Theawaykid Official 2007 Blog

The President extends sympathy to the Prime Minister of Samoa on learning about the passing away of the Head of State of the country. The President ex

2007-07-10T03:08:00.000-07:00

The President has sent a message of sympathy to the Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielogoi, on learning about the passing away of the Head of State of the country, Malietoa Tanumafili II.

In the message, the President extended profound sympathy to Prime Minister Malielogoi, the Government and the people of Samoa Islands. Further, he conveyed sincere condolences to the members of the bereaved family.

In the message, the President also noted that Malietoa Tanumafili II had dedicated his life to the welfare of the people of Samoa Islands, and will be remembered for his distinguished service to the country.

The President has also sent messages of sympathy to the Indian President, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, on learning about the storm that hit the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, and to the Nigerian President, Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo, on learning about the accident involving three passenger buses. The disasters led to death and devastation.

In the message, the President extended profound sympathy to the leaders, the Government and the people of the two countries. Further, he conveyed sincere condolences to the members of the bereaved families.

Introduction of Maldives

2007-07-10T03:06:00.000-07:00

The pearls of the Indian Ocean, as it is popularly known, are situated in the South West of Sri Lanka, on the equator. The numerous coral reef islands, 1,190 in total , form an archipelago of 26 major atolls ( groups of neighbouring coral islands). The country stretches 820 km north to south and 120 km east to west. Out of the incredibly large number of islands only 200 islands are inhabited, with 44 islands adapted as exclusive resort islands. The climate is generally warm and humid. Sun shines all year through with average temperature around 29 - 32 degrees Celsius.
The country's 2000 population census shows a total of 270,101 people living in the country. Almost 2/3 of this figure resides in the capital island Male'.

Origins of the Maldivians is not very certain. However, it is believed that the history goes as far back as BC 1000. Early settlers were travellers on the Silk Route, and from the Indus Valley Civilisation. The Maldivians are inherently warm, friendly and hospitable by nature, and anyone can easily establish a casual conversation with the Maldivians.

Dhivehi, a fantastic language not spoken anywhere else on the globe, is the language spoken in all parts of the Maldives. English is widely spoken and can be recognised on sign boards, neon lights and even in the main newspapers and in some radio and TV programmes. In the resorts, a variety of languages, including English, German, Italian, French and Japanese, is spoken by the staff.

Dress is generally casual. T-shirts and cotton clothing are most suitable. In the inhabited islands, it is recommended that women wear modest clothing without baring too much.

The Maldives economy is growing at an average of over 10 percent since the past two decades. Tourism is the main industry, contributing almost 20 percent to the GDP. Fisheries and trade follow close behind. The Maldivian economy is regarded as exemplary in the region, and welcomes foreign investment.

The Maldivian currency is Rufiyas and Laaris (1M Rf = 100 Laaris). The exchange rate for US Dollars is Rufiya 11.72 for one US Dollar (1997). The Rufiyaa comes in notes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500. The American Dollar is the most common foreign currency. Payments in the resorts can be made in most hard currencies in cash, traveller's cheques or credit cards. The most commonly used credit cards are American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club, JCB and Euro Card.

The functional literacy rate is 98 percent. Educational standards are among the highest in the region, and most schools teach via the English Medium and follow the British education system, while in some schools Dhivehi (the Maldivian Language) or Arabic is the medium of instruction.

Health care facilities are improving on a daily basis. The Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Male' is the biggest hospital in the country providing sophisticated medical care. ADK Hospital is the biggest private health care facility, and follows high medical standards. Experienced European doctors work at the AMDC Clinic. Regional hospitals are distributed throughout the country and Male' , the capital, has several well-established private general practitioners . Some resorts have an in-house doctor. Decompression chambers are within reach of most resorts in case of a diving emergency.

Telecommunication has developed very fast in this decade. Upto-date technology and international satellite links allow Maldives to have a sophisticated communications system. IDD facilities are available on all resorts, and card phone facilities are available on all islands. Dhiraagu, the Maldives telecommunications company, an affiliate of the British Cable and Wireless Company, provides mobile telephones for rental on a daily basis. Dhiraagu is also the Internet service provider.

Being on the Equator, the country enjoys more or less constant day lengths (6am - 6 pm) throughout the year. People wake up early in the morning. Business hours are from Sunday to Thursday 7:30 - 14:30 in the government sector, and generally from 9:00 to 5:00 in the private sector. Weekend falls on Friday and Saturday. The local time is GMT +5hours.

DRP thugs attacking reformists in Addu

2007-07-10T02:57:00.000-07:00

Vimla Rasheed: DRP gang leader in Addu

DRP thugs attacking reformists in Addu
Addu - Sources in Addu are reporting that DRP thugs sponsored by Vimla Rasheed has been attacking several MDP reformists over the past 48 hours. It is reported that police is not coming to the aid of reformists and instead they are protecting these thugs as usual. Earlier on Monday, there were also road blocks placed at the entrance to Gan island and only passengers were allowed to pass, the reason for which police say is the heightened tension in the Atoll. Sources say that these clashes are planned to derail MDP's campaign in Addu to promote parliamentary system which has gained momentum over the past week. Some reformists were also detained over night but the real criminals remain at large, sources said. It is a well known fact that Vimla Rasheed, who owns a construction company, is handsomely rewarded by the Maldives Dictator with government projects in return for organising and managing these criminal activities.

Tourism Minister Shaugee cutting dodgy resort deals

2007-07-10T02:56:00.000-07:00

Tourism Minister Shaugee cutting dodgy resort deals
A reliable source in the tourism industry confirmed today that Tourism Minister Shaugee, also known as Mrs. George, is now the leading broker for resort projects in the Maldives. He is reportedly now cutting a deal to secure Vaadhoo resort for a Sri Lankan firm. Mrs. George is also speaking with those new resorts which have yet to start construction and trying to pass the projects to foreigners in return for handsome cuts. Mrs. George's selling line is apparently," I am the Tourism Minister, so I can easily do the deal for you," said our source. Mrs. George also got over a million dollars in loan from Hatton National Bank of Sri Lanka last year to build his home, after he cut a deal for a Sri Lankan firm. According to our sources, you can get anything done by Tourism Ministry now if you have a few hundred thousand dollars to bribe Mrs. George.

Man Injured, Car torched in Adddu's Serial Gang Fights - Breaking News.

2007-07-10T02:49:00.000-07:00

A car was torched and a man was injured during the disturbances which occurred between the residents of Addu atoll Maradhoo and Feydhoo on Friday night.

The injured man is now being treated in Hithadhoo Regional Hospital’s ICU ward. The man had sustained severe wounds due to the fight. The man’s family had however declined to give any further details to reporters on the incident. A police official had also said that family members had refused to give certain details on the case and had not cooperated with the investigation of the case.

The incident had occurred around 6:30pm after a match between Maradhoo and Feydhoo at Hithadhoo Stadium. Supporters of both islands were on their way home when the fight had broken out. The first fight had begun when a group of Maradhoo residents had tried to stop a car being driven by Feydhoo residents. The Feydhoo residents had kept on driving without slowing the car and had in the end crashed into a cycle. The rider of the cycle was severely injured in the accident.

The Maradhoo group had then stopped the car and beaten the Feydhoo residents who were in the car. According to an eyewitness, one of the three men who were inside the car had managed to escape. After the fight the Maradhoo gang had then smashed the back window of the car. The car was a taxi belonging to Feydhoo Zoom taxi services.

In addition, a car belonging to Maradhoo man was set on fire later that night around 12:00am after a group of Feydhoo residents had stopped it and beaten up the men inside. The car was destroyed beyond use. According to an eyewitness, the Feydhoo gang had stopped the Maradhoo car while it was being driven through Feydhoo and that the tires of the car were also punctured before it was set on fire.

According to a police official the case is now being investigated and two people have been arrested in connection to the serial gang fights. The two people arrested were an 18-year-old youth and a 23-year-old man. The official also added that the people mostly involved in the gang fights were underage youths.

“We would like to request people to report it to either police or the Island Office if such an incident occurs,” said the police official. “We also urge people to corporate with the investigation. And we are still working on apprehending the people who were involved with the fights.”

Serial gang fights between Maradhoo and Feydhoo has recently been on the increase.

Theawaykid Official News

2007-06-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

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Nasa - Commander Helps Managers Plan for Future Computer Repairs

2007-06-23T05:44:00.000-07:00

Image above: The International Space Station is viewed from Space Shuttle Atlantis after undocking Tuesday, June 19 at 10:42 a.m. EDT. Image credit: NASA

International Space Station Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin carried out troubleshooting efforts on Russian segment’s central computer and terminal computer on Thursday. This procedure will not impact operation of the two channels of each computer that have been in control of Russian system operation since the restart on June 15.

The troubleshooting procedure is designed to help Russian mission managers further assess their plans for repair of the computer systems, including possible replacement of components with new hardware to be flown on the next Progress supply ship due to arrive at the station on July 24.

Meanwhile, the space shuttle crew that left the station Tuesday, landed at 3:49 p.m. EDT Friday at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

STS-117 left the International Space Station bigger and more powerful than it was when they arrived. Atlantis also delivered a new Expedition 15 crew member to the orbital outpost.

Expedition 15 welcomed its visitors onto the station June 10 shortly after Atlantis docked. A few hours later Astronaut Clayton Anderson replaced Suni Williams as a flight engineer on the Expedition 15 crew. Williams will return to Earth with STS-117, wrapping up a six-month-plus stay in space during which she became the new record holder for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.

On June 11, the STS-117 crew installed the Starboard 3 and 4 truss segment onto the station. The visiting astronauts conducted four spacewalks to activate the new truss and its solar arrays. The S3/S4 also contains a rotary joint that will allow its arrays to track the sun. The S3/S4 arrays increase the station’s power generation capabilities.

The STS-117 crew also assisted with the retraction of the Port 6 (P6) truss array. The P6 will be relocated from atop the station to the end of the Port 5 truss by a future shuttle crew.

The next shuttle mission scheduled to visit the International Space Station is STS-118 in August.

Preflight Interview: Suni Williams

2007-06-23T05:37:00.000-07:00

Q: There are hundreds of thousands of pilots and scientists out there in the world, but there are only about 100 American astronauts. What made you want to try to become an astronaut and be one of those people that flies in space?

Image to right: Astronaut Sunita L. Williams. Image credit: NASA

A: Oh, good question. In my mind, I think everybody wants to be an astronaut. I’ve sort of found out maybe that’s not so true. When I was five years old or so, I saw Neil Armstrong walk on the moon and thought ‘wow --that’s cool.’ I mean, that’s what I would like to do. Subsequent to that, all the TV shows about going to space sort of set a bit, I think, in everybody’s head that, that would be a great career. I never really thought that, that would happen in my life. It seemed too far out there, something that I could never achieve. Really didn’t touch base with me and hit home until I went to Test Pilot School in Maryland. I’m a Navy pilot, helicopter pilot. In one of our field trips, we came down to Johnson Space Center. It was me and a couple of other helicopter pilots sitting in the back while all the jet pilots in my TPS [Test Pilot School] class were all sitting in the front, listening to John Young talk about the shuttle and about flying to the moon. I remember him talking about learning how to fly a helicopter to land the lunar lander. Something just clicked in my head, and I said, ‘wow,’ you know, maybe there’s a use for helicopter pilots, if we’re going to go back to the moon. So, I sort of said to myself, the only one who’s telling me I’m not going to be an astronaut is me. I did the research on what was required, and I got my master’s degree and applied, and, lo and behold, the second application, I got an interview. So, I think I’m very, very lucky.

You grew up in Massachusetts. Tell me about Needham, Massachusetts.

It’s a great town. It’s a little, as I called it during my astronaut interview, a small town which I was quickly, corrected that it’s not so, so small—there was about, 500 kids in my high school graduating class, but it seems like you know everybody in a town that size. Close enough to Boston, a big Red Sox fan, Patriots fan. When I was growing up Bobby Orr was playing hockey, so, of course, a Bruins fan, and, Larry Bird was playing basketball, so a Celtics fan. A great sports town to grow up in. I grew up as a swimmer, speaking of sports; I spent a lot of time before school and after school swimming. I would contribute whatever discipline I have and direction I have to competitive swimming. It takes up a lot of your time and then you’re trying to fit in, doing your homework and having a social life as you’re growing up. Needham, Massachusetts, close enough to Boston. It was a great place to grow up.

Do you see, in yourself, how that place and the people in that place, helped make you the person you are today?

Oh, yeah. I think I am a smart aleck because I grew up close enough to Boston and most people from Massachusetts talk fast and I have a little bit of a wiseacre, and I think I’m a little bit like that. But seriously, where I swam was at, at Harvard, and so we spent a lot of time in the Cambridge area. My father’s a doctor. He taught at Harvard Medical School and BU [Boston University] Medical School and worked at a bunch of hospitals in the Boston area. I think growing up there, it just becomes commonplace that you feel like everybody around you is going to college; I’m going to go to college. That is never a question in your mind. It’s a great place to grow up, just because things are ticking and so many colleges around, so many universities, hospitals around that just taps into your interest.

Well, let’s talk about the educational and career path of Suni Williams.

I graduated from my high school OK. Not, not absolutely number one, I was just OK. Then, my brother went to the Naval Academy, and that’s how I got interested in the Naval Academy. My biggest worry was I had long hair, like I do now, and I thought, oh, man, if I have to cut it, I’m not really sure I want to go to this school. I applied to a bunch of other schools, a couple in the Boston area, a couple in New York. My final two choices were Columbia and the Naval Academy. Columbia scared me because it’s right downtown in New York City. So I opted for the Naval Academy. I went to the Naval Academy, did OK—wasn’t, number one student there, either. As a result of your grade point average, that’s what you pick for your career field. I wanted to be a diver. One of my good friends, who was a professor there was a saturation diver. My grades didn’t allow me to get to become a diver so I became a pilot. But that was OK. I wanted to do something, and I had 20/20 vision, and, of course that was the time frame when “Top Gun” came out, so everybody wanted to be a jet pilot. Of course, I wanted to be a jet pilot. At the time, women weren’t flying combat airplanes so there was only a couple of billets for women. I didn’t get my first choice—I got my second choice, which was helicopters. I flew helicopters, and I loved flying helicopters on the East Coast when I did a couple of deployments out to the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf. I bring up all these little failures because it’s one of those things that I tell kids that maybe you want something, but you get something else, but if you make the best of it, things sorta work out.

