World Muslim body to suspend Syria

An emergency summit of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) began late Tuesday with a proposal to suspend conflict-wracked Syria, a move strongly opposed by Iran. A draft final statement obtained by AFP said the summit "approves the suspension of Syria's membership," a measure recommended by a preparatory ministerial meeting held Monday in the western Saudi city of Jeddah.

The move would further isolate President Bashar al-Assad's embattled regime, after Syria was suspended from the Arab League last year over its brutal crackdown on an Arab Spring-inspired revolt launched in March 2011.

The OIC represents 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, and its suspension of Syria would heap pressure on Assad, who has characterized the uprising as a plot by Western and rival powers to overthrow his Iran-allied regime.

Saudi King Abdullah -- who initially proposed the suspension of Syria -- is presiding over the meeting held in Mecca, the holiest Islamic city.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose country has openly criticised the push to suspend Syria, is attending the extraordinary meeting and was expected to strongly oppose the move to suspend Damascus.

The draft statement says Syria should be suspended over "the obstinacy of the Syrian authorities in following the military option" to solve the crisis and the failure of a UN-Arab League peace plan brokered by Kofi Annan.

It demands that Assad's regime "immediately end all acts of violence" while defending Syria's "unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity."

Tensions have been simmering for months between Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and Shiite-dominated Iran as Syria has emerged as another arena for the longtime rivalry between the two regional heavyweights.

Saudi Arabia, which hosts the OIC's headquarters in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, has openly called for arming Syrian rebels.

Tehran meanwhile accuses Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey of arming and financing the mainly Sunni rebels against Assad, who leads a regime dominated by members of his Alawite sect, an off-shoot of Shiite Islam.

Iran is the Syrian regime's biggest regional ally and has pledged its full support for Assad, though it denies US and rebel accusations that it is providing his regime with arms and fighters.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Monday criticised the move to suspend Syria's membership of the OIC, saying it would not resolve the conflict and was not in line with the group's charter.

"We have to look for other ways, means and mechanisms for resolving conflicts and crises," he said, calling for a "Syrian-Syrian solution" reached through negotiations between the government and the rebels.

But foreign ministers meeting ahead of the summit agreed to suspend Syria "based on consensus with an absolute majority" and forwarded the decision to heads of state for final approval, OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said.

Sources close to the meeting said that only Iran and Algeria were against the recommendation. Syria had no representative at the meeting.

Mohammed Ahmed Taieb, a top Saudi foreign ministry official, told AFP that some delegates believed the body should go further by demanding that Assad step down and "preparing for a post-Assad transition period."

Tunisian Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem hailed the move to suspend as "a strong message to the Syrian regime on the importance of listening to the will of the people and their demands for freedom, justice and dignity."

The United States said that special envoy to the OIC Rashad Hussain would take part in the summit as an observer and meet with delegates on the sidelines.

The State Department said his attendance demonstrates Washington's commitment to "bring additional pressure to bear on the Assad regime."

The 17-month conflict in Syria has killed more than 21,000 people, according to rights groups.

In addition to the Syrian crisis, the OIC was also to discuss the Arab-Israeli conflict, the violence against the Muslim Rohingya minority in Myanmar and the unrest in Mali.

The meeting has added significance as it is being held on the 26th night of the fasting month of Ramadan, the night Muslims believe the Koran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslims flooded Mecca on Tuesday as prayers went on until the early morning hours.

Security forces were massively deployed across the city as one of them held a banner at the entrance of the Grand Mosque reading: "The Grand Mosque is full, please pray outside to ensure your own safety."

Saeed al-Khathami, a member of the security forces, put the numbers of worshippers on Tuesday night at around "four or five million people."

Outside the mosque, streets crammed up with tens of thousands who lined up to pray in the open as beggars sat along the pavements hopefully eyeing passers-by willing to give away some money in return for Allah's reward.

"On this holy night, God fulfills all our prayers," said one 36-year-old woman who came from Egypt to perform the minor pilgrimage. "I prayed for Egypt's glory and victory for all Muslims, especially those in Syria."
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Political leaders fail to turn up for sit-down

As the sit-down among the parties to facilitate a stable environment in order to recommence the presently suspended Parliament was called for, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had stressed that Ahmed Mujthaba, moderator of the All Party Roadmap Talks had failed. Hence at the time, the members called for a high level sit down of ‘influential’ politicians who can bring about a change. However as the discussions began today, the opposite was observed. Leaders of all the parties were not present.

