Haleem were qualified
people.
In Italy, L'Aquila still a ghost town a year after quake
A year after a violent earthquake devastated the central Italian city of
L'Aquila, survivors will mark the sombre anniversary on Tuesday with a
candlelight march through streets still strewn with rubble.
Neither Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi nor President Giorgio
Napolitano plan to visit the medieval walled city, where 308 inhabitants
died and tens of thousands were forced to flee their homes.
L'Aquila, the Abruzzo capital and home to a prestigious university and
rich in art and architecture, remains off limits to residents.
Quake survivors complain that the authorities are building new homes at
great cost far from the city centre instead of placing priority on
rebuilding L'Aquila.
"All the money's been spent on building new communities from scratch,"
said Alessandro Tettamanti, spokesman of a quake survivors' advocacy
group.
"They're dormitory towns and nothing else," he told AFP, noting that the
new housing lacks essentials such as transport links, public services
and shops.
"This money could have been used differently, especially since these
homes cost three times more than planned," said Eugenio Carlomagno, a
co-founder of an advocacy group called L'Aquila, A City Centre to Save.
"With that sort of money they could have housed 45,000 people, not only
14,000," he added.
Of some 120,000 people affected by the earthquake in and around
L'Aquila, more than 52,000 have yet to return home or move into new
housing.
Many are living in hotels along the Adriatic seacoast or in barracks at
public expense.
"It will take many years to restore some of the monuments, while for the
homes, it's a matter of between eight months and two or three years,"
Carlomagno said.
"We have to get the water, electricity and gas working again... but
nothing has been done, not even a feasibility study," he said.
In a weeks-long series of Sunday protests, displaced residents have
pushed wheelbarrows through L'Aquila's off-limits "red zone," loading
them with rubble, to protest against the slow pace of reconstruction.
The protests, dubbed the "wheelbarrow revolt," forced the administration
to react.
"It's not normal that we have to resort to these kinds of actions to
make things happen," Carlomagno said.
Italy's civil protection agency says up to three million cubic metres
(100 million cubic feet) of rubble still need to be removed.
Tettamanti slammed L'Aquila Mayor Massimo Cialente as "a lightweight
compared with Guido Bertolaso," the head of the civil protection who was
given sweeping powers in the aftermath of the disaster.
"The government has done a lot, but we still haven't found a definitive
solution to the housing problem," Cialente told AFP.
"There's no alternative to rebuilding the city centre, of course, but
I'm not really sure we'll have the money to do it," he said.
The issue is a thorny one, and well-known satirist Sabina Guzzanti has
decided to address it in a documentary movie based on interviews with
displaced residents titled "Draquila - Italy Shaking."
The film is expected to cover a wide-ranging corruption scandal
implicating Bertolaso in the awarding of contracts in L'Aquila after the
earthquake.
Also accompanying the one-year anniversary of the disaster is an exhibit
at the Vatican Museums of religious art and objects retrieved from the
earthquake zone.
Titled "Memory and Hope", the exhibit invites visitors to "adopt"
objects and help pay for their restoration.
Dutch navy frees German cargo ship, arrests 10 pirates
The Dutch navy freed Monday a German cargo ship that had been boarded by
pirates off the coast of Somalia and arrested 10 of the attackers, the
Dutch defence ministry announced.
The Dutch frigate Tromp rescued the ship and its crew at around 1140 GMT
about 900 kilometres (560 miles) east of the Somali coast, the ministry
said in a statement.
A Dutch soldier was slightly wounded in the operation during which the
troops exchanged gunfire with the pirates who had come aboard with the
help of a mothership and two attack boats.
The frigate had received a distress signal from the German container
ship Taipan about four hours earlier, the statement said.
"The ship had been attacked by pirates and the crew had hidden in a
secure space on board," the ministry said.
When it arrived, the frigate sounded alerts and fired warning shots
which sent the mothership fleeing, it said.
Navy commandos then descended from a helicopter onto the bridge of the
Taipan and arrested 10 pirates, it said. The 15 members of the crew
emerged "safe and sound".
"Despite the damage on the bridge caused during the operation, the boat
was able to continue its route alone," it said.
The arrested pirates were taken onboard the Dutch frigate.
It had not been decided what would be done with them, defence ministry
spokesman Robin Middel told AFP, without giving the nationalities of the
pirates or the crew of the German vessel.
The Dutch navy launched the operation as part of an EU naval mission
called Operation Atalanta which protects shipping along the key route
off Somalia.
EU Navfor has said that in March it collared 18 pirate gangs, destroyed
22 skiffs and apprehended some 131 pirates for prosecution.
But there are eight vessels and 157 hostages in the hands of Somali
pirates, an official said on March 31.
President inaugurates Youth Challenge 2010
resident Mohamed Nasheed has this morning inaugurated the Youth
Challenge 2010.
The event is being organised for the Ministry of Human Resources, Youth
and Sports by Maldives Exhibition and Conference Services (MECS) with
support of JCI Maldives. The event gives the opportunities for youth to
gather information on employment, higher education and training
opportunities.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, President Nasheed noted the
pivotal role played by Maldivian youth in bringing democratic reforms to
the Maldives. He added that they brought those changes to realise their
hopes and aspirations.
Stating that a majority of Maldives’ population were youths, President
spoke on the many problems faced by the youths.
Describing the congestion problem in Male’, President Nasheed said
social problems such as unemployment, drug use and gang violence were
all consequences of congestion. He said therefore, unless we address
those issues, the Maldivian youths will continue to face many
challenges.
In his speech, the President said the voices of the youths needed to be
heard and that we need to continue the efforts to realise the hopes and
aspirations of our youths.
Youth Challenge was first held on 1999.
President appoints the Board of Directors of Male’ Health
Services Corporation Ltd
President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed the Board of Directors of Male’
Health Corporation Limited. Dr Abdul Azeez Yousuf was appointed as the
Chairperson of the Board. Other members of the Board are as follows.
1. Mr Zubair Mohamed
2. Ms Mariyam Rasheeda
3. Ms Mariyam Suzana
4. Mr Ibrahim Zahir
5. Mr Ibrahim Shaheem
6. Mr Thaha Mohamed
Vice President participates in pre-inaugural ceremony of
Science Exhibition
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has today participated in the
pre-inaugural ceremony of Science Exhibition 2010. The ceremony was held
this evening at Aminiya School.
At the ceremony, the Vice President launched teaching aids donation
programme by presenting teaching aids to Aminiya School. The programme
is initiated by Maldives National Chamber of Commerce & Industry and
Holiday Inn Malé.
Speaking at the function, Dr Waheed said he was “encouraged” that the
private sector took the initiative, and expressed hope that this fair
would help students to me more motivated to learn science.
He also said teachers must encourage a more inquiry-based learning for
students and that it should be applied not only to science subjects but
to all subjects.
Science Exhibition 2010 will be held in June this year.
EU’s Climate Action Commissioner says doubters should
come to the Maldives to get a sense of urgency around climate change
European Union’s first Climate Action Commissioner, Connie Hedegaard has
said doubters should come to the Maldives to get a sense of urgency in
combating climate change. She made this statement while speaking at a
press conference before her departure from the Maldives.
“It is very different to come to a place like here to see with your own
eyes what climate change is all about,” she said.
She also said that the world “must, in the future, do better than we did
in the past” and find ways to have a more sustainable growth.
Hedegaard also described President Nasheed “as one of the leading
voices” in the efforts to raise global awareness on the effects of
climate change.
President Mohamed Nasheed also spoke at the press conference and briefed
the media on their visit to Sh. Komandoo. He said he had “very fruitful
discussions” with Hedegaard on effects of climate change on vulnerable
countries like the Maldives and ways to combat the issue.
The EU Commissioner for Climate Action departed the Maldives this
morning after concluding her official visit. She was seen-off at the
airport by President Nasheed.
Israeli minister threatens to cut off water for
Palestinians
An Israeli minister threatened on Wednesday to cut off some water
supplies to Palestinians in the West Bank unless they stop dumping
untreated sewage.
"If the Palestinians continue to dump their waste water, polluting
rivers and the aquifer, Israel will stop supplying them," Infrastructure
Minister Uzi Landau told army radio.
"Palestinians must meet their duties and connect to sewage treatment
plants. Otherwise, we'll give them drinking water but none for
industrial or agricultural needs," Landau added.
The West Bank aquifer is a crucial source of water for both Israel and
the occupied West Bank.
The Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which is aiming to build the
institutions and infrastructure of a viable, independent state by
mid-2011, has blamed Israel for the lack of treatment plants.
"This is not a new position and we reject it completely. It is the
Israelis who are keeping us from building waste water treatment plants,"
Shaddad al-Attili, the head of the Palestinian Water Authority, told AFP.
"We have been asking to carry out projects since 1997 but the Israelis
have not given us permits to build stations in Areas B and C," he added,
referring to large areas of the West Bank that are under strict Israeli
restrictions.
Israeli Water Authority says 73 percent of waste water from the two
million Palestinians in the West Bank -- excluding east Jerusalem -- is
not treated, unlike 70 percent of the sewage from 300,000 Israeli
settlers in the territory.
"We give them clean water and all we get in exchange is sewage water,"
said Landau, a member of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's
ultra-nationalist Israel Beitenu party.
Israel largely controls joint water resources and supplies most of the
water consumed in the West Bank.
Army radio said the threat was linked to Palestinians' refusal to
connect to Israeli water treatment plants.
International organisations say Israel's water supplies fall short of
Palestinian needs, but also that the Palestinians have failed to set up
the infrastructure and institutions needed in the water sector.
President and EU Commissioner for Climate Action visit
Shaviyani Komandoo
President Mohamed Nasheed and European Commissioner for Climate Action
Ms Connie Hedegaard have visited Shaviyani Komandoo this afternoon.
Ms Hedegaard and her team witnessed the effects of climate change on the
Maldives and the adaptation project being carried out in the island.
Hedegaard arrived in the Maldives this morning.
European Commission and World Bank Group Support Climate
Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Maldives
The Government of Maldives, the European Union (EU), and the World Bank
Group today signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding establishing
a new Trust Fund designed to build resilience to climate change in the
Maldives.
The EU has contributed EUR 6.5 million (approximately US$8.8 million) to
the multi-donor Maldives Climate Change Trust Fund, which the World Bank
will administer over a period of three and a half years. The majority of
the Trust Fund resources will be utilized by the Government of Maldives
to carry out their priority projects relating to climate change
adaptation and mitigation.
"The Maldives has been a champion of climate change discussions and an
important actor in Copenhagen, making a unilateral commitment to become
carbon neutral by 2020," stated HE Bernard Savage, Ambassador of the
European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. "Climate change is a
serious global challenge, and a major threat to achieving the Millennium
Development Goals by reversing development progress made in the last
decade. It demands urgent, cooperative and shared responsibility to act.
Thus the EU welcomes the opportunity to assist the Government of
Maldives in reaching out towards their stated goals on carbon neutrality
through this initial contribution of EUR 6.5 million."
A low lying archipelago with more territorial sea than land, the
Maldives is exposed to the risks of intensifying weather events such as
damage caused by inundation, extreme winds and flooding from storms. Sea
level rise represents an existential threat to the country. With future
sea levels projected to increase in the range of 10 to 100 centimeters
by the year 2100, the entire country could be submerged in the
worst-case scenario.
Threatened with its very existence, the Government of Maldives has
declared its intention to fight climate change over the next decade,
including a vision to cut carbon emissions to become a carbon neutral
nation.
“It’s crucial for Maldives to build a climate resilient economy and
society through adaptation,” said Naoko Ishii, World Bank Country
Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives. “The commitment and manner in
which Maldives addresses the environmental challenges and builds a
climate-friendly economy will not only have important demonstration
effects for the country, but also the world”
The development objectives of the Trust Fund Program are to:
- Strengthen knowledge and leadership in the Government of Maldives to
deal with climate change issues both domestically and internationally;
- Build adaptive capacity and climate resilience in key sectors through
tangible pilot interventions;
- Promote energy efficiency and increase energy access through renewable
energy
generation and distribution through low carbon options and
public-private partnerships; and
- Improve policy and institutional capacities in the public and private
sectors to deal with adaptation and mitigation interventions that bring
both developmental and climate change benefits.
The governance arrangements for the Program include a Climate Change
Advisory Council in the Office of the President with representatives
from the government to provide strategic direction to the climate change
activities under the Trust Fund. In addition, a Technical Committee
composed of technical experts of the Government of Maldives, private
sector and leading civil society organizations is responsible for
reviewing and recommending technically well-sound project proposals for
financing and monitoring the overall progress of the program.
“The Maldives stands at the frontline of the climate change battle. We
are one of the most vulnerable countries on Earth and therefore need to
adapt to climate change,” said Dr. Mohammed Waheed Hassan, Honorable
Vice President of Maldives. “No amount of adaptation will save the
Maldives if the world continues to burn carbon. We are therefore aiming
for carbon neutrality, to show the world that you don’t need to burn
carbon to develop.”
The interventions paid for from the trust fund are expected to be on
strengthening ongoing efforts in areas such as coastal protection,
biodiversity conservation, tourism, fisheries, livelihoods and water
options, solid waste management, and energy solutions.
“This multi-donor trust fund provides a significant opportunity for
interested donors to support Maldives in addressing the climate
challenges in a coordinated manner,” said Priti Kumar, Senior
Environment Specialist and World Bank’s Team Leader for the Trust Fund.
EU Commissioner for Climate Action visits Maldives
European Union’s first Climate Action Commissioner, Connie Hedegaard has
arrived in the Maldives today on an official visit.
President Mohamed Nasheed met Hedegaard today at the President’s Office.
A presentation of climate change was given at the meeting.
President and Hedegaard discussed the vulnerability of Maldives to
climate change and the importance of mitigation and adaptation measures.
President stated that the Maldives “highly appreciate” Hedegaard’s work
to address climate change issues.
Hedegaard noted the “great effort” and leadership of President Nasheed
in Copenhagen.
Connie Hedegaard was Denmark’s Minister of Climate Change and Energy
from 2007 – 2009. She was also the President of UN climate change
conference in Copenhagen.
Applications close for the membership of Board of
Directors of Maldives Inland Revenue Authority and for the Commissioner
General and the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation
The President’s Office has yesterday closed applications for the
membership of the Board of Directors of the Maldives Inland Revenue
Authority, and for the Commissioner General and the Deputy Commissioner
General of Taxation.
A total of 32 applications were submitted for the membership of the
Board of Directors of the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority. The
President’s Office also received 3 applications for the post of
Commissioner General of Taxation, while 7 applications were received for
the post of Deputy Commissioner General of Taxation by the 5 April
deadline.
After reviewing the applications, the President will propose nominations
to the People’s Majlis shortly.
After Copenhagen setback, UN seeks way forward on climate
Countries gather this week in the hope of erasing bitter memories of the
Copenhagen summit and restoring faith in the battered UN process for
combatting climate change.
Negotiators meet in Bonn from Friday to Sunday for the first official
talks under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since
the strife-torn confab.
Their first job will be stocktaking: to see what place climate change
now has on the world political agenda.
Disappointment or disillusion swept many capitals when 120 heads of
state and government returned from Copenhagen after coming within an
inch of a fiasco.
Over the past three months, political interest in climate change has
ebbed, says Sebastien Genest, vice president of a green group, France
Nature Environment.
"The summit prompted a widespread sense of failure and a kind of gloom,"
says Genest.
Moving to fill the vacuum are climate skeptics and pragmatists -- those
who call for priority to domestic interests and the economy rather than
carbon emissions.
On the table in Bonn will be how to breathe life into the summit's one
solid outcome: the Copenhagen Accord.
The slender document was hastily crafted by the heads of 28 countries as
the December 7-19 marathon wobbled on the brink of collapse.
It sets the goal of limiting warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6
Fahrenheit), gathering rich and poor countries in action against carbon
pollution.
It also promises 30 billion dollars (22 billion euros) for
climate-vulnerable poor countries up to to 2012, and as much as 100
billion dollars annually by 2020.
The deal falls way short of the post-2012 treaty that was supposed to
emerge from the two-year haggle which climaxed in Copenhagen.
Its many critics say it has no deadline or roadmap for reaching the
warming target and its pledges are only voluntary.
It was not even endorsed at a UNFCCC plenary, given the raucous
reception it got from left-leaning countries in Latin America and the
Caribbean. So far, less than two-thirds of the UNFCCC parties have
signed up to it.
Yet the Accord also has powerful supporters.
While acknowledging its flaws, they note it is the first to include
advanced and emerging economies in specified emissions curbs.
And, they argue, it could provide the key to resolving climate
financing, one of the thorniest problems in a post-2012 pact.
A big question in Bonn will be how to dovetail the Copenhagen Accord
with the UNFCCC, so that money can be disbursed.
But negotiators will be unable to duck what went wrong at Copenhagen --
the cripplingly slow textual debate, the entrenched defence of national
interests and the deep suspicion of rich countries among the developing
bloc.
"The meeting... is going to be very important to rebuild confidence in
the process, to rebuild confidence that the way forward will be open and
transparent on the one hand, and efficient on the other," UNFCCC
Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer says.
Many voices, such as French President Nicolas Sarkozy, are arguing for
changes to the UNFCCC's labyrinthine, two-track negotiating process.
The final hours at Copenhagen showed how quickly things could move when
handled by a small group, as opposed to gaining unanimity of all 194
parties in one go, they say.
The way forward could lie with a representative group which would
advance on major issues and consult the full assembly, which would also
vote on the outcome, according to this argument.
Some are looking closely at the G20, which accounts for rich and
emerging economies that together account for some 80 percent of global
emissions.
Lord Nicholas Stern, a top British economist, says the G20 has gained
clout and credibility thanks to the financial crisis.
"We've essentially marginalised the G8 and replaced it with the G20,"
Stern said in an interview in Paris.
Government welcomes Akon to Maldives
Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair has welcomed news that international R&B
star, Akon, is due to perform in the Maldives later this month.
"The government is pleased that Akon has chosen to sing in the Maldives.
This is a great chance for Maldivians and tourists to hear a leading
international artist," said Zuhair.
Akon is one of the 21st Century's most successful R&B performers. The
Senegalese-American singer songwriter has received six Grammy Award
nominations. His music grosses an estimated $30 million annually.
Press Secretary said he hoped Akon's gig would encourage more
international artists to perform in the Maldives.
Reeling in the Benefits of Fish
In this week’s Recipes for Health, Martha Rose Shulman cooks up new ways
to enjoy the health benefits of fish. Fish typically is a good source of
healthful omega-3 fatty acids, and studies show that eating fish
regularly is associated with better heart health. She writes:
Experts are also researching a possible role for omega-3s in boosting
the immune system and protecting against hypertension, depression and
other ailments. As the findings continue to roll in, many nutritionists
now recommend that we eat fish twice a week.
She offers tips on finding safe and sustainable seafood, along with five
delicious and easy ways to prepare omega-3-rich fish like sardines,
salmon, mackerel and tuna.
Sardine and Chard Gratin: A simplified version of a traditional
Provençal dish that is delicious unbelievably easy to make.
Tuna and Pepper Stew: A fisherman’s dish with simple origins, loosely
based on a Basque tuna soup called marmitako.
Potato and Tuna Purée: Comfort food at its finest, similar to a tuna
noodle casserole but dressed up and simpler.
Baked Trout With Tomatoes and Olives: A Provençal staple that’s a great
way to serve farmed trout.
Salmon Fillets With Tomatillo Salsa: Tomatillos have an acidic flavor —
and color — that goes beautifully with salmon.
New Approach To Water Desalination
A new approach to desalination being developed by researchers at MIT and
in Korea could lead to small, portable desalination units that could be
powered by solar cells or batteries and could deliver enough fresh water
to supply the needs of a family or small village. As an added bonus, the
system would also remove many contaminants, viruses and bacteria at the
same time.
The new approach, called ion concentration polarization, is described in
a paper by Postdoctoral Associate Sung Jae Kim and Associate Professor
Jongyoon Han, both in MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science, and colleagues in Korea.
The system works at a microscopic scale, using fabrication methods
developed for microfluidics devices - similar to the manufacture of
microchips, but using materials such as silicone (synthetic rubber).
Each individual device would only process minute amounts of water, but a
large number of them - the researchers envision an array with 1,600
units fabricated on an 8-inch-diameter wafer - could produce about 15
liters of water per hour, enough to provide drinking water for several
people.
The whole unit could be self-contained and driven by gravity - salt
water would be poured in at the top, and fresh water and concentrated
brine collected from two outlets at the bottom.
That small size could actually be an advantage for some applications,
Kim explains. For example, in an emergency situation like Haiti's
earthquake aftermath, the delivery infrastructure to get fresh water to
the people who need it was largely lacking, so small, portable units
that individuals could carry would have been especially useful.
So far, the researchers have successfully tested a single unit, using
seawater they collected from a Massachusetts beach. The water was then
deliberately contaminated with small plastic particles, protein and
human blood. The unit removed more than 99 percent of the salt and other
contaminants. "We clearly demonstrated that we can do it at the unit
chip level," says Kim.
While the amount of electricity required by this method is actually
slightly more than for present large-scale methods such as reverse
osmosis, there is no other method that can produce small-scale
desalination with anywhere near this level of efficiency, the
researchers say. If properly engineered, the proposed system would only
use about as much power as a conventional lightbulb.
The basic principle that makes the system possible, called ion
concentration polarization, is a ubiquitous phenomenon that occurs near
ion-selective materials (such as Nafion, often used in fuel cells) or
electrodes, and this team and other researchers have been applying the
phenomenon for other applications such as biomolecule preconcentration.
This application to water purification has not been attempted before,
however.
Why it matters: Potable water is often in high demand and short supply
following a natural disaster like the Haiti earthquake or Hurricane
Katrina. In both of those instances, the disaster zones were near the
sea, but converting salty seawater to potable fresh water usually
requires a large amount of dependable electrical power and large-scale
desalination plants - neither of which were available in the disaster
areas.
One of the leading desalination methods, called reverse osmosis, uses
membranes that filter out the salt, but these require strong pumps to
maintain the high pressure needed to push the water through the
membrane, and are subject to fouling and blockage of the pores in the
membrane by salt and contaminants.
The new system separates salts and microbes from the water by
electrostatically repelling them away from the ion-selective membrane in
the system- so the flowing water never needs to pass through a membrane.
That should eliminate the need for high pressure and the problems of
fouling, the researchers say.
Next steps: Having proved the principle in a single-unit device, Kim and
Han plan to produce a 100-unit device to demonstrate the scaling-up of
the process, followed by a 10,000-unit system. They expect it will take
about two years before the system will be ready to develop as a product.
"After that," says Kim, "we'll know if it's possible" for this to work
as a robust, portable system, "and what problems might need to be worked
on."
Source: "Direct Seawater Desalination by Ion Concentration
Polarization," by Sung Jae Kim, Sung Hee Ko, Kwan Hyoung Kang, and
Jongyoon Han. Nature Nanotechnology, March 21, 2010.
Radical Change Needed For Global Agriculture
A report to be released at a pivotal global meeting on agriculture finds
that transforming the agriculture agenda to meet the challenges of a
warmer, environmentally-degraded world of 9 billion people will require
changes "as radical as those that occurred during industrial and
agricultural revolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries."
The comprehensive assessment, Transforming Agricultural Research for
Development, suggests the need for massive reform of the architecture of
what it terms a currently "fragmented global system of research and
development," in order to better reach small-scale farmers on the
ground, while making food production more sustainable and the systems in
which they are produced more resilient to future climatic and energy
shocks.
The report, funded by a range of international organizations and
development agencies, including the World Bank, European Commission, and
the UK Department for International Development, provides a stage-setter
at the first Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development
(GCARD), which has been tasked by the G8 to turn priorities on future
needs in agriculture into constructive actions to reshape its future.
Nearly one thousand participants, including World Food Prize Laureates,
heads of international organizations, agriculture ministers, farmers,
civil society groups, community development organizations, leading
scientists, and private sector innovators are expected to participate in
the meeting, taking place 28-31 March in Montpellier, France.
The report, prepared by a team of experts led by Uma Lele and including
Eugene Terry, Eduardo Trigo and Jules Pretty, builds on extensive
consultations across all continents in 2009 and their considerable
experience in global food and agriculture, and is undergoing review by
stakeholders around the world. It will be formally presented at GCARD on
Monday, 29 March.
According to World Bank estimates, some 1.4 billion people were already
living in poverty in 2005, well before the 2007 food price increases and
the 2008 financial crisis. Since the financial crisis, an additional 100
million people are now believed to have joined the ranks of the poor and
hungry, according to both FAO and World Bank estimates.
"It is clear that the Millennium Development Goal of substantially
reducing the world's hungry by 2015 will not be met. A major cause has
been a steady decline in policy attention to agriculture and rural
development," said Uma Lele, the lead author of the report and Former
Senior Adviser at the World Bank.
"Little has been done by developed and developing countries alike to
deal with the daunting challenge of hunger with long term- development
assistance to agriculture and rural development. Rather as a flip side
of development, short term emergency food and other emergency aid have
increased."
Over the 1981 to 2007 period, the share of net aid flows to developing
countries has become negative for Latin America and for East Asia, and
it has declined substantially for South Asia. Even for sub-Saharan
Africa, net aid has declined and less of it has been going to
agriculture.
"Barring the three big countries of China, India, and Brazil, capacity
of most developing countries in agricultural R and D has been winding
down," said Lele. "We must make a quantum leap in building back up their
capacity and translate government and donor pledges into concrete
actions."
"There has been remarkable progress in food production over the past
half-century, with historically unprecedented improvements when
agricultural research and development were given primacy," said Jules
Pretty, a global author and Professor of Environment and Society,
Department of Biological Sciences, at the University of Essex, UK.
