US$1.5 million aircraft to be brought next month: IA

MALE, July 26 (HNS) -- Island Aviation (IA) said Thursday additional aircraft for domestic air travel that costs US$1.5 million will be brought to Maldives in the middle of next month. Bandhu Ibrahim Saleem, the Managing Director of the company, said the aircraft, which is brought from French island Guvaad Lupnun located in the Caribbean Sea, is similar to the current Dornier aircraft that is at the moment in operation. The company said when the new aircraft is brought in, the company will gain many benefits, and transporting patients from islands will also be eased. "Patients cannot be transported in stretchers by Dash-8 aircraft due to its design. Dornier aircraft is designed in a way which allows carrying of patients on stretchers," IA said. IA said although the company faces difficulty transporting patients, once the new aircraft is brought in, such problems will be solved and the service can be provided well.

Tourism ministry considering facilitating ways for Maldivians to build resorts to keep foreign currency from flowing out

Male, September 8 (HNS) – Minister of Tourism Hassan Sabir said that his ministry is considering providing ways for Maldivians to build resorts to keep foreign currency from flowing out of the country. Sabir said that while more than US$150 million was spent on building the 14 resorts that were developed recently, a large proportion of that money flowed out of the country. He said that even if 30 percent of that cost were considered as labour cost, about US$50 million would have flowed out. He said that this is a matter of serious concern. Sabir said that while the ministry invites bids for the resorts under the second phase of the Second Tourism Masterplan, some things would be amended to address this issue. He said that one reason such a huge amount is spent on foreign labour and services is because the term given for the development of the resort is too short. He said that currently only one year's duration is given to develop the resort and this means that the resort has to be developed with any means within that period. The tourism minister said that the ministry is considering giving a longer period to develop the resort and to provide more opportunities for Maldivian construction firms. Sabir said that only two resorts – Hudhufushi and Addu atoll Villingili – remain unopened among the islands that were to be developed under the first phase of the Second Tourism Masterplan. He said that 4,000 beds would be added in the areas to where tourism is to be introduced under the second phase. He said that instead of increasing the bed capacity by 4,000 at once, the ministry would try to increase the bed capacity by 1,000 each year till the target is achieved. After Hudhufushi and Villingili is opened the bed capacity of the tourism industry will reach 16,000. The target bed capacity of the Second Tourism Masterplan is 20,000 by the end of 2005.

Construction of protective wall completed in Bilehfahi

KULHUDHUHFUSHI, Haa Dhaalu Atoll, Dec 23 (HNS) – Construction has been completed on a protective wall for Shaviyani atoll Bilehfahi which suffer from wave erosion. Work on the construction of the protective wall began two months ago in order to protect the part of the island from which an area of about 28,000 square feet have been eroded. Construction began about two months ago and were completed late November, assistant island chief Mohamed Ibrahim said. The wall was constructed with government assistance. "It is quite a relief as the problem of erosion has finally been solved after a long time," Mohamed said. "This has brought us much satisfaction," the island chief said.

Villa Vaali brings 1.6 million-dollar barge to supply ice for fish export

MALE, Feb 7 (HNS) – Villa Vaali has brought a 1.6 million-dollar barge to supply ice to fishermen and fish exporters. The barge, harboured beside Feydhoofinolhu island, can store 1,000 tonnes of ice blocks and has the capacity of producing 100 tonnes of ice per day. In addition, the barge has a cold storage that can store up to 80 tonnes of frozen fish. Gasim Ibrahim of Villa Trade and Shipping, one of the shareholders of Villa Vaali, said that the barge can help in supplying ice to enable exporters to export high quality fish. Villa Vaali hopes to provide ice to all fishing vessels in the region at cheaper prices. "We (fish exporters) are all working towards producing high quality fish. Hence, it is necessary that there be a constant supply of ice," Gasim told Haveeru. The barge has not been put into service yet. Gasim said that in addition to supplying ice to others, one of the main purposes of the barge will be to help process high quality yellowfin tuna when his company Villa Fishing embarks on extensive yellowfin tuna fishery. "Overseas markets can be gained only by exporting high quality products," Gasim said.