So, you’re flying helicopters in the Navy and at some point you came to the Johnson Space Center. Tell me how [you] became an astronaut from there.

Well, while I was in the Fleet, one of the things I really liked to do is, when the airplanes went in for maintenance, they had to come out and have a test flight. There was a couple of qualifications to become a test pilot for your particular aircraft. I really liked doing that, and that got me interested in the idea of going to Test Pilot School, where we test not only your specific flight, your Fleet aircraft, but a myriad of other airplanes or helicopters that the Fleet will be flying in the future. So I said, oh, I want to apply for this, so I put in my application. With my background in my Fleet airplane of testing, I got into that. When I went to Test Pilot School, that’s when we came to Johnson Space Center. And I ended up seeing John Young and listening to him talk and getting a positive influence from him.

This mission is your first flight assignment. What was it like when they told you you’d been assigned to a mission to fly to space?

I was overwhelmed. Charlie Precourt was the Chief of the [Astronaut] Office at the time, and when he told me I think he was waiting for this reaction, like jumping up and down or something. And, I was just so like, ‘wow.’ I was assigned in the winter of 2002, so it’s been a little while ago, and at the time that, we were look, focusing on a very accelerated construction of the space station. At the time I was the backup for Expedition 10, which would be, installing Node 2. And again, another EVA-intensive type of time frame up on the space station. So I was pretty overwhelmed with, ‘I can’t even believe I have the opportunity to train for something this complicated.’ After the Columbia accident, things got a little bit sorted out and it fell into this 12A.1 time frame, which again I’m amazed and very pleased that it fell into a very intensive time frame. I think every space shuttle mission during this construction is going to be full of this type of construction and intensive activity. So, I think we’re all pretty, pretty lucky.

The “flying in space” part of being an astronaut has shown that it can be pretty dangerous. What is it that you see as the advantage that we get from flying people in space that makes you willing to do it yourself?

Oh, I think just the appeal of people in space, and people on the ground being able to relate to those people in space really makes people start to wonder, ‘wow, what else can we do?’ So many people in the Astronaut Office are from different countries and cultures, and every time someone goes up that can identify with a group of people on the ground, you get that group of people wondering, ‘wow, maybe that could be me one day.’ There are a million possibilities out there. For instance, I am half Indian and I’ve got a, I’m sure, a group of Indian people who are looking forward to seeing this second person of Indian origin, flying up in space. So it’s nice to know that everybody brings along with them a group of people from all over the world that get interested in space.

You are the Flight Engineer on Expeditions 14 and 15 to the International Space Station. Give me a summary of the goals of your flight, and your main responsibilities.

Oh, wow, it’s a lot to cover. Expedition 14, when I get up there, will be midway through its expedition...hopefully, knock on wood, sometime in December. During that time frame, I’ll be flying up with STS-116. Their goal during that time frame is installing an element called P5 out on the end of P3/P4 solar array, and that’s a spacer which will allow P6 to later be transferred to that place. So, robotically, I’ll be part of the crew that will install the P5. Subsequent to that, they will also be doing a major power reconfig[uration]. I’ll be part of the support robotic team to help them along with that. They’ll have three EVAs, and their third EVA, if everything goes well on the first two EVAs, I’ll be doing a third EVA with Bob Curbeam, and we’ll be doing the second power reconfiguration. So, that’s a lot for one small shuttle mission in the beginning of my mission and right after that, once they leave, Michael Lopez-Alegria, me, and [Mikhail] Misha Tyurin will be living up on the International Space Station. While we’re up there, pretty shortly after [STS-]116 leaves, we have a thermal reconfiguration that we’re going to do to the space station. That reconfiguration along with retracting some radiators up on P6 and then removing some thermal shrouds out on the P3/P4 section will take about three spacewalks. So, probably about two months, if all goes well again—knock on wood—, we’ll be out doing three spacewalks in the first two months that I’ll be up there for, for the Expedition 14 time frame. Now hopefully, if that all goes well and the shuttle launch schedule stays on time, we’ll be expecting another shuttle mission to come visit us, STS-117. And they’ll be bringing up the S3/S4 solar array. So we’ll be part of that crew to help install that solar array. In the meantime, while that’s all going on—I’ll be part of the robotic team with that. In the meantime while that’s all going on, we have a bunch of science experiments and a major computer reconfiguration we’re a part of. Then the Soyuz guys, the Expedition 14 guys, will be leaving in time, when the Expedition 15 guys will be joining us, and I’ll be there for all of that. Once the Expedition 15 guys show up, we potentially have a PMA-3 relocate, which is another robotic op, all in preparation for when Node 2 arrives. Then I’ll finish up the rest of my time up on the space station with the Expedition 15 guys, with the culmination of 13A.1, which is STS-118. Lots of numbers; sorry for the confusion. But they’ll be putting up the sister element that 116 put up…P5; they’ll be putting up S5. So, luckily, if all works out well, I’ll have seen this P5 installation, which will be mirrored by the S5 installation, so I’ll just be able to help out with the spacewalks and the robotic ops for that.

Six months. Don’t you have anything else to do?

I think it’s going to be pretty busy. But, it’s going to be a lot of fun, and I’m absolutely lucky to be in this place at this time. And one thing I forgot to mention is when Expedition 15 comes up there, I’ll be the one American up there with two Russian crew members.

Well, your travel arrangements are a little different than they’ve ever been. You’re going to arrive on ISS on the space shuttle mission to replace the European astronaut, Thomas Reiter. Do you think it’s going to benefit you to arrive at the station to find two crewmates who are already set up and been in business?

Oh, absolutely. I think I’m really lucky, ’cause then, they’re going to be there to help me with any time of, turnover things that I don’t understand. I’m a rookie; never flown before. These two are both experienced space fliers; and them, having lived there for about three months before I get there, I think if I have any questions, they’ll be the perfect people to show me the way. And, like I just mentioned, that’s pretty needed for when they leave and I’ll be up there, the sole U.S. member of Expedition 15 for a while.

This rotation of this International Space Station crew, just a portion of it at a time, is the first time that it’s been done in this program. Does that make it more difficult for you in training and having to work with two different station crews as well as a variety of shuttle crews?

It does add a lot of complexity. Luckily enough, the complexity falls on the amazing training team that we have, because they are the ones who really have to shuffle the cards and figure out how we’re going to get the required training for us crew members. Our schedule’s just filled with training that we’re going to need to make sure that we are totally trained, ready to go, for all the specific construction activities that we are required to do while we’re up there.

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OK; a great question. Because when I show my family the part “P5” on the whole view of the space station, they always go, ‘wow, that’s so little,’ so it’s quite funny when I’m pointing out exactly the part that I’m particularly involved with installing. But, it’s a needed part. It is a part that goes, P5 and S5 is a part, that [goes] between the two major solar array wings. Without them, the two wings would be too close together to actually operate. They’re a pass-through for all of the thermal, electrical lines going out to the end of the truss and absolutely critical. Like I said, for the completion of the second set of solar arrays on either side. S3/S4 is the first solar array on the starboard side; hence the nomenclature “S.” And that will be installed during the STS-117 mission.

So, the “5” parts are not just glorified spacers.

No. No, they’re absolutely critical to make sure that the two big solar array wings will be able to operate.

Well, let’s talk about some of those operations that you referred to earlier, not only EVAs but robotics operations. If you could talk us through those operations on STS-116, on the mission that’s going to deliver you to the space station, because part of that is also your role as a spacewalker.

Yes. Well the first EVA, which is the P5 install. Me and Joanie Higginbotham will be operating the robotic workstations. We’ll be taking the P5 Truss from a handoff position from the shuttle robotic arm and we’ll be moving it to the end of P3/P4 for the installation. It’s a little bit of a tricky installation because the clearances to get the P5 into its position are pretty tight, about three inches or so. Some of the issues with that is the P3/P4 solar array wing is live at the time, so there’s going to be some black boxes on the end of P3/P4 that are live powered. And so with that clearance, the biggest worry is that you don’t hit the box that has the live power on it, ’cause that’s going to cause a lot of problems. So, we’ve practiced this very intensely with the spacewalkers Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang. They’ll be out on opposite ends of the P3/P4 truss, guiding us in and talking us in. So this is a very complicated, entire-crew-involved event to try to get this guy installed. Likewise that’s going to happen on S5; I’m not part of the robotic team for that right now. I’m the M3, as you might call it—the person who’s watching over this with lessons learned and experience to help those guys after, with my knowledge from P5 installation.

And, on this P5 installation, when you’re running the station arm, is it out? It’s not based back in the middle anymore?

No.

You’ve got to run out on the railcar to reach that far, don’t you?

Yeah, it’s out a little bit toward the port side. Moved out to the port side so we can reach that far.

Are there arm ops supporting the rest of that first EVA operation?

Image to right: Astronaut Suni Williams participates in a training session at the Sonny Carter Training Facility near Johnson Space Center, Houston. Image credit: NASA

Yes. Part of that EVA is also starting up the main bus power switching units, MBSU, and while we’re making sure that that’s all starting up correctly, the two spacewalkers, Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang, will be moving the equipment carts, CETA carts, to the opposite side that they’re on in preparation for the next solar array, which is the S3/S4 installation. So, we’ll be working with the spacewalkers again as we’ll be picking them up and driving them over to the truss, while they’ll be grabbing on to the, what we call CETA carts. We’ll be flying them over to the other side of the transporter system, the MBS.

We see that same kind of move done on an earlier mission.

Exactly. To get ready for this P3/P4 installation. So, now we have to get ready for the S3/S4 installation.

All that’s EVA 1?

That’s EVA 1.

So, the main part of EVA 2 is the power recon, first power reconfiguration. So, once those main bus switching units are all up and working on line, then we’re going to work on the power reconfiguration, which is the strings 1 and 4. Again, Christer Fuglesang and Bob Curbeam will be out working on that, and Joanie and I will primarily be helping them out in case there’s any issues with the boxes that we’re starting up. Then EVA 3, which I’m part of at this moment in time, is the second power string power up, which is the [strings] 2-3 power up. On that spacewalk both Bob Curbeam will be out on the front truss, I’m back between what, in the place we call the “rat’s nest”, the Z1 and the S0 and the Lab—it’s a small area that comes down into a “V,” it has lots of electrical connections and fluid connections there. I’ll be working a couple of electric connections back there to get that power reconfig[uration] done with Bob Curbeam. The second part of that EVA is moving some Service Module debris panels, which will be installed later, moving them from the payload bay in the shuttle over to PMA-3, which is on the port side of the Node, getting that ready for a later installation by the Russians. So, that’s a pretty interesting task: it involves the shuttle robotic arm, and I’ll be on the end of the shuttle robotic arm for that EVA.

It is unusual for a station crew member, which you will be by this time, to be one of the spacewalkers during docked operations. What’s the reasoning behind having you do this spacewalk?

That’s a good question, and I think it’s been up for debate for a little while. But it’s sort of a preventative measure and a little bit forward thinking, in my opinion, because I will be, like I mentioned earlier there, I will be up there initially with one other American, Michael Lopez-Alegria, and Misha Tyurin, the Russian, and then my second part of my increment I’ll be up there with two Russians. And after 12A.1 occurs, there’s a lot of big boxes, for example, a Pump Module and a flex hose rotary couple on either side, which allows fluid out to the radiators. Those big boxes will be started up for the first time during 12A.1. Now, any of those big boxes can fail at any time. Also those main bus switching units I talked about, the MBSUs, those can also maybe have a problem, and all of those big boxes will require a spacewalk to do a replacement. So at any point in time after 12A.1, we need to be ready and have all of the Expedition crews trained to be able to do these changeouts. Luckily enough I’ve been set up on this third EVA during the 116 mission to give me a little experience. Like I said, I’m a rookie. This is my first flight. And need all the experiences that I can to be EV1. Part of that question is also, well, you’re going to do three EVAs, potentially with, Michael Lopez-Alegria during the docked ops, but the thing is, we don’t know exactly when the launch date is for 116. And [if] the launch date slips too far to the right and into the end of Expedition 14, we may not have enough time to get the three EVAs done during the increment. So this is a little bit of a protection, just in case those EVAs slip in to Expedition 15, I’ll have already gone out the door, as they call it, with an experienced American, and so I’ll be a little bit more comfortable with doing an EVA as EV1.

In the early portion of your time onboard the station, after the P5’s installed, we’re looking at having long periods when the station’s regular high data rate communications system is not going to be operating. Tell us why that’s happening and how long that might last, but, and I think maybe most importantly, what won’t you be able to do?

Right, good question. This is the Ku-band antenna; it’s in the attitude that we’ll be flying. We may have some issues with heating and cooling as we’re in this little bit unbalanced situation. We have a big solar array wing on the port side and not one yet on the starboard side. So that Ku antenna may or may not be able to work as efficiently as it has been in the past. We’re working on some issues, or some ideas, to try to mitigate that, to minimize the time in which the antenna will not work. But I think everyone doesn’t realize what the Ku does for us. Of course, it gives us a critical part for the IP phone, the internet protocol phone, which we’re able to call back to the ground with, so, we’re not going to have that so everyone just goes, ‘oh, you’re not going to have the IP phone, you’ll be fine—you can talk to the ground on space-to-ground.’ So, but the other parts, there’s tons of other things: we have a bunch of tools and products that the ground sends to us like our timeline, any uplink messages. Anything that gets uplinked, we are not going to have. Anything that changes on our procedures, that’s not going to get updated on a regular basis if we don’t have Ku. And so, the program and a lot of people have been working lots of time to figure out, one, how to mitigate the time which we have Ku outage, if we could put some type of heat shield or something to decrease the time or change the attitude of the space station to allow us to have even heating and cooling on the Ku; and, secondly, how to use the onboard computer systems, which are not affected by the Ku antenna, use that to get some of the products on board. Unfortunately, if we do that, that’s going to take up some crew time to have to sort through the files to get the correct files that we would have had instantaneously if we did have Ku.

You’ve got a lot of activity that goes on onboard the space station, when shuttles are not there. Spacewalks are one of them. Now, of course the plan could change by the time you do it, but tell me about the current plan for station crew spacewalks during your six months onboard.