As the discussions began at the President’s Office this morning, Jumhooree Party (JP) leader and Parliamentary group leader of the party Gasim Ibrahim participated from JP, the only member of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) Parliamentary group and Party deputy President, Vilufushi MP Riyaz Rasheed participated on behalf of DQP while all other party representatives were of the Parliamentary group deputy leader level.

Vice-President Mohamed Waheed Deen participated in the discussions as a representative from President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik. Some participants of the discussions criticized the Parliament Speaker Abdulla Shahid as he had proposed the sit-down, but had not attended the discussions held this morning.

“Parliamentary group leaders of the so called big parties, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and MDP were absent. Their sincerity is in question here. The discussion was agreed to be held here (President’s Office) upon request from the Parliament Speaker. However, we did not see the Parliament Speaker either. But we know that he is concerned with the issue as the Parliament has been suspended. Hence I question the Speaker’s sincerity.” Gasim told reporters after the discussions.

Gasim added that he had participated in the sit-down upon invitation to the Parliamentary group leaders of the political parties. He had also called for the immediate resignation of the Speaker earlier today.

MDP Parliamentary group deputy leader MP Ali Waheed who had represented the party at the sit-down this morning had told Haveeru earlier that the present political strife in the country can be resolved with the assistance and cooperation of Parliamentary group leaders and "leading" political figures.
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MTCC to litigate Male City Council for damages

Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) on Tuesday has said that it will litigate the Male City Council for spreading baseless rumors which had cost the shareholders of the company. In a press statement MTCC revealed that it had got a lot of reception as the company announced the development project of number 405 lot near the Villimale ferry terminal and that the MVR213.6 million project had come to a halt as the city council had spread rumors.

The statement detailed that the company does not believe that it has to pay the land rent of MVR2.6 million which the city council had ordered the company to pay as land rent.

It also stated that even if the city council had warned that they will be forced to seek another company to provide ferry services if MTCC raises prices, the city council does not have the authority to relieve MTCC from providing the ferry service.

In response to a letter sent to MTCC by the city council stating that ferry services are not being provided in the best manner, the company stated that the services offered by the company is in accordance to the agreement made between MTCC and the government and that the company would continue to provide the service with respect to the agreement.

Although the city council had accused MTCC of not striving to improve its services, MTCC stressed that the company had worked hard to improve the quality of the services. It stated that MTCC had brought modifications to its vessels and had also acquired vessels to their fleet.

The statement noted that the company had not increased its prices, even as the prices of goods and services had hiked within the period since the company started providing the service and that it had been utilizing the land area allocated to the company by the government as subsidy to generate finances.
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Asian tourism body launches region-wide travel index

SINGAPORE, July 13 (AFP) - The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) on Friday co-launched a region-wide industry index to provide strategic information to policymakers and executives in the badly-hit sector. In a joint statement with payments giant MasterCard to announce the launch of the MasterIndex of Travel, PATA said the indicator was "specifically tailored to provide valuable information for the strategic planning needs of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries." "Amid the current global environment, the travel industry is changing rapidly," said John Koldowski, managing director of PATA's Strategic Intelligence Centre. "PATA is highly conscious of the challenges that confront the industry. The MasterIndex of Travel will deliver high quality information which will help travel operators make sound business decisions," he said. Covering 12 key regional economies, the index will provide six-month outbound forecasts twice a year in June and December. It will provide information relating to trends in the consumer and travel environments in the 12 markets covered as well as emerging trends, the statement said. The 12 economies included in the index are: Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. Tourism in the Asia-Pacific region has been severely affected by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) crisis, the impact of which is still being felt despite a successful campaign to contain the viral epidemic. The September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States and the Bali bombings in October last year also caused a downturn in travel, but SARS was the worst crisis to hit the industry in decades.