Asian ministers to meet in Maldives on International Year of Ecotourism

MALE, Feb 2 (HNS) – Asian ministers are to meet in Maldives from February 11 to 13 for a conference on the International Year of Ecotourism. The conference that is held to discuss ways of developing sustainable tourism through environmentally and ecologically friendly methods will be inaugurated by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the tourism ministry said. The meeting will also be participated by the secretary of the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) and would discuss, among other things, the state of world tourism. The ministers meet is held in Maldives to coincide with the 30th anniversary of tourism in Maldives, the tourism ministry said.

18,000 shares sold by end of Thursday: STO

Male, September 9 (HNS) – State Trading Organisation (STO) said on Sunday that since it started offering shares to the public, it has sold 18,000 shares by the end of Thursday. STO's Deputy Director Ismail Ibrahim said that shares are being sold gradually during the past 20 days since STO started selling shares. STO had estimated that 111,555 shares, including 4,000 shares for the employees of the company, would be sold within one month. Ibrahim said that the employees have also not bought their shares. The prospectus issued by STO said that the duration of selling shares could be extended if all shares are not sold within one month. STO said that it has not yet made a decision on this issue. STO is selling a share with a face value of Rf50 for a price of Rf300. The company began selling shares on July 15.

Singapore Airlines to increase 26 percent capacity into Maldives

MALE, June 1 (HNS) -- Singapore International Airlines has announced a five-weekly B777-200 flight service to Maldives from Sunday. This will replace its current operation utilizing the airbus A310-300 as part of its fleet renewal, the airlines said in a press release. As part of fleet renewal, SIA will be retiring the A310-300 from its fleet by June. Flights will depart Singapore on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2035 hours and arrive in Male International Airport at 2150 hours. Singapore bound direct flights will depart Male at 2305 hours on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays arriving at 0645 hours. The B777-200 flight to Male marks a huge increase in Raffles Class with 150 seats offered weekly as compared to the current 84 seats. The flight has a seating capacity of 30 in Raffles Class and 293 in Economy Class. "We are committed to our services into the Maldives and the 26 percent increase in capacity reflect our confidence in the market," SIA Vice President for West Asia and Africa, Paul Tan, was quoted as saying. "As demand improves into this vibrant market, popular with honeymooners, diving enthusiasts or those looking for a quiet getaway, SIA is committed to continue renewing the demand with a view for additional capacity," he said. Passengers traveling to and from Male on the B777-200 aircraft can look forward to enhanced seating comfort with more legroom from the current A310-300 services. They will also be able to experience the new generation of KrisWorld entertainment system, offering an even wider selection of films, short features and games. This was reflected in comments given after interim upgrades in August 2001 to the B777-200 aircraft, SIA said. Passengers will be able to engage in friendly conversation with their fellow travelers through the SIA In-flight Challenge, SIA's first multi-player game, which takes the form of a general knowledge quiz. The new generation KrisWorld system also provides passengers in all classes with audio and video on demand, allowing them to enjoy entertainment at the time of their choice, and start, pause, stop, rewind and fast forward audio and video entertainment as they wish. Passengers will also soon be able to enjoy enhanced meal service in Business Class from Singapore to Maldives. Singapore Airlines, together with its regional subsidiary, SilkAir, fly to 90 destinations in 40 countries. Together with the airline's code-share partners, the airline has a global reach of 119 destinations in 41 countries.