OK. The time frame for the American spacewalks that I think we’re alluding to is the 12A.1 time frame, and in that time frame we’ll have just finished with 12A, so we’ve got the power reconfiguration completed, and now we need to do the thermal reconfiguration. So that consists of three spacewalks. The first spacewalk will be one of the external power loops. We call it loop A. We will switch it from using a radiator and cooling loop system on the P6 to its more permanent cooling system out on the truss. And that involves changing some electrical connectors in the “rat’s nest,” which is the area, again, between P, Z1, S0 and the Lab. It’s a small area that has a lot of electrical connections and a lot of fluid connections; it’s this very tight space. As it’s planned, both me and Michael Lopez-Alegria will be inboard in this small little area. On the first loop reconfig[uration], I’ll do the electrical connectors then he will follow that with the big fluid jumpers to switch the fluid lines from P6 to the external. Following that, we will be up on the P6 truss; they will retract the starboard radiator, which we’ve been using for the early external thermal control system. The ground will be doing that but our role in that is to cinch it down, ’cause it needs to stay down and compacted, so the radiators aren’t moving around as the space station is rotating. He’ll be up on the zenith side; I’ll be on the nadir side of the radiator. We will wait and watch the radiator retract—potentially it could need a little bit of a push from us at the very end—and then we cinch bolts around the edge of it that we need to, simultaneously, connect to make sure that the radiator is contained nicely. That’s the main portion of EVA number one; the second EVA is really a mirror image of EVA 1 for EVA 2, where we’re changing out the loop B, fluid connectors and retracting, now, the aft radiator on P6. The third EVA involves going all the way out to the P3/P4 end of the truss. The station will be flying in an XPOP [x-axis perpendicular to the orbital plane] configuration, and because of that some of the equipment on the back side of the truss is experiencing some heating and cooling which is undesired. So, we have two big shrouds, out on the truss. And as we switch over the power and then the thermal reconfiguration, we can change the station back to a normal flying, LVLH [local vertical local horizontal] type of attitude. And, so we need to take those blankets off. So most of that EVA will involve taking off some of the thermal blankets, now that we’ve got the station all reconfigured, power and thermal.

And, of course, throughout your time on orbit, you’ve got science to do.

Oh yeah.

Image to left: Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams (background) participates in the Human Research Facility Ultrasound proficiency training in the International Space Station Destiny laboratory mockup/trainer at Johnson Space Center’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. Image credit: NASA

You’ll be the NASA ISS Science Officer for part of it. Primary focus of U.S. science on the space station is research on how people can live and work safely in weightlessness. Tell me about some of the “people” experiments that are going to be done during your time.

Our goal, now that we’re going back to the moon and going to Mars, the main focus of the space station for U.S. science is how people are going to live out in space for extended periods of time. Over a six-month period we’re, definitely going to lose bone and muscle mass. So a big part of the experiments that we’re doing onboard is how to mitigate that. We’re all doing exercise protocols while we’re up there, trying to mitigate the bone and muscle mass [loss]. We do that using the treadmill, the bike, and also there’s a weight lifting machine that we use to work out and make sure our bones and muscles are exercised. Along with that, we’re doing a nutrition experiment, which is something we’ve always done in the past as well as the exercise, to annotate what we are eating so we can keep a log, how the food is affecting our bones and muscles. But we’re adding one other part of that, where we’re taking blood. That way we’ll be able to really analyze how the food is being metabolized and interacting in the body. That’s not going to be a real-time correction type of experiment, but with the shuttles rotating, they’ll be able to take the blood samples down, and then we’ll be able to get some feedback from the scientists on the ground to analyze how our diet is actually working. So those are just a couple examples of the experiments that we’re doing on the body.

With Expedition 14, it’s going to be the first time since the loss of Columbia that there will be an increment crew of three people onboard ISS from the start of the increment to the end of the increment. During that time, there’s going to be multiple spaceships visiting up and down, major assembly tasks are going on. Is the program back on track now? Are we ready to move on to full completion and utilization?

It sure feels that way. I think we had to go through a period of understanding and growing and finding out where our issues were with the shuttle program. I think we’re, we’re ironing that out with [STS-]114 and [STS-]121, which were primarily test flights to really show that we have fixed the problems that we’ve had, and anticipating new problems, trying to look ahead and see how we’re going to fix those. But, now, since those two missions have gone, and particularly 121 being absolutely successful. I’ve heard people talk about Discovery coming back absolutely clean and potentially the turnaround can even be a little bit quicker, which would be great for STS-116, my ride up there. I think we’re into an area almost where we’re all the way up to full schedule or full speed of constructing and completing the space station. The next flight, [STS-]115, will really show us how we stand, ’cause two in a row in a short period of time, two different vehicles, making sure we found all the right things to fix the orbiters, and of course, 115 taking up the next solar array, which is the next big step in finishing the space station. If that all goes well, I think 116 and beyond is really the finishing of the construction of the space station.

Of course, the Vision for Space Exploration sees way beyond this particular space station that we’ve been talking about. Tell me about your philosophy of the future human exploration of space, and the contribution that ISS is making to that.

Good question, because a lot of people go, ‘what are we spending all this money to really only be flying around 250 miles above the Earth?’ When I go to schools and tell kids about 250 miles, they’re a little bit under-impressed. But the second part of why I tell kids about 250 miles, ’cause it makes them realize how small our atmosphere is, which leads into sort of my philosophy on space travel. We’re up there, using the ISS to figure out how to go other places in the universe. I think it’s something we need to do as we’re getting more and more people on this Earth, we need to figure out what happened to Mars, why is there no atmosphere there that’s breathable and livable by human beings, and explore how the planets are formed and, potentially, to understand if there could be some other planet out there that we could reach out to and share our experiences with. So, the space station’s just a stepping-stone to get us to understand space, and how to live and work in space, and then potentially get back to the moon is the next stepping-stone. How to work in a low-gravity environment and how to work in an environment that is not habitable for us that will take us to the next place, maybe Mars and then beyond.

Atlantis Lands in United State California. in Successful Way.

2007-06-23T05:29:00.000-07:00

Image above: Space shuttle Atlantis touches down at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Image credit: NASA/Carla Thomas + View Larger Image

Space Shuttle Atlantis descended to a smooth landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., concluding a successful assembly mission to the International Space Station. With Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Lee Archambault at the controls, Atlantis landed at 3:49 p.m. EDT on Friday.

The challenges posed during STS-117 are invaluable learning experiences that will help the agency prepare for future exploration, William Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, explained at a post-landing press conference.

"My hat's off to the team that really pulled off an awesome mission," he said.

The astronauts are set to return to their home base, Johnson Space Center in Houston, on Saturday.

According to Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach, Atlantis may be returned to Kennedy Space Center in Florida in six or seven days. At that point, the orbiter will immediately begin processing for the STS-122 mission, set to launch late this year.

The STS-117 crew began its mission June 8 and arrived at the station June 10. They quickly began work to install the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss structure to the outpost and retracted a set of arrays on the Port 6 (P6) truss. The (S3/S4) contains a new set of solar arrays that increases station power-generation capabilities. The P6 will be relocated during a future assembly mission.

Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester, John “Danny” Olivas, Jim Reilly and Steven Swanson conducted a total of four spacewalks to activate the S3/S4 and to retract the P6 arrays. During the third spacewalk, Olivas repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the left orbital maneuvering system pod.

Landing also marked the end of a record-setting spaceflight by Mission Specialist Suni Williams. She broke the record for the longest spaceflight by a woman early in the morning on June 16.

Williams' journey began in December with the launch of STS-116. She lived on the space station for six months before switching places on the STS-117 crew with Clayton Anderson, who is now a flight engineer on the station. When Atlantis landed, she had accumulated 194 days, 18 hours and 58 minutes during her spaceflight.

STS-117 is the 118th shuttle mission and 21st mission to visit the space station. The next mission, STS-118, is slated to launch in August.

McMahon limo impounded

2007-06-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

Mr. McMahon's charred limo is impounded in a top facility in Atlanta.
ATLANTA – As the extensive investigation of Monday’s lethal limousine explosion continues in Pennsylvania, Mr. McMahon’s limo – the integral piece of the puzzle – has been transported to a federal impound facility just outside of Atlanta. WWE.com has obtained exclusive footage of the charred vehicle arriving at the undisclosed lot, which sources say is the best facility of its kind in the nation for an investigation of this type. Watch the footage now...
The stretch limo’s burnt and heavily tarnished remains was carted off on a flatbed truck more than 800 miles south to Georgia where a more thorough examination of the vehicle’s frame will commence. Reportedly, thorough probing by the country’s leading experts will attempt to uncover exactly how the limo exploded.
While forensics specialists comb the crime scene up north, expert analysis in Atlanta may discover evidence that would assist in discerning the whereabouts of the Chairman’s remains. They will be performing a series of meticulous DNA examinations over the next several days.
Continue to check back with WWE.com as more details on the investigation become available.

Feds probe crime scene

2007-06-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – WWE.com has learned that United States federal agents have arrived at the crime scene in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where Mr. McMahon was presumed dead less than 24 hours ago. As rumored, given the severity and nature of the explosion, by law, federal authorities have taken full control of the investigation.
As first speculated in previous reports by WWE.com, federal authorities confirmed that a body was not recovered from the limousine’s blackened remains. Investigators believe that Mr. McMahon’s body could possibly have been incinerated in the blast.
With the initial stages of the federal investigation underway in Pennsylvania, authorities have closed the crime scene to check for DNA evidence that may lead to additional information on last night’s shocking events. Forensic experts are scouring the scene and are expected to comb through the wreckage for the next few days in an attempt to find even the most minimal trace of Mr. McMahon’s body.
In addition, explosives experts have arrived in Wilkes-Barre to thoroughly examine the limousine and determine what type of device may have been used in connection with the incident. In the earliest stages of probing, authorities are analyzing each fragment of debris and gathering clues to build their investigation.
At approximately 11:07 p.m. ET last night, the WWE Chairman left the Wachovia Arena and stepped into his stretch limo, which almost instantly combusted before the eyes of millions watching Raw on TV. The sight of the explosion with Mr. McMahon inside the limo drew an eerie hush to an audience that had been wound with excitement just moments earlier during the live WWE Draft. This incident is the first of its kind on U.S. soil since the mid-1970s.
Instants after the blaze was controlled by firefighters in the late morning hours, the charred vehicle was scoured for the Chairman’s remains. Rescue workers and authorities were puzzled by what they found: nothing. Federal agents shared this perplexed state this morning, confirming that a body has yet to be recovered within the melted heap that was once Mr. McMahon’s limo.
Earlier today, WWE.com reached out to representatives of the McMahon family. These representatives stated that the grief-stricken family of the Chairman had no comments to offer at this time, but told reporters that something may be forthcoming in the near future.
As more details become available, continue to check back with WWE.com for exclusive coverage of one of the most shocking events in history.

Mr. McMahon presumed dead

2007-06-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – A night originally designated Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night turned deadly when the WWE Chairman’s limousine burst into a fiery explosion just moments after Mr. McMahon stepped into it. Permanently uprooting the world of sports-entertainment, the Chairman has been presumed dead in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Local authorities stated it was still too early to declare anything as fact, including exactly what caused the incident, but described the blast as an apparent "limo explosion." They also revealed that as of 11:30 p.m. ET, no body had been recovered from the incinerated wreckage.
Firefighters were quick to assess the scene, taping off sections of the parking lot to protect the evident crime scene and safeguard scores of onlookers – mostly our fans – from potential injury. Despite the intense heat and ubiquitous clouds of black smoke, countless people spilled out of the arena to get a closer look at the chaos they had just seen happen live on the TitanTron. Moments earlier, the sold-out crowd came to a still hush as they speechlessly watched from their seats.
Local police and fire officials on the scene reported that WWE fans’ 911 calls from the Wachovia Arena flooded the Wilkes-Barre area emergency services switchboard soon after the explosion, showing that while our fans might not have seen eye-to-eye with the sometimes-devious Chairman, they still cared for his personal well-being.
“By the time we arrived on the scene, the entire automobile was on fire,” explained a Wilkes-Barre firefighter. “It was like an inferno, and our guys were doing whatever they could to contain it as quickly as possible. In my 27 years with the fire department, I’ve never seen anything like that.”
The emblazoned limousine was engulfed by flames that reached skyward at estimated heights of more than 30 feet. The sight of the charred debris led to speculation that there was no conceivable way anyone could have escaped from the limo alive. Early assessments from local firefighters and police officers sent a similar feeling regarding the probability of the Chairman’s survival.
“We’re doing our best to respect the McMahon family and the fans of WWE,” the firefighter said. “However, with that said, we have not found anything – there hasn’t been confirmation that Mr. McMahon’s body was extracted from the limo.”
As the physical body of Mr. McMahon remains to be uncovered, perhaps the most perplexing piece to this puzzle is the Chairman’s uncanny, almost clairvoyant premonition of tonight’s grim events. Over the last few weeks on WWE programming, the swaggering, well-off billionaire seemed to unravel right before the eyes of millions. Speaking of a threatening presence that lurked in his foreseeable future, Mr. McMahon even cited the looming of a “black cloud” last week – a cloud very similar to the post-combustive smoke that billowed above his limousine tonight.
Was this evening an eerie prophecy fulfilled for Mr. McMahon, given his recent premonitions? Or was it simply a fateful execution of coincidence? The ominous reality is that what was brushed off as incoherent ramblings of a broken man and former ECW World Champion actually may have proven to be an exercising of a recently discovered sixth sense.
This incident is the first of its kind in the U.S. since the assassination of political figure Orlando Letelier in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Sources say that given the nature of the apparent limo explosion, under law federal authorities will be called in for a more thorough investigation that would supersede local Pennsylvania authorities.
Check back with WWE.com as we continue to follow developments in the most shocking incident in sports-entertainment history.

Eyewitness Views of WWE ChairMan Presumed Dead.