"But some of those benefits were spread unevenly, and there are big
problems around the corner: climate change, the energy crunch, economic
uncertainty, population growth, environmental degradation, and a shift
in consumption patterns in emerging economies that are following the
same unsustainable models found in the West. Substantial changes are
needed in the levels and types of aid and the way it is given."
According to the report, the global population will likely reach 9.0
billion by about 2050, mostly from developing countries. Urban
populations will increase from today's 3.4 billion to well over 6
billion. With higher incomes and different tastes, diets in developing
countries will shift from low- to high- value cereals, poultry, meats,
fruits and vegetables.
While this will constitute an improvement for many, this major shift in
consumer preference for nutritional security is also likely to be
accompanied by hunger and poverty in the countries with the poorest
populations, while obesity rates as high as those now seen in wealthy
countries would occur in others. Increased demand for fossil fuels for
fertilizers and transport to meet growing food demands will likely
change the prospects for biofuels.
"The business-as-usual model of how things have been organized over the
previous 50 to 70 years is no longer an option. We have to go back to
the drawing board," said Eduardo Trigo, a global author, Director of
Grupo CEO, and Scientific Advisor to the International Relations
Directorate of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of
Argentina.
The authors contend that there should be enough knowledge and resources
available-or that can be mobilized-to tackle the problems of poverty and
hunger, if the system for doing so could be massively overhauled. The
report sets an approach for transforming the current global system of
cooperation in agricultural research for development into "a coherent
whole so as to achieve more rapid, scaled-up and sustainable impacts on
food security, poverty, and the environment."
The report and overall conference process are seeking to ensure that
agricultural research for development will be more inclusive of both
women and the needs of small farmers.
The report provides a holistic view of the myriad actors that currently
form this fragmented global agricultural research system-the landscape
of actors and funders in the agricultural system as it stands today;
regional research organizations and their development needs; and a
roadmap of guidelines for translating the products of agricultural
research into larger and quicker development successes.
It includes references to some 300 pieces of research; a review of
dozens of documents, international assessments and summits on the state
of agriculture undertaken over at least two decades; and consultations
with national governments, members of civil society, scientists, and
other key players from all regions of the world. The consultations
undertaken have involved direct inputs from over two thousand people.
Investments Needed
"We are in a paradoxical state where we are living in the age of
knowledge, but the level of investments going to agricultural research
is less than half of what it should be," said Trigo. "And there is ample
evidence that these investments are tremendously profitable."
This pattern of concentration parallels what is happening in overall
science spending throughout the world, according to the report. In
developed countries, agricultural R and D has also become increasingly
concentrated in a handful of countries, with just four countries (the
United States, Japan, France, and Germany) accounting for 66% of all
global public R and D conducted in 2000.
Similarly, just five developing countries (China, India, Brazil,
Thailand and South Africa) undertook just over 53% of the developing
countries' public agricultural R and D in 2000-up from 40% in 1981.
Meanwhile, in 2000, a total of 80 countries with a combined population
of approximately 625 million people conducted only 6.3% of total
agricultural R and D.
To meet the backlog of underinvestment alone, the report calls
increasing agricultural research investments in developing countries to
1.5 percent of agricultural GDP, more than double or triple the current
investments in scientific capacity and institutions and delivery
mechanisms at both the national and international levels.
Some analysts say that to meet FAO estimates of food demand in 2050,
annual investments in developing countries of about US $210 billion
gross or US $83 billion net in 2009 dollars would be needed annually
after allowing for depreciation of the existing stock of capital. This
is an increase of almost 50% over current levels. These needs would
decline over time with increased efficiency in agriculture and
decelerating demand for food, say the global authors.
Currently, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR), which was set up by the World Bank and wealthy country donors
in the 1970s to develop new crop varieties, farm management techniques
and innovations to farmers in the developing world, constitutes about
4-5% of the total global public sector expenditures on agricultural
research, according to the report.
The CGIAR's Strategic Results Framework has estimated that public
agricultural research and development for developing countries would
need to increase from the current $5.1 billion to $16.4 billion by 2025
of which the $1.6 billion would need to be the CGIAR element. The report
contends that this is the minimum amount needed since developing-country
needs for research extend beyond the CGIAR's mandates.
"GCARD is intended to leverage the remaining 94-95%, which includes both
public research systems of developed and developing countries which are
often not responsive to the needs of smallholder farmers," said Lele.
"With the 4-5% from the CGIAR, the objective is to get a much bigger
bang for the buck on effectiveness and impact."
"Donors need to increase aid levels for capacity building and especially
to the regions of the world with the greatest concentration of poverty;
these include Asia with two thirds of the world's poverty and
Sub-Saharan Africa with slightly less than a third. The $20 billion the
G8 committed for food and agriculture over three years is too small. It
also remains to be seen whether it will materialize," said Lele.
"In addition, CGIAR, which already has a track record in research would
need to help make a case for additional investments in developing
countries" said Eugene Terry, a global author and former Director
General of one of the 15 CGIAR centers (Africa Rice/WARDA), Founding
Director of the African Agriculture Technology Foundation, and Ex-Chair
of the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF).
The CGIAR is undergoing a reform process to ensure it has a greater
collective impact, simplified governance, and clarified accountabilities
with clear and distinct roles for both investors and implementers.
"It is clear that the issues of food insecurity and poverty, rather than
the funding cycles of governments and donors, need to drive the
strategic frameworks both of national agricultural research systems and
of the CGIAR," write the authors.
Gaining Production Increases "Outside the Box"
"Without viable livelihoods, the resource-poor smallholder farmers will
move to the cities in the future," said Trigo. "Addressing food security
issues in urban areas is completely different than doing so in rural
areas. The focus will have to shift to producing food by the poor for
the poor. During the food crisis, we had food riots not in the rural
areas, but in the cities."
Options deployed over the previous five decades for ensuring big
productivity gains to meet the enormous and diverse food needs of the
future are no longer on the table or the most sustainable options, say
the authors. These include "extensification," or moving agriculture onto
lands currently not being used. "We need to produce food for a growing
population on the same piece of land," said Terry. "Sustainable
intensification now has to be given high priority to reduce negative
environmental impact."
To get the production increases needed, the authors call for a broader
approach to agricultural research for development that departs from the
traditional approach that keeps scientists who develop a technology
separate from the process that delivers that new technology to farmers.
The report calls for greater participation amongst a broad range of
stakeholders in the seed-to-table chain of events-from the rural farmer
to the scientist, in addition to the players in between, including
extension officers, the private sector, national and regional
agricultural programs, and civil society.
It also calls for recognizing and drawing on the tremendous innovation
of farmers themselves. According to the authors, agriculture is highly
context-specific and needs to move away from the expectation that
research advances can be applied as one recipe-or single models as
silver bullets-developed globally and applied locally.
"Development problems cannot be solved by research alone, as research by
itself can be a blunt instrument," said Terry. "Research has to be
translated into real development outcomes. There are many pathways to
achieve this, including through partnerships, but none of them involve
linear solutions."
"Real partnerships with developing countries in leadership roles are
needed to enable developing countries to address their problems in ways
only they can," said Lele.
Closing the yield gap between the best yields and those realized by a
large majority of farmers calls for increased investments in adaptive
research, extension, and a variety of other delivery services which
constrain growth, write the authors.
"If you can get the conditions right in agriculture, you've got millions
of farmers, men and women, with ideas on how to improve things," said
Pretty.
"If they could just have access to credit or fertilizer, they could go a
long way. It is this locked-up innovation we have previously been unable
to get at, because the poor are starving or hungry or powerless or
excluded. We just have to find a key. The trouble is there are billions
of keys. That's why you need the new architecture for agricultural
research to keep finding the keys and unlocking the potential."
Vice President urges all business
organisations to fulfil their corporate social responsibility
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has urged all business organisations in
the Maldives to give a special importance to fulfilling their corporate
social responsibility.
Speaking at the 15th anniversary function of Male’ Water and Sewerage
Company (MWSC), Vice President said, as the largest water provider in
the country, the company was undertaking a noble responsibility.
The Vice President called on the company to give a special importance to
fulfil its corporate social responsibility, and the greater benefit of
the people, while working to maximise its profit. He also said special
consideration should be given to make necessities such as clean drinking
water more affordable and accessible for the less fortunate in the
country.
At the function, the Vice President highlighted the importance of clean
drinking water for the health and well-being of the people, and
international political issues that arise as a result of lack of clean
drinking water.
He further said since the access to clean drinking water and adequate
sewerage facilities was a Constitutional right of the Maldivians, it was
a duty of the state to ensure the availability of these services for
all.
Dr Waheed noted that during the past 15 years, MWSC had been able to
provide clean drinking water to half of the entire population.
Speaking on the establishment of provincial utilities companies to
provide utilities such as water and sewerage systems, Vice President Dr
Waheed said the government established these companies to fast track the
provision on water to the rest of the population. He appealed to these
companies not to detract from this goal.
During the last evening’s function held at Fen Building, Vice President
Dr Waheed also distributed the annual employee awards of the company.
Britain protects Chagos Islands, creating world's largest marine reserve
The Chagos Islands are home to roughly half of the Indian Ocean's
healthy coral reefs, along with several imperiled sea turtle species and
175,000 pairs of breeding seabirds. The new preserve covers 210,000
square miles -- an area larger than California and more than twice the
size of Britain -- and will shelter at least 76 species classified as
endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/04/01/ST2010040103276.html?sid=ST2010040103276
Gold Coast up against Sri Lankan city of Hambantota for
2018 Commonwealth Games
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (CP) – 1 day ago
GOLD COAST, Australia — The Gold Coast will have just one other city to
compete against for hosting rights of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The Commonwealth Games Federation said Thursday that only the Gold Coast
and the Sri Lankan city of Hambantota had met the March 31 deadline to
nominate as candidate cities.
The successful bidder for the games, which features countries and states
of the former British Empire, will be announced in October 2011.
Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, and Auckland, New Zealand, had expressed
interest, but neither provided bids to the federation. Auckland did not
have the New Zealand government's financial support.
This year's games will be in New Delhi in October and the 2014 version
in Glasgow, Scotland.
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Global Pension Funds to Boost Indian Investments,
Standard Says
By Suprotip Ghosh
April 2 (Bloomberg) -- More global pension funds plan to increase their
investments in India, boosting foreign capital flows into the nation’s
stock market, the Business Standard reported, citing Mercer, a
consulting firm.
It would be the first time global pension funds are seeking
India-specific allocations, the paper reported, quoting Rashmi Mehrotra,
a Mercer executive.
Pension funds now account for almost 14 percent of the 1,711 foreign
institutional investors in the country, the newspaper said, citing the
Securities and Exchange Board of India. They include Ascension Health
Master Pension Trust, Abbott Laboratories Stock Retirement Trust,
Employees Retirement System of Texas and the Municipal Employees
Retirement System of Michigan, the paper said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Suprotip Ghosh in Mumbai
[email protected]t
Navy Captures Pirates in Indian Ocean
The crew of the USS Nicholas captured
pirates and sank their ship in the early hours of April 1, according to
the American Forces Press Service. While in international waters west of
the Seychelles, the USS Nicholas was fired upon and returned fire.
The Nicholas exchanged fire with the suspected pirates, pursuing the
skiff until it stopped. The crew of the Nicholas boarded the skiff and
detained three people. Onboard the crew found ammunition and fuel. The
crew then sank the skiff around 3 a.m. The detained will remain in U.S.
custody aboard Nicholas for now.
Private sector investments in Maldives estimated to be
more than US$1 billion over next three years – President Nasheed
n his weekly address, President Mohamed Nasheed has said private sector
investments in the Maldives will be worth an estimated US$1 billion over
the next three years. This, the President added, would be in addition to
official development assistance.
President Nasheed discussed details of the investment areas and projects
in the Maldives in the coming years.
They include upgrading Male International Airport and Hanimadhoo
airport, expanding the runway of Gan airport, establishing a waste
management facility in Thilafushi, Apollo Hospital’s partnership with
the IGMH, nation-wide transport system, and the project to build 10,000
housing units.
The total investments in these projects and programmes amount to more
than 1 billion dollars.
In his address, the President also discussed the donor conference
recently held to mobilise external assistance.
“The donor conference was very successful. [We have] full confidence
that over the next three years the Maldives will receive assistance
worth US$313 million from several countries, organisations and various
other parties.
This shows the trust that those countries and organisations have in the
country; a clear proof that they are with this government,” said the
President.
The US$313 million, that include concessional loans and grant aid, is
developmental assistance or budget support, he added.
“We expect the economy to improve; we expect greater encouragement to
bounce back from the current economic slump, towards the end of this
year.”
In his address, which was broadcast on Voice of Maldives Friday morning,
the President also spoke on the plans to improve sports sector.
He said with the restructuring of the sports sector, sports
organisations would be managed democratically, and that there would be a
national sports institute to oversee development of sports
infrastructure.
Taiwan ship hijacked by Somali pirates, 1 other attacked
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Somali pirates attacked one Taiwanese fishing
vessel, injuring one Indonesian crew member, and took control of
another, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.
The pirates chased the Jui Man Fa and fired shots at the vessel, hitting
one man in the leg, late Wednesday evening, MOFA said. The ship escaped
in the direction of the Maldives and the crew member was out of danger,
reports said.
However, the pirates succeeded in taking control of another Taiwanese
ship, the Jih Chun Tsai 68, according to comments by the captain of the
Jui Man Fa to a Taiwanese radio station. There was no immediate
information about the crew of the hijacked ship, which was registered in
Tungkang, Pingtung County.
read more...
Wedding in Maldives
read more..
Explore the tropical waters of the Maldives with a
tailor-made luxury holiday
Thursday, 01 Apr 2010 00:00
There could be few better ways to spend a couple of weeks' holiday than
by jetting off to the Maldives, surely one of the world's most beautiful
destinations.
The Maldives is a chain of islands known for beautiful beaches, crystal
blue waters, amazing weather and true luxury. With so much to see, do
and experience, taking a tailormade luxury holiday to the islands could
prove better than a normal break, as this allows holidaymakers to have
real control over every aspect of their getaway.
read more...
President appeals for public cooperation with the Police
President Mohamed Nasheed has urged the public to extend their full
cooperation to the Police in their efforts to enforce unity, order and
peace in the society. He made this statement while speaking at a
function to mark the 77th anniversary of the Police. The function was
held this evening.
In his speech, the President said the government’s aim was to increase
public respect, trust and admiration for the Police.
The President urged government offices to speedily deliver their
services when requested by uniformed government officials such as those
of the Police, the Customs and Immigration service.
The President commended the Maldives Police Service for their
achievements. He noted the fact that the national crime rate has, on
average, decreased within a year was a remarkable achievement.
He called on the Police to show compassion and love while executing
their duties. President Nasheed also discussed the challenges faced by
the Police and ways to address them and promised government’s full
support to the Police.
Continuing his speech, he said while the government respects freedom of
expression and freedom of assembly, it cannot be lenient on criminals
taking unlawful advantage of those freedoms.
President Nasheed said necessary legal action would be taken against
anyone committing unlawful activity. He assured that the government
would not allow the legal system be shaped in a manner that would
disrupt the work of the Police.
At the function, the President launched the business plan of the Police
Service for 2010 and the annual edition of ‘Police Life’. He presented
commemorative plaques to officials with distinguished service, and a
commemorative plaque to N. Manadhoo Police Station for their social and
humane services.
Olympic Solo Rower Crosses Maldives’ Zero Degree Channel
in World First
Olympic medalist Guin Batten successfully rowed solo across the
Maldives’ equatorial Zero Degree Channel Tuesday, completing the 60km
crossing in 7 hours and 16 minutes.
Braving strong tides, swells and the unremitting tropical heat, Batten
became the first person in the world to row solo across the famous
channel. She used a FISA coastal single sculling boat, 6m long, 78cm
wide, which weighs just 35kg, to ensure maximum speed during her
journey.
Batten attempted the Zero Degree feat in order to raise the profile of
rowing in the Maldives as well as highlight the threats posed to the
island paradise from climate change and rising sea levels.
“It was a fantastic experience,” Batten said Wednesday morning. “I had a
wonderful reception in Fuahmulah, where around 500 local people were
waiting on the beach to welcome me with garlands of flowers and
traditional music.”
Batten said the most difficult part of the crossing was navigation,
particularly at night. “We set off at around 2am on Tuesday and the only
light came from the full moon.”
Batten said the weather held up for most of the journey and the water
was “calm and silky clear. But just before the equator, at around dawn,
the wind picked up and there was a lot of swell and chop.”
Batten added that fate played a part in her successful crossing: “We
were surrounded by terrific thunderstorms - it was an amazing light and
sound show. Fortunately, none of the thunderstorms came too close.”
Batten said she was accompanied by school of dolphins during one part of
her journey. “They swam near the boat but were a little wary. They
didn’t recognize the rowboat.”
Rowing is a Maldivian tradition dating back thousands of years but the
art is dying out due to the introduction of motor boats. Batten said she
hoped her Zero Degree Channel crossing would “inspire young people to
take up rowing as a sport to ensure these ancient skills are not lost.”
President Mohamed Nasheed said on Wednesday: “I am delighted that Guin
has become the first person to row solo across the Zero Degree Channel.
I hope her efforts will be a catalyst for the revival of rowing in the
Maldives.”
The Zero Degree Channel (‘Addoo Kandu’ in Dhivehi) cuts the equator
between the Huvadhoo Atoll and the Fuahmulah Island in the south of the
Maldives.
Guin Batten, a British national, is a world renowned rower who won an
Olympic silver medal at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 and in 2003
broke the world record for crossing the English Channel.
UAE grants 10 million dollar to Maldives
Mar 31, 2010 - 02:04 -
WAM Male'/ the Maldives, March 31st, 2010 (WAM) -- UAE has granted US 10
million dollars to support development in the Maldives during ''The
Maldives Donor Conference 2010'' that concluded in Male'.
H.E. Dr. Maytha Salem Al Shamsi, UAE Minister of State headed the UAE
delegation in the conference.
read more..
Maldives eyes floating homes, golf course
COLOMBO — The Maldives faces the threat of extinction from rising sea
levels, but the government said on Thursday it was looking to the future
with plans to build homes and a golf course that float.
An increase in sea levels of just 18 to 59 centimetres (seven to 24
inches) would make the Maldives -- a nation of tiny coral islands in the
Indian Ocean -- virtually uninhabitable by 2100, the UN's climate change
panel has warned.
read more..
President sends messages of condolence to Presidents of
Russia and UAE
President Mohamed Nasheed has sent a message of condolence to President
Dmitry Medvedev of Russia following the suicide bomb attacks on Moscow’s
metro that killed a number of people and injured many more. In his
message President Nasheed had condemned this terrorist attack in the
strongest term.
President Nasheed has also sent a message of condolence to President of
the United Arab Emirates, Skeikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, on
learning of the tragic death of Sheikh Ahmed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in
Morrocco.
Olympic Solo Rower Crosses Maldives’ Zero Degree Channel
in World First
Olympic medalist Guin Batten successfully rowed solo across the
Maldives’ equatorial Zero Degree Channel Tuesday, completing the 60km
crossing in 7 hours and 16 minutes.
Braving strong tides, swells and the unremitting tropical heat, Batten
became the first person in the world to row solo across the famous
channel. She used a FISA coastal single sculling boat, 6m long, 78cm
wide, which weighs just 35kg, to ensure maximum speed during her
journey.
Batten attempted the Zero Degree feat in order to raise the profile of
rowing in the Maldives as well as highlight the threats posed to the
island paradise from climate change and rising sea levels.
“It was a fantastic experience,” Batten said Wednesday morning. “I had a
wonderful reception in Fuahmulah, where around 500 local people were
waiting on the beach to welcome me with garlands of flowers and
traditional music.”
Batten said the most difficult part of the crossing was navigation,
particularly at night. “We set off at around 2am on Tuesday and the only
light came from the full moon.”
Batten said the weather held up for most of the journey and the water
was “calm and silky clear. But just before the equator, at around dawn,
the wind picked up and there was a lot of swell and chop.”
Batten added that fate played a part in her successful crossing: “We
were surrounded by terrific thunderstorms - it was an amazing light and
sound show. Fortunately, none of the thunderstorms came too close.”
Batten said she was accompanied by school of dolphins during one part of
her journey. “They swam near the boat but were a little wary. They
didn’t recognize the rowboat.”
Rowing is a Maldivian tradition dating back thousands of years but the
art is dying out due to the introduction of motor boats. Batten said she
hoped her Zero Degree Channel crossing would “inspire young people to
take up rowing as a sport to ensure these ancient skills are not lost.”
President Mohamed Nasheed said on Wednesday: “I am delighted that Guin
has become the first person to row solo across the Zero Degree Channel.
I hope her efforts will be a catalyst for the revival of rowing in the
Maldives.”
The Zero Degree Channel (‘Addoo Kandu’ in Dhivehi) cuts the equator
between the Huvadhoo Atoll and the Fuahmulah Island in the south of the
Maldives.
Guin Batten, a British national, is a world renowned rower who won an
Olympic silver medal at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 and in 2003
broke the world record for crossing the English Channel.
Privatisation Committee briefs the cabinet on additional
proposals by GMR Group on developing Hanimaadhoo airport
Privatisation Committee has briefed the Cabinet on additional proposals
submitted by GMR Group of India to develop Hanimaadhoo airport as an
international airport. The cabinet was briefed on the proposals by
Chairman of the Privatisation Committee and Minister of Civil Aviation
and Communication, Mr Mahmood Razee on Tuesday.
Minister Razee informed that GMR had proposed to develop the airport
under two phases, with a 2.8 km runway to be built in the first phase.
He said during the first phase, the people of Hanimaadhoo need not be
relocated. The second phase would be started with sufficient traffic, he
added.
Minister Razee noted that developing an international airport in the
North was included in the Third Tourism Master Plan.
He said an international airport in Hanimadhoo would see a passenger
movement of 2.5 million by year 2025 provided that a total of 12,000
beds for tourism could be operated in the region.
Cabinet decides to open opportunity for longline fishing
of yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna
The Cabinet in its sitting on Tuesday decided to open opportunity for
longline fishing for yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna. The Cabinet took
the decision after discussing a paper on the issue that was subimitted
by the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture.
The Cabinet noted as fisheries has unsually worsened since 2006, the
opportunity for longline fishing for yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna was
one of the ways to ameliorate the situation.
While on average Maldives shares 22 per cent of the total skipjack tuna
fisheries in the Indian Ocean, the country shares on average only 5 per
cent other species of tuna. The Cabinet therefore discussed widening the
fishery of those species, which they noted was more profitable.
The government will allow longline fishing for yellowfin tuna and bigeye
tuna for only Maldivian vessels and Maldivians. Details and the policies
for longline fishing will be announced the Ministry of Fisheries and
Agriculture next week.
The Cabinet also discussed policies on purse seine on Maldivian waters.
The President also briefed the Cabinet on the donor conference held from
28 to 29 March.
President meets with the World Bank Country Director
President Mohamed Nasheed has today met with World Bank Country Director
Ms Naoko Ishii. The meeting was held at the President’s Office this
morning.
Ms Ishii conveyed warm congratulations, on behalf of World Bank Vice
President for the South Asia Region, Ms Isabel Guerrero to the
government of Maldives on the success of the Maldives Donor Conference
2010, which was held from 28 – 29 March.
The President sought the advice of the Bank on the possible courses of
action following the success of donor conference, and to follow up on
the pledges made during the conference.
During the meeting, in depth discussions were also held on ways of
strengthening the management and monitoring of development projects in
the Maldives.
Police seek DRP’s Deputy Leader’s prosecution
Police has lodged a case with Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office against
Thoddu MP Ali Waheed, over his claims in media that Police assisted in
the anti-government protests held outside Presidential residence
Muleeage, in January. The reports of the case are also confirmed by the
Police as well.
Ali Waheed, one of the most outspoken MP is a key figure in the DRP’s
January demonstrations as well as recent demonstrations which he have
proclaimed as the “blue revolution” which will continue until the
government is unseated. Police is also investigating him for allegedly
jangling President Nasheed’s gate at the January protests.
However, Ali Waheed is of the view that the accusations are just another
move to intimidate and harass him for his role in the opposition party.
However, he also said that he would not be intimidated by such actions
and said that he will always speak out for the party as he knows that
party would defend him.
Police summon MPs to investigate parliament fight
DRP MPs, Ali Waheed, Ilhaam Ahmed and Mahloof were summoned to Police to
investigate the parliament fight according to reports.
However, Ali Waheed said Police questioned not only on the parliament
fight but on DRP’s several demonstrations which were held in the
restricted zones in which some had attempted enter into President’s
residence by climbing into the gate of the residence.
Ali Waheed also said that this is an attempt by the government to
intimidate the opposition MPs.
Ilham and Mahloof used the right to remain silent.
Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair denied any role by the government in the
police questioning or arrest of DRP MPs, and that anyone who break the
law can expect to be taken into Police, regardless of their political
status, and assured that those cases would be sent to Prosecutor-General
if Police finds them guilty.
Police said that MPs were summoned to investigate a case presented by
Speaker of the Parliament and assured that many MDP MPs and independents
would also be called for questioning.
However, Police had refused to provide any details on the case as it is
being investigated
Maldives needs budgetary support given the present
circumstances - IMF
IMF Representative to Maldives has said that IMF generally does not
support budgetary support, but given the present circumstances there is
no other way than providing the budgetary support.
He also said that the country’s budgetary and fiscal situation is very
bad.
He also said that one reason for the economic and financial instability
is the tremendous decline in the Maldives fisheries sector and added
that the financial situation which the current government inherited had
made it worse.
He also said that it would not be sustainable to spend more than a
country actually receives and if any country does so it will soon go
bankrupt.
Prime Minister of Singapore invites President Nasheed to
visit Singapore
The Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong has invited President
Mohamed Nasheed to make an official visit to Singapore. The invitation
was delivered to the President today, by the High Commissioner of
Singapore to the Maldives Dr. Chua Yong Hai. The President has accepted
the invitation.