Donors push for transparency in Asian Development Bank operations

by P. Parameswaran MANILA, June 8 (AFP) -- Donor countries are pushing for greater transparency and accountability in the operations of a multi-million-dollar poverty-busting fund under the Asian Development Bank (ADB). They want a key ADB department supervising the Asian Development Fund (ADF) to be made independent and have called for a revamp of the Manila-based bank's strategy to reduce poverty prevalent among 900 million people in Asia. The ADF is ADB's soft-loan-window for its borrowing members and has been replenished by 25 donor countries led by Japan, the United States and Europe every four years since its launch in 1973. In a mid-term review of the eighth ADF worth 5.6 billion dollars for the 2001-2004 period, the donors said "stronger emphasis should be given to transparency in decision-making, accountability, performance and clear and meaningful delegation of responsibilities and authority," according to an ADB official. In line with this and to improve ADB's "internal governance" the donors wanted ADB's operations evaluation department (OED) to be made independent, said Peter McCawley, who chaired the mid-term review discussions. The department currently reports to ADB President Tadao Chino but the donors want it to be directly responsible to the bank's board of directors representing the shareholders. The bank has 61 developing and developed nations as members. "The donors unanimously agreed that the OED should be independent, in line with some of the other multilateral development banks," Paul Speltz, the US Executive Director of ADB, told AFP. "Certainly, the bank management understands this," he said. Speltz said while the ADB was ahead of other development banks in some of its functions and its moves towards greater transparency and governance, the donors felt that an independent OED would act as an effective watchdog for the bank for more efficient disbursement of aid. Michele Miari Fulcis, one of the European executive directors at the bank, said in a separate interview that he was concerned over the "very high" rate of unsuccessful projects under the bank's poverty eradication programme. "Of course, you have to realise that we are not investing in Switzerland or Luxembourg but in developing countries usually under risky conditions and in places where commercial banks will not go. But my hope is that less projects are unsuccessful," Fulcis said. Speltz said the projects were in fact, at times, delayed due to the stringent conditions imposed by the bank as part of reforms crucial for better governance and transparency, which donors would not compromise. "If there is corruption or, for example, if a country does not meet the environmental standards set by the bank and by the international community, this bank will not let those monies go out," he stressed. In 2002, ADB approved 89 loans for poverty-eradication projects in more than 20 countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, India, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Donor nations have also asked for a comprehensive review of the implementation of ADB's "Poverty Reduction Strategy," launched in 1999 as the bank's blueprint to fight the social problem in much of the region, said McCawley, who is head of ADB's think tank ADBI. The donors wanted the review to be available during the early stages of negotiations on a further replenishment of the ADF later this year, he said. Speaking on behalf of the ADB management, Kunio Senga, head of the bank's ADF secretariat, said the bank was considering taking specific actions in consultation with donors to strengthen ADF's performance. "We take the donors' concerns very seriously and appreciate the many constructive and useful views that were expressed. While there were areas where ADB has done well, there were also areas where we can do better," he told AFP. On making the bank's OED independent, Senga said ADB had taken steps to review its ro

Enslaving the green-eyed monster!

By Fathmath Ibrahim* Jealousy is a natural human emotion. Jealousy can be any object that takes your partner's interest, time or money away from you. It could be a sport, it could be a friend or friends in general, it could be an animal, it could be a job or it could be their family or children. When you remarry and inherit someone else's children, and even if you think you're ready, you suddenly experience feelings you can't begin to understand. When your boyfriend/girlfriend starts giving someone else their attention, you feel like murdering them. We all have feelings of jealousy from time to time. It becomes a problem once we go overboard with our emotions, especially negative feelings like anger, jealousy and depression. Those feelings of jealousy are powerful. They will quickly overtake anything positive and do all kinds of harm. For an attack against the green-eyed monster, try these steps: 1. First, don't be so hard on yourself for feeling the way you do. You can't overcome feelings of jealousy if you continue to deny them because it's not what you want to feel. The feelings are natural, and you can deal with them once you acknowledge them. 2. Accept the facts. Jealousy is an irrational emotion. It rules out of fear and insecurity and goes straight to your heart. To combat the feelings of jealousy means to simply fight them with logic. Try to explore the core reasons for your feelings. Is it the fear that you are going to be replaced or is it that the other person is going to share a part of him or herself with another and you need it all? Once you can identify your needs you can communicate this to your partner. 3. Replace jealousy with something else. There is only so much room in your heart for conflicting emotions — sooner or later, one or the other will win out. You can be filled with jealousy and insecurity or acceptance and security. It's your choice. 4. When you stop focusing your mind on your boyfriends' ex-girlfriend's life and start focusing on how to best run your own, your heart will follow. When you stop worrying about the time your partner spends 'apart' from you and start focusing on making the best of the time that he's 'with' you, you'll be filled with hope and potential, not jealousy and regret. In a healthy relationship, your partner listens to your feelings and shares his or her own feelings about why those events are happening. The two of you can talk them out and if one of you sees how this is affecting the other and is willing to change and can change that behavior, you've both got what you wanted. A happy relationship is where both gives and takes. Jealousy keeps you down and always focuses on what you don't have. Look instead to the future that you can build and focus your energies on what you do have. Being in a relationship allows you to grow and face the challenges of letting someone else use your 'personal space'. You can't do that if you're looking back. Enslave the green-eyed monster within you and look ahead to grow. It's the better choice. [*Iko is a psychologist working with the Narcotics Control Board (NCB). If you have any questions or concerns about drug abuse and related social or interpersonal issues, please contact her at: fi4@waikato.ac.nz]