2007-06-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The flames have been extinguished, but the Pennsylvania air remains thick with fear and uncertainty following Mr. McMahon’s presumed death from an apparent limousine explosion on Raw Monday night. For a long time to come, fans who attended the televised event in Wilkes-Barre will not be able to extinguish the all-too-vivid memories of a thunderous explosion outside the arena, a white stretch vehicle engulfed in flames…and, according to one eyewitness, a seared corpse hanging outside the limo.
“It was disgusting,” described Lucas Adnyl, a Curry Hill resident who made a 20-minute commute with a friend to watch Raw live at the arena. “A whole mess of people ran out of the building right after the explosion, and some of us got a pretty good look before [police officers and firefighters] cordoned off the area. I thought I saw Mr. McMahon’s body in the car, but I can’t say for sure; whatever it was, it was completely covered in flames. And the smell…God, I thought I was going to lose it.”
Adela Montoya drove nearly an hour from her home in Junedale so that her son Luis could have a birthday he’d always remember. Now she fears that he may never forget the moments following the explosion.
“We were having a great time when we heard the blast outside,” she recalled. “I thought we were under attack or something. My boy started crying, so I headed for the exits. We ran out as fast as we could.”
“It was hard to see anything with all that smoke coming from the car,” said Rob Mills, a Ronconcoma, N.Y.-based postal worker who was in Wilkes-Barre visiting his parents for the week. “One policeman pushed me and some friends behind a barrier, so we were a pretty good distance away while the firemen tried putting out the car. I don’t know how they could stand it, because those flames were hot as hell, even from where I was standing.”
Frank Vesley, of Parsippany, N.J., admits that he couldn’t see much of the blaze up close, nor did he need to. “The flames were so bright you could have used them to land an airplane nearby,” he said. “Personally, I didn’t mind all that much that McMahon’s limo went up, though I feel a little bad for his family. He was kind of a jerk, but I guess nobody should lose a loved one like that.”

Outpouring continues

2007-06-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

Mr. McMahon just moments before his limo exploded.
For years Mr. McMahon’s bravado, coupled with his constant harassment of Superstars, created a major rift with our fans. But after the horrendous limo explosion on Raw, our fans have shown that regardless of his past transgressions, they still care about the man who vaulted sports-entertainment to where it is today.
In fact, the Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Police Department has been inundated with well-wishers in the wake of the McMahon tragedy, and police detective Lt. Will Clark told WWE.com he has never seen the station busier.
“We have never in our time seen this amount of calls,” he said, “hands down this is the most ever.” Clark continued, “I would say the amount of attention we are getting is second to none.”
And just what are people looking for when they call the Wilkes-Barre Police Department? “Everyone is wondering about the progress of the investigation,” said Clark. He then told WWE.com that the department itself has concerns because of the influx of calls they have taken. “We have had to utilize more manpower and resources than ever before because of the volume of calls through our station and the local 911 center.”
Such an outpouring from our fans around the world for Mr. McMahon shows that despite all his antics in the past, and although he made it his business to step on a few people on his way to the top, the Chairman might actually still have a place in the hearts of each and every fan.
Perhaps this response was foreshadowed by WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, who was in Wilkes-Barre Monday night as part of Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night. Rhodes’ words still eerily resonate with anyone who saw Raw or has followed this breaking news all week. “Mr. McMahon’s legacy is in this building,” Rhodes said. “You don’t have to love him, you do not have to like him, you do not even have to agree with his psychology of this industry; one thing we all have to do is respect him.”
Based on what WWE.com was told by Clark, our fans seem to agree with the American Dream.
Love him or loathe him, the respect being shown by each and every fan in the wake of this tragedy shows that no matter how underhanded and mean-spirited Mr. McMahon has been over the years, he still will always be respected.

A morning of mourning for Mr. McMahon

2007-06-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

STAMFORD, Conn. – After Monday’s horrific events on Raw, those “dark clouds” the Chairman once spoke of are now felt prominently in the halls and offices of WWE headquarters.
With Mr. McMahon presumed dead, the corporate flag on the roof of Titan Tower was lowered to half-staff Tuesday morning. The company McMahon built into a sports-entertainment giant began to mourn the passing of its leader and visionary.
Many WWE staffers are still suffering from the trauma of seeing their corporate leader’s limousine explode on live television just after Mr. McMahon entered it.
“I sat there stunned, not believing what I just saw,” said marketing employee Stefanie Granata. “Then I just cried. You just don’t realize how precious life is until something like this happens.”
Though federal officials at the scene have not recovered his body from the charred chassis of the limo, investigators believe that Mr. McMahon’s body could possibly have been incinerated in the blast.
Some WWE employees wore black clothing to express their sadness. Others have left flowers by the Chairman’s office door. And if you listen closely, faint sobbing can be overheard occasionally amongst the din of the phones, fax machines and printers.
Heather Lubin, a long-time marketing employee, said the loss is being felt hard around the Stamford offices – mostly because of the unexpected, unexplained nature of the tragedy.
“It’s hard to cope with this tragedy when there’s so many questions unanswered,” Lubin said. “Who could do such a thing to Mr. McMahon?”
As for Liz Montgomery, a WWE creative services employee, she hopes that everyone can come together and help each other cope with the shocking loss of the company’s heart and soul.
“He’ll be truly, truly missed,” Montgomery said. “Wherever he is now, I hope it’s in a good place. But we’re going to miss him terribly.”

Investigation expands, Chairman's headquarters searched

2007-06-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

STAMFORD, Conn. – Federal authorities investigating the presumed death of Mr. McMahon visited the Chairman’s office at WWE corporate headquarters earlier this morning, and were seen loading what appeared to be hundreds of boxes into vans, WWE.com has learned.
Sources close to the investigation say officials arrived at Titan Tower at 6 a.m. The federal officers, sources said, were gathering evidence in search of any clues in the apparent fiery demise of Mr. McMahon, who may have perished Monday night at the end of Raw when the limousine he had just entered exploded. So far, authorities have not recovered Mr. McMahon’s body or any of his remains.
Insisting that they could not comment on an ongoing investigation, FBI officials would not reveal what the agents were looking for or what they removed from the Chairman’s office. But according to one anonymous source, investigators rummaged through hundreds of McMahon’s files and dusted his office for fingerprints. They also, the source said, were seen taking the WWE visionary’s computers off the premises.
The agents were said to have spent three hours combing through files and removing materials. When they were finished, the Chairman’s office – which normally was filled with cabinets and state-of-art computers – had been stripped clean. Its carpeting had been removed, and normally organized bookshelves were left in disarray.
Federal authorities, sources said, are also looking at the Chairman’s e-mail and all of his writings for any clues. They are especially looking at anything he may have written in the last two weeks, when his behavior became increasingly erratic.
Will anything taken from Mr. McMahon’s office – any e-mail on his computers – provide any clues? Stay with WWE.com for further updates on the investigation as details become available.
Log on later this week as our reporters hope to talk to the lead detective in the federal investigation. In addition, tune in to SmackDown on Friday at 8/7 CT to find out the latest developments in the probe and watch the tribute to Mr. McMahon.

Dissecting the explosion of wwe

2007-06-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Federal authorities have seized control of the heap of incinerated metal that was once Mr. McMahon’s limousine. To determine whether foul play was responsible for the vehicular blast that presumably killed WWE’s Chairman Monday night, the tiresome task of recovering and sifting through useable evidence is now under the utmost scrutiny of the nation’s most well-funded investigation unit.
If it’s confirmed that a criminal party engineered the explosion, the next question to answer is how the nefarious scheme was carried out. To fill in the blanks regarding the specifics of the explosion, WWE.com contacted Patrick C. Riggs, a veteran explosives expert from a Brooklyn, N.Y.,-based operation.
Watching video of the blast, Riggs was able to determine that it was a professionally structured, calculated blast. However, since most – if not all – usable evidence seems to have been destroyed, Riggs claims that not everything he says can be guaranteed.
“Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing. No amateur would have had the knowledge to create an explosion of that intensity,” he said. “Without prior experience or knowledge of explosives, such a blast could not have been constructed so precisely.”
Another point of interest was the timing of how the scene unfolded.
“Watch for the origin of the spark,” Riggs explained, using a laser pointer to indicate under the right rear axle. “As soon as the door shuts – boom! That’s exactly how it was supposed to work. It was perfectly engineered and executed.”
Could the door have been on a trigger, and if so, what served as the figurative striking of the match? “A radio-controlled device was definitely used as the ignition,” Riggs stated. “The detonator could have been as small as a cell phone and attached to the limo’s gas line. It was most likely sourced underneath the passenger compartment. Once it was ignited, the gasoline from the vehicle became the accelerant.”
Riggs, a 23-year explosives expert, who has both consulted on feature films and been an expert witness in courtrooms, isn’t surprised that federal investigators are currently unable to find eyewitnesses who would have seen someone attaching the explosives to the limousine.
”It doesn’t take long to accomplish,“ he said. “The whole thing could have been completed in a matter of seconds. All they needed was to find out where the gas tank was located.”
And since a pocket-sized piece of equipment was used, no visible signs of tampering would have been evident to anyone – including the former WWE Chairman. Not that his apparent state of mind (or lack thereof) at the time would have allowed him to see such a red flag, even if it was in plain view.
“Mr. McMahon would not have been able to tell something was wrong with the limo by sight or smell,” Riggs assured. “In fact, a full tank of gas would have easily been capable of creating that type of combustion. As far as Mr. McMahon knew, that limo was no different than the type he used to drive in every day and night.”
According to Riggs, the fact that a remote device was used raises another concern.
“Theoretically, there could have been multiple assailants,” he said. “Someone could have been at the scene to notify someone up to half a mile away to press the red button. It’s certainly something to think about.”
At press time, there have not been any discoveries to prove – or disprove – any of the ideas that Riggs has put forward. As federal authorities work around the clock in search of answers regarding this matter, one can only wonder if these questions, or any others, will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Surprise vigil and memorial for the Chairman

2007-06-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

STAMFORD, Conn. – Whether he was looking down on ordinary 9 to 5ers from his corporate office at the Titan Tower or berating onlookers from “his” ring on Raw, SmackDown or ECW on Sci Fi, Mr. McMahon often held our fans in great contempt. The Chairman probably would have never believed that these same fans would drive hundreds of miles to honor him with mountains of flowers, cards and pictures after seeing his apparent fiery demise on Raw this past Monday.
Hundreds of baskets of carnations, sympathy cards, teddy bears, daisies and orchids lined the entrance to the Titan Tower as countless fans made a makeshift memorial to Mr. McMahon, who is presumed dead after the limousine he entered exploded at the end of Raw. Some preferred to leave pictures of the Chairman, while others placed toy replica belts of the ECW World Title he held briefly. But everyone WWE.com interviewed said that while they didn’t love Mr. McMahon, they respected him as a pioneer in the world of sports-entertainment and wanted to thank him for entertaining them all these years.
“I hated the arrogant b******, but I had to come,” said a tearful Peter Frager, who said he drove all the way from Borger, Texas. “I’ve watched wrestling for so many years – I grew up watching him, even during the days when he was just an announcer. It’s going to be weird watching WWE without him.”
One fan, dressed in a retro powder blue sports jacket with the old World Wrestling Federation logo that was once the Chairman’s trademark, was too overcome with grief to talk. His shoulders shook and lips quivered before he buried his face in his hands. He had to be held by his two friends that were at his side.
“He used to practice the Chairman’s strut and swagger,” one friend said. “He’s barely eaten since seeing the explosion. But he insisted on coming here and paying his respects.”
Do’ rags, candles and signs that read “Vince: The Real Icon,” “Long Live the Chairman,” and “The Immortal McMahon” were scattered among the throng of well-wishers gathered outside the Tower. The eyes of some WWE employees widened and some jaws dropped at the outpouring of love for Mr. McMahon.
“I have never seen anything like this,” said a receptionist at the headquarters. “It’s just amazing. … I could barely maneuver past the flower baskets when I returned from lunch.”
The McMahon family remained heavily on the minds of our fans. Harold Laurel, of Bayonne, N.J., said the Chairman’s tragedy hit him especially hard. Looking up at his 3-year-old – who was sitting on his shoulders and was preoccupied with sucking on a Jolly Rancher – Laurel said that McMahon’s presumed death reminded him that life can be too random and too short to be taken for granted.
“The fact that this happened just before Father’s Day – it’s just terrible, terrible,” he said. “I know how Shane and Stephanie must feel – my Dad passed away around this time last year. I just hope they can get through this and help their mother get through this.”
Laurel then gently knelt down as he enabled his son to come down from his shoulders. The boy continued eating his Jolly Rancher as his father enveloped his small fingers in his hands.
“Entertainment aside, this whole thing just reminds me that we have to cherish each other every day,” Laurel continued. “I’ll miss seeing Mr. McMahon. He was evil, but he still had a family. I hope he has found some peace.”

Mr. McMahon's parting analysis

2007-06-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

Mr. McMahon did not appear to be himself moments before his limo exploded.