Discussions at the meeting were focused on strengthening relations
between the Maldives and Singapore.
Speaking at the meeting, the High Commissioner congratulated the
President for the very successful donor conference that was held in the
Maldives. He also said that he understood the many challenges that the
government was facing and supported the strategic reform measures that
the government was taking.
President said that Singapore was an important development partner of
the Maldives. Further noting that a number of Singaporean investors were
already doing business in the Maldives, he welcomed investors to
diversify their business in the Maldives.
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed, Advisor on Political Affairs Mr Hassan
Afeef and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Naseem also
attended the meeting.
Government signs management contract with Villa Education
Services for the development and operation of a higher education
institute at CHSE Annex
overnment has today signed a management contract with Villa Education
Services private limited for the development and operation of a higher
education at CHSE Annex. The agreement was signed on behalf of the
government of Maldives by Minister of Education, Dr Musthafa Luthfee
while Dr Ahmed Anwar, Managing Director of Villa Education Services (VES)
private limited signed on behalf of VES. The agreement signing ceremony
was held this morning at the President’s Office.
Speaking at the function, President Nasheed noted that Villa Education
Services was selected after due and appropriate consideration of the
proposals received in response to requests for proposals. He further
said that this proved that local businesses could also compete with
overseas companies and win bids under the PPP initiative.
He also said that the government’s aim was not to reduce its expenditure
on the education sector, but to improve the quality of education in the
Maldives.
Government had invited proposals from parties that have demonstrated the
educational, management and financial capability to successfully take
part in the Public Private Partnership initiative for the education
sector in the Maldives on 8th June 2009.
According to the agreement signed, a new institution offering higher
secondary education under the name of Villa International High School (VIHS)
would be established and managed by VES. VES will ensure that in the
first 3 years of operation, VIHS caters for at least 800 higher
secondary students and at the same time progressively increase the
number of places for higher level courses.
The CHSE Annex is the site of the second campus of Centre for Higher
Secondary Education (CHSE). CHSE currently has a total enrolment of 1638
students, teachers and management and administrative staff on its rolls.
Out of this at the CHSE Annex about 800 students undertake their studies
and has 62 staff to operate the Annex.
Move Over Predators - Plants Can Control The Food Chain
Too
Forget top-to-bottom only. New Cornell University evolutionary biology
research shows how plants at the bottom of the food chain have evolved
mechanisms that influence ecosystem dynamics as well.
"The ecology and interactions of most organisms is dictated by their
evolutionary history," said Anurag Agrawal, associate professor of
ecology and evolutionary biology (EEB), the study's senior author.
In food webs, predators help suppress populations of prey by eating
them; that frees species lower in the food chain, such as plants, to
flourish, a dynamic called a "trophic cascade."
Most trophic cascade studies have focused on the ability of predators to
increase plant biomass by eating herbivores. Such studies typically find
strong trophic cascades in aquatic environments, where big fish eat
minnows, which eat the tiny algae-eating crustaceans called daphnia.
Agrawal, first author Kailen Mooney, who is a former Cornell
postdoctoral researcher and now assistant professor at the University of
California-Irvine, and colleagues studied trophic cascades in 16
milkweed species, famed for their interactions with monarch butterflies,
and also fed upon by aphids.
Plants have evolved three main strategies for increasing their biomass
as much as they can against the forces that limit their growth, said the
researchers: They grow as quickly as possible; develop direct defenses,
such as toxins or prickly leaves, against herbivores; and attract such
predators as ladybugs that eat their pests.
But plants do not have the resources to develop all three defenses.
Since Darwin, evolutionary biologists have hypothesized that over
millions of years of evolution, plant species are subject to trade-offs,
developing some defense strategies in lieu of others; a key finding of
the new study is that these evolutionary trade-offs drive how modern
ecosystems are structured.
In the case of milkweed, some favored fast growth and the ability to
attract predators while putting less energy into resisting herbivores.
The study found that one of the major factors leading to greater
milkweed biomass (or growth) is the production of volatile compounds
called sesquiterpenes, which attract such predators as aphid-eating
ladybugs. But surprisingly, the plants' biomass increases regardless of
whether ladybugs or other aphid predators are present.
The reason, the researchers suggest, is because the trait to produce
sesquiterpenes appears genetically linked to faster growth; the strategy
here is to replace leaves faster than they can be eaten. At the same
time, milkweed species that put more energy into growing faster put less
energy into resisting such pests as aphids.
"Because no species can do everything, milkweeds that grow fast
necessarily have lower resistance to aphids," said Agrawal. "Thus
species that grow fast benefit the most from predators" of aphids.
The findings have implications for agriculture, as conventional
strategies for controlling pests often involve spraying insecticides,
said Agrawal. "By including the evolutionary history in our
understanding of natural pest management, we gain insight into plant
strategies that have stood the test of time, and this may provide hints
for breeding crops with traits that ensure robust lines of defense," he
added.
international community gives US$313
million vote of confidence to the Maldives
International community have pledged US$313 million of financial
assistance over the next three years to the Maldives in a strong vote of
confidence for the government and its ability to implement its policies
and deliver its pledges.
At the end of this administration’s first donor conference,
representatives from donor countries and multilateral organisations tied
up the amount towards budgetary support and government’s priority areas.
These priority areas are closely linked to the conference’s key themes
of macro economic reform, public sector reform, good governance, social
development and climate change.
Speaking to the press following the conference President Mohamed Nasheed
said this was a tremendous achievement for the Maldives and a strong
vote of confidence for the government.
He said this assistance would help the government implement its policies
and deliver its election pledges.
During the proceedings of the two day conference held at the Bandos
Island Resort and Spa, representatives of donor countries and
international organisations praised the Maldives’ smooth transition to
democracy, government’s sound economic reform measures and proposed
development policies. In particular donor countries commended the
government’s openness, transparency and the candid nature with which
they discussed the challenges faced by the Maldives.
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed, in making his concluding remarks of
the conference, expressed his gratitude for the participants of the
conference for the confidence they have shown in the country.
He said “We were elected by the people on the basis of a series of key
pledges and to bring social change and democratic reform to a country
reeling from the impact of economic mismanagement, authoritarianism and
the global recession.”
Dr Waheed said the pledges that were made over the two days of
conference demonstrated the donor community’s commitment to the Maldives
and the government’s strong democratic mandate.
He further added “there is an abundance of goodwill and more assistance
will be forthcoming with more follow up from our side.”
international community gives US$313 million vote of
confidence to the Maldives
International community have pledged US$313 million of financial
assistance over the next three years to the Maldives in a strong vote of
confidence for the government and its ability to implement its policies
and deliver its pledges.
At the end of this administration’s first donor conference,
representatives from donor countries and multilateral organisations tied
up the amount towards budgetary support and government’s priority areas.
These priority areas are closely linked to the conference’s key themes
of macro economic reform, public sector reform, good governance, social
development and climate change.
Speaking to the press following the conference President Mohamed Nasheed
said this was a tremendous achievement for the Maldives and a strong
vote of confidence for the government.
He said this assistance would help the government implement its policies
and deliver its election pledges.
During the proceedings of the two day conference held at the Bandos
Island Resort and Spa, representatives of donor countries and
international organisations praised the Maldives’ smooth transition to
democracy, government’s sound economic reform measures and proposed
development policies. In particular donor countries commended the
government’s openness, transparency and the candid nature with which
they discussed the challenges faced by the Maldives.
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed, in making his concluding remarks of
the conference, expressed his gratitude for the participants of the
conference for the confidence they have shown in the country.
He said “We were elected by the people on the basis of a series of key
pledges and to bring social change and democratic reform to a country
reeling from the impact of economic mismanagement, authoritarianism and
the global recession.”
Dr Waheed said the pledges that were made over the two days of
conference demonstrated the donor community’s commitment to the Maldives
and the government’s strong democratic mandate.
He further added “there is an abundance of goodwill and more assistance
will be forthcoming with more follow up from our side.”
President supports Guin Batten’s attempt to cross the
Zero Degree Channel solo
President Mohamed Nasheed has extended his support for Olympic rower
Guin Batten’s attempt to cross the Zero Degree Channel (Addoo Kandu) in
the Maldives solo.
Ms Batten began her attempt in a standard coastal rowing boat to be the
first person to cross the 60 kilometre wide Zero Degree Channel solo in
a rowing boat, today. She will make the cross using a standard coastal
single sculling boat that is 6 metres long, 78 centimetres wide and
weighs 35 kilograms. She is expected to complete feat on 2 April.
Objectives of the crossing include raising international awareness of
the threat of climate change on the Maldives, and supporting and
increasing the profile of rowing especially women’s rowing in the
Maldives.
Wishing Ms Batten success in her crossing, President Nasheed said this
attempt in the Maldives by a world renowned athlete from a friendly
country was a glaring example of the Ms Batten’s and the international
community’s support for the development of women of this country.
Guin Batten won an Olympic silver medal at the Sydney Olympic Games in
2000. In 2003 she also broke the world record for crossing the English
Channel.
“I have requested opposition parties to distribute all
the materials they need to distribute to the international community
execept prn pictures , and materials, since they may not be able to look
at them with their faimilies”
says President Nasheed
WWF's Earth Hour 2010 continues to roll out from east to
west across the globe.
stana, Kazakhstan
About 90 cities and towns in Kazakhstan joined the global Earth Hour
campaign by switching off their lights for an hour. In the capital of
Astana, some landmark buildings, such as the Astana-Baiterek Monument,
the Presidential Palace, the Supreme Court building and the Independence
Palace, will turned off the lights between 20:30 and 21:30 local time.
In Almaty, the largest city of Kazakhstan, the city hall building, the
television tower and many other buildings will also join the action.
Major cities in Kazakhstan participating in Earth Hour include Uralskaya,
Atyrau, Aktau, Aktobe, Petropavlovsk, Aksu, Chaimey, Karaganda, Shymkent,
and Taraz.
read more...
Southern Utilities Ltd signs a water purchase agreement
with Biwater International Ltd
Southern Utilities Limited has today signed a water purchase agreement
with Biwater International Limited.
The agreement was signed on behalf of Southern Utilities Limited by its
Chairman Mr Ahmed Zareer and Mr Adrian White, the chairman of Biwater
International Limited signed on its behalf.
Under the agreement, Biwater International has made an offer to Southern
Utilities to improve the supply of potable water and the treatment of
sewage in South Province.
The company’s proposal is to provide potable water produced from
seawater desalination plants and the treatment of waste by sewage
treatment plants complete with all associated pump stations and
distribution and collection pipe work systems.
Under the agreement, Biwater International will supply bulk water to
South Province for a period of 20 years commencing after the company
have built and commissioned seawater desalination plants.
The government will take appropriate
legal action to protect media – President Nasheed
President Mohamed Nasheed has reiterated that the government would take
appropriate action to protect the media. He made this statement while
speaking at the inauguration of Maldives donor conference.
Condemning the attacks on journalists from DhiTV and Haveeru newspaper,
President said “I don’t care whether you are a gangster, or whether you
are a senior politician controlling the gangsters...”
Stating that press freedom in the Maldives was now strengthening,
President said “we don’t mind criticism; indeed we welcome it,” he said.
However, he called on “certain sections of the media to be more
responsible” and said that journalists should be mindful of the
consequences of their actions.
Last year, the Maldives climbed 53 places in Reporters Without Borders’
global press freedom index and the Maldives is now ranked six places
behind France for freedom of the press.
President Nasheed opens Maldives donor conference with an
appeal for assistance to consolidate democracy
President Mohamed Nasheed today opened Maldives donor conference 2010,
with an appeal for assistance to consolidate and strengthen democracy in
the Maldives.
Highlighting that the Maldives has now embarked on major fiscal and
economic reforms overseen by the IMF, President Nasheed stressed that
the Maldives “still require significant budgetary and developmental
help, to see us through this transitional phase”.
“We need the assistance to foster people’s confidence in the changes we
are bringing during this turbulent transitional stage of our budding
democracy,” he added.
In his speech at the inauguration function, President Nasheed noted that
“according to World Bank statistics, the Maldives faced the worst
economic situation of any country undergoing democratic transition,
since records began in 1956”.
Stating that just as people need liberty for progress, business also
needs freedom to prosper, President Nasheed said the government was
therefore “implementing reforms to liberate the economy”.
Referring to the current political situation in the Maldives, President
said that there were “elements in the opposition determined to block
progress in the Majlis” and that some opposition figures were “flirting
with violence”.
Emphasising government’s efforts to strengthen democracy in the country,
President said for democracy to flourish, the government must show that
people’s lives are improving.
“We ask for assistance to help the government fulfil its modest election
pledges,” he said.
Address by HE President Nasheed To the Maldives Donors
Conference 2010
Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to thank each and every one of you for attending this
conference.
We have come here today from many different parts of the world.
Some of you are based in the Maldives.
Some of you have visited many times.
For others, it may be your first visit to our country.
We are a diverse collection of people.
Some of you are from government, some from multilateral institutions,
some from grant giving organisations.
Although we are many different people, we are brought together by a
common goal.
We all want to see a peaceful Maldives.
And we all want to see a prosperous Maldives.
And so, I welcome you here as friends.
And I hope we can work together towards our common vision.
The Maldives has made considerable progress over the past eighteen
months.
This administration was voted in because people wanted political change.
There is much work to do.
But I am pleased with the progress we have made so far.
The separation of powers enshrined under the new constitution has been
respected.
Last year, we held this country’s first democratic parliamentary
elections, which were judged free and fair by international observers.
We now have a Majlis that is democratically elected, doing away with the
old system where 20% of MPs were appointed by the President.
The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislature.
I have made no secret of my concerns over the capacity of the judiciary
to dispense justice.
Nevertheless, we respect its independence and I hope that with training
and capacity support, the judiciary will grow into a respected
institution.
This administration respects fundamental rights and liberties.
People are now free to join political parties, and participation in
politics is very high.
Over 80% of the voting public took part in the presidential and
parliamentary elections.
Almost 10% of the population has joined the ruling Maldivian Democratic
Party; and a further 10% of people have signed up for the main
opposition party.
Free, open and competitive politics is now part and parcel of people’s
daily lives.
Press freedom also goes from strength to strength.
We have dozens of newspapers, TV and radio stations, websites and blogs
all free to report and comment as they see fit.
Newspapers frequently criticize the government; in fact many newspapers
lean heavily towards opposition parties.
We don’t mind criticism; indeed we welcome it.
I would, however, call on certain sections of the media to be more
responsible.
Journalists should be mindful of the consequences of their actions.
It is not OK to spread rumours or unsubstantiated allegations against
anyone, whether they are in government or opposition.
To be honest, I don’t really care what people say about me.
But in a small society, false allegations can be very hurtful.
So I appeal to the media to act responsibly.
And I ask journalists to try, to the best of their abilities, to report
the truth.
Of course, humans will always make mistakes.
When the media makes a mistake, people who have been wronged should be
allowed redress.
At the same time, we don’t want defamation laws to create a chilling
effect on press freedom.
For these reasons, this administration has decriminalized defamation, so
journalists no longer have to fear jail for anything they write.
And with the help of press freedom watchdog, Article 19, we have
submitted a new broadcasting bill to the Majlis.
The broadcasting bill will improve the integrity and independence of the
broadcast media, and I urge all MPs to support it.
Last year the Maldives climbed 53 places in Reporters Without Borders’
global press freedom index.
We are now ranked six places behind France for freedom of the press.
This is a remarkable improvement.
But I do not want to sound complacent.
Earlier this month, a gang of youths threatened and attacked journalists
from DhiTV and Haveeru newspaper.
This was a disgraceful attack on the press.
The police swiftly arrested the suspects.
But let me be absolutely explicit about this; let me make this crystal
clear:
I don’t care whether you are a gangster, or whether you are a senior
politician controlling the gangsters…
… If you attack, or orchestrate attacks on the media, this government
will take appropriate legal action to protect the media.
Despite some setbacks, freedoms are improving.
We still have much work to do.
But I can say with conviction, that Maldivians enjoy more freedom today
than at any other point in history.
That, I believe, is something in which we can be proud.
Through political change, we have managed to emancipate people, so they
can play a full and active role in society.
And just as people need liberty to progress, we believe business also
needs freedom to prosper.
We are therefore implementing reforms to liberate the economy.
Our economic reforms involve three crucial parts:
Firstly, we are committed to financial prudence and long-term stability.
We have scrapped the reckless policies of the past, which saw money
printed to finance a growing budget deficit.
Instead, we are working with international multilateral organisations,
to ensure we do not spend more than we can afford.
And we are reducing our budget deficit to sensible and sustainable
levels.
The second plank of our economic reforms is a far-reaching policy of
privatisation and public-private partnerships.
We do not believe that the state can, or should, play the role of
business.
Privately run firms tend to be more efficient, more profitable and
provide better customer service and job satisfaction.
We are therefore offering private parties the chance to invest in a wide
range of state run enterprises.
The third part of our economic reforms involves cutting red tape and
reducing government bureaucracy.
In the past, the government offered people jobs not because there was
work that needed doing.
The government offered people jobs as bribes; to get their allegiance to
a repressive regime.
Almost 10% of the population works for the government – a staggering
amount.
And there are more civil servants than there is work to be done.
Many government employees are under worked; chained to demoralising
jobs.
Our administration will therefore dramatically reduce the number of
civil servants.
But we must provide loans for outgoing civil servants, to help them set
up businesses or acquire new skills.
We make these changes because we believe in the rights of the
individual, over the regulation of government.
We implement these reforms because we believe in the dynamism of the
market, over the indecision of the state.
We make this shift because we believe in business over bureaucracy.
I believe that a free economy is the path to success in the Maldives.
Of course, we face many challenges.
When we came into office, we inherited an economy in crisis.
In the years leading up to the 2008 presidential elections, the former
regime went on a spending spree that almost bankrupted the country.
Our administration inherited a huge national debt from the former
regime.
We took over a budget where 70% of government revenue is spent on civil
servant’s salaries.
We were bequeathed millions of dollars of unpaid bills.
And we inherited this situation, just as the global economy faltered.
According to World Bank statistics, the Maldives faced the worst
economic situation of any country undergoing democratic transition,
since records began in 1956.
It has not been an easy 18 months.
And we continue to face serious budgetary shortfalls.
As I mentioned earlier, we are embarking on major fiscal and economic
reforms, overseen by the IMF.
These reforms will see the size of government radically reduced.
And reforms will enhance the government’s tax revenues.
When fully implemented, the changes will ensure fiscal responsibility
and macro economic stability.
Some reforms will be painful and costly.
And the economy is still vulnerable.
We are not out of the woods yet.
We still require significant budgetary and developmental help, to see us
through this transitional phase.
We must not falter.
We must swallow the bitter economic medicine, to ensure our long-term
health.
But we need your help.
We need your spoonful of sugar, to help the medicine go down.
We need the assistance to foster people’s confidence in the changes we
are bringing during this turbulent transitional stage of our budding
democracy.
Already, we see the warning signs.
There are elements in the opposition determined to block progress in the
Majlis.
And some opposition figures flirting with violence in the streets.
This weekend, some members of the main opposition party, the DRP, have
been doing their best to get arrested.
They are starting fistfights and goading the police to arrest them.
Why do they behave in this fashion?
Well, it may have something to do with this conference.
I must stress that most members of the opposition are sensible and
respectable politicians.
But the DRP, I fear, is in danger of being hijacked by radical elements,
that the new party president appears incapable of controlling.
These radicals call for revolution - disregarding the democratic mandate
the electorate gave our administration.
And DRP radicals are trying to obstruct this conference from being a
success.
They are hurting the Maldivian people, just to score a cheap political
point.
I understand that the Maldives is in the infant stages of democracy.
But it’s time that certain politicians left the nursery, and learnt to
grow up.
There are also vested interests in the country trying to prevent
economic reform.
Many people made huge profits from the closed and corrupt economy of the
past.
They are trying to prevent a clean, open and transparent economy from
being created.
The Auditor-General has compiled evidence implicating senior members of
the former regime in corruption and embezzlement of state funds.
The opposition is now trying to remove the Auditor-General – even though
it was
Former President Gayoom who appointed him.
I am under tremendous pressure to act against members of the former
regime, who stand accused of corruption and human rights abuses.
But I am loath to take this action.
If we took against everyone implicated corruption and torture, we would
end up arresting most of the opposition.
I do not believe that arresting the opposition, is the best way to build
a healthy democracy.
But you can understand the pressure I am under, during this period of
democratic consolidation.
There are also religious extremists attempting to undermine the core
values of our democracy.
On the issue of extremism, allow me to go back four or five years ago…
Back then, the ruling regime did not allow political parties and
opposing voices were brutally crushed.
The only avenue for dissent was underground religious groups.
When the MDP was formed, first in exile and then in the Maldives, a lot
of people left these underground groups and joined the opposition.
Organized political activity helped to keep fundamentalism in check.
As society has opened up, the remnants of the underground, extremist
movement have legitimately come into the open.
These groups have moved quickly to fill a large space in civil society.
I am often criticized by liberal Maldivians because I refuse to censor
religious groups.
I am criticized because I won’t crack down on the fundamentalists.
But my point is this: the ends do not justify the means.
You cannot arrest and imprison people just because you disagree with
their views.
Moreover, the battle between liberalism and fundamentalism is a battle
of ideas.
Liberally-minded Maldivians must organize, and reclaim civil society if
they want to win this battle of ideas.
People with broader viewpoints must become more active, to create a
tolerant society.
A few nights back, 32 young people came to see me.
They were furious about the rise in extremism.
To my mind, these are just the sort of people who need to reclaim civil
society, if they want to foster a more open-minded society.
We must defeat the rejectionists, who hanker for a return to
authoritarian rule.
We must overcome the vested interests that want to stymie economic
progress.
And we must win the battle of ideas against extremists who want to
replace democracy with theocracy.
I believe we will not win by going for a crack-down, or a witch-hunt or
mass arrests.
To my mind, violence only begets violence.
Instead, for democracy to flourish, the government must show that
people’s lives are improving.
We must be able to say, that things will get a little better.
We must be able to highlight a brighter future.
We must use hope, to overcome fear.
I believe the Maldives is becoming a better and fairer place.
Aside from political and economic reforms, we have been able to provide
a safety net for the most vulnerable people in society.
We’ve introduced an old age pension for over 65s, to free elderly
citizens from the bondage of begging for basic needs.
We’ve started universal health insurance, so every Maldivian can work
freely without having to fear the cost of falling sick.
And we’re developing a national ferry network, so people, goods and
services can move around the country cheaply and quickly.
But we need help to ensure our economic reforms are successful.
We ask for assistance to help the government fulfill its modest election
pledges.
And we need you to support our vibrant democracy, to safeguard hard-won
freedoms.
Before I end, I would like to touch on a subject that threatens not just
the Maldives, but us all.
Climate change is real, it is happening and it is getting worse.
I know many people are bitterly disappointed with the Copenhagen Accord.
The Accord, in its current format, falls well short of a planet saving
deal.
But it does provide a foundation on which we can build.
Time is of the essence.
Sadly, we are falling behind.
Climate deniers seem to have gained the upper hand.
And vested interests are using leaked emails, and minor errors in the
IPCCC reports, to undermine the case for action.
The talk now is of waiting another two years, for Cancun and then South
Africa, and perhaps then we’ll have a deal.
But we cannot wait for ever.
The scale of our challenge is immense.
To solve the climate crisis, the world needs to go carbon neutral by
mid-Century.
This is why the Maldives is pushing ahead with its carbon neutral goal.
We want to break the link between carbon and development.
We want to show that carbon neutral development is not just possible; it
is profitable.
In the Maldives, we know how costly fossil fuels can be.
Fossil fuels damage the environment and the economy.
On some islands, people pay over 80 US cents per kilowatt-hour for
electricity.
This is obscenely expensive.
High prices dampen demand for energy, which in turn hinders economic
growth.
The Maldives cannot develop, unless we have a plentiful supply of cheap
energy.
And the Maldives cannot survive, unless we persuade the world to abandon
carbon.
For both these reasons, renewable energy and carbon neutral development
makes sense.
I hope you will join us on our path to carbon neutrality.
I want to thank you once again for attending this conference.
Your participation here is so important and is deeply appreciated.
I hope we have a fruitful couple of days.
There is so much at stake for the Maldives.
The threats to our democracy, our economy and our environment are real
and deadly.
We are walking on a razor’s edge.
But I remain optimistic.
With your help, we can consolidate democracy.
With your support, we can maintain economic stability.
With you assistance, we can help ensure the long-term survival of this
country and this planet.
Vice President briefs the media on Maldives donor
conference 2010
At a press conference held this afternoon at the President’s Office,
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has today briefed the media on Maldives
donor conference 2010 to be held in Bandos Island Resort from 28 – 29
March.
He said that the government has identified five priority areas necessary
for a stable framework to achieve the new government’s key objectives in
the Strategic Action Plan 2009-2013.
These five priority areas, he explained, are:
- budget support and macroeconomic reform
- public sector reform
- good governance initiatives
- social development
- climate change adaptation
Vice President emphasised the need to make the conference a success, Dr
Waheed said the government was hopeful that pledges will be made by
donors during the conference.
He said the Maldives was famous for peace, security and stability in the
country and added that we should not allow this image to be tarnished.
Referring to the incidents that had occurred in Male’ during the past
few days, Vice President expressed great concern and said that the
government would do everything possible to resolve the issue.
At the press conference Dr Waheed also highlighted on his recent visit
to Saudi Arabia.
He said the main purpose of his visit was to assure the Saudi government
of Maldives’ commitment to continue the close fraternal ties that exist
between the two countries, and to rally support for the donor
conference.
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central
Asia Michael Owen
to Represent United States at "Maldives Donor Conference 2010"
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs
Michael S. Owen will represent the United States at “Maldives Donor
Conference 2010,” March 28-29, in Maldives.