Long distance relationships: how to make it work for you

by Fathmath Ibrahim (Iko)* It's Friday night and you're waiting by the phone. The phone calls, emails and letters have become the significant other in your life now. It's called the long distance relationship. Long distance relationships are tough. Horrific phone costs, obsessions with inboxes, bursts of jealousy combined with feelings of loss and abandonment add challenges to the crazy thing called love. But, distance can also offer a positive alternative. Distance gives you time and space. You can focus on your own life without some of the self-absorption of always being together. You independently develop a life which helps you to learn who you are, not whose girlfriend or whose boyfriend you may be. Long distance relationships also makes you more creative. Partners get to spend more quality time when they are together, they may meet at adventurous half-way points, indulge in romantic letter writing and learn more about each other's cities and friends. Distance cannot, and will not hurt a bond between two people that is based on mutual respect, trust, commitment, and love. So the ingredients for a successful long distance relationship are: COMMUNICATION The first key to success with long distance relationships is effective communication. Communication means talking about what's going on in your life, and how you're feeling about things. Keeping in touch is important, but it doesn't necessarily have to be expensive. You can talk on the phone about twice a month and alternate between who shares the cost. Leave short messages on the phone and play them over and over again. Email and SMS is another fast and cheap alternative. Sending recorded tapes of each other's voices and stories is another fun thing to do. TRUST In order to pull off a long distance relationship, you need to have a lot of trust in your partner. If you don't, you may end up wasting a lot of time wondering where they are and who they're with. Ensure your partner that the other person's social life will not be a threat to the relationship. Constant reassurance of your love for each other and sharing even the tiniest threats and weaknesses will help. INDEPENDENCE AND RESPECT Distance involves a new life away from each other. You should respect the existence and time devoted to this new life by your partner and value their hard work. A new life doesn't mean you don't care about your partner anymore; it means you're are still a valuable person when they aren't around. Respect your partner's decision to live a life which doesn't revolve solely around you. Independence is also very important. With an appropriate balance of independence and dependence, each person is allowed, and encouraged, to grow and change as an individual. It is, therefore, wise not to expect that your partner or yourself will always stay exactly the same as when the relationship started. HONESTY Be honest about how you feel about your relationship, and what's going on in your life. If your studies or job are keeping you busy, or if you're sick, tell you partner - it's easier to understand why you haven't e-mailed in a while, or why you seem cranky/moody. Don't forget to tell them about the good things happening in your life as well as the bad ones! In the unfortunate case you decide that the relationship isn't working - don't just leave the other person in the dark, be honest with them. This doesn't mean being rude or thoughtless. Try to avoid telling them before major exams, or during final. And don't break up via email or SMS. Talk to each other openly and come to a mutual decision. Whatever your situation, remember the old adage: "If it's meant to be, it's meant to be." So keep your chin up and try to have a good time together or apart. Good luck! [*Iko is a psychologist working with the Narcotics Control Board (NCB). If you have any questions or concerns about drug abuse and related social or personal issues, please contact her at: ask@newmail.com]

Feevah island earns more than Rf500,000 from agriculture

MALE, July 31 (HNS) -- Feevah island in Shaviyani Atoll generates more than Rf500,000 in revenue from agriculture, the island office said. Island Chief Ali Rahseed said that last month alone the agriculture sector accounted for Rf578,000. "This is an agrarian island. The island earns a lot from this work and farmers are always very active in their work," said Rasheed. There are nearly 300 farmers in a population of 900.

D-Tech to undertake delivery of 22 generators for island electrification

MALE, April 14 (HNS) – D-Tech has been contracted to undertake the importing of 22 generators for the island electrification project, the atolls administration ministry announced.An official said that D-Tech presented the best proposal to undertake the Rf2.6 million project aimed at giving islands generators for electrification under a special grant of the President. D-Tech has to deliver the generators within 80 days under an agreement that may be signed on Sunday. The atolls ministry is expecting to deliver the generators to the islands by June or July.