Henry and Lucy: The Meeting

A short story by Andhu* It began as an afternoon like so many others. Henry noted a tickling in his nose from what appeared to be the waft of an overly ripe armpit. To imagine this sensation, we must depict a purple-brown tendril of smoke forming a hand at the end, its index finger stroking the man's nasal lining. His brain, unwilling to receive such hideous impulses, sent the horrid sensations via neurons to the pit of the man's belly, as it is oft wont to do. The titanic struggle not to retch began, a colossal battle between good and evil. Just when the little man overcame the greater urge, the source of the pang advanced upon him. Enter the fat wife in all her beauty, performing what seemed to be a grotesque ballet. Bile rising to his throat, the man still could not avert his eyes from the wobbling mass of rippling flesh that was his spouse. In a moment of impulse, he stretched out his foot. The lady, never once having seen the floor since her youth, could not have had a chance against this devious cunning on her husband's part. The shocked man gaped at what he had done as his wife took to the air for the first and last time in her life, her mouth resembling a rather large cave, crashing down on her neck with a resounding crack. The man, getting up too quickly, stumbled over his own foot, and landed heavily. Then there was the sensation of being shoved off an airplane. 'Where am I?' The first question one asks when faced with new surroundings. But no, Henry feared that would be too clich? and therefore asked: "What the hell?" What he was concerned about was not his language, but the dull, bleary view of the present environs, which, for some reason, appeared to have lost all its colour. Yes, he thought to himself, I'm smack dab in the middle of a grey desert, in my boxers and a vest. Suddenly, a brief flash of wisdom bloomed in his brain. Or it could have been the sensation of blisters forming on his feet. He took the example of that certain curious desert lizard and began hopping from one foot to another, though he had two, whereas the lizard had four. It was a distinct advantage in these circumstances. But perhaps he was not so wise, he realized, for it came to him that he was performing a peculiar dance in the sweltering heat with an endless desert around him, and not a drop of water to be seen. The thought of water down his throat inflamed a terrible thirst, and the exercise had begun to severely wear him down, though it had been perhaps no more than three minutes since he had started jogging on the spot. With the sun beating his heat mercilessly down on him, the prospect of no water (or any refreshment stands), and his state of extreme unfitness, Henry collapsed. To a sleep-sodden mind already slow to take in anything, the sudden appearance of a hulking figure – muscled to proportions the eye had trouble adjusting to, with the skin as rough, dry and horribly cracked, never mind it being red – would be a bucket of cold water. As the sharp smell of sulfur pierced his nose, Henry's sanity lurched. That was when he looked at the being's face. With a thin bridge for a horrible nose that was more of a snout, the creature's scarred lips were slightly parted, revealing sharp teeth. Dark, burning orbs of amber stared back at Henry, studying him it seemed. Henry opened his mouth to scream, but his vocal cords did not comply. "Hullo," said the thing. Henry found his voice. "No, no, there's nothing to be gained from that," said the thing sadly. Without any visible effort, the creature picked Henry up by the shoulders and set him on his feet. There were burns on Henry's shoulders where the creature had touched him. Let us forgive Henry, for he could not have noticed the flowery dress at first, as he was in a state of shock. Now he took it in, and it calmed him somehow. If he was mad, then this was not real. "Where the hell am I?" he asked again, forgetting his manners. "Er, well, yes," said th

Terrorism must end in Kashmir or no to SAARC summit: Vajpayee

NEW DELHI, Dec 4 (AFP) - Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has warned he would not attend a regional South Asian summit in Pakistan next month unless cross-border militancy stops in Kashmir. "I can consider going to the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit early next year provided infiltration and cross-border terrorism stops completely in Kashmir," Vajpayee told a news conference in this northern Indian city. India accuses Pakistan of pushing Islamic guerrillas into the Indian-administered zone of Kashmir, where a Muslim rebellion has left more than 37,500 people dead since 1989. Vajpayee also said that bilateral issues should not be raised up at the regional summit. "Pakistan does not like to talk on any other issue other than Kashmir and Kashmir is not a SAARC issue and so there is no point in discussing Kashmir at the summit," the prime minister said. Vajpayee said India's attendance at the summit also hinged on the SAARC making tangible progress in regional economic cooperation. "Pakistan has not acted on the recommendations in this area agreed upon in previous SAARC meetings," the prime minister said. SAARC has sought to forge two regional trade pacts, the SAARC Preferential Trade Agreement and the SAARC Free Trade Agreement, but India-Pakistan differences have hampered progress. India and Pakistan have been at loggerheads since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947, with a dispute over the Himalayan state of Kashmir sparking two of their three wars since then. India and Pakistan control parts of Kashmir and claim all of the scenic Himalayan region. Both sides until recently had hundreds of thousands of troops on their shared borders, sent there after the December 13 attack on the Indian parliament, which New Delhi blames on Pakistan-based militant groups. The South Asian regional club, which accounts for a third of the world's workforce, groups Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Cup Winners Cup, 1 May - New Radiant 0 - Victory 1 (Ali Haleem)