The United States has a long-standing friendship with the Republic of
Maldives. This partnership has strengthened since Maldives’s democratic
presidential election in 2008. The United States congratulates the
Maldives on the progress it has made in its democratic transition and
commends the substantial reforms undertaken by the government to
strengthen democratic institutions and promote economic growth and
social development. The United States is encouraged by the steps the
Government of the Republic of Maldives has taken with the International
Monetary Fund, World Bank and Asian Development Bank, and other
international donors and financial institutions to stabilize its public
finances. We are confident that under the leadership of President
Nasheed and the support of the international community, Maldives will
meet the ambitious social and economic development targets it has set
for itself.
read more...
IMF Executive Board Completes First Review Under Stand-by
and ESF Arrangements with Maldives, and Approves US$7.8 Million
Disbursement
Press Release No. 10/118
March 26, 2010
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today
completed the first review of Maldives’ economic performance under the
Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) and the Arrangement under the Exogenous
Shocks Facility. The completion of the review enables the immediate
disbursement of an amount equivalent to SDR 5.125 million (about US$7.76
million), bringing total disbursements under the arrangements to SDR
10.25 million (about US$15.5 million).
The Board also granted a waiver of non-observance of the performance
criteria on net Maldives Monetary Authority credit to the central
government and on reserve money, and approved the request for the
modification of the measurement of the reserve money performance
criterion.
read more...
Government will not allow People’s Majlis’ disagreements
to disrupt national peace and development
n his weekly address, President Mohamed Nasheed has said the government
will take all possible measures to prevent any disruptions to the peace
and development of the country as a result of disagreements among
members of the People’s Majlis.
Referring to the incidents that occurred at the People’s Majlis last
week, the President said disrespecting Majlis’ code of conduct,
scuffles, and using language inappropriate for public forums, would lead
to negative public perception of the Majlis.
“As much disagreement as there may be, it is my request that the
People’s Majlis carry out its functions without one member assaulting
another,” said the President.
He also said that he received reports that some members use offensive
language in reference to women when outside the Majlis chamber. He added
such instances could not be tolerated.
In his weekly address, the President discussed complaints he had
received on the way women were depicted in recent religious sermons,
especially on those on the themes of Heaven and Hell. He said several
young women and even men who approached him on the issue, requested
government intervention to stop such incidents.
“What I say [to such people] is that as there is freedom of expression,
when one group of people express a certain point of view, the wisest
way, in my opinion, will be for others, if they disagree, to express
alternative views.
“People will lead their lives according to a view they believe in and
according to a path they want to choose,” the President said.
President Nasheed therefore urged everyone to use the right of freedom
of expression without intimidation and violence.
In his address, President Nasheed also discussed the Maldives’ donor
conference to be held on 28-29 March, at Bandos Island Resort and Spa.
Bangladesh have never been a foreign country to
Maldivians – says President Nasheed
President Mohamed Nasheed has said through time the Maldives and
Bangladesh had very intricate, close and friendly relations, and
Bangladesh had “never been a foreign country to Maldivians”.
He made the remarks, speaking at the dinner hosted by the High
Commissioner of Bangladesh in the Maldives to mark the Independence and
National Day of Bangladesh.
Speaking on the historic relationship that exist between both countries,
the President said the most of the Maldives’ trade in its middle history
was with Bangladesh. He said Maldivian traders imported the bulk of
their good from Bengali ports.
In his remarks at the last evening’s function held at Dharubaaruge,
President Nasheed highlighted the importance of regional co-operation.
He said spoke on the importance of having mutually beneficial
arrangements where the all the countries of South Asia could benefit
from the developmental efforts of other countries in the region.
The President said, the up coming SAARC (South Asian Association for
Regional Co-operation) Summit would be an opportunity to bring more
alignment to the developmental efforts of all the countries in the
region.
At the function, the President conveyed the greetings of the
Independence and National Day of Bangladesh to the Prime Minister,
government and the people of Bangladesh.
Top 12 reasons to visit Maldives
Mumbai: Maldives is made of 800 islands and this goes to make it a more
beautiful place. The local folk are called Maldivians and the closest
city to this place, Male, is lovely!
Dhivehi is the spoken language throughout Maldives. It has its roots in
old South Asian languages, intermingling with Arabic, Hindi and English
words.
Maldives has a very high literacy rate - 98%, to be precise. English was
introduced as the medium of instruction in most schools in the 1960s,
while Dhivehi is still the language used for the overall administration.
The food there is very tropical and island-like but it’s very good. One
thing you might like are the chillies you get here. They are so hot and
the ‘chilliest’ that you have got to get some back home. Trust me, they
are nothing like what you’ve eaten before.
read more..
Labour Minister Receives Maldives Minister
Manama, March 25. (BNA) Labour Minister Dr. Majeed bin Mohsen Al Alawi
today received in Manama Maldives Human Resource, Youth and Sports
Minister Mr. Hassan Latif who is currently visisting the kingdom.
The meeting focused on ways of improving working conditions in order to
meet the aspirations of the two countries' leaderships. Dr. Alawi also
updated the visiting Minister on the kingdom's pioneering Insurance
Against Unemployment experience, which has successfully contributed to
decreasing the number of unemployed people. On his part, Hassan Latif
expressed his admiration of the Labour Ministry's programmes, asserting
his countries keenness to benefit from them. W H Q BNA 1433 GMT
2010/03/25
Manama, March 25. (BNA) Education Minister Dr. Majid bin Ali Al Nuaimi
today received in Manama Maldives Human Resource, Youth and Sports
Minister Mr. Hassan Latif who is currently visiting the kingdom.
Ways of cooperation at the levels of technical and vocational education
through benefiting from the training sessions organised by the Education
Ministry at the Excellence Centre in Sheikh Khalifa Bin Salman Institute
of Technology. W H Q BNA 1557 GMT 2010/03/25
Office of Programmes and Projects established
By the powers vested in him in Article 116 of the Constitution,
President Mohamed Nasheed has today established the Office of Programmes
and Projects (OPP) which will operate under the Department of National
Planning.
The key objective of establishing the OPP is to have a central office
dedicated to reviewing the implementation and management of all
government projects and programmes as well as to conduct all work
relating to contract administration of projects and programmes.
Vice President returns Malé after concluding his official
visit to Saudi Arabia
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has this afternoon returned Malé after
concluding his official visit to Saudi Arabia.
The purpose of his visit to Saudi Arabia was to rally Saudi support for
the Maldives Donor Conference 2010 to be held from 28 to 29 March.
During his visit, Dr Waheed met with Saudi Crown Prince Sultan Bin
Abdulaziz and other senior officials of the government of Saudi Arabia.
Dr Waheed also met with leaders of Saudi financial and business sector
and held discussions on seeking their assistance for the development of
the Maldives. He informed them on the Maldives Donor Conference.
President thanks the Pakistani community in Maldives
Speaking at a function held to celebrate the National Day of Pakistan,
President Mohamed Nasheed has thanked the Pakistani community living in
the Maldives
“They have been our friends and they have been our development partners
for a very long time and we appreciate the very good work the community
is doing here in the Maldives,” he said.
Highlighting the close relations that exists between the Maldives and
Pakistan, President Nasheed said that the two countries shared many
similarities “in tradition and in faith”.
He said that the founding fathers of Pakistan, had wanted to establish a
tolerant and democratic society within the values and principles of
Islam and added that both Maldives and Pakistan now faced challenges in
protecting and promoting those values and principles.
Red Giants’ AFC Cup campaign dealt a big blow
PETALING JAYA: Selangor’s campaign in the AFC Cup football competition
were dealt a big blow when they fell to a second consecutive defeat in
Group F – going down 1-2 to Victory of Maldives at the National Stadium
in Male yesterday.
read more..
FACTBOX-Years of rhetoric reflect
conflict over Jerusalem
24 Mar 2010 12:36:48 GMT
Source: Reuters
JERUSALEM, March 24 (Reuters) - In the 42 years since Israel captured
Jerusalem, the rhetoric of leaders in the Middle East has reflected the
deep division over the fate of the city. Jerusalem remains at the heart
of the conflict in the region.
Here are some of the statements made since 1967:
* Anwar Sadat, Egyptian president from 1970 to 1981, in a speech to the
Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem in 1977:
read more..
Cabinet decides to accede to the New York Convention
The Cabinet in its meeting has today decided that the Maldives should
accede to the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign
Arbitral Awards (New York Convention).
The cabinet also decided, in accordance with Article 93(a) of the
Constitution, to send the matter to the People’s Majlis as soon as
possible. Article 93 (a) of the Constitution states that “treaties
entered into by the Executive in the name of the State with foreign
states and international organizations shall be approved by the People’s
Majlis, and shall come into force only in accordance with the decision
of the People’s Majlis”.
The members of the cabinet noted that acceding to the Convention would
provide legislative standards for the recognition of arbitration
agreements. They also noted that Maldives accession to the Convention
would create investor-friendly environment in the Maldives.
At today’s meeting, the President briefed the cabinet on his recent
visit to Germany, Iceland, Switzerland and Finland.
Malé Health Services Corporation Ltd established
President Mohamed Nasheed, by decree, has established Malé Health
Services Corporation Limited as a government company with hundred
percent government shares.
The key objective of this company would be to ensure economic and social
development, and availability of adequate healthcare for the people of
the Maldives. Objectives of the Corporation also include establishing
and maintaining quality healthcare facilities in Malé region in a
sustainable manner.
Vice President meets with President of IDB Group
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed, who is currently on a visit to Saudi
Arabia to rally support for the Maldives donor conference, has met with
the President of Islamic Development Group Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al
Madani. The meeting was held today at the IDB headquarters.
Discussions at the meeting were focused on establishing greater
cooperation between the Maldives and IDB and on the introduction of
Islamic banking on the Maldives.
The Vice President briefed Dr Ali on the upcoming donor conference which
will be held in the Maldives from 28 – 29 March.
Dr Ali expressed his hope to continue relations and support for the
Maldives.
Separately, the Vice President today met with senior officials of the
IDB Group.
The Group gave a presentation on the functions of its different entities
in the IDB Group and on the relationship between the Maldives and IBD.
Dr Waheed and Minister of State for Finance and Treasury Mr Ahmed As-ad
briefed the Group on the key developmental areas of the government.
The officials said that IDB Group will participate at the Maldives donor
conference and expressed willingness to work closely with the government
in realising its key development areas.
Sharks get hammered at UN wildlife trade
meet
The UN wildlife trade body slapped down a trio of proposals Tuesday to
oversee cross-border commerce for sharks threatened with extinction
through overfishing, sparking anger from conservationists.
The only marine species granted protection at a meeting of the
Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) was
the temperate zone porbeagle, a shark fished for its meat.
Earlier, bids to impose a global trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna and
to require export monitoring for seven species of precious coral both
fell well short of the required two-thirds majority.
The shark species left exposed to globally unregulated commerce were the
scalloped hammerhead, the oceanic white tip and the spiny dogfish.
Millions of hammerhead and whitetip are extracted from seas each year,
mainly to satisfy a burgeoning appetite for sharkfin soup, a prestige
food in Chinese communities around the world.
The US proposals were rejected by a narrow margin, opening the
possibility that one or both could get a second hearing on Thursday when
the 13-day conference ends.
Only decades ago, the two species were among the most common of the
semi-coastal and open-water sharks.
But incidental catch and demand for fins has slashed populations by 90
percent in several regions.
The fish are often tossed back into the water after their precious fins
have been sliced away.
The scalloped hammerhead is listed by the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as "vulnerable" globally, while the
whitetip is "critically endangered" in the northwestern Atlantic, and
"vulnerable" elsewhere.
Once the highest level of biomass in the Gulf of Mexico, the whitetip is
99 percent depleted there today, according to marine biologist Julia
Baum.
Japan led opposition to the four measures, arguing that management of
shark populations should be left to regional fisheries groups, not
CITES.
Conservationists counter that fishing for sharks is currently
unregulated.
"The problem today is not there is serious mismanagement of trade in
sharks, as for tuna, but that there is no management at all," said Sue
Lieberman, policy director for the Washington-based Pew Environment
Group.
The proposals called for listing on CITES' Appendix II, which requires
countries to monitor exports and demonstrate that fishing is done in a
sustainable manner.
The scientific panel of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
recommend protection for all the species except the spiny dogfish which,
along with the porbeagle, was also voted down at the last CITES meeting
in 2007.
Fished for its meat not its fins, stocks of porbeagle -- which gestates
for nine months and can live up to 65 years -- have collapsed to about
10 percent of historic levels in the Mediterranean and the northeast
Atlantic.
Conservation groups reacted angrily to the three "no" votes.
"It appears that science no longer matters," said Elizabeth Griffin of
wildlife conservation group Oceana, based in Washington. "CITES is not
fulfilling its obligation to protect species threatened by international
trade."
Gus Sant, a shark expert at wildlife monitoring group TRAFFIC said: "The
decision not to list all of these sharks is a conservation catastrophe.
The current level of trade in these species is simply not sustainable."
Many NGOs said that intensive lobbying by Japan played a critical role
in the measures being shot down.
"We see clearly now the Japanese motivation for opposing all these
marine species proposals," said Anne Schroeer, a Madrid-based economist
with Oceana.
"For the whales, they say we are catching it traditionally. For the
bluefin tuna, they say we are eating it. But for the sharks, there is
nothing but pure economic interest."
All told, a third of the world's 64 species of pelagic, or open water,
sharks face extinction, according to a report issued last June by the
IUCN's Shark Specialist Group.
Sri Lankan protests over court martial of Fonseka
COLOMBO — Sri Lankan opposition groups demonstrated in Colombo on
Tuesday demanding the release of former army chief Sarath Fonseka, who
attempted to unseat the president in recent elections.
Hundreds of activists from the JVP, or People's Liberation Front, which
backed Fonseka's failed bid for the presidency, shouted anti-government
slogans outside the main railway station.
On Monday dozens of unidentified men pelted stones at an independent
television station in Colombo in what was thought to be a politically
motivated attack before next month's parliamentary elections.
The latest protests came ahead of another court martial hearing against
the detention of Fonseka after he lost the presidential election to
incumbent Mahinda Rajapakse.
Fonseka, who led the military to victory over the Tamil Tiger rebels
last year, fell out with Rajapakse and the two became bitter political
foes.
Court martial hearings are due to open on April 6, two days ahead of
parliamentary elections at which Fonseka is a candidate from the
Democratic National Alliance, a party backed by the JVP.
Fonseka entered politics after quitting the military in November, six
months after the separatist Tamil rebels were finally crushed after
decades of ethnic bloodshed on the island.
When he resigned from the military, Fonseka said that Rajapakse
suspected him of planning a coup.
More deaths from unsafe water than from war: UN
More people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence,
including war, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday in a message
to mark World Water Day.
The United Nations children's agency UNICEF noted that more than 155
million people, or 39 percent of the population in West and Central
Africa, do not have access to potable water, with only eight of 24
countries in the region on track to meet key poverty-reduction targets
by 2015.
"These deaths are an affront to our common humanity, and undermine the
efforts of many countries to achieve their development potential," Ban
said as the issue was discussed at a high-level UN General Assembly
dialogue.
"Day after day, we pour millions of tons of untreated sewage and
industrial and agricultural wastes into the world's water systems," he
said, noting that clean water has become scarce and would be even
scarcer as a result of climate change.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raised the stakes, saying that
global peace and security will depend on access to water.
"Access to reliable supplies of clean water is a matter of human
security. It's also a matter of national security," she said.
Government stability and economic growth will always depend on
countries' ability to successfully manage water in a world where water
resources grow scarcer by the day, the chief US diplomat added, urging
rich countries to realize the importance of their role in the matter.
Ban stressed that the world has the know-how to solve the challenge and
urged nations to "become better stewards of our water resources."
UNICEF said the water situation in West and Central Africa "remains a
major concern," with the region home to the lowest coverage of potable
water worldwide.
It said the total number of people in the region without access to
improved potable water increased from 126 million to 155 million people
from 1990 to 2008.
Despite an improvement in coverage from 49 percent in 1990 to 61 percent
in 2008 -- countries needed to reach 75 percent by 2015.
Six countries have less than 50 percent drinking water coverage: Chad,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Niger, Mauritania
and Sierra Leone.
Also of concern is the fact that 291 million people have absolutely no
access to sanitation in West and Central Africa, the region with the
highest under-five mortality rate of all developing regions at 169 child
deaths per 1,000 live births.
The Nile River Basin, home to 180 million spread across 10 East African
countries, is also largely mired in poverty and conflict, Clinton noted.
"Cooperative management of the basin's water resources could increase
economic growth -- increase it enough to pull many of these countries
out of poverty and provide a foundation for greater regional stability,"
she said.
The theme of this year's World Water Day, "Clean Water for a Healthy
World," highlights the fact that both the quality and the quantity of
water resources are at risk.
Nine countries in Africa's drought-affected Sahel region will meet in
Chad on Thursday to find ways to manage scarce water supplies and
protect people against food shortages, a Chad official told AFP on
condition of anonymity.
The Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel --
which groups Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Gambia, Guinea Bissau,
Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal -- will focus on setting up a global
coalition on managing water.
Many of the member countries have suffered drops in food production due
to erratic rains.
"Without water, there will be no prospects for achieving all MDGs
(Millennium Development Goals)," UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic
and Social Affairs Sha Zukang said.
At a 2000 UN summit, world leaders set a 2015 deadline for achieving
Millennium Development Goals.
These include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving
universal primary education, empowering women, reducing child mortality,
and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
President sends a message of condolence to the President
of Nepal
President Mohamed Nasheed has sent a message of condolence to President
Dr Ram Baran Yadev on hearing about the news of the passing away of
Former Prime Minister of Nepal Mr Girija Prasad Koirala.
The President’s message reads as follows:
Quote:
“I am deeply grieved to learn of the passing away of former Prime
Minister of Nepal, His Excellency Mr Girija Prasad Koirala. He will be
remembered for his distinguished service to the nation throughout an
illustrious political career that spanned several decades, in
particular, his valiant contributions in bringing democracy to the
country.
On this sad occasion of national grief, the Government and the people of
the Maldives join me in extending our profound sympathy to you, the
Government and the people of Nepal. Please also convey our heartfelt
condolences to the members of the bereaved family.”
Vice President briefs RCCI on investment opportunities in
the Maldives
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has today briefed Riyadh Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (RCCI) on the investment opportunities available
in the Maldives.
Speaking at a meeting hosted by the Chairman of RCCI Dr Abdulrahman bin
Ali Al-Jeraisi, the Vice President said that the Maldives was now open
for business and that Maldives would welcome Saudi investors. He said
that Maldives was specifically looking for investors in areas such as
housing, infrastructure, providing utilities and renewable energy.
Stating that the government’s policy was to promote private sector, Dr
Waheed said that assistance was needed in this area.
Minister of State for Finance and Treasury Ahmed As-ad also spoke at the
meeting. He stressed the importance of establishing a trade link between
the two countries.
In his statement Dr Abdulrahman bin Ali Al-Jeraisi welcomed the Vice
President to Saudi Arabia. He also highlighted the importance of
exchanging visits of business delegations between both countries to
explore business and investment
opportunities.
Vice President meets with Saudi Crown Prince
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed, on Tuesday, met with the Crown Prince
Sultan bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia.
During the meeting, the Vice President and the Crown Prince discussed
ways of enhancing bilateral relations between the two countries in all
fields.
The Vice President noted that Maldives and Saudi Arabia had always
shared close bilateral ties and expressed the government’s desire to
continue these relations. He also thanked Saudi government for the
generous assistance rendered to the Maldives in all areas of
development.
Briefing the Crown Prince on the purpose of his visit to Saudi Arabia,
Vice President expressed hope that Saudi government would participate at
the Maldives donor conference.
The Crown Prince assured that Saudi Arabia would continue to support and
assist the Maldives. He also said that Saudi Arabia would participate at
the donor conference.
Vice President’s visit to Saudi Arabia is to rally support for the
Maldives donor conference.
Gulf Cooperation Council to encourage member countries to
participate in Donor Conference
The Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs of the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC), Dr Mohamed Bin Obeid Al-Mazroi has said that
GCC would encourage its member countries to participate in Maldives
Donor Conference to be held from 28-29 March. He revealed this during
his meeting with Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed who is currently on an
official visit to Saudi Arabia.
Speaking at the meeting held at the Headquarters of GCC, the Vice
President briefed Dr Mohamed Bin Obeid Al-Mazroi on the preparations
being made for the Donor Conference and on priority areas for
assistance.
Dr Mohamed Bin Obeid Al-Mazroi said that apart from encouraging its
member countries to participate at the meeting, the Gulf Cooperation
Council itself would be represented at the conference.
Vice President meets with Saudi Finance Minister
As part of his visit to Saudi Arabia to seek support for the Maldives
Donor Conference, Vice President Dr Waheed has today met with Saudi
Finance Minister Dr Ibrahim Al Assaf.
Briefing the Finance Minister on the Donor Conference, Dr Waheed said
that conference aimed to address five key areas: macro-economic
stability, public sector reform, Governance and Democratisation and
Climate Change Adaptation.
The Vice President also thanked the Saudi government for its support and
cooperation to the Maldives.
Finance Minister Dr Assaf said that Saudi Arabia would participate at
the Maldives Donor Conference. He also assured that Saudi Arabia would
continue its support and to the Maldives.
Also today, Vice President Dr Waheed and Madam Ilham Hussain attended a
lunch hosted in their honour by Finance Minister Dr Assaf.
Later today, Dr Waheed met with His Royal Highness Prince Al Waleed Bin
Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Alsaud and discussed the purpose of Vice
President’s visit to Saudi Arabia and on investment opportunities in the
Maldives.
Government will take all necessary measures to prevent
attacks on media – President Nasheed
President Mohamed Nasheed has said that the government will take all
necessary measures to prevent attacks on media. He made this statement
in his weekly radio address. He also assured that the government would
not tolerate such threats against any media.
He said that the government alone cannot solve social issues such as
gang violence, and called on all stakeholders to work together to
sustain the freedom of expression and free media that we have today.
President speaks on his Europe trip and the anniversary
of the Day the Maldives Embraced Islam
President Mohamed Nasheed, in his weekly radio address has highlighted
his recent visit to Europe.
During the visit, the President travelled to Germany, Iceland,
Switzerland and Finland.
President said his trip was a very successful visit and expressed hope
that it would bring more assistance to the Maldives.
On his visit to Germany, President said he was confident that the
Maldives would receive assistance in capacity building, especially in
the area of Sharia and law. He also said he sought German assistance in
providing utility services to the people of Maldives.
Speaking on his visit to Iceland, President Nasheed said that the
Maldives and Iceland shared many similarities. He noted that a high
percentage of total primary energy supply in Iceland is derived from
renewable energy sources.
He also revealed that the Maldives was negotiating a partnership
agreement with Iceland to increase assistance for the Maldives’
developmental projects.
During the President’s visit to Switzerland, the Government of Maldives
and La Compagnie Benjamin de Rothschild (CTBR) agreed a strategic
partnership to take-forward the country’s pledge to become carbon
neutral by 2020.
On his visit to Finland, President spoke on the MoU that was signed
between the Government and Winwind to begin the initial work of building
a wind farm in the Maldives.
In his radio address, the President also spoke on the historical events
surrounding the Maldives’ conversion to Islam. He said that the
conversion of the Maldives to Islam was generally peaceful.
Vice President departs for Saudi Arabia
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed this morning departed
for an official visit to Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to the media before his departure, Vice President said that the
purpose of his visit was to discuss the upcoming Donor Conference with
Saudi officials. He also said that he would work to strengthen bilateral
ties between the Maldives and Saudi Arabia as well explore possibilities
of seeking assistance to the development of Maldives.
During the visit, the Vice President is scheduled to meet with senior
officials of Saudi government, Saudi Fund for Development, Riyadh
Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Islamic Development Bank.
Maldives and Rothschild team-up to implement carbon
neutral pledge
The Government of the Maldives and La Compagnie Benjamin de Rothschild (CTBR)
have agreed a strategic partnership to take-forward the country’s pledge
to become carbon neutral by 2020.
The exclusive agreement was inked on Monday, during a meeting between
President Nasheed and Baron Benjamin and Baroness Ariane de Rothschild
at Chateau de Pregny, the Rothschild’s Geneva residence.
Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam signed the agreement on behalf of the
Maldives; Baron Benjamin de Rothschild signed on behalf of CTBR, and
Baroness Ariane de Rothschild signed on behalf of BeCitizen, the
Rothschild’s environmental advisory arm.
Under the agreement, CTBR will be mandated to secure international
finance to fund a carbon footprint audit and Master Plan for the
Maldives. Once funding is secured, BeCitizen will undertake a two-month
assessment of the Maldives’ “carbon footprint,” detailing emissions from
all sectors of the economy, including transport, housing, tourism,
energy production and waste management.
Once the audit of the Maldives’ carbon footprint is complete, BeCitizen
will develop a detailed Carbon Neutral Master Plan, which will outline
precisely how the Maldives can meet its 2020 carbon neutral goal. The
carbon audit and the Carbon Neutral Master Plan are due to be completed
during 2010.
CTBR will then assist the Government, where requested, to secure
international finance and investors to implement the various projects,
such as wind farms, waste recycling plants, sustainable transport
solutions, foreseen in the Master Plan. The projects will be conceived,
structured and implemented as Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).
Finance will be sourced from international financial institutions such
as the World Bank and the IFC, private investors and international
markets.
Speaking after the signing of the agreement, President Nasheed said:
“The Maldives wants to set an example, by demonstrating that a country
can develop without having to pollute the planet. After all, it is not
carbon we want but development, it is not coal we want but electricity,
it is not oil we want but transport. The Maldives aims to grow but we
want our growth to be green.