Lightning paralyses man

MALE, June 15 (HNS) -- A lightening strike injured a person in KanuhuraResort last Thursday afternoon. He was paralysed on one side of his body. Ibrahim Mohamed, 37, of Urugun, Vaavu Atoll, who carried some tourists to the Kanuhuraa Island resort by a dhoni of Komandoo resort, was paralysed one side of his body, the Assistant Manager of Kanuhura, Hussain Naseer said. Ibrahim was in the Dhoni when the lightning struck the vessel during heavy rain and thunder. At that time communication equipment of the vessel was blown up by the strike and he was affected by it. At the time there were no tourists on the Dhoni. "When we went there, he was trembling and was taken to island's clinic where he was being treated. When his condition improved, he was sent to Male' by a chartered seaplane of the Maldivian Air Taxi, accompanied by a doctor from the Kanuhuraa resort. At that time his body's left side was paralysed and he also could not hear. His head and arms were burnt", Hussain explained. He said that during the lighting strike the antenna of communication set that was installed island's security post was also blown up. The main switches of the computer network server were also blown up in the incident. And the computer network has been completely destroyed. He also said some telephone connections were also damaged. "We were not able to repair the computer network. New equipments have been ordered abroad", he explained further. Assistant Manager of Komandoo resort Abdulla Naseer said the captain of Komandoo-resort dhoni, who was stricken by lighting, has been treated at the ADK hospital. "Now his legs can move, he can speak; but still he cannot move his arm", said Naseer. The damages to the Kanuhura resort caused by Thursday's lightning strike are about US$30,000.

Discipline a virtue for self-development: Gayoom

MALE, Nov 10 (HNS) - Discipline and good moral conduct are virtues that everyone need in order to achieve fulfillment and well-being in personal matters, family life and social relations, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said. The President said so while addressing Thursday the first meeting held this year at the Islamic Centre under the program to revive and renew the spirit of Ramadan. Speaking about the fifteen fundamental aspects of Islam as categorized by Muslim theologians and philosophers and, continuing the series of lectures that he had begun earlier on this subject, the President's address covered the 13th aspect, which was discipline and moral conduct. Gayoom stressed the importance of discipline and rectitude for well-ordered social relations, and noted the vital role played in one's personal life by the qualities of good moral character and integrity. He said that a person who spurned such virtues would not find fulfillment in his personal matters, and would not be a person who enjoyed the respect and the esteem of his peers and others. Moreover, such a person would not be able to contribute to the well-being of his own family or society, he said. The President explained that the Holy Koran taught in detail what constituted good moral conduct, and said that one of the qualities that were highlighted was honesty. He said that an honest person would be true in both word and deed, and added that those who were honest would achieve success and respect in their lives and would receive the blessings of the Almighty Allah in the Hereafter. He also noted the importance of honesty and truthfulness for well-ordered social relations and harmony. President Gayoom said that trustworthiness was a virtue that was related to honesty, and recalled that the holy book commands the people to become trustworthy. He highlighted the importance of being faithful to matters that were entrusted to a person, especially with regard to property and wealth, and stressed that such trusts should be carefully rendered to their rightful owners. Gayoom counseled everyone to strengthen their personality and conscience with such virtues. He emphasized the importance of everyone contributing to reform in matters that were related to each one, or their area of social interaction and, while stressing the necessity of striving for reform, the President noted that such efforts had reaped success. Two other virtues that the President highlighted in his address were humility and modesty. The President said that no person had any justification to be haughty and arrogant, and that all mortals should realize their frailty and weakness. He added that everyone should aspire to the qualities of humility and modesty. Further, he noted the importance of the qualities of forgiveness and restraining anger, and counseled everyone to make it a habit, if angered, to control their temper and to speak with composure. The President also noted that forgiving others was a means of receiving the mercy and forgiveness of the Almighty Allah.