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Chili supplies dwindle in Male market as Thoddoo farmers turn to cucumber cultivation

MALE, May 15 (HNS) -- Chili supplies in the Male market are dwindling because farmers from Thoddoo island have turned to cucumber cultivation instead, according to suppliers. Thoddoo, in North Ari Atoll and famous for its production of watermelons and a host of other agricultural products, used to supply the capital of 70,000 people with an amount of 25,000 chilies on a daily basis earlier. At the time, combined with chilies from other islands, the price of a chili dropped to less than 50 Laari (cents). However, most farmers in Thoddoo have stopped chili cultivation and the island now delivers only about "two to three bags" of chili to Male daily, officials said. Thoddoo Island Chief Ibrahim Waheed told Haveeru that at any given time, Thoddoo people "preferred to cultivate the product which fetches the highest price in the prevailing markets." "Chili cultivation is a costly occupation. On top of that, it does not fetch us very good prices," he told Haveeru over telephone. "People have now turned to cultivating cucumber instead," he said. However, he said that a few farmers have returned to chili cultivation because prices of chili have risen again in the Male market due to the dwindling supply as a result of most Thoddoo farmers turning towards cucumber cultivation.

NEWSMAKERS: Niuma, Seezan under house arrest?

MALE, Oct 3 (HNS) - It's not gossip after all. Local film stars Ali Seezan and Niuma Mohamed are indeed under house arrest.The two were picked up together from a house by police, according to witnesses. Both stars are married (not to each other). Rumors abound on the morning of last Friday, and much speculation is now floating as to the future of some projects the two stars in. Seezan and Niuma have been the hot topic in entertainment circles since then as producers and directors, who are directly or indirectly affected, pondered: What to do next? EMA studio, where Seezan works, said that they would face "some difficulties" due to the fix Seezan is presently in. Both Seezan and Niuma have roles in a film EMA is producing. "Undoubtedly, we would have problems due to the unavailability of Seezan. But Niuma has completed all the requirements of the film," said Esa Shareef, a stakeholder in EMA. But the first film in which both stars will appear together is director Abdul Fathah's "Aanh… Aharen Ves Loabi Vin" ("Yes, I loved you, too") which is slated for release on October 10.However, Fathah is determined to complete the film against any odds. "I will complete it," he said firmly. "The only problems I'll face is that I won't be able to show on national TV ads that feature Seezan and Niuma. However, I'll compile some ads that feature the other stars in the film."Haveeru has been informed that since last Friday, any TV ads, songs or any scenes for that matter, are prohibited from screening on national television. Fathimath Nahula is another director who will be affected by Niuma's absence; Niuma is one of the stars of her film "Kalaa Aa Nulai" ("Without You") which Nahula is working on.Plus, there are numerous songs which feature Niuma and Seezan whose shooting has been postponed due to the mess they are in. Niuma was recently in the news when her husband forcibly cut her hair "from the roots" after an argument. The husband, who is also accused of beating Niuma occasionally, was convicted for the act.

Waste disposal sites ready for operation

MALE, May 18 (HNS) -- The waste disposal and incineration systems developed in the north and south of the country are ready for use and will become operational very soon, the planning ministry said. The ministry is in the process of selecting parties to do the waste disposal work at the two sites which were set up in Haa Dhaalu atoll Kulhudhuffushi island and Addu atoll Hithadhoo under the regional development plan. "Waste disposal work will be awarded to private parities on contract basis. We are in the process of selecting parties and a decision on this would be reached soon," the planning ministry said in written answers sent to Haveeru. The machinery needed for waste disposal and incineration have been send to Kulhudhuffushi while the machines for Hithadhoo would be sent on 21 May, the planning ministry said.