“With the 250 year old financial expertise and reach of the Rothschilds,
and the environmental know-how of BeCitizen, I am confident this
partnership will enable the Maldives to make rapid inroads into its
national carbon footprint.”
Benjamin & Ariane de Rothschild added:
“We congratulate the Maldives Government and the people of Maldives on
their ambition to become one of the first states to be Carbon Neutral.
Such a statement of intent is not only important for reasons of moral
leadership in tackling climate change - the greatest challenge facing
the world today - but also because it places the Maldives at the head of
the pack in the transition to a low-carbon world.
“Together, the joint efforts the of Maldives government, its people, and
The Edmond de Rothschild Group will make this ambitious objective a
reality by 2020.
“The Edmond de Rothschild Group is convinced that, as well as helping
Maldives becoming carbon neutral, the partnership will spur domestic
economic growth and new revenue-generating business opportunities for
the country.”
CTBR, which manages assets of around 20 billion US$, is one of the
financial arms of the Edmond de Rothschild Group, heir to one of the
most famous names in global banking and finance, which has nearly 137
billion US$ under management, and employs 2,500 professionals in more
than 30 offices worldwide. BeCitizen is a strategic and environmental
finance company and is majority owned by CTBR.
In March 2009, President Nasheed announced the Maldives’ intention of
becoming the world’s first carbon neutral country by 2020. Under the
Copenhagen Accord, the Maldives also made a unilateral commitment to
become carbon neutral by 2020, in effect, reducing its net greenhouse
gas emissions by 100%.
President Nasheed holds bilateral discussions with his
Finnish counterpart
During his visit to Finland, President Mohamed Nasheed has today met
with the Finnish President Tarja Halonen.
The two Presidents discussed issues of mutual concern such as climate
change and democracy.
After their meeting, the two leaders held a joint press conference.
The Finnish President welcomed President Nasheed and expressed hope that
his visit would be a fruitful one. She also expressed confidence that
that the President’s visit would be a big step towards stronger
relations between the two countries.
She said climate change was an issue of great concern to Finland too and
that Finland was willing to work together with the Maldives to find a
solution to the problem. She also commended President Nasheed’s efforts
to highlight the issue in the international arena.
President Nasheed noted President Halonen’s achievements in supporting
gender equality and said the Maldives too was committed in promoting
gender equality.
Speaking on climate change, President Nasheed said democracy and good
governance was equally important as financial assistance, in combating
climate change. He added that governments alone cannot solve the problem
and that citizens need to be galvanised into climate activism.
President Nasheed also spoke on the process of establishing democracy in
the Maldives. He also expressed confidence that the Maldives would
receive support from Finland in consolidating and strengthening
democracy in the Maldives.
President arrives in Finland
President Mohamed Nasheed has, earlier this morning, arrived in
Helsinki, Finland.
President Nasheed will meet with President Tarja Halonen of Finland for
bilateral discussions and a working lunch.
During his visit, the President will also meet with Minister of Public
Administration and Local Government Mari Kiviniemi, as well as with
representatives of the Finnish travel industry and the business sector.
His programme also includes a seminar on climate change and leadership
that is being arranged by the Finnish Institute of International
Affairs.
President meets with Vice President of the Swiss
Confederation
President Mohamed Nasheed has today met with Vice President of the Swiss
Confederation, Mr Mortiz Leunberger. The meeting was held this afternoon
at the Federal House, Bern.
Discussions at the meeting were focused on establishing deeper bilateral
relations between the two countries. They also explored possible areas
of cooperation.
President noted that there was a very well-established economic
relationship between the two countries, especially in the tourism
sector.
Speaking on climate change, President Nasheed said that the Maldives was
keen to work with Switzerland to secure a successful outcome at COP16 in
Mexico.
President also thanked Mr Leunberger for Switzerland’s decision to
support a waste management PPP project in the Maldives and expressed
hope that this would be he first of many areas of Swiss-Maldives
development cooperation.
Mr Leunberger welcomed President Nasheed to Switzerland and expressed
desire to further strengthen relations with the Maldives.
Vice President meets the US Ambassador
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has today met with the American
Ambassador, Patricia A. Butenis. The meeting was held this morning at
the President’s Office.
Discussions were focused on ways of strengthening the bilateral
relations between the two countries and on the upcoming donor conference
to be held in the Maldives.
Vice President welcomed the investment promotion agreement that was
signed between the two countries and thanked the ambassador for
facilitating the agreement.
The Ambassador expressed interest in expanding the American Corner at
the National Library.
President meets with officials from major human rights
NGOs in Geneva
As part of his tour to Europe, President Mohamed Nasheed has yesterday
met with officials from major human rights NGOs based in Geneva.
The meeting was attended by Mr Mark Thompson, Association for the
Prevention of Torture; Ms Julie De Reveiro, Human Rights Watch; Mr Jan
Borgen, Amnesty International; Mr Wilbur Taylor, International
Commission of Jurists; Mr Mohamed Mustapha Kabbaj, Nord-Sud XXI.
Discussions were mainly focused on extending the support of the NGOs
present at the meeting, to strengthen the role of civil society of the
Maldives in their respective areas, especially in the areas of
protecting and promoting human rights.
President said the Maldives has been undergoing major changes, and noted
the importance of the civil society for the process of consolidating
democracy in the Maldives. He said strengthening the role of civil
society in the Maldives was a priority of the government.
President delivers a lecture at the
University of Iceland
n a public lecture at the University of Iceland, President Mohamed
Nasheed explored the effects of climate change and possible ways to
combat climate change.
He said that climate change was a very real threat to humanity but that
climate deniers were pursuing a ‘business as usual’ agenda.
“A handful of emails don’t disprove overwhelming body of science,” the
President added.
Speaking on the importance of taking bold measures to combat climate
change, President Nasheed said that cutting down carbon emissions would
not compromise the development of a nation.
Stating that “we need development but we do not need carbon”, President
said that the good life that we all aspire for can be achieved only
through sustainable development.
He further said that Iceland has “been able to develop without all these
carbon emissions”, and that Iceland could be viewed as an excellent
example by other countries, especially the big developing countries.
In his lecture, President also spoke on the need to work together to
reach a legally binding climate change treaty.
President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson of Iceland also attended the lecture.
In his introductory remarks, President Grímsson said that President
Nasheed is “a champion of democracy” and commended his efforts to
highlight the effects of climate change.
Before his lecture, President Nasheed visited the Natural Science
Building of the University and sought information on the University’s
geological and climate research
After concluding his visit to Iceland, President Nasheed has today
visited Switzerland.
President meets with Fisheries Minister and Foreign
Minister of Iceland
At two separate meetings, President Nasheed yesterday met with the
Iceland’s Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Jón Bjarnsason, and
the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Össur Skarphéðinsson.
During the meeting with Minister for Fisheries, held at Iceland’s Marine
Research Institute, discussions were mainly focused on developing a
mutually beneficial cooperative framework between the Maldives and
Iceland, especially in the area of fisheries and fishing technologies.
The President and the Fisheries Minister agreed that both countries
could benefit from sharing each others experiences, especially in the
area of fisheries.
President Nasheed said that the Maldives fishing industry would benefit
from the transfer of fishing technology, practices and experience of
Iceland.
The Minister said Iceland wanted to work with small fishing-island
nations, and the Maldives would be a perfect partner in this regard.
Iceland’s fish catch accounts for about 2% of global fish catch.
Before the meeting with the Minister for Fisheries, the President
visited Iceland’s Marine Research Institute. President Nasheed was also
accompanied by the President of Iceland during his visit to Institute.
At the institute, he was briefed on the marine research, mechanisms to
monitor and control of fishing activities, and training in Iceland.
During the meeting with Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Össur
Skarphéðinsson, which was held at the Ministry of Foreing Affairs, the
President and the Foreign Affairs Minister discussed ways and areas of
further strengthening and developing the bilateral relations between the
Maldives and Iceland.
Discussions mainly included ways of collaborating in the areas of
fishing, renewable energy and climate change and education.
Maldives Established Diplomatic ties with
Georgia
11 March 2010, New York; The Maldives and Georgia today signed a Joint
Communiqué
establishing full diplomatic relations. At the ceremony which was held
at the Permanent Mission
of Georgia, the Joint Communiqué was signed on behalf of the Maldives by
H.E. Abdul Ghafoor
Mohamed, Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations,
and on behalf of the
Georgian Government by H.E. Mr. Alexander Lomaia, Permanent
Representative of Georgia to
the United Nations.
By establishing diplomatic relations, both countries commit themselves
to further increasing
friendly ties and strengthening cooperation between the Government and
people of Maldives and
Georgia.
Georgia becomes the 154th country to establish diplomatic relations with
the Maldives.
President urges People’s Majlis to consider national
security issues before voting bill on amendments to Armed Forces Act
n his weekly radio address, President Mohamed Nasheed has urged the
People’s Majlis to take into account national security issues when
voting the bill on amendments to the Armed Forces Act.
The President said, “The constitution is very clear. I am the
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. I can’t allow any disruptions
and divisions among the Armed Forces. Therefore…when members of the
People’s Majlis vote on the bill, they must seriously contemplate and
consider the security of the whole country.”
Characterising the proposals that will require Majlis’ approval in
appointing high-ranking military officials as undue interference, the
President said it could be a barrier against national security, progress
and peace.
He added that the Constitution and every principle required of him to
defend the office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
“I would like to tell all citizens that I will defend that position, and
I will execute the duties in my capacity as the Commander-in-Chief of
the Armed Forces to the extent required at any given time. I will, with
God’s grace, not allow any party to interfere in this,” President
Nasheed said.
In the radio address, which was recorded during his ongoing visit to
Europe, the President stated that he believed the members of the
People’s Majlis would think sensibly before voting the bill.
The People’s Majlis debated on the bill on amendments to the Armed
Forces Act on Wednesday.
President Nasheed meets President and PM of Iceland
President Mohamed who is currently on a tour to Europe has today met
with President Ólafur Grímsson of Iceland.
The two leaders discussed issues of mutual concern such as climate
change.
President Nasheed emphasised that climate change was very real threat to
the world and that the issue needed to be tackled urgently. He further
commended Iceland’s policies in making renewable energy as their main
energy source, stating that developed as well as developing countries
could take example from Iceland.
President Nasheed also noted that cooperation between the two countries
could be increased in the area of fisheries as well as in field of
renewable energy, and sought Iceland’s assistance in these two areas.
President Ólafur Grímsson expressed desire to further strengthen
relations with the Maldives and said the Iceland would give its support
and assistance to the Maldives in everyway possible.
Separately President Nasheed also met with Prime Minister Jóhanna
Sigurðardóttir and discussed ways of strengthening bilateral relations
between the two countries.
President Nasheed arrived at Iceland earlier today.
President meets with the Iceland’s Minister for
Environment, and the Minister for Energy and Industry
As part of his on going official visit to Iceland, President Mohamed
Nasheed has met with Iceland’s Minister for Environment Ms Svandís
Svavarsdóttir, and Minister for Energy and Industry Ms Katrín
Júlíusdóttír.
During the meetings held separately, the President and the Ministers
discussed ways of increasing cooperation between the Maldives and
Iceland in the areas of climate change adaptation and mitigation, and
renewable energy.
The President also elaborated on the government’s plan to make the
Maldives the first carbon neutral country, in its efforts to mitigate
and adapt to the effects of climate change. He also commended the active
role Iceland is playing in environment and climate change issues. The
President also expressed his wishes to learn from Iceland’s experiences
in green technologies and renewable energy.
He also said Iceland is an example for other developing countries and
the rest of the world in demonstrating that development could be
achieved by adopting renewable and environmentally friendly
technologies.
In the meeting with the Minister for Environment, the President
highlighted the importance of formulating an operational plan for the
Copenhagen Accord.
Meeting with Minister for Energy and Industry, the President discussed
learning from the experience of Iceland in the field of geothermal
energy. Discussion in the meeting also included ways of facilitating the
exchange of experience between both countries in fishing.
The President also visited Hellisheði Geothermal Power Plant. During the
visit, President Nasheed was also accompanied by President of Iceland
Ólafur Grímsson.
At the Power Plant, the President was given information on the plant’s
operations, geothermal energy, and other green technologies being used
at the plant and elsewhere in Iceland.
Last night, the President also attended a dinner hosted by President
Ólafur Grímsson in his honour.
Europe to argue for bluefin tuna trade ban
The king of Japanese sushi and sashimi may disappear from menus after
Europe joined the United States on Wednesday in arguing for a ban on
trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna.
The 27 European Union nations agreed, despite opposition from
Mediterranean island Malta, to urge a United Nations body that lists
endangered species to vote for a ban when it meets in Qatar, starting on
Saturday.
A diplomatic source said the big Mediterranean states responsible for
half of the world's catch, France, Spain and Italy, all backed the
decision in an anticipated move that has already angered Japan, far and
away the largest consumer of the fish.
Europe's position is slightly complicated, in that international trade
in the fish would not be banned before next year, in May at the latest,
and smaller-scale "artisanal" fishing, not for export beyond the world's
biggest trading bloc, would still be permitted.
Brussels wants scientific evidence from the International Commission for
the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, which groups fishing states and has
already decided to slash 2010's permissible global catch, to be taken
into account first.
It has also yet to "study" means through which to compensate
industrial-scale super-trawler crews whose livelihoods will be lost,
although existing EU aid is already being claimed by Italy after a
voluntary moratorium was imposed there.
A diplomatic source said the difficulty there lay in the scale of the
sums required by way of compensation -- way above that set aside in
normal European Commission fisheries support funding.
He also warned that a row was brewing over which countries would finance
the aid to tied-up boat crews -- with the Mediterranean big three
expected to pay for their own, but EU rules requiring all 27 to be
involved.
Finding a compromise, such as other countries chipping in, but somehow
being reimbursed via funding for non-fish-related projects, was already
proving troublesome, he warned.
Marine wildlife experts say that, despite fishing quotas, bluefin tuna
stocks have collapsed in recent decades in its prime hunting grounds of
the western Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Environmental activists Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Federation
have been calling for months for a ban to be introduced.
If approved by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species, the question then will be whether Japan -- whose fish markets
shells out most of the billions of euros or dollars increasingly
required to buy the prized species each year -- defies restrictions.
Tokyo's deputy fisheries minister Masahiko Yamada last week said it
would ignore any ban, warning "Japan will inevitably have to take a
reservation" if the body votes for a halt to trading.
Member countries which take a "reservation" would effectively be able to
keep trading with other nations that also opt out of the ban.
In November, Japan said it supported ICCAT's 40 percent 2010 quota cut,
from 22,000 tonnes in 2009 to 13,500 tonnes this year.
Environmentalists say industrial fleets routinely exceed such limits.
Other countries believed to oppose a ban include Canada and China.
A ban on the tuna trade would require support by two-thirds of the
roughly 175 nations that make up CITES.
President urges People’s Majlis to consider national
security issues before voting bill on amendments to Armed Forces Act
In his weekly radio address, President Mohamed Nasheed has urged the
People’s Majlis to take into account national security issues when
voting the bill on amendments to the Armed Forces Act.
The President said, “The constitution is very clear. I am the
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. I can’t allow any disruptions
and divisions among the Armed Forces. Therefore…when members of the
People’s Majlis vote on the bill, they must seriously contemplate and
consider the security of the whole country.”
Characterising the proposals that will require Majlis’ approval in
appointing high-ranking military officials as undue interference, the
President said it could be a barrier against national security, progress
and peace.
He added that the Constitution and every principle required of him to
defend the office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
“I would like to tell all citizens that I will defend that position, and
I will execute the duties in my capacity as the Commander-in-Chief of
the Armed Forces to the extent required at any given time. I will, with
God’s grace, not allow any party to interfere in this,” President
Nasheed said.
In the radio address, which was recorded during his ongoing visit to
Europe, the President stated that he believed the members of the
People’s Majlis would think sensibly before voting the bill.
The People’s Majlis debated on the bill on amendments to the Armed
Forces Act on Wednesday.
President delivers a keynote address at Berlin tourism
fair
In an address at the ITB Berlin, President Mohamed Nasheed has said that
the Maldives tourism industry was resilient to shocks mainly because the
government kept itself out of business in the industry. He then
reiterated that the government must only play the role of a regulator.
While the tourism industry had felt the impacts of global economic
downturns, the President said, the industry always “bounced back fairly
quickly”. He added that the Maldives’ tourism was affected by the recent
global economic crisis, although that it was now on the road to
recovery.
“Already tourist arrivals are going up and demand is good. Many resorts
are fully booked,” he said.
He also said international investors were confident of the Maldives’
tourism industry and as a result international chains were continuing to
do business in the Maldives.
Speaking to an audience of tour operators, representatives from Maldives
tourism industry, and representatives from other countries, the
President discussed government’s plans to expand the industry.
He emphasised that in making and implementing new plans, the government
would always consult with the private sector.
“We will listen to the industry and continue to keep the Maldives [an
attractive place] for everyone to visit.”
In his address, the President also highlighted the impacts of climate
change on tourism. The government and the people in the industry were
committed to make tourism a sustainable industry, he said.
The address was given at the Berlin tourism fair grounds on Thursday.
Climate deniers are obstructing the momentum on tackling
climate change – President Nasheed
In a lecture at the Freie University of Berlin, President Mohamed
Nasheed has said the climate deniers are obstructing the momentum on
tackling climate change, and the global leadership on climate change is
ebbing away.
Attacking the scepticism fuelled by the ‘Climate-gate’ story, the
President said in a huge 1,000-page IPCCC report, there could be few
errors, but which did not negate the other 999 pages of evidence.
Stating that there was “a diabolical plan…to cloud the scientific
evidence”, he said there were deniers everywhere, from governments to
businesses and even in parliaments.
The President said, “I will tell these people please visit the Maldives
and have a look at what is happening to our beaches, our coral reefs, to
the ocean”.
In his lecture, which was attended by students, policymakers and
scientists, President Nasheed said “we cannot choose to live in the Age
of Stupid”, adding that the world needed to keep up the momentum from
Copenhagen.
He lamented that some countries that helped make the Accord are now
distancing themselves from it, and said we could not treat [climate
change] as just another negotiation.
The President also urged EU countries to show greater leadership on
climate change, and called on the EU countries to aim for 1.5 degree
rise, stating that a 2 degree temperature rise could be catastrophic.
In the lecture, which also focused on the democratic reform efforts in
the Maldives, the President urged the world not to give up on climate
change.
“We must not betray our children. We must not let the deniers win,” he
said.
Biden
Responds
to OneVoice Israel
With the
country watching, OneVoice Israel gives voice to the moderate majority
New
York, March 11, 2010—OneVoice
Israel staff and youth leaders urged hundreds of people attending United
States Vice President Joe Biden’s speech at Tel Aviv University on
Thursday not to let the extremists on either side seize the peace
process.
Eight
youth leaders joined OneVoice Israel Interim Director Tal Harris and
Coordinator Guy Lupo in distributing nearly 1,000 flyers to attendees in
support of the renewal of talks between the Israeli government and the
Palestinian Authority.
“The
agenda in Israel is being hijacked by extremists who work to undermine
our government's strategy for peace,” said Harris. “Today, we witnessed
700 students at Tel Aviv University eager for change, who disagree with
the appeasement of extreme settlers.”
OneVoice
Israel’s staff and youth leaders wearing the movement’s t-shirts stood
out from the audience during Biden’s talk. Noticing their presence, the
vice president gave the first question to our youth leader Danny Shaket.
Shaket
asked Biden for his opinion on what the U.S. administration, the Israeli
government, and the Palestinian Authority would need from the moderate
majority in order to reach an agreement.
“The
United States cannot want peace more than the Palestinians want it or
more than the Israelis want it,” Biden said. “You have got to get to the
point where the leaders are actually able to sit and hopefully what we
can do in these proximity talks, being available to both parties, we can
be a bridging mechanism.”
Throughout his speech, Biden voiced his commitment to end the conflict
through a two-state solution.
“For
Israel, then, this is about both preserving your identity and achieving
the security you deserve, lasting security,” Biden said. “For
Palestinians, statehood will not just fulfill a legitimate and
long-sought aspiration common to all peoples; it will restore the
fundamental dignity and self-respect that their current predicament
denies them.”
Israel’s
announcement of plans to build 1,600 Jewish homes in the Ramat Shlomo
settlement in Arab East Jerusalem marred Biden’s visit and was condemned
by the United States.
“[T]hat
decision, in my view, undermined the trust required for productive
negotiations,” Biden said on Thursday. “I -- and at the request of
President Obama condemned it immediately and unequivocally.”
The vice
president’s comments were met with applause from the mainly Israeli
audience, many of whom were students at Tel Aviv University.
“It's
unfortunate and dangerous that the Israeli government’s actions are not
in sync with their two-state strategy,” said Tal Harris of OneVoice
Israel.
Click here to listen to Danny
Shaket’s question and U.S. Vice President’s Joe Biden’s response,
starting at 37 minutes and 35 seconds.
Click here to
listen to BBC World Service interview with OneVoice Israel’s Interim
Director Tal Harris and youth leader Daniella Shlomo.
Click here to
view pictures from the event.
The OneVoice is
an international grassroots movement amplifying the voice of Israeli
and Palestinian moderates. OneVoice works with Israelis and
Palestinians in parallel, empowering them to seize back the agenda
for conflict resolution and demand that their leaders achieve a
two-state solution, guaranteeing the end of occupation and the
establishment of Palestinian state, while ensuring the safety and
security of the State of Israel.
President attends a Maldives’ tourism evening in Berlin
As part of his visit to Germany, President Mohamed Nasheed participated
in a tourism evening, Maldivian Night, organised by the Maldives Tourism
Promotion Board on Wednesday.
At the function, which was attended by major tour operators and the
media, the President discussed recent performance of the tourism
industry. After a downturn in previous months, the President said,
tourist arrival rate was now picking up.
He praised the private sector for the “hard work done” in making the
industry strong and resilient. The government, he said, wanted to be out
of the business and facilitate its growth as a regulator.
At the function, the President launched a new tourism advert focused on
environmental preservation, which was made in association with the
National Geographic Channel.
President Nasheed is visiting Germany at the invitation by German
Chancellor Angel Merkel and to attend the ITB tourism fair.
Vice President meets with WHO Director General
ice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has today met with Dr Margaret Chan,
Director-General of WHO. The meeting was held this morning at the
President’s Office.
Speaking at the meeting Dr Chan said that the Maldives has done very
well in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. She also said the
government’s response to H1N1 was “commendable”.
She said that WHO was prepared to assist the government in facing the
new challenges in terms of healthcare. In this regard, Dr Chen said that
WHO could assist the Maldives in training healthcare professionals.
Vice President noted that WHO was a key developmental partner in the
Maldives and thanked the WHO for all the support and assistances for the
Maldives.
He said that non-communicable diseases were a greater concern now in the
Maldives, and that providing treatments to such diseases was a bigger
challenge.
The meeting was also attended by Minister of Health and Family, Dr
Aminath Jameel.
President calls on the public to make climate change an
election issue
President Mohamed Nasheed has called on the public to make climate
change an election issue. He made this statement at a press conference
at ITB Berlin fair.
He added that in democracies, governments would do only what the people
demand from them and that climate change issue should now be one of the
key demands of the people.
On why tourists should come to the Maldives, President Nasheed said that
the high level services provided in the Maldives are exemplary and that
the Maldives is a naturally unique destination.
President sends a message of condolence to Egyptian
President
President Mohamed Nasheed has sent a message of condolence to Egyptian
President on hearing about the news of the passing away of the Grand
Imam of the al-Azhar mosque and head of the al-Azhar University, Sheikh
Mohammed Sayed Tantawi.
The President’s message reads as follows:
Quote:
“I was deeply saddened by the news of the passing away of Sheikh
Mohammed Sayed Tantawi. Sheikh Tantawi was a strong voice for the
universal Islamic values of peace and tolerance. His death therefore is
a great loss not only to your country and al-Azhar University, but also
to all those moderate voices in Islam.
On this sad occasion, the people and the Government of the Maldives join
me in sending our sincere sympathies to you, the Government, and the
people of Egypt. Please convey our deep condolences to Sheikh Tantawi's
family.”
President briefs German investors on investment
opportunites in Maldives
resident Mohamed Nasheed, who is currently on an official visit to
Germany, has briefed German investors on the investment opportunities
available in the Maldives
Speaking at the investment conference, “Maldives: open for business”
President Nasheed said that the government’s policy was to “relinquish
all the state owned enterprises” and to develop private business.
Noting that a lot of German investments already existed in the Maldives,
he said that the government would encourage for more German investments.
Advisor on investments at the Ministry of Economic Development, Mifzal
Ahmed gave a presentation on investment opportunities in the Maldives.
President Nasheed meets with Chief Director of German
Police
resident highlighted the need to rebuild and train qualified police
force in the Maldives. He said German experience could help the Maldives
build a qualified police force and sought assistance to train Maldivian
police.
He further said the main areas of concern in the Maldives were religious
radicalism and drug related offences as well as juvenile delinquency.
President also spoke on the importance of making the Maldives police
force more people and community friendly.
Discussions at the meeting were held on how German Police can work with
the Maldives in providing assistance.
President Nasheed meets with German Chancellor
President Mohamed Nasheed has today met with German Chancellor Dr Angela
Merkel. The meeting was held at the Federal Chancellory.
On his arrival at the Federal Chancellory President was given a very
warm welcome with military honours.
Discussions at the meeting were focused on the close bilateral relations
that exist between the two countries and ways to enhance the relations.
After the meeting, the President and the Chancellor met with the press.
President Nasheed thanked the German government and the people for their
support to the Maldives throughout the democratic reform process. He
also expressed his hope that Germany would continue to assist the
Maldives in its efforts to strengthen and consolidate democracy.
He also noted the role played by Chancellor Merkel, in reaching an
agreement at COP15.
Chancellor Merkel congratulated President Nasheed for the smooth process
of democratic reform in the Maldives.