STO interested in investing overseas

MALE, July 1 (HNS) -- State Trading Organization said Sunday it is interested in investing in neighboring countries. Speaking at the annual general meeting of the company, the Chairman of the Directors' Board, Abdulla Yameen, said as the company faces difficulty of income sources, they are interested in investing in neighboring countries to venture in export businesses if their is good investment possibilities in those countries. The Managing Director of STO, Mohamed Maniku, told Haveeru that there had been discussions at the Directors Board about investing in Sri Lanka. But Maniku did not reveal in what kind of business that STO would be investing in Sri Lanka. He said if any kind of investment is made in Sri Lanka, it would be an investment similar to the business that the company has been doing in Singapore. According to STO, Rf2 billion have been made from its businesses in Singapore last year. But although there has been an increase of trade in its business in Singapore, a substantial amount of profit has not been made as Singapore is a country that has competitive markets.

President calls on Maldivians to fully adhere to the teachings of Prophet Mohamed

MALE, May 24 (HNS) – President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on Thursday called on the people to respect the exemplary guidance given by the Prophet Mohamed and to adhere fully to his Sunnah.At a function held at the Islamic Centre on the eve of the Holy Prophet's birthday anniversary, Gayoom said that Prophet Mohamed was the finest example of equanimity, modesty, and of helpfulness to people.The President emphasized that harshness and extremism were contrary to the example showed by Mohamed. He added that the objective of the commemoration of Mohamed's birthday, and in expressing joy on the auspicious occasion, should be the steadfast adherence to the noble teachings of the Holy Prophet.Gayoom stressed the important role of Islam in Maldives, noting that since Maldives embraced Islam, the country had enjoyed the status of being a 100 percent Muslim nation. He said that the Islamic character of the nation was not confined to the beliefs held by the people, but was also clearly identified and declared in the laws of the Republic. He expressed regret that although the nation had deep, firm, and exclusive ties with Islam, there were occasions, however rare they may be, when anti-Islamic views, projected from abroad, were aired in the country. He added that given the exclusive adherence to Islam in the country, there were elements abroad who wished to secure a toe-hold in the country for other religions. The President noted that Maldivian families living abroad were sometimes targeted in this strategy, and were lured in through innocuous offers of friendship and assistance. In this regard, he called on the people traveling overseas and families living abroad to be vigilant against the subversive intent and corrupt influence of such people. Gayoom said that the aim of celebrating the noble occasion of the Holy Prophet's Birthday should be to strive for and sustain the resolute adherence of the people to the teachings of the Holy Prophet in an unswerving manner.At the function, Presidential Trophies and Prizes for the winners of the 17th National Competition on the Recitation of the Holy Quran, and for the winners of the 7th Competition on Religious Essays and Religious Poetry, were given away by the President. He also gave away the prizes to those who had been certified as having committed to memory all the verses of the Holy Quran. Felicitating all the prize-winners on their achievement, the President expressed his joy that a large number of people were certified as having committed the entire Quran to memory. He said that their success was sufficient proof of the increasing respect and importance being accorded by the people to the Muslim holy book. The President noted that a large number of parents were giving a high priority to ensure that their children were able to study the Holy Quran. He added that the nation should draw joy from such efforts and further urged the parents to continue their endeavour. The President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Mohamed Rasheed Ibrahim, also addressed the function. He said that one of the priorities set by the President on being elected to the office of the Head of State was to build the character of the people and the nation in various dimensions. He added that today, the nation was witnessing the fruition of those efforts. Mohamed Rasheed Ibrahim also clarified some of the topical issues related to the practice of Islam in Maldives. After the function, the President met with those who had attended the event as well as with those who had received various trophies and prizes.

Did the US purposefully open fire on international journalists?