Mr. McMahon is presumed dead, the victim of an apparent limousine explosion moments before Raw signed off the television waves Monday night. As a federal investigation into the incident forges ahead, a slew of questions demand answers — among them, determining Mr. McMahon’s very last thoughts, as well as possible reasons for his bipolar behavior during his seemingly final instants on this mortal plane.
Last week, WWE.com asked a prominent psychiatrist from Connecticut to analyze the billionaire, whose disturbing disorders had soared off the charts since losing his ECW World Title to Lashley at One Night Stand. “Jane Doe, Ph.D.”— identified as such to protect her against any legal or personal retribution from the Chairman’s office in Stamford-based WWE World Headquarters — had evaluated that Mr. McMahon was “a ticking time bomb of pent-up rage,” suffering from severe manic episodes. But after watching the events that transpired on Raw Monday night, even Dr. Doe, a mental health expert with nearly 17 years experience in the field, admitted that she was “truly horrified.”
For a moment, WWE.com assumed that the psychiatrist was speaking of the tremendous explosion that engulfed the Chairman’s limousine and in all probability incinerated his body. But then Dr. Doe further elaborated on her statement. “After getting over the initial shock of what had occurred, I reviewed a tape of Raw several times,” she said. “Upon doing so, there is no doubt in my mind that Mr. McMahon believed his end was near.”
Inferring that Mr. McMahon demonstrated some “sixth sense” about his impending doom sounds like sheer lunacy. Dr. Doe rejects our portrayal of the notion, dismissing it as “some Hollywood-glamorized analogy,” but she stands by her shocking statement. “I had no reason to make such an observation until after the subject expired in the explosion, and no physical evidence exists to support my claim,” she admitted. “But the signs are definitely there.”
These “signs” to which Dr. Doe refers are commonly known as the Five Stages of Grief. “Elisabeth Kübler-Ross first presented these stages as a model in her book On Death and Dying,” she explained. “Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance.... Those who are either terminally ill or have just lost a loved one often experience each of these stages. Everyone, myself included, became so distracted by his manic behavior that it was simple to overlook ‘Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night,’ which in essence was a self-imposed journey toward accepting his own fate.
“Consider his behavior on Raw, ECW and SmackDown the week before,” she continued. “He simultaneously wavered between denial and anger over losing his ECW Title. By ordering matches at the spur of a moment — particularly that Last Chance Match between [World Heavyweight Champion] Edge and Batista at Vengeance: Night of Champions — one could assess that Mr. McMahon was actually bargaining for more time. Perhaps he thought that by shaking the foundation of his company, and its champions, he could somehow prolong his own legacy.”
The psychiatrist also cites that prior “McMahon-ic attacks” — including his Raw reference to an “ominous black cloud” approaching, plus his rocking-chair catatonia at ECW — were, in effect, masking the stage of depression. “I think he tried countering his mixed state by levying one of his so-called ‘Appreciation Nights.’ Sadly, even in his addled condition, he must have understood deep down that he formed his empire by destroying countless lives in the industry, and would therefore not find many admirers.”
And that final stage of acceptance? “Just think back to his opening statement on Raw Monday,” Dr. Doe said. “His bipolar behavior was responsible for the shaking in his hands, as well as a low attention span that required him to read his own words from a sheet of paper. In retrospect, by describing what was about to occur that night as the ‘defining moment’ of his life, he was really telling everyone that he had stopped looking back, and was now facing forward.”
Is Dr. Doe insinuating that the Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment, a self-made billionaire who also achieved ring victories over the likes of Undertaker, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Bobby Lashley, had actually developed some sort of death wish? “Not at all,” she rectified. “I believe he enjoyed life to its fullest, particularly — judging by those who spoke at his ‘Appreciation Night’— when his own self-gratification caused others misery. However, it is possible that something or someone provoked a fatalist mentality within him…made him believe that no matter how much he kicked and screamed, he couldn’t change his fate.”
According to the mental health expert, evidence of Mr. McMahon resigning himself to such a fate, however circumstantial, lies within his body language and facial expressions during Raw’s last 10 minutes.
“Watching his sudden inability to speak, plus dropping that microphone in the ring, had nothing to do with his shifts between mania and depression,” she explained. “If anything, he almost looked euphoric —his slight smile and wandering gaze implied realization, that he knew some heavy weight was about to be lifted from his shoulders. It also wouldn’t surprise me if he walked away completely unaware of the audience in attendance, or even the Superstars standing around the arena hallway. In his mind, everyone pretty much ceased to exist.”
Dr. Doe insists that if Mr. McMahon held onto one belief, regardless of grief stages, moods or mania, it was a sense of self-preservation. “He’s built his fortune on being a survivor, so if someone could have firmly reached out to him, I don’t think you and I would be discussing this tragedy today,” she said. “If you watch the footage again, he’s taking deep breaths just as he leaves the arena. Then he’s looking behind or around him while he’s walking toward his limousine. He couldn’t have known what was about to happen, but he was clearly preparing himself for something unpleasant. I think that somewhere inside, he was also hoping that someone would come to his rescue at the last moment. Unfortunately, it never happened.”
When all is said and done, does Dr. Doe suspect foul play at hand? “Sorry, but I’m not some TV psychiatrist who solves mysteries on the side,” she replied. “Police work isn’t my field of expertise, so I’d rather let the authorities form their own conclusions. If there was a puppet master pulling Mr. McMahon’s strings from afar, I’m sure they’ll be found out. I simply hope that the McMahon family, the WWE Superstars and your fans take the time to mourn and heal from this terrible ordeal.”

Henin now ranks among all-time best

2007-06-10T01:08:00.000-07:00

After a crisp forehand volley winner, the destruction was complete. Justine Henin bent over the net, dropped her racket and broke into a wide smile after winning her fourth French Open crown with a 6-1, 6-2 domination of Ana Ivanovic in the final on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Belgian is already the world's best clay courter. And given how high she sets the bar for herself, she must be already thinking about what she needs to do to seize the mantle of Best Player of her Generation from Serena Williams.
She coolly handled Serena in the quarterfinals and then shattered the dream of tiny Serbia, woman-handling ambitious Jelena Jankovic and then Ivanovic, the charismatic 19-year-old who had no idea what hit her.
"Queen of Clay is good," said Henin when asked what moniker fit her. "It's amazing. When I was a little girl and dreaming of coming here and playing the tournament and winning it, then I did it four times, and three times in a row, and two times without losing a set. It's just great."
Henin is a tornado on clay — and a controlled one at that. She's a master of execution and intensity who understands that on a great day, no other player can touch her because she simply brings too much to the table. No other player can run with her, slide with her, mix and match shots with her. When she first became a significant player in 2001, she was an itsy bitsy retriever with little power. But now she can slug it out off both wings, and is awfully daring in her shot selection.
While she may have been able to beat Serena, Jankovic and Ivanovic by playing steely defense and challenging them to hit through her, she took a different tactic this year, choosing to go on the offensive early in matches. She went for big serves, forehands and heavily topspinned backhands. Most important, she leapt into her returns, taking her foes' second serves early and on the rise, and punishing balls deep and at their feet. All three opponents were out of it by the second set, because they knew that if they couldn't sting a first serve, they would be forced into blocking back a mid-court ball that Henin was ready and willing to crush for a winner.
She drained them of their confidence, and before they knew it they were off the court.
Justine Henin raises her arms up in celebration after winning the French Open. (Michel Spingler / Associated Press)

Henin never lost her focus, not for a second. She played every point like it was her last and won most of them. Court Philippe Chatrier (Roland Garros' Center Court) at the French Open is her palace and in four finals there, she's never lost a set. Even more unbelievable — she's only dropped 13 games. That's the stuff of legends, reminiscent of Monica Seles, the last woman before Henin to win three straight crowns, and all-time great Steffi Graf, who won six titles.
"I keep fighting on every point. I don't want to give anything to anyone," Henin said. "I was ready for a big fight. I was ready for an easy match. I was ready for everything. It's good not to expect too many things, and just live the moment."
Ivanovic can learn a lot of Henin, as she showed little composure in the contest, completely frozen by the big occasion and was never able to unleash the powerful arsenal that got her to her first Slam final. Henin and her longtime coach, Carlos Rodriguez, had a long talk last Sunday night about the need to believe in herself and her skills.
"It's only at the end of the tournament that I felt better," said Henin. "I feel free. I feel myself. But I am an anxious person anyway. So I never want to miss any points. I always want to be there when needed. I always was very consistent because I had a very strict discipline in my life. I don't want to lose control, and sometimes when I do things wrong, I can feel it. I have an angel telling me that I should be back on track, and Carlos knows me very well. And I need this discipline to be able to do well. I need someone to help me find the right path. And once I'm on it, then it's okay."
What seems to separate the Belgian is her ability to maintain focus on how she should construct points, rather then allow herself to become enveloped in the meaning of the occasion. Even in her losses in Grand Slam finals, she has never been wiped out.
"In the beginning of the match, I felt okay," Ivanovic said. "I was trying to put the nerves aside, emotions aside. But then, in the first service game, it's all of a sudden, from one point to another. It just hit me. She's been there before, and she won Grand Slams many times before. So she knew how to deal with the nerves."
Henin is still two major crowns short of Serena's mark of eight. They are the same age, but Serena has had to deal with more severe injuries and it's hard to see her going all out for another four years, especially when she still maintains a number of off-court pursuits.
The Belgian doesn't have those kinds of distractions, which means that in great health, she should be able to get herself into contention at every major and threaten Serena's position as the best of the best.

Henin has gone through a lot since the beginning of the year, when she separated from her husband, Pierre Yves Hardenne. After nearly seven years of not talking to her father, brothers and sister, she contacted them during the late winter and has now begun to repair the wounds that came about after the death of her mother, Francoise, when she was 11. Three years after her mother's death, Henin moved into Rodriguez's house because she and her father didn't agree on her career course. She then began to lose touch with her siblings, whom she was angry at for siding with their father.
But feeling blue as her marriage fell apart, she decided to attempt to repair her other significant relationships and on Saturday, her siblings sat in the Friend's Box. They all looked quite pleased, as did Henin, who expanded her support circle significantly.
"It's important to me," said Henin. "It's been seven years now and it's great to have them back. Love is important, life is short and you need to enjoy your time. It's been an unbelievable moment for everyone. What happened in the past is the past. And I just want to move forward and enjoy every moment of my life with them back in it now. It's been hard for me, everything I lived in the last few months, ups and downs, good things, bad things. And then I just realized that it's life. And life is ups and downs and you have to accept it."
With her life coming to together off the court, a bigger task lies ahead for Henin on court — winning the one major crown that eludes her at Wimbledon. She reached the final there twice, falling to Venus Williams in 2001 and to Amelie Mauresmo last year. Henin certainly has the all-around game to win the crown, but has been unable to get over the hump at the All England Club. Plus, her major rivals — the Williams sisters, Maria Sharapova and Mauresmo — bring a lot more to the surface on the green blades.
But can you really doubt Henin, the woman who seems to have an endless supply of motivation? When asked what she's feeling now, she took the word "joy" over pride. She's put her troubles behind her and can see the future clearly with a grin on her face.
"I make my decisions," she said. "I just try to build on something, pretty strong. I just turned 25. I just want to know how I'm going to be happy in my life."
She's off to a pretty good start.

Nationwide demonstration held to urge for constitutional reform, Passes off peacefully

2007-06-09T03:50:00.001-07:00

Demonstrations calling for constitutional reform took place yesterday across the country, passing off peacefully. The MDP National Council resolved to hold the protests following the DRP boycott of Special Majlis meetings and in support of setting the voting age for the upcoming constitutional referendum at 18.
Several thousand people gathered in Male’ to hear speeches given by the MDP leadership and youth members. Demonstrations took place in islands across the country.
Constitutional reform has been slowed by the DRP and Presidential appointees boycotting numerous sessions of the Special Majlis. When eventually pressured to attend the Majlis, the Speaker did not allow for a debate on the voting age for the upcoming referendum on the country’s system of government.
Avoiding a debate on this issue contravened both the Majlis rules of procedure and the advice of the Majlis Administrative Committee made up of ten DRP MPs and one independent MP, who recommended that such a debate be allowed.
The MDP advocates for a parliamentary system of government and for the voting age for the referendum to be 18, in line with international norms, the age of adulthood as defined in Maldivian legislation, and the draft constitution. The DRP promotes a presidential system and maintains that the age should be 21, fearing that the 18-21 age group will vote against them. While the Special Majlis has the power to decide the terms of its own referendum – including what the voting age should be – the DRP argue that rules governing referenda organised by the President should apply.
MDP Acting President Ibrahim Hussain Zaki said:
“There are at least 23,000 people aged between 18 and 21 in this country who the government is trying to disenfranchise.
“In all other respects these people are considered adults by the state. You can’t say one minute that you want people to act as responsible adults and the next minute patronise them and say they can’t vote.
“We are a young country and these people are our future. We must allow them to take part in the democratic debate. “By blocking even a debate on this issue, the government is only slowing the process of constitutional reform. We need to move ahead quickly with a referendum where all adults can vote so that the constitution can finally be amended

MDP hold London press conference

2007-06-09T03:48:00.002-07:00

The MDP yesterday held a press conference in London to brief membersof the international community on the obstacles to a free and fairelection in the Maldives.Held in Westminster, the conference was well attended by Members ofParliament, diplomats, media, NGO officials, and representatives fromthe Conservative Party Human Rights Commission.MDP Chairperson Mohamed Nasheed lead a presentation on the obstaclesto a free and fair election in the Maldives and presented the MDP'sproposals for moving forward with reform. He was joined by AmbassadorAhmed Naseem, MDP's Representative to the UK, and Mohamed Aslam (MPand MDP Elections Director) in a Questions & Answers session after thepresentation.The presentation illustrated the government's failure to create eithera culture of democracy or the institutions of democracy. The use ofviolence and arbitrary arrest to deter political participation washighlighted, and the government's record on their Roadmap criticallyanalysed.Yesterday's conference concluded the visit to the UK undertaken by MDPofficials, who were invited to join the Conservative Party localelections campaign. Nasheed, Aslam, and MDP Party Development OfficerShazley Shafeeg observed campaigning and vote-counting in Bury St.Edmund's. The trip is one of many capacity-building initiativesplanned for the coming year between the Conservative Party and theMDP.MDP Chairperson Mohamed Nasheed said:"It was very clear from the press conference that the internationalcommunity has become sceptical of the government's promises of reform."Not all of them were aware of the recent upsurge in police violenceand fabricated charges made against – photos of those attacked reallymade an impact."And I think they were also surprised about how badly the Roadmap hasfailed. The fact that only two bills have passed when the governmenthold a majority in the Majlis is an impossible record for thegovernment to defend."We told the international community that they must try to get thegovernment back to the negotiating table, but not just to talk for thesake of talking. They must pressure them to make real concessions andkeep their promises."

MDP protests against deportation of its consultant Adam Cooper

2007-06-09T03:48:00.001-07:00

Politically motivated deportations to be raised in Majlis
The MDP strongly protests against the irregular and unjustified deportation of its political consultant, Mr. Adam Cooper. In light of the continued abuse of power by the Immigration Controller, the issue of politically-motivated deportations will now be raised within the People’s Majlis by the MDP.
The decision to deport Cooper was taken by Ibrahim Shafiu, Immigration Controller and Coordinator for the President’s Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP). He has publicly stated that Cooper was deported because he “refused a summons to the [Immigration] office”.
However, when summoned, Cooper did go to the Department of Immigration. Upon arrival to the scheduled meeting, the Immigration Controller refused to meet Cooper with his lawyer present. Following this, Mr. Cooper wrote to the Immigration Controller stating: “I would like to reiterate my willingness to meet with you to discuss whatever issues you desire”.
The summons was issued soon after Cooper had contributed opinion pieces in the local press analysing media and judicial legislation, and calling for a less partisan and personal political debate. Articles on pro-government websites responded with calls for Cooper to be beheaded.
No written communication was ever issued by a government department to Mr. Cooper or his employers raising any concerns about his work. The only communication received this year regarding Cooper’s employment was a letter from the Ministry of Employment granting Mr. Cooper an extension on his work permit up to January 2008. Upon deportation, Cooper was informed that he had “violated Immigration rules and regulations”. No Department of Immigration has yet been able to identify what rule and regulation Cooper allegedly broke that warrants immediate deportation.
Diplomatic representations have been made to the Maldivian government on this issue. MDP leaders have also attempted to negotiate with the Minister of Defence, Ismail Shafiu, who oversees the Department of Immigration. The MDP proposed to allow Cooper into the country for a month to wrap up his work and collect his belongings. Minister Shafiu has failed to respond to this proposal.
Mohamed Aslam, MP for Addu Atoll will now raise the issue of politically-motivated deportations in the People’s Majlis.
Adam Cooper said:
“Obviously I’m very disappointed about what’s happened. Whatever the government’s concerns about my work, I think I should have been given the opportunity to address those concerns before I was deported.
“I am very surprised that turning up to a meeting with a lawyer is considered sufficient grounds for deportation. I would like to have been informed precisely what rule and regulation I had supposedly broken.”
“I hope that the government will reconsider their decision.”
MDP Acting President Ibrahim Hussein Zaki added:
“The Immigration Controller has a long record of deporting anyone that he doesn’t like on spurious grounds. Of all the civil servants working for the DRP, he is the one who abuses his power for political reasons the most.
“Adam’s is the latest in a long line of unjustified deportations of those working for political reform, human rights, or journalism. The government accuses these people of breaking rules, being Islamic terrorists and Christian missionaries simultaneously, and so on. Not once have they produced any evidence to support their claims
“Both the Immigration Controller and Minister of Defence must learn how to exercise their power in a responsible and mature way, not according to the whim of DRP.”