Earlier today, Presdient and his delegation were given a guided tour of
Berlin. He also visited Hohenscönhausen Memorial, a former political
prison.
President Nasheed arrived in Berlin early yesterday morning.
Pakistani High Commissioner pays a courtesy call on the
Vice President
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has today met with the Pakistani High
Commissioner to the Maldives, Mr Akhtar Ali Sulehri. The meeting was
held this morning at the President’s Office.
Discussions were mainly focused on ways to enhance the close bilateral
relations that exist between the Maldives and Pakistan and on ways to
combat terrorism and religious fundamentalism.
c onsultations
held on the publication of official announcements in the Government
Gazette
The President’s Office has begun a series of consultations today on
solving existing difficulties in the publication of official
announcements in the Government Gazette.
Speaking at the inaugural session held at the President’s Office today,
Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair noted the successful passage of one year
after the decision was taken up by the President’s Office to publish all
official announcements in the Government Gazette. He expressed gratitude
to participants for their cooperation in the successful publication of
the Gazette.
Addressing the meeting Under Secretary Hussain Amir reviewed matters for
which government offices should extend extra caution. He noted the
absence in some announcements of an adequate period of application and
the lack of a considerable period of expiry in matters related to the
submission of bid estimates. He noted instances where the Press Office
had received complaints including the caution that such omissions may
lead to allegations of paving the way for corruption.
The consultations on the publication of the Gazette will continue in
line with an inclusive and pre-determined schedule.
President institutes Clemency Board
In accordance with Article 9 of the Clemency Act, President Mohamed
Nasheed has instituted the Clemency Board. The President of the Board is
Attorney General Uz Husnu Suood.
Other members of the Board include:
- Mariyam Suzee (social sector) Nazil Afeef (legal sector)- Shifa
Mohamed (education sector)- Dr Ahmed Razee (health sector) - Sh. Mohamed
Farooq (religious scholar)
- Maizaan Ali Maniku (civil society) - Ahmed Adil (Parole Board) -
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mohamed Sodiq (police)- Uz Hussain
Shameem (judiciary)- Ahmed Mahloof, MP (legislature)
Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation Ltd
established
President Mohamed Nasheed, by decree, has established Maldives Marketing
and Public Relations Corporation Limited as a government company with
hundred percent government shares.
The key objective of this company would be to undertake all the
advertising and marketing activities of the government, in line with
government’s policy to carryout similar tasks under a one particular
office.
Maldives became a member of ILO because government is
committed to advancing opportunities for citizens to obtain decent and
productive work, says Vice President
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has said the Maldives became a member
if ILO because the government was committed to advancing opportunities
for citizens to obtain decent and productive work, in full human
dignity. He made this statement while speaking at the inauguration
function of the Tripartite Seminar on the 8 core Conventions of the ILO.
The function was held this morning at Dharubaarugé.
Stating that the government had faced no pressure to become a member of
ILO, Dr Waheed said Maldives was already experiencing the benefits of
its ILO membership. He said by promoting international labour standards,
the Maldives could attract more investors and become a safe haven for
workers.
Noting that the biggest asset of any country would be its people, Vice
President spoke on the importance of human resource development in the
Maldives.
As today is the International Women's Day, Dr Waheed also extended
Women's Day greetings to the people.
The two-day seminar that began today is organized by the International
Labour Organisation in collaboration with the Ministry of Human
Resources Youth and Sports.
The Maldives become the 183rd member state of the ILO following a letter
by President Mohamed Nasheed, stating on behalf of the government, that
the Maldives had formally accepted the obligations of the ILO
Constitution. Maldives’ membership became effective on 15 May 2009.
President departs for Europe
President Mohamed Nasheed this morning departed for Europe, travelling
to Germany, Iceland, Switzerland and Finland.
During the visit, the President will meet with political leadership of
all four countries, as well as industry leaders, investors and climate
experts in those countries.
An overview schedule of the trip include: a visit to ITB Berlin, an
international travel and trade show held in Germany every year; a
lecture at the Freie Universiate Berlin, which is one of the most
influential and authoritative foundations in Germany; a public lecture
in Iceland; and, speech at the Seminar and Policy Debate organised by
the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA).
Indian women may hold a third of legislature seats
NEW DELHI — India's government will present a bill to lawmakers Monday
aimed at empowering the nation's often-marginalized women by reserving
one-third of legislative seats for them, a governing party spokesman
said.
The plan has faced strong opposition since it was first proposed more
than a decade ago, with many political leaders worried that their
male-dominated parties would lose seats under a female quota system.
But Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government, which was re-elected
last year, is confident it has enough support this time and is
presenting the bill to Parliament on International Women's Day.
Congress party spokesman Manish Tewari said Sunday he foresaw no issues
standing in its way. It will be debated in the upper house of Parliament
on Monday and later be sent to the lower house, he said.
The bill is an attempt to correct some of the historical mistreatment of
women. Most Indian women receive far less education than men and are
weighed down by illiteracy, poverty and low social status. For the
millions working in fields, factories and sweatshops for minimal wages,
political choices are often still made by their husbands or male
community leaders.
The bill would raise the number of female lawmakers in the 545-seat
lower house to 181 from the current 59. It would nearly quadruple the
number of women in the 250-seat upper house. The bill would also apply
to state legislatures.
Sushma Swaraj, a leader of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party,
and Birnda Karat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said their
parties already have asked their lawmakers to vote for the legislation.
Small opposition socialist groups still oppose the bill, demanding that
a portion of the women's quota be set aside for minorities and lower
castes, which have been socially and economically deprived as well.
In the past, India has had only a few powerful women leaders and — as in
other South Asian countries — they often entered office because they
were related to powerful men.
India's only female prime minister, Indira Gandhi, was the daughter of
the country's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Elected in 1966,
she shattered many barriers in Indian society in her nearly 16 years in
office, but did little to empower other women.
In recent years, however, women have made some strong inroads in the
nation's political elite. A woman occupies the mainly ceremonial post of
president and another is speaker of Parliament's powerful lower house.
Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, wife of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi —
and also Indira Gandhi's daughter-in-law — is the leader of the Congress
party.
Also, about 40 percent of elected representatives in village councils
are women, Prime Minister Singh said.
Finishing school for Indian IT graduates
n a classroom in the southern Indian city of Mysore, several dozen young
men and women listen rapt to their lecturer, Chhaya Srivatsa.
"If someone is crying, don't keep pestering them to know the reason,"
she says.
"If someone has got grey hair or wrinkles, don't go asking them about
it. It's not the done thing," she adds.
read more..
fast:track visits the Maldives
Up until recently the Maldives were best known as being one of the most
luxurious and idyllic getaway destinations in the world. But fearful of
the potential impact of Climate Change, fast:track looks at ambitious
plans by the country to become 'Carbon Neutral' within the next 10
years.
read more..
20 best family getaways for Easter
From tiger treks in the Himalayas to hunting for Nessie and body
boarding in Cornwall, do something different with the kids
aven’t booked your Easter holiday yet? If you’re desperate for some sun
after such a harsh winter, you may have come a cropper.
Travel agents say that bookings are up on 2009, but cuts by airlines and
tour operators mean that there are fewer holidays and even fewer
bargains on offer. Egypt’s Red Sea resorts, the Maldives and the
Caribbean are all selling out, and Florida is busy because the school
holidays coincide with the US spring break.
read more..
Diving in the Maldives
You’re busy tracing the delicate filigree of a sea fan, so at first you
don’t see the manta ray coming. But when you sense its presence, you
look up to find that this prehistoric-looking animal blots out a third
of your entire field of vision. It moves like some sort of cross between
a bird of prey and a magic carpet.
You quickly arrange your camera and take a photo before the manta ray
moves off.
read more..
ABTA: Tourists seeking culture on honeymoons in holiday
villas in Turkey and other countries
Newlyweds wanting to make their honeymoon extra special are seeking out
holiday villas near cultural hotspots, it has been claimed.
According to a report by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA),
newly married couples are looking for places that are very different to
where they would normally holiday for that one-off, not-to-be-repeated
experience.
Some couples are even choosing to get married in their honeymoon
destinations too.
read more..
China UnionPay's major business expands in Maldives
China UnionPay (CUP) began cash withdrawal services for card holders in
95 percent of automatic teller machines in the Maldives, after launching
a partnership with the island nation's biggest bank Friday.
Following cooperation between the CUP and the Bank of Maldives, CUP card
payment services will expand to 90 percent of point-of-sale (POS)
terminals in Maldives.
The move aims to better serve card users as China has become the
Maldives' fastest growing tourist source country since 2008, with
visitors hitting 40,000 a year, said Cai Jianbo, CUP first executive
vice president.
read more..
Where Will The Next Food Crisis Strike
The European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the American
Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) are working to innovate
and reinforce their food security monitoring systems and to develop more
efficient early warning tools.
These efforts come as a response to the 2007-2008 global food crisis
that increased significantly the number of countries under threat of
famine. Satellite observation is the key instrument that will allow to
double in 2010 the number of countries monitored in real time for
detecting first indications of adverse agricultural outcomes.
The new Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) system facilitates and
accelerates the reaction time to food security crises by allowing a
common and internationally recognised classification of their severity.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, more than 1 billion
people go to bed each night with an empty stomach. In addition, the
latest global food crisis resulted in more countries being added to the
list of food insecure populations. This is probably the most urgent and
dramatic problem that mankind faces today.
Food security is not only a crucial issue for developing countries and
their more vulnerable inhabitants; it is also key to building a more
stable, equal, wealthier and safer world.
Special programmes are run and significant funds are mobilised every
year by the international community in an effort to combat the
increasing number of food insecure populations.
Identifying the times and places where aid is required is crucial to
deliver targeted and effective responses. Here is where the scientific
community comes into play by developing methodologies and tools to
provide timely information and objective assessments of the food
requirements, thus supporting the decision-making process with solid
evidence.
The power of satellite imagery
Several organisations dealing with food security both in Europe and in
the United States traditionally rely on satellite observations to
support their assessment activities. As a consequence of the alarming
spike in global food prices in 2008, many more countries are potentially
threatened by food insecurity and need to be constantly monitored in
order to detect early signs of adverse agricultural conditions.
Satellite-based forecasting systems will therefore take on increased
importance in the next years, allowing organisations to monitor a larger
number of countries than it is currently possible to do with in-country
offices.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) will extend this year the real time
monitoring system it has developed to forecast food crises. It will
cover not only the Horn of Africa, but all the most food insecure
countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. As the earth observation and
agroclimatic data regularly received by the JRC are global, other
countries outside Africa can also be monitored in case of food security
crises.
This JRC operational system for regional crop monitoring and forecasting
is based on satellite data and innovative agro-climatic models. More
than 40 regional bulletins provide each year quantitative and
qualitative yield forecasts for food insecure countries around the
world, with a particular emphasis in Africa.
In 2009, JRC provided for instance an early warning of the drought
affecting Kenya, and correctly predicted a 15% below average maize yield
one month before harvest.
In the United States, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS
NET) will extend this year its food security monitoring system from the
current 20 to 50 additional countries around the world.
The US Geological Survey (USGS), the National and Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) are establishing expedited procedures for
processing of satellite data and model runs to support FEWSNET in this
task.
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC): bringing scientific
results closer to the decision making process
When it comes to taking decisions on committing aid resources, policy
makers need to have clear and reliable information integrating all
dimensions of food security (climate data, economic analysis,
nutritional and health data) and a common language on the basis of which
all stakeholders can agree on the analysis of the food security
situation and possible response options.
The new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), built on a
large consensus and accepted internationally, makes it possible,
avoiding at the same time contradictory results deriving from the use of
different scales. Facilitating therefore the donors' response.
This common classification has been recently developed by seven
organisations (JRC, FAO, FEWS NET, Care International, Oxfam GB, Save
the children and World Food Programme) dealing with food security
information management. It is a standardised scale that integrates the
following parameters: food security, nutrition and livelihood
information, leading to clear statements about the nature and severity
of a crisis.
It covers the full spectrum of possible situations - from 'food-secure'
to humanitarian crisis - and takes into account the multiple dimensions
of food security, i.e. availability, access/livelihood and nutrition. It
provides as well a comprehensive framework of concepts, indicators,
scales or benchmarks and a common, internationally accepted language.
This facilitates the technical consensus on diagnostic among experts and
allows sending clearer and coherent messages to decision-makers.
Appropriate reporting and mapping tools provide synthetic views on the
severity, extension and nature of the food security concerns and their
likely evolution in the near future.
In December 2009, the European Commission decided to allocate euros 1
276 269 (more than 1.7 million US dollars) over a period of 14 months to
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Together with the JRC, FEWS NET and the other organisations involved in
the development of the classification, the FAO will implement the second
phase of the IPC initiative in at least 8 focus countries (6 of which
located in Sub Saharan Africa) through improved technical development,
field support and institutionalisation.
President discusses providing affordable and reliable
electricity, and quality healthcare in the islands
his weekly radio address, broadcast on the Voice of Maldives this
morning, President Mohamed Nasheed spoke on providing affordable and
reliable electricity, and quality healthcare in the islands.
Discussing the government’s efforts to provide affordable and reliable
electricity in the islands, he spoke on the importance of providing
electricity to all the islands of a province by the respective
provincial utilities company.
He said the policy of managing island powerhouses by the utilities
companies was based on in depth research, and reiterated the
government’s belief in the benefits of the system.
Recalling his visits to the islands since the beginning of this year,
the President said he found that utilities companies provided
electricity more efficiently than in the previous system where
electricity facilities were managed by communities.
However, he said, despite the inadequate and unreliable electricity
facilities, a number of islands have opposed the policy to transfer the
management of powerhouses to utilities companies.
Speaking in this regard, President Nasheed said utilities companies
could provide electricity more reliably, and manage island powerhouses
more effectively. He added that utilities companies would be the way
forward, in order to reach our development targets.
On the topic of providing quality healthcare in the islands, the
President said providing quality and affordable healthcare for all was
an important priority of the government.
He said the nationwide transport system would complement the
government’s healthcare policy.
The President said, when the transport system was complete, residents of
small islands could easily travel to the nearest health facility if the
service they required was not available in their islands.
He also said the government was continuously working to improve the
standard of healthcare facilities in the islands.
In his 38th radio address, President Nasheed also spoke on his upcoming
official visit to Europe.
Government and Dutch Docklands sign an agreement to
develop floating facilities in the Maldives
he government and Dutch Docklands of the Netherlands have today signed
an agreement to develop, operate and manage water properties including a
convention centre and golf courses in the Maldives. The agreement was
signed at a ceremony held at the President’s Office this afternoon.
Dutch Docklands is a global leader in tailor made floating developments,
and the methods and procedures developed by the company for floating
developments reduce the impact on underwater life, and minimise the
changes to coastal morphology.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the Privatisation Committee
Mahmood Razi said the government would also seek the assistance of Dutch
Docklands to develop similar floating housing units in the Maldives.
President Mohamed Nasheed and Ambassador of Netherlands to the Maldives
Mrs Leoni Margaretha Cuelenaere attended the ceremony.
Caution against enrolling foreigners
NEW DELHI: Ahead of the nationwide exercise for enrolment in the
National Population Register (NPR), the Centre on Thursday asked
district magistrates posted along the India-Bangladesh border to guard
against people from across the border trying to get their names
enrolled.
The NPR is to be updated from April 1.
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said there had been instances of
people from across the border having tried to get themselves enrolled in
the register.
“There is a danger, mostly on the India-Bangladesh border — people
crossing over and [trying to] get enumerated in the NPR,” he said,
addressing an all-India conference on the NPR here. India shares a
roughly 4,000-km-long border with Bangladesh.
Mr. Chidambaram said there are 3,331 border towns and villages, where
the problem might arise. “We are cautioning our field officers to be
careful while enumerating in the India-Bangladesh border.”
The exercise will cover all 35 States and Union Territories. The
country's 1.2 billion citizens living in 7,742 towns, 6,08,786 villages
and 24 crore households will be counted. There are indications that the
2011 census will not be caste-based as lists of Other Backward Castes
were different in the States.
“Obviously, any inflated enumeration will take place only in land
border. We are not talking about the east or west coast. We are talking
about the India-Myanmar border and India-Bangladesh border,” Mr.
Chidambaram said.
However, there was not much problem along the border with Pakistan as it
is mostly fenced. “There is a not a great danger along the border with
Pakistan. The India-Nepal border is porous. Yes, there is some danger
there too. We have to be cautious there also.”
Mr. Chidambaram said the NPR is a register of usual residents, with
nationality canvassed in the form as per the declaration of the
respondent, and this will not confer any right of citizenship on anyone.
During the exercise, enumerators will collect from each household
details such as the number of persons living, their sex, the number of
dwelling rooms and the number of married couples, the source of drinking
water, the type of toilet, the fuel used for cooking and the type of
floor, wall and roof, and whether anyone owns car or two-wheeler and
avails himself of bank service.
Malini among Asia’s 25 greatest artistes: CNN
Sri Lankan veteran film star Malini Fonseka has been named by CNN among
Asia’s 25 best film artistes of all time.
Indian stars Amitabh Bachchan, Nargis, Meena Kumarai, Pran and Guru Dutt
are also on the list, which includes actors from China, Hong Kong,
Japan, Korea,Singapore, Thailand, Malyasia and Cambodia.
The CNNGo.com website said: "In the history of the Academy Awards
(airing on March 7th), only two Asians have ever taken home a Best Actor
or Actress statue (we don’t count Ben Kingsley as a true Asian).
Yet Asia has produced incredibly talented thespians that have changed
the course of their nation’s cinematic history. In anticipation of Oscar
night, we’ve narrowed the list of greats to 25."
Referring to Malini Fonseka, the portal added: "The Queen of Sinhalese
cinema had a diverse career that spanned many decades, beginning with
her moving performance in 1968’s ‘Punchi Baba’. She was the first Sri
Lankan actress to reach international heights, winning awards at the
Moscow International Film Festival in 1975 and New Delhi Film Festival
in 1977.
Her best role was in ‘Nidhanaya’ (1972), which is known as one of the
best works in Sri Lanka’s cinematic history. Fonseka memorably played a
guileless lady who meets a man and stumbles into tragedy.
The popular film star is likely to become an MP next month as the ruling
UPFA alliance has included her name in its National List for the
upcoming general election.
Malaysia court accused of being hasty to try Anwar
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s lawyer
accused Malaysian judges on Thursday of trying to fast-track his
client’s sodomy trial, which government critics say is part of a
political conspiracy.
Lawyer Sankara Nair said he was informed Wednesday that the Court of
Appeal has fixed March 19 to hear an application by Anwar to have the
trial judge dismissed over defense complaints that he is biased against
Anwar.
He said that was strange because the defense team has not yet filed a
formal appeal. The court can only fix a hearing date after a petition of
appeal has been filed.
"There seems to be a clear case of discrimination by the Court of Appeal
toward Anwar. Why the rush? It appears that the court is trying to
fast-track the trial to appease the powers that be," he told The
Associated Press.
"The court has departed from established norms in this appeal process.
The unprecedented manner in which the Court of Appeal has acted is
disturbing and outrageous," Nair said.
Court officials couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.
Anwar was charged in August 2008 with sodomizing a 24-year-old male
former aide. His trial began Feb. 3 and he faces up to 20 years in
prison if convicted, which would effectively end his political career
and his aspirations to become prime minister.
Trial Judge Mohamad Zabidin of the High Court refused last month to
recuse himself and suspended the trial to March 25 to let Anwar’s
lawyers appeal his ruling.
The aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan, claims Anwar forced him to have anal sex
at a condominium in June 2008. Sodomy is illegal - even if consensual -
in the Muslim-majority country.
The defense says the trial judge is biased because of his refusal to
take action against a ruling party-owned newspaper that published a
headline and photograph about the accuser’s closed-door testimony, which
Anwar said were misleading and amounted to contempt of court.
New Ambassador of Bhutan presents credentials to the
President 
New Ambassador of Bhutan to the Maldives, Mr Dasho Bap Kesang has
presented his Credentials to President Mohamed Nasheed, at a ceremony
held at the President’s Office, this afternoon.
After the presentation of credentials, the President and the Ambassador
discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways of
further strengthening these relations. Discussions were also focused on
the preparations of the up coming 16th SAARC Summit to be held in
Bhutan, in April, and making the Summit a successful one.
The meeting was attended by Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed, Special
Envoy of the President Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, President’s Political
Advisor Mr Hassan Afeef and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed
Naseem.
German Ambassador pays a courtesy call on the President
Ambassador of Germany to the Maldives, Mr. Jens Ploetner
has paid a courtesy call on President Mohamed Nasheed. The meeting was
held this afternoon at the President’s Office.
In the meeting President Nasheed and Ambassador Ploetner discussed the
friendly relationship between the two countries and the ways to
strengthen this relation between the Maldives and Germany. Mr. Ploetner
gave additional detail on the President’s upcoming official visit to
Germany.
The President was joined at the meeting by Vice President Dr Mohamed
Waheed, Special Envoy to the President Ibrahim Hussain Zaki and
Political Advisor to the President Hassan Afeef.
President appoints the new Board of
Directors of Northern Utilities Company
With the expiration of the Board of Directors of Northern Utilities
Company, President Nasheed has appointed a new Board. Mr Adam Naseem
Yoosuf was appointed as the Chairman of the Board. Other members
appointed to the Board are:
1. Mr Adam Hussain
2. Mr Ayathulla Hussain
3. Mr Ahmed Shamoon
4. Mr Mauroof Zakir
5. Mr Ali Majid
6. Mr Ali Hussain
Official: Maldives wants to improve women's rights
The Maldives' foreign minister said Wednesday the young democracy is
striving to improve rights for women after 30 years of repressive rule
and has still a long way to go.
Ahmed Shaheed said Maldives prosecutors were trying to protect women
from being flogged and the government was trying to advance the careers
of qualified women.
He acknowledged that many Maldivians don't know about their basic rights
and abuses continue.
"When it comes to women's rights and children's issues we do have
difficulties," Shaheed said in an interview with The Associated Press.
National law doesn't discriminate against women and they have a majority
of government jobs. But women in Maldives face high rates of domestic
violence and emerging Islamic fundamentalists discourage them from
seeking employment or education.
"The new priorities for us really are to safeguard women's rights and
protect children," said Shaheed, who was in Geneva lobbying for the
Maldives to become a member of the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Vibrant public debates, a free press and political opponents speaking
freely are helping the country overcome the legacy of the three-decade
rule of president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Shaheed said.
Gayoom, who was defeated in the Maldives' first democratic election, in
2008, has been accused by many people of ruling as a dictator,
suppressing dissent violently and amassing wealth for friends and
family.
Afghan peace meeting held in Maldives: source
COLOMBO — Afghan government and Taliban representatives held a secret
meeting last month at a holiday resort in the Maldives, an official
source said Wednesday.
President Hamid Karzai's envoys met with at least seven members closely
connected to the Taliban to discuss national reconciliation ahead of the
January 28 London meeting of world powers to discuss Afghanistan.
"The meeting took place at the Bandos resort island, but the Maldivian
government was not directly involved in the discussions," a source close
to the Maldivian administration told AFP, asking not to be named.
He said there was no legal impediment for the men linked to the Taliban
to enter the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago as their names had been taken
off a United Nations travel blacklist recently.
"It was quite low-key. The Maldivian government, however, is keen to
support any peace process and wants to see peace in Afghanistan as well
as in Pakistan," the source said.
The Maldives, an Indian Ocean island nation famous for its sandy beaches
and turquoise waters, had also hosted Tamil Tiger leaders from
neighbouring Sri Lanka during abortive peace talks in 2002.
The outcome of the latest Maldives meet of Taliban and the Afghan
representatives was not immediately known, but official sources said the
intention had been to drum up support for Karzai's reconciliation moves.
The meeting in London saw world powers agree that Afghanistan should
take increasing control for its own security from the end of this year
and backed Karzai's plan to reward moderate Taliban who disarm.
The key plank of Karzai's proposals, welcomed by the London conference,
is an internationally backed fund to persuade moderate Taliban fighters
to lay down their weapons in return for jobs.
However, Taliban had described the London conference, which followed the
meeting in the Maldives, as a waste of time.
Afghanistan accuses neighbouring Pakistan of sheltering Taliban and
Al-Qaeda militants who have been fighting Karzai's government -- and
attacking the international forces that support it -- for nearly eight
years
President says educating the young is a prerequisite for
development
Addressing the people of Shaviyani Milandhoo, President Mohamed Nasheed
has said educating the young was a prerequisite for developmental
success of the island as well as the country.
As part of his tour to some islands of North, the President arrived in
Milandhoo this afternoon.
Elaborating on the government’s education policy, the President said the
target of the education policy was to increase the number of school
leavers who obtain passes in 5 subjects to 40 per cent.
However, he said, the specific target for Milandhoo was to increase this
number to 60 per cent, and the government would work to achieve this
target for the island.
Speaking in this regard, the President said, Milandhoo school was now
changed to a single session school, and urged the people of the island
to work to further develop the school.
Furthermore, the President highlighted the government’s policy to
improve the quality of healthcare provided to the people. He revealed
that Milandhoo health centre was among the 38 health centres identified
to be upgraded to the highest quality standards.
The President also spoke on the importance of the integrated transport
network for the development of the islands. He said the operations of
the transport network of the atoll would begin soon.
The President concluded his address by briefing the people on the other
development projects the government has planned for the island.
Political rivalry should not impede development, says the President
President Nasheed has said political rivalry in the islands should not
impede their development.
Speaking with the people of Noonu Manadhoo, the final leg of his visit
to North, the President urged all parties to choose dialogue in
situations of disputes and disagreements. He reiterated that, above all,
the government would consider public opinion before implementing all its
policies.
Noting the importance given to education by the government, he spoke on
the measures being taken to strengthen the education system. Speaking in
this regard, he said school boards were formed in most of the schools,
and they were given considerable authority in the management of the
schools.