WORLD IN PERSPECTIVE by Omar Zeidane The US came under heavy criticism after one of its tanks fired at a hotel in Baghdad where international journalists were stationed on Tuesday. Three were killed in the blast. The event surrounding the attack is shrouded in suspicion, leaving many wondering whether this was a brutal kind of censorship. For example, the Pentagon defended its troops and said that the tank crew were coming under fire from the Palestine Hotel, and returned fire as a defensive measure. Yet, surviving journalists at the hotel vehemently deny that there was anyone shooting from the hotel. Initially the Pentagon said that there was a gunman in the lobby of the hotel, but that does not explain why the tank shell smashed into the 15th floor where several journalists were watching the action from their balconies. Of course under pressure, soldiers can make mistakes, and in the heat of the moment it is plausible that action is taken hastily. But footage of the tragic event revealed that the tank's crew did not act under haste. A cameraman from a French television channel filmed everything. The tank turned its gun towards the hotel, but instead of immediately opening fire -- it waited for some two minutes. "It had been very quiet for a moment," said Herve De Ploeg, "There was no shooting at all. Then I saw the turret turning in our direction and the carriage lifting. It faced the target." He added that "it was not a case of instinctive firing." Another journalist, Lilli Gruber from the Italian RAI UNO station, said that even if there had been a sniper at the hotel, "the Americans would have targeted him, whereas it was clear they were not targeting anyone in particular since the shell hit a balcony." So what does all this add up to? Some are suggesting that this attack was a deliberate attempt to silence international journalists. The contradiction in the Pentagon's version of events, and that reported by the journalists at the hotel, only serves to fuel this suspicion. "It is clear the shelling of television and press offices in Baghdad was not random," the Saudi "Al-Jazirah" daily wrote. "It appears that some people did not like the media contradicting lies issued by war generals… Unfortunately those who expose the lies get the message by missiles." The Qatar based Al-Jazeera television network claims that its journalists are being deliberately targeted. One of its correspondents was killed in a separate attack on its office by a missile, and in the hotel another of its journalists was killed. If these allegations are true the consequences are immense: How can the US install a democracy in Iraq if it has acted in this way?

Bank of Maldives gives e-statement service to single party

MALE, April 3 (HNS) – Bank of Maldives Limited has given e-statement services to a single party.The service, which allows the customer to dial up and check up on the customer's account at BML, was given to Galaxy Enterprises only.The bank's general manager Keith Brown said that the service was given on a "testing" basis. However, he said that the bank is not to provide e-statement service in the near future. In fact, the bank has no plans to invest in such a service in the near future, he said.Asked why the bank provided the service to a certain party, Brown replied that the service was being "tested." He did not give reasons why a service that was not introduced by the bank was being given to a certain customer. The bank also declined to reveal the date when they started the e-statement service to Galaxy Enterprises.

Habib Bank celebrates 25 years of service in Maldives

MALE, Jan 12 (HNS) - Habib Bank has decided to mark their 25th year of service in Maldives by providing an opportunity for a Maldivian to pursue higher education in Business Administration. The Pakistan High Commission formally stated that one Maldivian student will receive the opportunity to a Master's Degree in Business Administration, from the University of Management Sciences in Lahore. Habib Bank has agreed to cover all costs of travel, accommodation, and tuition fees. According to the bank, anyone interested in this scheme should contact the University of Management Sciences to arrange matters. The University can be contacted at: admission@LUMS.edu.pk

Maldives imports Rf102 million worth of computers over three years

MALE, May 2 (HNS) – Maldives has imported computers worth over Rf102 million over the past three years, according to Maldives Customs Service.Last year, Rf36 million was spent on computers and Rf34.2 million the year before in a country which is highly dependent on foreign imports even for the most basic necessities. Some 8,958 computer systems were imported during that three-year period, according to statistics released by Customs.

MWSA urges not to take water from taps illegally

Male, October 9 (HNS) – Maldives Water and Sanitation Authority (MWSA) has urged the public not to take water from the public water of Male illegally. MWSA said that water should be taken from such taps only for essential needs and that water should not be taken in containers with a capacity exceeding 10 litres. MWSA said, however, that it has been noted that some parties take large quantities of water from the taps for purposes other than essential needs. MWSA said that it had prohibited taking water from taps in wheelbarrows, pull carts, pickup trucks and lorries but a large number of people take water from the taps in such vehicles. MWSA said that it takes action against parties that take water from public water taps illegally.

40 percent of nurses foreigners: Health Ministry

MALE, May 13 (HNS) - Nearly 40 percent of the nurses currently working in Maldives are foreigners, the Health Ministry said on Sunday. Of the 681 nurses 267 or 39.2 percent are foreigners. Maldivian nurses represent 60.8 percent, according to Health Ministry figures. Even among staff nurses, foreigners number 262 while Maldivians represent 169. The Health Ministry said that the number of youths seeking the profession has been increasing.