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Establishes Emergency Assistance Hotline

2007-06-09T03:47:00.001-07:00

Several islands in the Maldives have been hit by high waves generated by the southern swell, which broke on the south west of the Indian Ocean during the week end. The waves have already caused damage to public and private property. Schools have been closed due to flooding. Following predictions that the situation may worsen in the next two to three days, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has established a Task Force to monitor the situation and to coordinate its emergency assistance activities. MDP’s emergency assistance hotline number is 3343625.

MDP Parliamentary Group leader addresses South Asian Parliamentary ForumCall for regional solidarity

2007-06-09T03:46:00.000-07:00

MDP Parliamentary Group leader Mohamed Shihab delivered a speech at yesterday’s South Asia Parliamentary Forum, calling for South Asian countries to play a larger role in bringing democracy in the Maldives.
Shihab outlined the challenges in realizing democracy and the difficulties faced by opposition MPs before calling for “South Asian countries to play a fundamental role in helping to bring democracy to the Maldives”.
“Your experiences developing into democracies are ones that we can learn from … It is also in your interest. More democracy will bring more accountability – and this will help to stamp out the corruption in the country which prevents business from your countries from investing in the Maldives,” Shihab said.
“Without South Asian pressure, and real reform taking place, we also risk instability. The people of the Maldives must see change … It is up to all of us here to ensure that democracy is brought to the Maldives in peaceful manner,” he added.
The forum, an initiative by the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA), was attended by over 100 delegates from all SAARC countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka).
Hosted in Shimla, India, the forum also saw speeches from senior Indian government officials, including Shri Somnath Chatterjee, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Minister for External Affairs. Shihab was joined by Adnan Haleem MP.
Delegates will discuss means of strengthening regional cooperation, holding talks on economics and trade, poverty alleviation and conflict resolution. The creation of a South Asian Parliament is also on the agenda.
Speaking after the speech, Mohamed Shihab said:
“I believe my remarks were well received. Not everyone is aware of how much the MDP has had to struggle to initiate democratic reform in the Maldives. Many delegates were surprised about how repressive the government is.
“We are taking full advantage of this opportunity for the MDP to build links with parliamentarians in the region. I am confident that their support will increase the pressure on the government to bring about real reform.”

MDP Election New Presidant

2007-06-09T03:45:00.000-07:00

Dr Mohamed Munavvar has been elected as the new President of the Maldivian Democratic Party.
Close to 10,000 party members voted in Friday’s election, in which four candidates stood. The country’s first competitive nationwide election was held successfully, with all candidates accepting the results. Dr Munavvar won 46% of the vote, followed by Ibrahim Hussein Zaki with 37%, Reeko Moosa with 12.0%, and Dr Hussein Rasheed with 5%. Votes were cast at 115 ballot boxes on 95 islands. Zaki will retain his position as Vice-President of the party.
The vote was conducted successfully despite a lack of cooperation from the civil service. This was frankly admitted by the chief government spokesperson, who stated that they are “not interested in assisting” the MDP. State media denied any meaningful coverage of the elections and government Ministries restricted access to facilities needed to ensure the smooth operation of the vote.
Dr Munavvar will soon select a new Cabinet to serve with him. MDP Secretary-General Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said:
“This is a landmark election: the first ever nationwide election where more than one name is on the ballot. It clearly demonstrates that the MDP has the most vibrant internal party democracy of any party in the country. “We held this election despite obstacles put up by the government and the theft of our membership lists. “We’ve learnt from the administrative challenges we’ve faced and feel confident that we will be able to run and contest elections even more effectively in the future.”
Dr. Munavvar added:
“I am honoured that the MDP membership has elected me the party’s new President. I look forward to working closely with Mohamed Nasheed [MDP Chairperson] and Ibrahim Hussain Zaki [MDP Vice-President] to prepare the MDP for government.”

MDP Election 2007 LeaderShip

2007-06-09T03:43:00.000-07:00

Cannabis hospital admissions rise

2007-06-09T03:38:00.000-07:00

Cannabis hospital admissions rise

There are over 2m regular users of cannabisMental health hospital admissions in England due to cannabis have risen by 85% under Labour, figures show.
In 1996-7, there were 510 admissions, rising to 946 in 2005-6, data obtained by shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley revealed.
Over the last five years alone there was a 65% rise, with experts saying the figures were "the tip of the iceberg".
The government said it had been clear on cannabis - it was illegal and should not be used.
Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in the country with over 2m regular users.

The figures obtained from Health Minister Rosie Winterton in a written House of Commons answer are for patients admitted to hospital in England because of a mental or behavioural disorder due to the use of cannabis.
Admissions are not the same as patients, so one patient may have been admitted more than once.
The figures include people with a chronic addiction to cannabis, people with an acute cannabis psychosis as well as those with cannabis-related schizophrenia.
But experts say many more cases may be missed or diagnosed simply as a mental health disorder instead.
Hidden problem
Professor Robin Murray, professor of psychiatry at London's Institute of Psychiatry and member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: "There is no doubt that cannabis-related psychiatric problems have increased substantially.
"This might be down to better recognition, but I would say these figures are just the tip of the iceberg. Its only more recently that psychiatrists have understood the importance of cannabis use."
He said cannabis use was a contributing factor in up to 10% of schizophrenia cases, yet this was under-recognised.

"There are probably 1,500 new cases of cannabis-related schizophrenia a year," he said.
Paul Jenkins, chief executive of the Rethink mental health charity, said: "These figures show that there is an urgent need for a properly funded campaign to help young people realise cannabis use is risky."
Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity SANE, said: "Psychiatrists have been telling us that 80% of patients admitted with their first episode of psychosis have been taking the drug.
"We strongly urge the government to heed the growing evidence and take urgent action to warn young people that some of them are risking lifelong mental illness - that they are playing Russian roulette with their minds."
Scientists have found that some of the active ingredients in cannabis can have an impact on the symptoms of many diseases, including asthma, glaucoma and muscle spasms, as well as loss of appetite and nausea due to AIDS and chemotherapy treatment.
Policy
Indeed, cannabis-based pain-relief drugs have been licensed for MS patients.
Mr Lansley added: "Awareness of the link between mental illness and cannabis has increased over recent years, as has the strength of the drug.
"Both these factors have contributed to the sharp increase of hospital admissions on mental health grounds.
"That's why the Conservatives have opposed the downgrading of cannabis and pledged to have it reclassified."
At present, cannabis is a class C drug but there have been calls to move it back to class B.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "Our message is clear - cannabis is harmful, is an illegal drug and should not be taken.
"Our policy on cannabis is in line with the drugs strategy, with emphasis on enforcement, prevention, education, and treatment; evidence shows that cannabis use is falling across all age ranges."

Maldives presents SriLankan Airlines Pro

2007-06-09T03:37:00.001-07:00

Joan Duru (Fra) launched above the lip on multiple occasions to move into the round of 24
Young Brazilian surfer Adriano De Souza, the events number one seed, was a shock elimination on day five at the SriLankan Airlines Pro in the Maldives today. In the round of 24 surfers where three man heats are introduced with 1st and 2nd progressing while 3rd is eliminated, twenty year old De Souza only required a three point ride to progress.The big problem for De Souza was a snapped fin on his board mid heat which restricted his performance severely. He was forced to waste time changing boards and was unable to get a wave on his new board before the heat finished. De Souza fell to Eneko Acero (Spain) and Jordy Smith (Zaf).Angry after the heat De Souza said “It’s really disappointing when the equipment fails. It happened in my first heat here and then again today. I’ll be talking seriously with my board people to fix this because it’s a serious problem and I’m not happy at all.”It wasn’t all bad for the strong Brazilian contingent here with Leonardo Neves and Heitor Alves both very impressive round five heat winners today. Alves likened the wave to his home breaks in Brazil and the super fast small framed goofy footer put in an awesome display to score the events highest single scoring ride with a 9.67 and the events highest heat tally of 18.17.Surrounded by the happy Brazilian contingent after his heat Alves said, “Great heat for me, the winds picked up and I knew I could pull some good aerial moves if I focused on them and that’s exactly how it worked for me. I love the waves here and I really feel good at this stage of the event and will enjoy my next heats.”One surfer surprising many here is Anthony Walsh (Australia/Lennox Head). Walsh recently made world headlines in surfing following exceptional performances in the worlds scariest wave in Tahiti and here in the Maldives, in probably some of the most fun waves in the world, Walsh is again winning and is through to the final 16 surfers.“It’s nothing like Teahupoo but it’s such a rippable wave you have to surf well here. The hardest part here is the water temperature. It’s probably the warmest I’ve felt, around 30 degrees and that’s awesome for free surfing but tough when we compete!”Other big performers today included Mikey Picon (France), Michel Bourez (Tahiti), Jarrad Howse (Aus), Dustin Barca (Haw), Kekoa Bacalso (Haw), Troy Brooks (Aus), Adrian Buchan (Aus) and Tiago Pires(Portugal), all through to the final 16 surfers.The great waves simply continue to roll through at Pasta Point and with predicted favorable winds tomorrow everyone is keen for an epic finish.The Maldives presents SriLankan Airlines Pro is made possible by SriLankan Airlines, Maldives Tourism, Dhonveli Beach & Spa Resort, Dhiraggu Internet and Atoll Travel

G8 leaders agree to climate deal

2007-06-09T03:31:00.000-07:00

G8 leaders agree to climate deal

German and American views had differed ahead of the summitLeaders of the G8 nations have agreed to seek "substantial" cuts in emissions in an effort to tackle climate change.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the G8 would negotiate within a UN framework to seek a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol by the end of 2009.
No mandatory target was set for the cuts, but Mrs Merkel's preference for a 50% emissions cut by the year 2050 was included in the agreed statement.
Developing nations should also cut emissions, the leaders agreed.
Elsewhere at the summit, US President George W Bush met Russian President Vladimir Putin against a backdrop of disagreements over US plans for missile defence.
Mr Bush said the pair had had a "constructive" meeting, in which Mr Putin suggested using a radar station in Azerbaijan instead of facilities elsewhere in Europe.
Turning the tide
Announcing the climate change deal, Mrs Merkel described it as a "significant and important step forward".
"We agreed... that CO2 emissions must first be stopped and then followed by substantial reductions," the German chancellor said.

Her preferred benchmark of 50% cuts by 2050 - backed by the EU, Canada and Japan - would be given serious consideration, she said.
According to an extract from the agreed text published on the G8 website, the leaders agreed to take "strong and early" action.
"Taking into account the scientific knowledge as represented in the recent IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] reports, global greenhouse gas emissions must stop rising, followed by substantial global emission reductions," the text says.
Yvo de Boer, head of the UN's climate change division, quickly welcomed the agreement.
He told the Reuters news agency the deal augured well for a meeting to discuss a post-Kyoto consensus scheduled for Bali in December.
Blair optimistic
The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus, in Heiligendamm, says Mrs Merkel has crafted a compromise while appearing not to have abandoned her principles.

Ahead of the meeting President Bush proposed the establishment of his own process of climate control negotiations.
The compromise appears to bring Mr Bush's plan into the wider UN-brokered process - something the US had previously resisted, saying it would not even discuss a post-Kyoto deal.
But changing diplomatic chemistry and an evolving debate on climate change back in the US forced the president to give ground, our correspondent says.
Speaking to reporters in Heiligendamm, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair deflected concerns about the absence of a precise definition of the term "substantial cuts".
"I'm both surprised and very pleased at how far we have come forward in the couple of years since [the 2005 G8 summit at] Gleneagles," he told reporters.
"Now we have an agreement that there will be a climate change deal, it will involve everyone, including the US and China, and it will involve substantial cuts."

Maldivian Detainees Network Lates Update on inmates in hospital now

2007-06-09T03:30:00.000-07:00

Ahmed Irushad - Acquaintance of detainee reported the police brought the detainee to the IGM Hospital at around 04:30 on 6 June 2007.Acquaintance of detainee reported the police informed the hospital that they had found the detainee unconscious outside of the prison in Maafushi Island after the detainee broke out of the prison. Acquaintance of detainee reported the doctors at IGM Hospital pumped the detainee’s stomach and noted the detainee had overdosed on drugs. Acquaintance of detainee reported the hospital initially treated the detainee at the Intensive Care Unit but later transferred the detainee to a general ward. Acquaintance of detainee reported the detainee is not yet discharged from hospital. more

Final results of MDP Presidential By-election - Dr. Munavvaru declared winner

2007-06-09T03:29:00.000-07:00

Male' - MDP has released the final results of the elections of 2nd June, which gives Dr. Munavvaru 46.05% (4,487 votes), hence formally announcing him as the new President of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). In second place was Mr. Zaki with 36.53% (3,559 votes), third place Mr. Moosa Manik with 11.84% (1,154 votes) and 4th place Dr. Hussain Rasheed with 4.57% (445 votes). MDP's first ever nationwide election went smoothly without any major hiccups and preliminary results were announced the same night

Maafushi jail situation still tense with several inmates on hunger strike

2007-06-09T03:27:00.000-07:00

Male' - Reliable sources have confirmed that the situation in Maafushi is still very tense despite the claims by Golhaabo that everything is back to normal now. An inmate told DO today that they have not have any food for over 48 hours now and that some of the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services staff also participated in the hunger strike because they themselves are being victimised as a result of the poor administration of the jail. According to our source, inmates staged the protest on Tuesday night because they wanted to help those in solitary confinement who were being tortured because some of them were sick and demanded medication. The source also said that apart from minor clashes with police, there was no other operation and that the allegation by Golhaabo that they had broken into the Medical Centre is totally false. "We are in jail but we are also human and we have rights too, that is what we are fighting for," said our source, who is serving a short sentence for drug use. He also confirmed that more than 40 escaped from jail yesterday and are now at large in Male'. "What they (Police) will now say is that these people were taken for medication to Male' and they escaped from the hospital," said the inmate

Australia awards grant to Maldivian Detainees Network

2007-06-09T03:25:00.000-07:00

Australian Development Counsellor, Percy Stanley, today announced that the Australian Government had awarded the Maldivian Detainee Network a grant of close to Australian Dollar 50,000 under its Human Rights Small Grants Scheme (HRSGS), which provides grants to in-country organisations (primarily non-government) for activities aimed at promoting and protecting human rights in a direct and tangible way. The focus of the scheme is the Asia-Pacific region, and it is the first time that a Maldivian organisation has received the award. more

More than 250 Maafushi jail inmates still on hunger strike and dozens needing medical attention

2007-06-09T03:20:00.000-07:00

Male' - 00:30 - Sources in Male' are reporting that more than 250 inmates of Maafushi jail are still continuing with the hunger strike which they began on Tuesday after the unrest and the death of an inmate Muslih Abbas on Wednesday. According to sources in Jail, more than 18 people fro the group are in very bad conditions and the authorities are failing in taking care of them and in some cases even refusing to give them proper medical care.