The President highlighted the link between education of the young people
and future development of the country. He, further, said the students’
results were not entirely dependent on spending on their education.
In his address to the people of the island, the President also informed
the people on the progress of setting up of transportation network and
housing projects for Noonu Atoll.
During the meeting with the people, the President responded to the
people’s queries regarding the issues related to the development of the
island.
President begins a tour to some islands of North
President Mohamed Nasheed has this afternoon, begun a tour to some
islands of Northern atolls of the Maldives.
As part of his tour, President Nasheed will inaugurate ‘Beach House
Maldives, the Waldorf Astoria Collection’, at Haa Alif Manafaru, later
this afternoon.
During his tour, the President will visit some islands of Shaviyani
Atoll and Noonu Manadhoo.
President appeals for the cooperation of members of
People’s Majlis
In his second Presidential Address, President Mohamed Nasheed has called
for the cooperation and support of the Members of the People’s Majlis
and “to transcend political turmoil and differences of thought and
ideology”.
Speaking in this regard, the President highlighted some bills proposed
to the People’s Majlis by the government. He especially noted the Bills
proposed last year to reform the tax system.
“I am confident that this Majlis will work to ensure that these two
bills are passed as soon as possible,” said the President.
Noting that Maldives was achieving milestones in consolidating
democracy, President said that “our prospects and the times ahead appear
clear, bright and prosperous”.
He further expressed confidence that the government’s continued efforts
to provide even greater prosperity for the people would “result in
easing and enriching their lives further this year”.
President Nasheed also highlighted the importance of sustaining the
political system “which we all worked so hard to establish”.
“The consequences of measures that the Government may have to take to
safeguard this system against actions based on unrealistic hopes would
be borne not only by the Government, but also by the opposition,” he
added.
Reiterating that this administration would do everything possible to
maintain political collaboration, President Nasheed said the government
would give “support for it, or move away from any position that may be
necessary for the larger interests of the nation”.
He further said that the government was committed to advance the
principle of resolving matters through dialogue and deliberation with
all political parties.
“I appeal to this esteemed Majlis that those members among you who have
disagreements, to talk to the Government so that the bills submitted by
the Government are speedily passed, even if it should be with amendments
they want,” said Nasheed.
In his Presidential Address, Nasheed also focused, in detail, on the
achievements made towards fulfilling government’s five key pledges and
stated that satisfactory progress was made towards this.
Nasheed concluded his Address by calling all citizens to prioritize
friendship and understanding for the harmony and progress of society.
“I call for those beloved citizens who might harbour what might be
considered extremist ideas and opinions to be moderate and soften their
ways of thinking,” he said.
Indian Government Pledges to Curb Debt
MUMBAI — Acknowledging that its growing debt could threaten India’s
economic growth, the government said Friday that it would cut its fiscal
deficit by slowing the growth of spending, increasing revenue from taxes
and selling pieces of state-owned firms.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the budget deficit would be cut
to 5.5 percent of gross domestic product in the financial year that
starts in April, from 6.7 percent. He also promised that India would
reduce the country’s debt, which stands at more than 80 percent of G.D.P.,
to 68 percent in five years.
read more
AA Gill in a luxurious Maldives resort
Reethi Rah attracts a peculiar breed of holidaymaker — wealthy and
mostly weighty. This archipelago can’t do without them
You don’t expect palm trees in Copenhagen, but the place was lousy with
them — palm trees and rainforest. Palm trees, rainforest and Samburu
herdsmen. Actually, the Samburu didn’t look too happy, shivering in the
blustery northern twilight along with the Keralan fruit farmers.
Last year’s climate change conference brought all the delicate and
sensitive bits of the planet — the people who dress in blankets and
feathers — together in a sort of dystopian theme park, with sneezing and
cardigans and complaining.
It was odd to walk through the halls of hot air and be confronted by a
Korean dressed as a whale, or a Solomon Islander done up like a Florida
real-estate agent
read more
Vice President concludes his official visit to India
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has returned to Male’ this afternoon,
after concluding his official visit to India. He made the visit on the
invitation of Vice President of India Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari.
During the visit, the Vice President met with President of India
Pratibha Devisingh Patil, and discussed the close friendly relations
between the Maldives and India. Discussions especially included
providing assistance to the Maldives in the area of higher education.
In addition, Dr Waheed met with Vice President of India Shri Mohammad
Hamid Ansari and India External Affairs Minister Shri S. M. Krishna and
held discussions on the ways of further strengthening the relations
between the two countries.
Vice President Dr Waheed also addressed at the Observer Research
Foundation of New Delhi. In his address, Dr Waheed said dealing with the
wrongs of the past without stymieing the future happiness of the country
was one of the major challenges for the government.
Before concluding his visit to India, the Vice President visited
Bangalore and Mysore, and met with the Maldivian students in higher
education institutions in Bangalore and Mysore.
President meets with the founders of Mission Maldives
President Mohamed Nasheed has this afternoon met with the founders of
Mission Maldives.
Mission Maldives is a voluntary organization formed by three British
nationals with the aim of making voluntary projects more easily
available and affordable. The organization aims to bring volunteers in
the areas currently lacking in suitable skilled and educated staff. The
organization has already begun a number of programmes with schools in
the Maldives.
Speaking at the meeting, President Nasheed commended the organization
for its contribution to the Maldives society.
President Nasheed said the government gave high priority towards
promoting greater involvement and contribution of volunteers in the
socio-economic and political development of the Maldives.
Legal Practice Licensing Regulation published in the
Gazette
Legal Practice Licensing Regulation, formulated by the Attorney
General’s Office, is published in the government gazette today.
Regulation states the requirements to be met by those who seek license
for legal practice in the Maldives. It also states the procedures for
applying for legal practice license, and educational and other
qualifications of those who could be licensed.
Chaaya Reef Ellaidhoo Among TripAdvisor®’s Travelers’
Choice® 2010 Top 10 Hotels for Romance in Asia
With over three decades of extensive experience in the hospitality
industry, John Keells Hotels Group has extended its reach from Sri Lanka
to the Maldives with great success and is currently the proud owner of 4
prime properties; Chaaya Reef Ellaidhoo, Chaaya Island Dhonveli, Chaaya
Lagoon Hakura Huraa & Cinnamon Island Alidhoo.
read
more
Mysore university to guide Maldives govt
MYSORE: The University of Mysore, one of the oldest varsities in India,
will assist the Maldives government in putting in place a policy
framework to set up a higher education institution.
Maldives vice-president Mohamed Waheed, who is touring India has
discussed the issue with President Pratiba Patil, Vice-President
Mohammed Hamid Ansari and the governor-chancellor H R Bharadwaj. He
attributed the decision to the brand value of the varsity and the
quality of education.
read more
Cabinet decides to ratify the SAARC Protocol on accession
of Afghanistan to SAFT
Cabinet has today decided to ratify the SAARC (South Asian Association
for Regional Cooperation) “Protocol pf Accession of Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan to Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)”.
Protocol was signed by all the member states of SAARC on 3 August 2008,
in Colombo to enable the accession of Afghanistan to the SAFTA
agreement.
Afghanistan joined the regional organisation on 3 April 2007, during the
14th SAARC Summit held in New Delhi.
During today’s meeting, member of the cabinet also discussed the cabinet
decision on 8 December 2009 on the measures to be taken on the islands
leased for resort development, and which are behind schedule. Members
decided to defer the implementation of these measures until the passage
of bills, related to the issue, being considered by the People’s Majlis.
President meets with the UNDP Deputy Regional Director of
Asia and the Pacifi
President Mohamed Nasheed this morning met with UNDP Deputy Regional
Director at the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific Ms Ligia
Elizondo.
During the meeting held at the President’s Office, President Nasheed and
Ms Elizondo discussed UNDP programmes in the Maldives.
At the meeting, President Nasheed said due to the issues with project
management, completion of a number of development projects was delayed.
He sought technical assistance from UNDP to strengthen the area of
project management, and noted the importance of establishing a central
project management office.
The President also spoke on giving more emphasis to project monitoring,
and implementing projects in a way the projects would ensue the maximum
benefit to the Maldives.
Ms Elizondo assured the President that the UNDP would continue to have
good relationship with the Maldives. She also said the UNDP could work
with the government in monitoring the development projects. She also
said the UNDP would continue to advise the government on development
projects, and their implementation with the best interest of the people
in mind.
Other areas of discussion during the meeting included decentralization
programme and establishing a climate adaptation centre in the Maldives.
President proposes two bills to the People’s Majlis
President Mohamed Nasheed has proposed Judicature Bill and Broadcasting
Bill to the People’s Majlis.
Judicature Bill specifies the division of Courts, hierarchy of the
Courts and the jurisdictions of the Courts as well as matters concerning
the administration of the Courts.
Purposes of the Broadcasting Bill include facilitating the creation of a
commission to oversee policy-making and regulation of the industry, and
specify its roles and responsibilities. The Bill also states the
procedures for issuing broadcast licence.
President says Maldivian people have begun to see the
benefits of opening up the economy
President Mohamed Nasheed has said the Maldivian people and the economy
have begun to see the benefits of opening up of the economy for private
investments. He made the remark, speaking at the Regional Export Awards
presentation ceremony of Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) of
India, held at Kurumba Maldives, this evening.
President Nasheed said, until now the Maldivian economy was centrally
planned and heavily regulated. He said this had “prevented growth,
repelled investment and thwarted people’s aspirations.”
In this regard, he said India has reformed its economy to increase
private participation and opened up its economy to the world. These
reforms, he said, were strengthening Indian economy and lifting millions
out of poverty.
President Nasheed said, learning from the experiences of India and many
other countries, the government has begun to open up the Maldivian
economy. He said “we do not believe that the state can or should be the
engine of economic growth.”
Speaking on the benefits of opening up of economy to the market and
private investments, President Nasheed highlighted the benefits of the
agreement with the Apollo Hospitals of India to upgrade Indira Gandhi
Memorial Hospital with a US$25 million investment.
He said, as a result of this agreement “people will have access to high
quality and affordable healthcare.”
Private investors are also at the forefront of the first public
transports system that will connect all inhabited islands with ferry
services.
Government has also successfully attracted a number of international
investors to invest in its housing, and electricity and energy projects.
The President assured that private investments in housing and energy
“will provide new homes and cheaper electricity.”
Noting the significant increase in the Indian investments to the
Maldives over the past year, the President welcomed the Indian business
looking to invest in the Maldives.
Before concluding his address at this evening’s ceremony, the President
repeated his calls for business to seize the opportunities presented by
climate change to invest in clean and green technologies.
He reiterated his belief that “the winners of tomorrow will be those
companies that corner these green markets today.”
At the ceremony, Chairman of EEPC India Southern Region Shri R. K. Mutha
presented a memento to the President.
New Ambassador of Slovak Republic presents credentials to
the President
New Ambassador of Slovak Republic to the Maldives, Mr Marián Tomášik has
presented his Credentials to President Mohamed Nasheed, at a ceremony
held at the President’s Office, this afternoon.
After the presentation of credentials, the President and the Ambassador
discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways of
further strengthening these relations. Discussions were also focused
enhancing tourism cooperation between two countries.
Speaking at the meeting, the President sought the support of the Slovak
Republic for the Maldives candidature for membership of UN Human Rights
Council.
President Nasheed said the Maldives was seeking the membership of the
Human Rights Council because human rights was the main agenda of the
democratic reforms in the Maldives. He said the government felt that the
Maldives’ experience could be beneficial for other countries in the area
of protecting and promoting human rights.
Ambassador Tomášik assured the President of his full commitment to
further strengthening the relations between the Maldives and Slovak
Republic during his tenure as the Ambassador of Slovakia to the
Maldives.
The meeting was attended President’s Political Advisor Mr Hassan Afeef
and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed Shaheed.
Bangladesh HC marks language movement day
The 21st of February, Bengali Language Movement Day, “Amar Ekushe” was
historically a serious political effort by Banglaees of East Pakistan to
advocate the recognition of their language, Bengali as official language
of Pakistan. During this movement, on 21st Feb. in 1952, a number of
students, Salam, Rafique, Barkat, Jabbar and many unnamed activists were
killed. The Bengali nation, Bangladesh, is the first in the world to
have sacrificed lives to establish their mother tongue at the state
level. Subsequently, 21st February was proclaimed as the International
Mother Language Day by UNESCO on 17 Nov. 1999.
This year, 21st February 2010 was celebrated in the Bangladesh High
Commission. One minute silence was observed in the memory of the martyrs
of the language movement. A film on the history and significance of the
event was shown. This was followed by a discussion led by the High
Commissioner H.E. Prof. Selina Mohsin on the importance of the language
movement as the forerunner to the Liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. The
diversity of languages and cultures were also highlighted by the
discussants present. After this, there was a poetry reading session
followed by patriotic songs by Bangladeshi artists living in Maldives.
The gathering was attended by a large number of people and was organized
by the Head of Chancery, Mr. Ahiduzzaman Liton.
Mobile phones become pocket banks in poor
countries
An Afghan police officer gets his salary in a text message on his mobile
phone. A Kenyan worker dials a few numbers to send money to his family.
The rise of banking transactions through mobile phones is giving a whole
new meaning to pocket money in parts of the developing world that lack
banks or cash machines.
Mobile money applications are emerging as potent financial tools in
rural and remote areas of the globe, allowing people with no bank
accounts to get paid, send remittances or settle their bills.
"One billion consumers in the world have a mobile phone but no access to
a bank account," said Gavin Krugel, the director of mobile banking
strategy at GSM Association, an industry group of 800 wireless
operators.
"We see it as very big opportunity," he said this week at the Mobile
World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, the industry's annual four-day event
that ended on Thursday.
Mobile banking began to emerge six years ago in the Philippines and
South Africa, where 8.5 million and 4.5 million people, respectively,
use such services.
Today, 40 million people worldwide use mobile money, and the industry is
growing, according to the GSMA.
"Africa and Asia are the most active regions right now," Krugel said.
"We expect Latin America pick up this year."
There are 18,000 new mobile banking users per day in Uganda, 15,000 in
Tanzania and 11,000 in Kenya, he said.
Mobile phones can offer a wide range of banking solutions, from sending
transfers to a relative to buying goods in a store or putting money
aside for a rainy day -- all by dialing a few numbers on one's handset.
Mobile banking can also make life easier for people in parts of Africa
where paying a simple bill can be time-consuming, said Reg Swart,
regional executive of Fundamo, a company that makes banking
applications.
"It takes one day to pay one bill. You have to physically go to the
bank, then you must queue, a long queue," he said.
In Afghanistan, the national police has been testing a service from
mobile operator Roshan to pay its officers -- a system that helps to
limit corruption, the company said.
"We are currently moving from a trial to a full launch in paying the
Afghan national police," said Roshan's head of mobile commerce, Zahir
Jhoja.
Every month, police officers receive a text message in the language they
prefer informing them they have received their salaries, Jhoja said.
A voice message is also left on the phone "because a lot of them are
illiterate and cannot read," he said.
The officer can then go get his money from an authorised Roshan agent.
"The benefit is that police and police officers don't have to carry cash
anymore: from their post they are able to send their money home, buy
items, and take whatever cash they want from an agent, or to store for
future," he said.
The system has helped officers who were not receiving their full
salaries due to "corruption and skimming.
"The police officers who received the money electronically were very
surprised to learn that they earn so much money. When they were getting
cash they were receiving 25 to 30 percent less," Johja said.
Electric bikes on a roll in China
Chinese commuters in their millions are turning to electric bicycles --
hailed as the environmentally-friendly future of personal transport in
the country's teeming cities.
Up to 120 million e-bikes are estimated to be on the roads in China,
making them already the top alternative to cars and public transport,
according to recent figures published by local media.
"This is the future -- it's practical, it's clean and it's economical,"
said manufacturer Shi Zhongdong, whose company also exports electric
bikes to Asia and Europe.
The bikes have been hailed as an ecologically-sound alternative in a
country which is the world's top emitter of greenhouse gases, with their
rechargeable batteries leaving a smaller carbon footprint than cars.
But some have expressed concerns about the pollution created by cheaper
lead batteries, calling for better recycling and a quick shift to
cleaner, though more expensive, lithium-ion battery technology.
More than 1,000 companies are already in the e-bike business in China,
with many of them clustered in the eastern coastal provinces such as
Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which both border Shanghai.
Another 1,000 firms are producing e-bikes on an ad hoc basis, Shi told
AFP during a visit to his Hanma Electric Bicycles factory in the port
city of Tianjin, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Beijing.
"The business has exploded since 2006," Shi says, while admitting that
the company took a hit last year due to the financial crisis.
Some e-bikes can reach speeds of more than 35 kilometres an hour (21
miles per hour), and a few manufacturers boast their models can last up
to 50 kilometres on a single battery charge.
Battery chargers are simply plugged into an electricity socket at home.
Most e-bikes also have pedals, except for the bigger, scooter-like
models.
Shi was an electrical engineer who worked for a state-owned firm for
most of his career, but as he turned 55 and retirement was beckoning he
founded Hanma in 1999, investing about 500,000 yuan (75,000 dollars) of
his own money.
He is wary of giving exact production figures, but says Hanma is
churning out between 50,000 and 100,000 e-bikes a year.
In his company's icy, old-fashioned workshops, several models are lined
up: from electric bikes with "green" lithium batteries, made especially
for export, to some that look more like mini-scooters.
They are everywhere in the streets of Beijing -- no licence plates, no
driver's licences needed. Enthusiasts say they are a godsend in a city
where the number of scooter and motorcycle drivers is restricted.
"I get around traffic jams so easily," said one Beijinger before
speeding off from an intersection in the capital, where more than four
million vehicles are clogging the roads and polluting the already thick
air.
But not everyone is on the e-bike bandwagon -- "real" cyclists have
complained bitterly that their once peaceful lanes are now clogged with
irresponsible, uncontrollable speedsters.
In December, authorities tried to re-impose a maximum speed limit of 20
kilometres (12 miles) per hour on e-bike riders, along with licence
rules, but the plan caused such a public and industry uproar that it was
suspended.
"The rules will never go through. Hundreds of factories would be forced
to shut down. And what would those who already own e-bikes do?" Shi
says.
In a report released last June, the Asian Development Bank said e-bikes
could become "perhaps the most environmentally sustainable motorised
mode available" in China.
But it called for the replacement of lead acid batteries and better
regulations on the allowable weight and speed to keep accidents at a
minimum.
Shi says nearly a third of his production goes abroad -- to Asia,
notably India, to the European Union and even to the United States.
"There is a big future for electric bikes in Europe, where people are
very concerned about saving the environment," he said, explaining that
the models with safer but more costly lithium batteries are shipped to
EU nations.
Shi says he sells the export models for 400 dollars, as opposed to just
240 dollars for those sold in China. But the bikes can sell for a
whopping 1,200 dollars in France and Germany.
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed meets President of India Pratibha
Devisingh Patil
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has met with President of India
Pratibha Devisingh Patil. The meeting was held at the official residence
of the President of India, Rashtrapathi Bhavan, yesterday afternoon.
During the meeting, Vice President Dr Waheed conveyed the greetings of
President Nasheed to President Patil.
Noting a number of Maldivian youth were addicted to illicit drugs, Vice
President Dr Waheed said providing education and job opportunities for
youth was important to prevent them from the scourge of drugs. He sought
Indian assistance in providing more higher education opportunities for
Maldivian youth in Indian institutions.
At the meeting, President Patil congratulated the people of the Maldives
and the government for the smooth and peaceful transition to democracy
in the Maldives.
She said india would provide more higher education opportunities for
Maldivians.
The meeting was also attended by Special Envoy of the President Ibrahim
Hussain Zaki, and Maldivian High Commissioner in India Abdul Aziz Yoosuf
Vice President meets with the Indian External Affairs Minister
As part of his ongoing official visit to india, Vice President Dr
Mohamed Waheed has yesterday met with Indian External Affairs Minister
Shri S. M. Krishna.
Discussions at the meeting were focused on further strengthening close
bilateral relations that exist between the Maldives and India.
During the meeting, Dr Waheed sought Indian assistance in preventing
drug trafficking into the Maldives, and providing rehabilitation
treatment for the addicts.
He further said the relations between the both countries were further
strengthened and Maldivian industries were benefiting from the
investments made by the Indian companies in the Maldives. In this
regard, he especially highlighted the agreement to transfer the
management of Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital to Apollo Hospitals, and
the agreement with GMR Group to develop Hanimaadhoo Airport.
Speaking at the meeting, Indian External Affairs Minister Shri Krishna
said India attached great importance to the continued co-operation
between the Maldives and India in the area of defence and security.
He said the recent high level exchanges between the two countries were
fruitful in further strengthening the existing relations, while opening
up new areas for co-operation between the Maldives and India.
Indian External Minister Shri Krishna assured the Vice President of
continued Indian assistance to the Maldives.
As part of his visit to India, Vice President Dr Waheed also today met
with Indian Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth
Sciences, Shri Prithviraj Chavan. Discussions at the meeting were mainly
focused on the issues of challenges faced by the Maldives and the world
due to climate change.
President says dealing with the human rights violations of the past is
one of the most difficult issues confronted with the government
President Mohamed Nasheed has said dealing with the human rights
violations of the past was one the most difficult issues confronted with
the government. He made the observation in a letter sent to the
Director-General of UNESCO Mrs Irina Bokova.
In his letter, the President also congratulated Mrs Bokova on her recent
assumption of the office as the head of UNESCO. Mrs Bokova was elected
as the tenth Director-General of UNESCO on 15 October 2009 by the 35th
Session of UNESCO General Conference. She is the first woman to hold the
post since the foundation of UNESCO in 1945.
President Nasheed’s letter to Mrs Bokova reads as follows:
Quote
“On behalf of the Government and the people of the Maldives, I would
like to congratulate you on your recent assumption of the office of
UNESCO Director-General. Please be assured of the Maldives’ full support
during what I am sure will be an extremely successful term.
As you may know, the Maldives has recently emerged from a long period in
which human rights were routinely violated and in which many people,
including members of the new Government, were tortured. Thankfully, the
country has been able to turn its back on such times and is now busy
establishing itself as a modern liberal democracy with a full separation
of powers and strong human rights safeguards.
One of the challenges facing the new Government as we look to
consolidate democracy, rule of law and human rights is how to come to
terms with the difficult episodes in our past without jeopardising our
future. Dealing with the issue of torture, and other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment is without doubt one of the more difficult issues we
are confronted with, especially in our small closely-knit community. Our
favoured approach is to avoid retribution and instead to recognise, come
to terms with, and learn from such tragic episodes as a means of
ensuring that the memory of the victims is honoured and that we avoid
repeating the same mistakes.
In this regard, we are very interested in UNESCO’s work on “memory for
education” (such as the Holocaust remembrance, and the Buenos Aires
memory archives). The Maldives would like to explore with UNESCO the
possibility of expanding the organisation’s work on memory for education
to cover the issue of torture remembrance. In particular, the Maldives
would like to lead an initiative within UNESCO to create a system of
internationally-recognised, -certified and -supported memorials to the
victims of torture. The memorials would have a remembrance, educational
and preventative function.
We have already spoken to other UN Member States with an interest in
torture prevention and their response has been positive. We have also
spoken to UNESCO’s Geneva Office on this issue. We would very much
appreciate your advice on how we might now proceed.”
Unquote.
Former President of India concludes his visit to the Maldives
Former President of India, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam has concluded his
official visit to the Maldives, this afternoon. On behalf of President
Nasheed, Dr Abdul Kalam was seen off at the Malé International Airport
by Political Advisor of the President Hassan Afeef.
Dr Abdul Kalam arrived in the Maldives on 18 February at the invitation
of President Nasheed.
During his visit, Dr Abdul Kalam met with President Nasheed and
congratulated the President for his vision to make the Maldives the
first carbon neutral country in the world, and shared his views on the
President’s vision.
The Former President of India also met with a delegation of Maldives
cabinet ministers during which he information from the ministers on
their respective areas.
Vice President Dr Waheed meets his Indian counterpart
As part of his ongoing official visit to India, Vice President Dr
Mohamed Waheed has today met with Vice President of India Shri Hamid
Mohamed Ansari.
Speaking at the meeting held at the official residence of the Indian
Vice President, Dr Waheed thanked India for its support in introducing
democracy in the Maldives. He expressed his confidence in the continued
Indian assistance in the process of consolidation of democracy in the
Maldives.
Underscoring the close friendly relations that exist between the
Maldives and India, Vice President of India Hamid Mohamed Ansari assured
Dr Waheed of continued Indian support for the Maldives in the areas of
social and economic development.
Speaking in this regard, the Indian Vice President said that India would
try to provide more higher education opportunities for Maldivians in
Indian institutions. He also said India would support the promotion of
private sector in the Maldives.
At the meeting, Vice President Dr Waheed was accompanied by Special
Envoy of the President Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, and Maldives High
Commissioner in India Abdul Aziz Yoosuf.
Vice President Dr Waheed is visiting India on an invitation of the Vice
President of India
Uighurs at Guantanamo Urge Court to Hear Case
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The lead lawyer for Chinese Muslims confined at
Guantanamo Bay says the Obama administration is acting a lot like its
predecessor by trying to prevent Supreme Court review of controversial
detention policies in the fight against terrorism.
The court should reject the administration's ''ploy'' and hear the
Chinese Muslims' case as scheduled on March 23, Boston-based attorney
Sabin Willett wrote Friday in a letter to the court. The Chinese
Muslims, or Uighurs (pronounced WEE'-gurs), argue that courts have the
authority to release the detainees into the United States.
read more..
Former President of India Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam arrives
in the Maldives on an official visit
On an invitation of President Mohamed Nasheed, Former President of India
Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam has arrived in the Maldives this afternoon.
He was greeted on arrival at Malé International Airport by Vice
President Dr Mohamed Waheed, Special Envoy of the President Ibtahim
Hussain Zaki and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed Shaheed.