There are reports that 3 people were treated in Male' on Friday and have since been taken back to jail. Further 4 people are still in Male' with another 10 being kept in the Medical Centre in Maafushi jail this evening as can be seen from the following pictures taken inside medical centre in Maafushi jail on Friday evening.

Following is the provisional list obtained by Minivan Radio and Minivan Daily of the inmates on hunger strike.

No.
Name

1
Mohamed Shiyam
M.Alaska

2
Abdhula Saeed
K. Kaashidhoo
hihvakaruge
3
Ibrahim Farhad
HDH. Vaikaradhoo
Kashiomaage
4
Ahmed Rasheed
H. Shadyvilla

5
Mohamed Nazim
H. Shadi House

6
Ibrahim Bas haar
G. Thanburuge

7
Ibrahim Rasheed
HA. Hoarafushi
Muniyaage
8
Mohamed Husain
Vaadhoo
Beach villa
9
Hassan Manik
Baarah
White Saw
10
Mohamed Athif
M. Ikleel House

11
Abdhul Saeed
H. Fahala

12
Moosa Ashraf
G. Guraha

13
Jhone Buritto
India

14
Pradhib Kumar
India

15
Abdhul Sawaan
Th. Thimarafushi
Edhuruge Aage
16
Ahmed Ahlaam
G.Manzil Villa

17
Hassan Wahid
K.Guraidhoo
Ahimaage
18
Ibrahim Faruhath
GDh. Vaadhoo
Freezee
19
Ibrahim Manik
S.Hulhudhoo
Hiyala
20
Mohamed Mahin
India

21
Mohamed Nazim
Hoadehdhoo
Vaavadige
22
Ahmed Riza
Ma. Snow

23
Ibrahim Abdhulla
Gdh. Dhaandhoo
NasreenVilla
24
Mohamed Latheef
S.Hulhudhoo
Aazaadh Vaadhee
25
Husain Shathir
Gn. Fuahmulah
Green Land
26
Mohamed Aheleem
S. Hithadhoo
Mabrooge
27
Mohamed Naseer
S. Hithadhoo
Neelange
28
Abdhul Shinaan
S. Meedhoo
gandhakoalhimaage
29
Mohamed Mahid
M. Rathegaage

30
Ahmed Rasheed
Ma. Kamadhooge

31
Hassan Zareer
Ma. kandooge

32
Ibrahim Rasheed
Ma. Kandooge

33
Ali Akhtar
G. Ummeedhee villa

34
Mohamed Abdhulla
G. Reynis

35
Mohamed Ashraf
R. Inguraidhoo
Roashaneege
36
Ibrahim Zahir
Gn. Fuahmulakge

37
Abdhulla Shakeel
Th. Hirilandhoo
Asareege
38
Mohamed Husain
G. Mambau

39
Ismail Yasif
H. Laight Night

40
Anas Mohamed
Ma. Hinnavaru Hulhagubai

41
Afsal Mohamed
Ma. Hinnavaruge Hulhaguubai

42
Ibrahim Shuja
M. Green Cell

43
Husain Nazim
G. Naashid Villa

44
Shamin Ahmed
B. Eydhafushi
Thaareef
45
Gasim Abdhulla Jalaal

46
Mohamed Rauoof
H. Kanthu

47
Maujooj Riyaaz
Sinamale' 12.0.04

48
Ahsan Hassan Manik
Golden House

49
Hassan Fayaza
S. Hithadhoo
Sea Love
50
Ahmed Rasheed
S. Hithadhoo
Neeraa
51
Ibrahim Siraj
Hulhudheli
Karankaage
52
Imad Mohamed
S. Hitahdhoo
No Thari
53
Husain Habeeb
H. Broken Heart

54
Ahmed Amir
Vaikaradhoo
Thandiriaamaage
55
Saleem Adam
Aa. Dhangethi
Santhi
56
Ahmed Riyaz
H. Noor Vaadhee

57
Akbar Rasheed
S. Feydhoo
Seat Maage
58
Anasar Saajan
India

59
Ahmed Manik
Th. Thimarafushi
Kulhidhoshuge
60
Abdhul Muhusin Ali
Maafaru
Randhoashige
61
Moosa Hassan
Maafaru
Hiyaafashuvige
62
Mohamed Musthafa
Asimaa Manzil

63
Mohamed Imthiyaaz
H. Halavelige

64
Ibrahim Faiz
B. Kamadhoo
Finifenmaage
65
Mohamed Shahid
G. Heretherege

66
Hassan Rafeeq
G. Hiyaaleege Aage

67
Ahmed Fareesh
Ma. Shabaab

68
Ahmed Waheed
S. Hithadhoo
Vaadhooge
69
Ibrahim Ahmed
S. Hithadhoo
Baadharuge
70
Abdulla Wahhaab
Velidhoomaage

71
Abhulla Waheed
Mahinna

72
Ibrahim Rasheed
Velidhoo
Gulalaage
73
Aseem
Maamendhoo
Fehivina
74
Mohamed Hassan
H. Riyaakuredhige

75
Mohamed Adam
Kulhuduhfushi
Karankaage
76
Mohamed Haleem
M. Noorange

77
Mohamed Gudhurathul
GDh. Fares
Kinaaraa
78
Ismail Shahid
Gdh. Gahdhoo
kafidhooge
79
Ahmed Areef
Gdh. Gahdhoo
Thanburoazuge
80
Ahmed Niyam
Gdh. Gahdho
AthireeVilla
81
Masood Ali
S. Hulhudhoo
Alimasge
82
Mohamed Shaam
Gdh.Hoadehdhoo
Noomaraagee
83
Dhaaoodh Jimreez
G. Buty Villa

84
Nasru Adam
Ma. Almaage

85
Ismail Shinaz
M. Reefside

86
Mohamed Nashraf
GDh. Gahdhoo
Soamil
87
Mohamed Fayaz
Gn. fuavmulah
Foniluboage
88
Mohamed Fzahu
S. Feydhoo
Miuzikeege
89
Asraar Mohamed
S. Hithadhoo
Maburooruge
90
Samin Mohamed
S. Hitahdhoo
Maburooruge
91
Mohamed Nimaal
M. West House

92
Mohamed Shamsheed
Gdh. Thinadhoo
Dhoores
93
Hassan Haleem
M. Wink

94
Husain Ziyad
S. Maradhoo Feydhoo
Galarumaage
95
Ibrahim Mumthaaz
S. Mradhoo
Bahaaruge
96
Ahmed Husain
Isdhoo
Fithuroanuge
97
Mohamed Ibrahim
Lh. Kurendhoo
Hirundhumaage
98
Ibrahim Shanee
H. Kafamaage

99
Dhaaoodh Mamdhooh
M. Liyaage

100
Ali Riyaaz
M. gep

101
Ahmed Fazeel
H. Fimy Side

102
Ishaag Haleel
G. Ufriyaa

103
Ahmed Fazeel Mohamed
Viligli
palace
104
Mohamed Faisal
G. Ufriyaa

105
Ahmed Moosa
M. Hithikandu

106
Mohamed Ashraf
M. Wind Screen

107
Mohamed Riyaaz
M. California

108
Husain Afeef
S. Hulhudhoo
Rediumge
109
Yusuf Azeed
H. Morning Sun

110
Iqbal Saeed
Ma. Central

111
Shimaz Mohamed
S. Hulhudhoo
Rankokaage
112
Mohamed Aslam
S. Hithadhoo
Ranfaruge
113
Ahmed Niyaaz
Gd. Fiyori
Vaadhee Rose
114
Ibrahim Shiyam
Dhanbidhoo
Dhekunuge
115
Badhurul Aas
S. Hithadhoo
janburoalmaage
116
Ahmed Ziraar
S. feydhoo
Noomaage
117
Moosa Futhaa
S. Huldhudhoo
Rizveen Villa
118
Ali Naeem
S. Hitahdhoo
UhDhosheege
119
Ahmed Zahir
S. Hulhudhoo
Binmaage
120
Sharaful Ameen
S. Hithadhoo
Every Free
121
Ibrahim Mohamed
S. Hitahdhoo
Vaarey Villa
122
Ali Nasru
S. Feydhoo
Dhekandumaage
123
Vishham Ahmed
Gn. Fuahmulah
Dhivehinge
124
Asif Ibrahim
S. Hitahdhoo
Finifar
125
Moosa Fathhee
S. Hithadhoo
Dhonfaru
126
Mohamed Samin
S. Hithahdoo
Gulzaaruge
127
Mohamed Saeed
S. Feydhoo
Buruneege
128
Mohamed Asim
S. Hulhudhoo
Handhubalaage
129
Hassan Shaan
H. Fenthila

130
Mohamed Shathil
S. Hulhudhoo
Chanbeyleege
131
Migdhaad Luthufee
S. Hulhudhoo
Show Place
132
Mohamed Solaah
S. Hithadhoo
Athireege
133
Nasru Ahmed
S. Hithadhoo
Boashimaage
134
Inaayathulla Jabir
S. Hitahdoo
Kandhilige
135
Aslam Ibrahim
S. Hithadhoo
Dhanbusuthulige
136
fahud Mohamed
Gdh. Fares
janavareege
137
Mohamed Nazim
Viligli
Zeena Beach
138
Mohamed Ahmed
G. Haalam

139
Mohamed Niyaaz
G. Arutha

140
Mohamed Shareef
G. Blue River

141
Ahmed Nazeem
H. Zaalim

142
Ali Muruthalaa
M. Roashenee Manzil

143
Saeed Umar
Ma. Ranmatheeg

144
Ibrahim Shaaz
H. Sea Rough

145
Ahmed Waheed
K. Guraidhoo
inamaage
146
Abdhul Kareem Mohamed Murushid
Srilanka

147
Abdhul Azeez
Pakistan

148
Mohamed Razeen
M. Star

149
Mohamed Athif
Eydhafushi
Bulbulaage
150
Ibrahim Mauroof
M. Kimulas

151
Abdhul Latheef
S. Feydhoo
Iramaage
152
Shaahil Easa
G. Sahleege

153
Adhnaan Husain
S. Hithadhoo
Yellow Villa
154
Ibrahim Shuja
G. Sultun Villa

155
Shuaib Ahmed
M. Shubaabaadh

156
Ibrahim Ahmed
Kanduhulhudhoo
Mirusmaage
157
Mohamed Solih
Rathafandhoo
Bihloorijehige
158
Ahmed Naseem
M. Snow Sky

159
Mohamed Shiyam
Kalhaidhoo
Araairu
160
Ahmed Farhath
S. Feydhoo
Fehige
161
Ibrahim Niyaz
G. Kandhumaage

162
usham Ahmed
Madifushi
Vilaadeelight
163
Mohamed Shaneez
maamigili
Nedhunge
164
Ahmed Thoriq
G. Kohdipparu

165
Abdhul Mannaan
S. Maradhoo
fathagumaage
166
Ismail Rasheed
Mathivaru
Athireege
167
Ali Jamsheed
Devvadhoo
Green Life
168
Adam Mohamed
velidhoo
Alhivilaage
169
Mohamed Shafeeq
M. Maamutaa

170
Abdhula Zakariyaa
Sinamale'

171
Mohamed Saeed
Hoadehdhoo
Shabnamyge
172
Abdhul Rasheed
Thakandhoo
Mushthareeg
173
Thoriq Rasheed
vaadhoo
Finvaage
174
Akbar Ali
Kulhudhuhfushi
Maafolheyge
175
Ahmed Nizaar
Hinnavaru
Athamaage
176
Abdhul Nasheed
Ma. Noor

177
Mohamed ALi
Kulhudhuhfushi
Ushaan
178
Ali Naahid
M. Nazly Manzil

179
Shameem Abdhul Sattar
L. Gan
Muniyaa
180
Abdhul Haleem
L. Gan
Bahaaruge
181
Mohamed Ibrahim Didi
M. Mulak
Hoadhaduge
182
Mohamed Hassan Manik
Lhohee
Sunshine
183
Ahmed Adam
Dhaandhoo
Palace House
184
Mohamed Hafiz
Gahdhoo
Kenaruge
185
Ali Zinyn
H. Luxury Home

186
Hassan shifau
G. Gudige

187
Imlag Shareef
H. Litter Lime

188
Mohamed Jinaah
Ma. Foget me not

189
Ibrahim fayaz
Hulhumale
Jorgia
190
Mufirh Mohamed
H. GasDhoshuge

191
Adam Hassan
N. Velidhoo
Husnooge
192
Lamir Ahmed
gdh. Rathafandhoo
Shabnameege
193
Ahmed Mohaed
M. Eyerose

194
Ahmed Rishmeen
M. Shuau

195
Ibrahim Naeem
Fuvahmulak
Sunrise
196
Ibrahim naween
H. Dhekunu

197
Fayaaz Mohamed Anil
H. Blue Meed / M. Muniyaage

198
Mohamed Ahmed
FuvahMulah
Segalkent
199
Ibrahim Waheed
Fuvahmulak
Fusthulhaage
200
Athif Abdhul Azeez
M. Landhoafaruge