Dr Abdul Kalam was given an honour guard at the Malé International
Airport by the Maldives National Defence Force.
President Nasheed will meet Dr Abdul Kalam this afternoon.
Please read more about Dr. Abdul
Kalam
Government saves Rf 30 Million by publishing government
announcements in the government gazette
The President’s Office has revealed that the government has saved about
Rf 30 million within one year since the government began publishing
announcements, directives and press releases of government offices in
the government gazette.
The President’s Office began publishing the government gazette on 18
February 2009. Prior to that, the gazette was published by the
Department of Information.
Government began publishing government announcements, directives and
press releases exclusively in the government gazette on 1 September
2009.
A statement issued by the President’s Office, following the anniversary
of the first publication of government gazette issued by the Office,
said publishing government announcements in the gazette was an important
step taken by the government to reduce public expenditure.
Gazette is published on every Monday and Thursday.
It is good to note that about 3 years ago when Hon. Mr.Gasim Ibrahim was
the finance minister , he tried to stop paying news papers and tried to
publish the government Gazzette to save 32 million rufiyaa annually. But
Dictator Gayyoom, who was the president at the time stopped Mr. Gasim
doing that to “slave” the media.
Vice President departs on an official visit to India
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has departed on an official visit to
India, at the invitation of Vice President of India Hamid Mohamed Ansari.
During his visit to India, Dr Waheed will meet senior officials of
Indian government and hold discussions of further strengthening the
friendly relations between the Maldives and India.
The Vice President is accompanied on the visit by the Special Envoy of
the President Ibrahim Hussain Zaki.
The President appoints Uz Adam Mohamed Abdulla as a Judicial Service
Commission Member
In accordance with Article 158 of the Constitution, the President has
today appointed Uz Adam Mohamed Abdulla as a member of the Judicial
Service Commission. Uz Adam Mohamed Abdulla is a Judge of the High Court
elected to the Commission by the judges of the High Court.
The letter of appointment was presented to Uz Adam Mohamed Abdulla by
President Mohamed Nasheed at a special ceremony held at Presidents
Office this afternoon.
Speaking after the presentation of Letter of Appointment, the President
urged Uz Adam Mohamed Abdulla to fulfil the member’s responsibilities in
establishing justice.
Uz Adam Mohamed Abdulla said that he would try his best to fulfil the
responsibilities and strengthen the work of Judicial Service Commission
within the boundaries of law.
Uz Adam Mohamed Abdulla took the oath of office before the Supreme Court
Judge Abdulla Areef
Vice President says
improving the standard of education is a top priority of the government
Speaking at 25th Anniversary assembly of Jamaluddin School this morning,
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has said improving the standard of
education was a top priority of the government.
He urged the students to be obedient and strive for excellence, while
the government was working to improve the standard of education they
receive.
Vice President Dr Waheed spoke on the importance of teaching every
student good behaviour and social discipline, in addition to the
education they receive in schools. He said school environment should
also be organised to facilitate interaction with fellow students through
extracurricular activities.
Continuing his speech, the Vice President called on the school
management and teachers to make students’ academic life enjoyable and
memorable. He thanked the parents, management of the school and teachers
for their efforts in this regard.
Jamaluddin School was opened on 16 February 1985. at the 25th
Anniversary special assembly, the Vice President unveiled the school’s
vision and mission. Jamaluddin School’s vision is “the development of
educated, responsible and able individuals who will remain loyal to our
nation and steadfast in our faith as Muslims”.
At today’s assembly, the Vice President launched the special silver
jubilee edition of “Strive”, school’s magazine. He also inaugurated the
Jamaluddin School Trust Fund at the assembly.
Cabinet discusses
establishing quarantine facilities at international airports and sea
ports
The Cabinet has today discussed establishing quarantine facilities to
international standards, at international airports and sea ports in the
Maldives.
Deliberating on a paper presented by the Ministry of Health and Family
at today’s meeting on the matter, members highlighted the importance
establishing permanent quarantine facilities. Speaking on the benefits
of such facilities, members said, in a situation of a pandemic disease,
infected passengers could be more effectively quarantined and treated in
a permanent facility. In addition, members agreed that a permanent
facility would eliminate setting up of temporary quarantine facilities
for each outbreak of a pandemic.
The Cabinet also decided that Ministry of Health and Family, in
collaboration with National Disaster Management Centre to prepare a
paper on how to set up quarantine facilities, and to make necessary
arrangements to establish isolation facilities.
During today’s meeting members also discussed on ways of reducing
expatriates working as support staff in the Maldives, and increasing the
recruitment of locals for such posts.
At the meeting, members also discussed implementing tighter and more
efficient budgetary control mechanisms.
Maldives has a long and proud history of freedom, says President Nasheed
President Mohamed Nasheed has said the Maldives has a long and proud
history of freedom. He said the Maldives’ history of independence was
among the longest in the region. The President made the observations
addressing the nation on the occasion of the National Day at the special
ceremony held at Jumhooree Maidhaan, this morning.
The President said the National Day was an opportunity to look back at
the history and consider the future challenges to move ahead with the
country.
Furthermore, the President said as we mark the National Day, we should
think back to how we came to this point in history of our nation, and
extend our thought to how we would move forward with our country.
President Nasheed said during more than 2000 years of the Maldives’
history, our fore-fathers fought many wars and struggled to pass our
country on to us.
In his address to the nation, the President elaborated on fight for
freedom of Mohamed Thakurufaanu, hero of the National Day.
He said the nationhood of the Maldives evolved and was maintained
through the shared story of the country. He said the story of the
Maldives has come to be known as the story of Mohamed Thakurufaanu’s
fight for freedom.
At the ceremony, the national flag was hoisted at Jumhooree Maidhaan
this morning.
Today’s special ceremony concluded with a special supplication.
President appoints the Minister of Finance and Treasury as the
Representative of the government to sign two loan agreements with the
ADB
President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed Minister of Finance and Treasury
Mr Ali Hashim as the Representative of the government, with Full Power
and Authority to sign and execute two loan agreements with Asian
Development Bank (ADB), on behalf of the government of the Maldives.
The ADB and the government have negotiated two technical assistance loan
agreements to help the Maldives’ economic recovery programme. The two
loan agreements are:
- Special Drawing Rights 21,912,000 (equivalent to 35 Million US
Dollars) to finance capacity development for economic recovery programme;
- Special Drawing Rights 939,000 (equivalent to 1.5 Million US Dollar)
to finance the economic recovery programme.
In addition to the two technical assistance loans, the ADB will also
provide a grant aid of 3 million US Dollars.
President expresses support for call by President of Timor-Leste for an
arms embargo on Burma until Aung Sang Suu Kyi is released. Government
signs two agreements with government of Timor-Leste.
President Mohamed Nasheed has said that he supported the call by
President Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste, for an arms embargo on Burma until
Aung Sang Suu Kyi was released. He made the statement at a joint press
conference with the President of Timor-Leste at the President’s Office
on Sunday.
Stating that while he was “encouraged by the process of engagement that
is underway” for the release of Aung Sang Suu Kyi, President Nasheed
said that he hoped that she would be released before the elections in
Burma later this year.
Highlighting the discussions he had with President Ramos-Horta,
President Nasheed said that he held “in depth discussion on a number of
issues including development, poverty eradication, and climate change”.
“The visit by President of Timor-Leste has enabled us to identify
further opportunities and advances that is mutual interest for both our
countries,” Nasheed added.
Speaking at the press conference, President Ramos-Horta said that he had
great admiration for President Nasheed for his “commitment and
compassion to put the Maldives on centre stage in the fight to preserve
our planet”.
He also commended President Nasheed for the reconciliatory approach to
past political opponents.
At the press conference, President Nasheed and President Ramos-Horta
took questions from the media on a number of issues including climate
change and transitional justice.
Before the press conference, the government of Maldives signed two
agreements with the government of Timor-Leste. The two agreements are:
- Agreement on the facilitation of visa agreement between the government
of Maldives and the government of Timor-Leste
- Agreement on cultural cooperation between the government of Maldives
and the government of Timor-Leste
Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed signed the agreements on behalf of the
government of Maldives and Foreign Minister of Timor-Leste Zakarias
Albani da Costal signed on behalf of Timor-Leste.
President Nasheed meets President José Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste
President Mohamed Nasheed has met with the visiting President of
Timor-Leste, Dr José Ramos-Horta. The meeting was held at the
President’s Office this morning today.
President Nasheed thanked President Ramos-Horta for accepting his
invitation to visit the country. Although the two countries were
geographically far apart, President Nasheed noted, the Maldives and
Timor-Leste shared many common interests, including addressing climate
crisis. The two leaders also noted that climate change was an immediate
issue that required urgent global action to address the problem, and
agreed to work closely on the issue of climate change.
They exchanged views on other regional and international issues, and
emphasised the need to adopt common position in such issues at various
international forums.
The two leaders also discussed ways to enhance bilateral ties in the
time ahead.President Ramos-Horta congratulated President Nasheed for
winning the first multi-party elections held in the Maldives. He also
expressed his confidence that the Maldives would make attain greater
heights of development during President Nasheed’s tenure.
Seized rice not for PDS, handed over to exporter
First Published : 14 Feb 2010 04:08:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 14 Feb 2010 06:41:01 AM IST
CHENNAI: Revenue officials of Tuticorin district and CID officials of
State civil supplies gave their assent on Friday for the export of
Basmati rice worth Rs 3.5 crore to Maldives after ascertaining that the
rice had not been smuggled out of the public distribution system.
The 2,212 metric tonnes consignment of rice was seized by officials on
January 23 on suspicion that it had been smuggled out of the public
distribution system.
It will now be shipped to Maldives, though its private exporter will be
charged with a Rs 60,000 fine for not informing district authorities
about the storage of a large consignment of food grains for a month.
Acting on complaints from customs officials, civil supplies and revenue
officials had registered a case against the private exporter on charges
of smuggling rice meant for the PDS. The rice had been packed in 1,700
polyethene bags and were stored on the Maldives ship MV Bonthi-II and a
godown in Tuticorin.
President inaugurates “Islamic Fair 2010”
President Mohamed Nasheed has this afternoon inaugurated “Islamic Fair
2010” organized by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. After officially
opening the fair, at a ceremony held at the Islamic Centre, President
Nasheed visited the stalls at the fair.
Islamic Fair 2010 will be held till 15 February at the Islamic Centre.
Maldives welcomes the President of Timor-Leste with a colourful
ceremonial reception
Maldives welcomed the visiting President of Timor-Leste, Dr Jose Ramos-Horta
with a colourful ceremonial reception at the Malé Official Jetty. On his
arrival at the Jetty this morning, President Ramos-Horta was greeted by
President Nasheed.
A bugle call was sounded on President Ramos-Horta’s arrival, after which
President Nasheed accompanied the visiting President to the saluting
dais, where the national anthems Maldives and Timor-Leste were played.
The visiting President was then given a 7-Gun Salute. President Ramos-Horta
then proceeded to inspect a guard of honour.
After the official welcoming ceremony, the two President’s walked to the
President’s Office.
India Club holds a free health camp in Maafushi
Around 450 people (with over 610 prescriptions) were treated at the
health camp organized by the India Club at Maafushi Island. The camp was
held at the School premises in Maafushi from 9:30am to 4.30pm on Friday,
Feb 12. It was considered a success as a more than 98% of the
beneficiaries were Maldivians apart from Bangladeshis and Indians.
People from Maafushi and near by Guraidhoo and Guli islands benefited
from the camp.
Medicines, donated by ADK pharmacy and others, were dispensed at the
camp free of charge. Free transfers were were made available by
Provincial Office for the people of Guraidhoo and Guli. The Sunland
group and Club Faaru had provided transfer for the doctors, para-medical
staff and volunteers to reach Maafushi from Male’. India Club reports
that it was pleased with the public’s reception and the goodwill earned
from them. The hospitality extended by the people of the island was
admirable.
Speaking to Miadhu Daily, Narayana Swamy, Secretary General of the India
club and First Secretary of the Indian High Commission said the club was
delighted with the support and encouragement they received from the
government and private sector, adding that it was a tremendous incentive
for holding similar events. Mr. Swami thanked all parties involved in
the camp who had made significant contributions. Presence of Mr. Zubair,
CEO, IGMH on behalf of the Health Ministry and Mr. Mohamed Naeem,
Minister of State for North Central Province throughout the health camp
session added vigor to the programme, he added. He was all praise for
the Chief of ADK group, Mr. Nasheed for always supporting such
humanitarian projects envisaged by India Club. Ali Latheef, Dr. Pandian,
Dr. J T Rao and Dr. Ikleel also actively participated in the Maafushi
health camp.
Admiring the success, Maldivian Health Minister, Foreign Minister,
Special Envoy to the President, High Commissioner of India and others
forwarded their congratulatory messages to India Club extending complete
support to such noble ventures.
Maldivistan: Pakistan must help
Maldivians
Pakistan and Maldivian relations have begun to grow
exponentially, with the Maldivians reaching to for help to Pakistan–in
diversifying their imports and in establishing structures to reduce the
dependence on Bharat which tries to meddle in Maldivian affairs on an
ongoing basis. Muslim Maldives struggles against Indian take over
readmore..
Pakistan to help for the capacity building of Maldives in
agriculture sector, says Gondal
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Nazar Muhammad
Gondal has said that his ministry is ready for building institutional
linkages with the Maldives’ Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and
assisting the people of Maldives in building their capacity in
agriculture.
He said this while talking to Maldives High Commissioner Shehenaz Adam
here at his office on Saturday, according to press statement issued
here.
He said that the students from that country would be offered short
courses and other programmes
readmore..
South Asia: climate victims
Rising temperatures and sea levels caused by climate change are already
affecting life in South Asia. Ross Adkin analyses the responses of the
region’s governments.
A report commissioned by the World Bank and published in November last
year predicted an increase in the frequency of natural disasters in the
Indian subcontinent (already 750 million South Asians have been affected
by at least one natural disaster in the last two decades), and
irreparable damage to bio systems, especially those of the Himalaya and
coral reef systems around Sri Lanka and other islands, if action to
combat climate change is not taken soon.
readmore..
Finance Minister briefs EU inter-institutional group
on March donor conference; strong EU presence assured
readmore..
President launches waste disposal project in Thinadhoo
During his visit to G.Dh Thinadhoo, President Mohamed Nasheed has this
morning launched the waste disposal project in the island.
Speaking at the function, President said waste disposal was a big issue
everywhere in the Maldives and that the government was working to find
ways to solve the issue.
He said that garbage was one of the causes of health and environmental
problems, and stressed that a proper waste management system was very
important.
After launching the waste disposal project, President Nasheed visited
the flooding area of Thinadhoo. He also visited the Regional Hospital in
Thinadhoo and met with the staff and patients.
President attends agricultural seminar
As part of his visit to G.Dh. Thinadhoo, President Mohamed Nasheed has
last evening attended an agricultural seminar and met with people
working in the fishing and agriculture industry.
Speaking at the seminar, President Nasheed highlighted the status of
Maldives fishing industry. He also spoke on the government’s efforts to
improve the fishing industry.
President Nasheed and Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Dr Ibrahim
Didi and Minister of State for Fisheries and agriculture Dr Aminath
Shafiya answered queries raised by participants.
Govt to import diesel from Maldives
UNB, Dhaka
The government will import 120,000 metric tonnes diesel from Maldives
during the first half of this year (January-June) to meet the domestic
demand.
Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Wednesday approved the proposal.
State-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) will import the
petroleum from Maldives National Oil Company (MNOC) under a
state-to-state deal.
The premium for per barrel of diesel is fixed at US$ 3.90.
Bangladesh needs about 38-40 million tonnes of diesel to meet its annual
demand.
The Cabinet body approved another proposal of the Food Ministry to
directly procure gunny bags from the state-owned Bangladesh Jute Mills
Corporation (BJMC).
Another proposal of the Power Ministry to import one lakh electric
meters for Rural Electrification Board (REB) at a cost of Tk 8.71 crore
was also approved at the meeting.
UNESCO sponsors workshops on public service broadcasting in Maldives
11-0
Last January the Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) held
a series of workshops on public broadcasting, funded by UNESCO.
Conducted in the Maldivian capital, Malé, the workshops gathered
together top executives and the Chairman of MNBC, parliamentarians,
government ministers and representatives of NGO’s and of commercial
broadcasting.
Established last year, MNBC is the first public broadcasting corporation
in the country, which describes itself as being ‘on a journey from a
state broadcaster to a public broadcaster’. Previously, television and
radio channels had been controlled by the Ministry of Information.
read more...
Rahul
Gandhi concludes his visit to Maldives
Member of Parliament of India and General Secretary of the Indian
National Congress, Honourable Rahul Gandhi has concluded his two-day
visit to the Maldives, this afternoon.
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed, Special Envoy of the President Ibrahim
Hussain Zaki, Political Advisor to the President Hassan Afeef and
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Naseem bade farewell to Hon
Gandhi, at Male’ International Airport.
President attends information session for the people of Thinadhoo on
housing project
As part of his visit to G.Dh. Thinadhoo, President Mohamed Nasheed has
this afternoon attended an information session for the people of
Thinadhoo on government’s housing project.
President noted that providing affordable housing was one of the key
pledges of his administration. He also said that the government,
therefore, gave a high priority to its housing project.
Under the housing project, the government plans to build 1,000 housing
units in 85 identified islands.
The government is now in negotiation with TATA Housing, to build 250
housing units.
Earlier today, President met with senior officials on Thinadhoo and
spoke on their general well-being and on the development projects for
the island.
He also visited G.Dh Atoll Education Centre. During his visit to the
school, he met with teachers and students at the school.
Jumeirah
expands presence in the Maldives
Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hospitality company and member of
Dubai Holding, has signed an agreement with Xanadu Holdings Private
Limited to manage Jumeirah Meradhoo, a new five star deluxe resort
located in Gaafu Alifu Atoll, south of the Malé Atoll. This is the
second phase of the Group's expansion strategy in an area which is
recognized as the world's top luxury resort destination.
read more...
Cabinet decides to establish Maldives Polytechnic
he cabinet, in a meeting today, has decided to establish Maldives
Polytechnic, to be run under a corporate policy.
The cabinet made this decision after discussing a paper submitted by the
Ministry of Education.
With the establishment of Maldives Polytechnic, all the programmes that
were run by the Maldives Institute of Vocational Education Training (MIVET),
and all the courses below undergraduate level at the Faculty of
Engineering Technology, will be provided by Maldives Polytechnic.
The objective of establishing Maldives Polytechnic is to produce skilled
workers, train youths seeking jobs, and reduce expatriate workers.
President appoints Deputy High Commissioner for Singapore
President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed Mr Mohamed Ibrahim Didi as the
Deputy High Commissioner for Singapore, in the rank of Deputy Minister.
Mr Didi previously served as the Trade Representative in Singapore.
Maldives to replicate 'Tihar' model for prisoners' reform
New Delhi: Impressed by the reformation and recreational activities
being carried out in the country's largest Tihar Prisons here, Maldives
is now considering to adopt the same model for all its jails.
A high-level delegation recently made a visit to Tihar to analyse
different programmes and other activities that run inside the prison
premises.
read more...
Be my Valentine, at an exotic place (With Images)
New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) Tired of candle-lit dinners in the city on
Valentine’s Day? Now you can escape to an island, sip margaritas on the
beach and soak up the sun with your loved one. Remember Feb 14 is on a
Sunday this year.
“This year, with Valentine’s Day falling on a weekend, there is
increased anticipation within the hospitality and travel industry of a
positive response from the younger generation who have cash and are
seeking reasons to indulge,” Kavi Ghei, director of TRAC Representations
that handles international tourism boards and airlines, told IANS.
read more...
Rahul
Gandhi arrives Maldives
Member of Parliament of India, Honourable Rahul Gandhi has arrived in
Maldives this afternoon.
On arrival at Male’ International Airport, Mr Gandhi was received by
President Mohamed Nasheed; Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed; Special
Envoy of the President Ibrahim Hussain Zaki; President’s Political
Advisor Hassan Afeef; and, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed Shaheed.
Vice President visits Hulhumalé
Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has this evening visited Hulhumalé and
toured some public service providers in Hulhumalé.
The Vice President took the ferry service to Hulhumalé.
He visited Hulhumalé Police Station as well as Hulhumalé Hospital. At
the hospital Dr Waheed visited the patients, family members, and staff.
Also, the Vice President visited Hulhumalé power house and the MWSC
building.
During his visit to Hulhumalé, Dr Waheed identified some areas where
services could be improved.
One night in Sanya costs more than six days in Maldives
The latest quotation list of Sanya hotels shows, five-star hotels near
Sanya Bay in China's Hainan province charge more than 15,000 yuan (about
2,197U.S. dollars) per day, and some hotels even charge more than 20,000
yuan (about 2,929.7 U.S. dollars) for one night. Living in high-end
hotels in Sanya for the night now costs you the same as 4 to 5 days in
some overseas tourist destinations.
read more...
Stars of the south
The island we're sitting on is, we are told, one of the best places in
the world for star-gazing. Hadahaa Island, a remote speck of sand in the
far south of the Maldives, is just 54 kilometres from the equator, which
means you can see the constellations of both the northern and southern
skies at the same time. What's more, with the nearest inhabited island
10 kilometres away, there's no light pollution to dim the celestial
panorama. Most nights, the starlight is almost bright enough to blind
you.
New Ambassador of Myanmar presents his credentials to
President Nasheed
he new Ambassador of Myanmar to the Maldives, U Ohn Thwin of Myanmar,
presented his Credentials to President Mohamed Nasheed today.
The President congratulated Ambassador Thwin on his appointment, and
welcomed him to the Maldives.
President Nasheed and the Ambassador discussed on possible areas of
cooperation between the Maldives and Myanmar. Discussions were
especially focused on strengthening trade ties between the two
countries.
The President also expressed his hope that Aung San Suu Kyi would be
released soon.
Waste Not Biofuels Cause One Billion People To Go Hungry
As we begin the new decade, despite an abundance of food, worldwide,
more than 1 billion persons are living with hunger. A Special Issue of
Agricultural Water Management, "Investing in Water For Food, Ecosystems
and Livelihoods", published by Elsevier, provides insight and
recommendations regarding causes and potential solutions to the hunger
crisis.
Investments in agriculture have not kept pace with the need,
particularly in developing countries. Feeding the world in 2050 will
require a substantial increase in food production and notable increases
in household incomes in most developing countries.
Based on work completed in 2007, as part of the Comprehensive Assessment
of Water Management in Agriculture, the articles in this special issue
provide an updated perspective on the investments and interventions
needed to improve both irrigated and rainfed agriculture, and to achieve
global food security goals.
Furthermore, the authors shed light on the challenges and opportunities
we must seize without delay, if we are to feed the world successfully by
2050 and beyond.
The researchers, addressing both supply and demand issues, warn that
reducing the number of hungry and undernourished people in the world
will not be easy, given that most of the additional births each year
occur in developing countries.
Guest Editors David Molden and Charlotte de Fraiture, both from the
International Water Management Institute (www.iwmi.org), commented: "We
cannot think of a more pressing question or a more challenging issue in
our time. Even if we solve the climate change issue tomorrow, we will
still need sufficient food and fiber to support 9 billion people in
2050. To do this, we must manage land and water resources with great
care and we must make wise investments and policy choices from today
onward, with little room for making mistakes."
Gilles Jonker, Executive Publisher Agricultural Sciences at Elsevier
added, "We are excited to publish this Special Issue and to support the
endeavours of the Editors and Guest Editors in calling attention to the
global food security situation and to the need for investments in
relevant fields of agriculture."
Inmate Dies after Heartattack
Hassan Ahmed of Laamu gan Island ,an inmate of
Jail at Mafushi island, Kaafu atoll has died today after heart attack.
Sources confirms that he was under normal sircumstances till about
112.30 pm today. He Prayed salat and felt pain on the chest.
His death was confirmed at 2 pm.
Inmates says it took too lang for authorities to attend him after the
pain. According to the inmates they have taken one and half hours to
attend him.
DPRS says the matter is under investigation and they will officially
comment after the investigation only.
Five Maldivian jihadists in Pakistan brought home
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH, 2010
Miadhu Daily has received reports that 5 of the 9 Maldivian jihadists
detained in Pakistan was brought home.
The source, a senior official of the government revealed that the
government is also working to bring the remaining four to the Maldives.
When questioned if they were detained in the Maldives, the source
refused to answer saying that it is something to be decided by the
relevant authorities.
The source also said that Maldivians does not join jihadists simply
because they like it or endorse it, but a major problem is the
propaganda by the jihadists for new recruits.
read more...
Lashkar threat brings Maldives closer to India
New Delhi, 06 February (Asiantribune.com):
The Maldives will formalise its counter-terrorism agreements with
India after renewed fears that Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)
is trying to establish a base in remote parts of the Maldives.
Indian intelligence bureau sources have been quoted as saying that the
LeT “has nearly 1,000 operatives active in the Maldives”, and that there
was no way the group’s operations “can be curbed unless there is very
good intelligence sharing with the Maldives.” The sources claimed that
in the last three months “there has been an increase in LeT activites in
the Maldives, and several persons from [the LeT's] Kerala group have
slipped into the country and are busy setting up operations there.”
read more...
European NATO allies pressed to find police trainers
ISTANBUL (Agencies): NATO’s European allies came under pressure Friday
to make a fresh but possibly decisive effort to send military and police
trainers to Afghanistan to seize the initiative from Taliban insurgents.
At talks between alliance defence ministers in Istanbul, Turkey, the
United States and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged
nations to find some four thousand trainers seen as a vital cog in
NATO’s strategy. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
has amassed around 40,000 extra troops and has begun deploying them in
Afghanistan as part of the new counter-insurgency approach aimed at
ending eight years of fighting.
read more...
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