201
Abdhul Zuhuree
S. Hithadhoo
White Age
202
Fathuhulla Moosa
N. Manadhoo
Dhonveli
203
Mohamed Hameed
M. Silver Glass

204
Mohamed Shariu
H. Rathuloa

205
Abdhuh Smamad Ahmed
H. Kandufinige

206
Hassan Latheef
M. Gulshaneege

207
Moosa Ahmed Didi
Th. Vilufushi
HeenaMaage
208
Mohan Kumar
India

209
Ibrahim Ahmed
S. Hithadhoo
Mabrookuge
210
Mohamed Rameez
Srilanka

211
NG Heree
India

212
Shammika Nimeyn
Srilanka

213
Mohamed Fazlee
Srilanka

214
Opider morris trancer
India

215
basheer Shakir
India

216
Shaml Qasim
India

217
Mohamed Noor Islam
Bandladhesh

218
Ahmed Mohamed
Naifaru
Kaneeruge
219
Naushad
Srilanka

220
Mohamed Zubair
S. Hithadhoo
Nanreethige
221
Mohamed Shah
Gdh. Thinadhoo
Sukoon
222
Madheeh
Gdh. Fares
Chanbeyleege
223
Abdhul Moosa
G. Light Grey

224
Abdhul Shihab
M. Sunreef

225
Ali rasheed
G. Night Dream

226
Abdhul Rameez
G. Night Dream

227
Mohamed Niaz
Gdh. Gahdhoo
Handhuvareenaaz
228
Mohamed Farish
M. Masroor

229
Adam Firdhaus
Male' Hiyaa 12-03 01

230
Hassan Madhoog
S. Hulhudhoo
orchid Fushi
231
Mohamed Ibrahim
M. night Flower

232
Ibrahim Nawaz
M. Nandhoshi

233
Hassan Saeed
S. Feydhoo
Snow White
234
Mamdhooh Ibrahim
N. Maafaru
Mahifari
235
Mohamed fahud
M. Red Sea

236
Hamza Waheed
M. Mulee
Broken Heart
237
Mohamed Sunil
S. Hithadhoo
Reyge
238
Mohamed Afrad
H.Rose Villa

239
Ali Rasheed
M. Kandufennage

240
Jayawaradhaana
Srilanka

241
Husain Shiyaaz
G. Beat Root

242
Jcp Perera
Srilanka

243
Mohamed Riyaaz
M. gep

244
Ikleel Ibrahim
Gdh. Kanduhulhudhoo
Vidhatari
245
Ali Yusuf
M. Right Flower

246
Mohamed Shifau
Ma. Vevin Faru

247
Ahmed Shifau
M. Muli
Sosun Villa
248
Ibrahim Usmaan
Lh. Hinnavaru
Dhihgaamaage
249
Mohamed Ibrahim
Ha. baarah
kekurimaage
250
Haamid Nadheem
G. Naashid Villa

251
Husain Firaaz
Hdh. Kulhudhuhfushi
Beach Side
252
Ibrahim Shiyaz
Villigili
Hahuru
253
Ahmed Vishal
S. Maradho Feydhoo
Murcury Light

Police and army confiscating mobile phones to stop reports coming out of jail

2007-06-09T03:17:00.000-07:00

Maafushi Jail - Police and the army have begun an operation to confiscate mobile phones from inmates who have been able to report the news to local media. A combined force are working in Maafushi jail since this morning and they are confiscating mobile phones along with items such as iron bars which have been kept hidden underground by inmates. However, the main purpose of this operation is stop information and news from flowing into the media via mobile phones which has proven very useful, with SMS and MMS services. A chosen group of media persons from pro-government news outlets such as Haveeru and Miadhu are witnessing the operation and reporting everything the police and the army want to report. Hundreds of inmates are still on hunger strike and they did not resist this operation, our sources say. Photos from Maafushi jail.

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Prize $299.00 USD Dollars Full Version. None Free Trial. MRF/=3588.
Theawaykid Instant Vista Live Messenger 1.5.0.2.003.00.
Prize $29.00 USD Dollars Full Version. Free Trial Unavailable for The moment. MRF/=348
Theawaykid Instant Messenger 1.002.001.01
Prize Free!

Get Theawaykid Professional Email from Microsoft Online website. and from this website
just fill your all information and send to theawaykid@msn.com

Agreement Signed on 7/6/2007 Thursday.
Agreement Owner Mr.Sharif Mohamed
Agreement Exuetive Assitant of Sharif Mohamed , Mr.Cristopher saind
Theawaykid Corporation

Maldivian Air Taxi cabin crew on strike over pay dispute

2007-06-05T10:43:00.000-07:00

Male' - 18:00 - Reports are coming that ground staff of Maldivian Air Taxi will also join the strike tomorrow. They will include reservations, despatch and Sand Bar staff, according to our source. Also, it is now clear that the strike was staged over management's failure to raise the daily food allowance from Mrf 20 to Mrf 50, which staff say is barely enough for daily meals, as prices have gown up over the last year by some margin. Industrial expert told DO that this "shows the incompetence of MAT management as the money they are losing today would have paid for this incremental allowance for more than a year as the company is having to hire other vessels and services from their competitors to operate now". There are also reports that Mr. Lars E. Nelson, the Danish owner and Chairman of MAT, is now on his way to the Maldives to try and resolve the matter personally.
Male' Airport - 08:58 - Management have refused to listen to them and now trying to fly with crews from TMA and other staff in MAT. Some pilots are unhappy about this decision. Protesting crew around 30 are now on their way to Male'. More than half the fleet of 21 aircrafts are grounded today and more than disruptions have caused severe delays to international flights as well in inter-resort transfers.
Male' Airport - 08:16 - Local staff of Maldivian Air Taxi have begun a strike today demanding a pay rise. Despite their earlier demands, the management refused to review their pays and instead pay cuts were introduced, one staff told DO. It is mostly cabin crew who are on strike. Management is now working to fly with untrained foreign workers in the company and also reportedly chartered two TMA flights to ferry their guests. Some resorts have reported delays in arrivals. The staff are quietly sitting down in the terminal area.

Freak accident involving an ambulance injurs motorists

2007-06-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

Male' - A freak accident near Giyaasudhdheen school has left two motorists critically injured. It happened around 10:30 in the evening (Monday) when a speeding ambulance plunged into motorists waiting at the traffic junction near the school. Three motorists were taken to the hospital from the scene, two of them are reportedly in very critical conditions. According to an eyewitness, one of the injured has sustained very severe injuries with bones sticking out from his body in various parts. "I don't think he will survive, his head was bleeding and bones were broken all over his body", said an eyewitness. Others at the scene reported that all the vehicles involved were badly damaged, even the ambulance, indicating the force involved in the collision. A similar accident occurred in the same junction last night when a police bus hit two motorists waiting at the lights. However, police has refused to give information about the incident to local media. A similar accident occurred in the same junction last night when a police bus hit two motorists waiting at the lights. However, police had refused to give any information about the incident to local media.

The most complete edition of Windows Vista—with the power, security, and mobility features that you need for work, and all of the entertainment featur

2007-06-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

The most complete edition of Windows Vista—with the power, security, and mobility features that you need for work, and all of the entertainment features that you want for fun
When you want to have it all, including the ability to shift smoothly between the worlds of play and productivity, there's Windows Vista Ultimate. You'll never have to worry about having the most advanced capabilities—they're all here. This edition of Windows Vista offers an advanced, business-focused infrastructure, mobile productivity, and a premium home digital entertainment experience, all in a single offering.
Specifically, Windows Vista Ultimate offers all of the features found in Windows Vista Home Premium, including Windows Media Center, Windows Movie Maker with high-definition support, and Windows DVD Maker. It also offers all of the features found in Windows Vista Business, including business networking, centralized management tools, and advanced system backup features. And Windows Vista Ultimate has all of the new security and data protection features that help take Windows Vista to a whole new level of dependability.
In addition, Windows Vista Ultimate includes support for all of the new mobility features in Windows Vista, including Windows Tablet and Touch Technology, Windows SideShow, Windows Mobility Center, and other new, advanced mobility features.
Exclusive to Windows Vista are Windows Ultimate Extras. These cutting-edge programs, innovative services, and unique publications provide a richer computing experience for Windows Vista Ultimate users. Windows Ultimate Extras currently available include:
Windows Hold’em, a poker game for players of all skill levels
Language packs for Windows multi-language interface, where users can install and use multiple languages on a single PC. Great for multi-lingual households or if you are learning a new language.
Secure Online Key Backup, where Ultimate users can store their BitLocker recovery password and Encrypting File System certificate on Windows Marketplace’s Digital Locker website for access to the key anytime, anyplace, and from any computer that has an Internet connection
BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool, an automated tool which removes the complexity of setting up your PC to use this exclusive data security feature.
More Windows Ultimate Extras coming soon
Windows DreamScene, an Extra that enables you to use looped, full-motion video as your desktop wallpaper instead of a static image
Whenever a new Windows Ultimate Extra is ready for distribution by Microsoft, you will see the Ultimate Extra control panel inform you that there are new extras to download. Simply download and install the Extras and begin enjoying these exclusive software and services that give your Windows Vista experience an extra lift!
If you want a single PC that fulfills all of your work, travel, and entertainment needs, or if you simply want to be confident that you have the very best, Windows Vista Ultimate is the no-compromise edition for you.
Note: If your system features a 64-bit processor, you can take advantage of its advanced design in this edition of Windows Vista. Read more.
Suggested retail price for full package product, $399.00 USD. Suggested upgrade retail price, $259.00 USD.

Drogba applies the killer blow to United double hopes

2007-05-19T11:37:00.001-07:00

by Angus MacKinnon

LONDON, May 19, 2007 (AFP) - Didier Drogba's 33rd goal of the season, four minutes from the end of extra-time, was enough to secure the FA Cup for Chelsea in the first final at the new Wembley on Saturday. Just as it seemed a third successive final would be resolved by penalties, the Ivory Coast striker picked up a pass from Mikel John Obi, found Frank Lampard on the edge of the area and and burst into the box to meet the return pass with the most delicate of finishes over the sprawling Edwin van der Sar.

Drogba's goal count this season also includes the winner in the League Cup final against Arsenal in February and this one ensured that Chelsea's manager Jose Mourinho has now completed a full set of English trophies after only three seasons in charge -- although whether he will be around for a fourth remains to be seen.

Mourinho said afterwards: "That's one I don't throw away, it means a lot," Mourinho said of his winners' medal. "It's the first FA Cup for me. It's something the players deserve so much. It's a moment for everyone to enjoy.

"The team played very, very well and understood the gameplan."

Skipper John Terry said Chelsea had made up for losing out on the Premiership and Champions League. "It's absolutely unbelievable, the way we held on to the death, the way Didier took his chance."

"If we hadn't have won this Cup we would have been very frustrated," added Drogba, saying he was "very happy to score the first goal in this new stadium."

Drogba grabbed the glory at the end but he will have to share the plaudits with goalkeeper Petr Cech, who had repeatedly denied United any reward for their attacking efforts in a match they did not deserve to lose.

Having pulled off a superb double save to deny Wayne Rooney and Giggs at the start of the second-half, the Czech international came to his side's rescue twice more in extra-time.

In the 104th minute, as Giggs slid in to meet Rooney's low cross, Cech threw himself to his right to smother the ball. The United captain's momentum carried him into the goalkeeper's body, forcing both Cech and the ball over the line but referee Steve Bennett waved away the appeals for a goal to be given.

Then, minutes before Drogba's killer blow, the Chelsea keeper threw himself at Rooney's feet to prevent the England forward finishing off Paul Scholes's perfectly-judged ball over the top of the back four.

With the Premiership champions close to full strength and Chelsea obliged to do without the injured trio of Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko, United's line-up appeared, on paper at least, to carry the greater attacking threat.

In practice, it was Chelsea, with Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips swirling either side of Drogba, who displayed the greater attacking initiative in an opening half that never really sparked into life.

United's first sniff of an opening came after quarter of an hour when Darren Fletcher's header left Rooney with only Cech to beat. The offside flag went up -- wrongly television replays suggested -- but Rooney, in any case, placed his shot wide of the target.

The England forward's touch was equally awry a minute later when he failed to get a clean contact on a volley after Michael Essien, standing in for Carvalho, miscued a clearance into his path.

At the other end, Drogba sent a long-range effort looping wide before Paulo Ferreira's surge into the box generated Chelsea's best chance of the opening period.

Having cut inside Heinze, the Portuguese right-back slipped the ball to Lampard on the corner of the six-yard box and the midfielder was able to squeeze a shot on the turn through Rio Ferdinand's legs, forcing van der Sar to get down smartly to his right to save.

An unusually subdued Cristiano Ronaldo finally got involved in the contest ten minutes before the interval, shooting narrowly wide after collecting an astute long ball from Scholes, a minute before Lampard sent a 30-yard drive whistling narrowly over van der Sar's crossbar.

Half-time brought the introduction of Arjen Robben at the expense of Cole for Chelsea, but it was the increase in United's tempo that had a more profound impact on the pattern of the match and it took a superb double save by Cech to prevent them taking the lead within three minutes of the restart.

An uncharacteristic lapse by Claude Makelele allowed Rooney the opportunity to go round Essien on the edge of the area. The goalkeeper could not hold the drive that followed but he recovered quickly enough to keep out Ryan Giggs's follow-up effort.

With the game opening up, there were threatening bursts into the boxes from both Robben and Rooney, who was increasingly getting the upper hand in his personal battle with Essien.

But clear chances were extremely thin on the ground with a Ronaldo shot that found the netting the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock before the dramatic finale in extra-time.

Dhiraagu Edirectory Lister

2007-05-18T14:12:00.001-07:00

Download

# ____________________________________
#/ dhiraagu edirectory lister initial \
#\ script...                          /
# ------------------------------------
#  \                 __ 
#   \               (oo)
#    \              (  )
#     \             /--\
#       __         / \  \ 
#      UooU\.'@@@@@@`.\  )
#      \__/(@@@@@@@@@@) /
#           (@@@@@@@@)(( 
#           `YY~~~~YY' \\
#            ||    ||   >> 
#


import pygtk
pygtk.require("2.0")
import gtk
import urllib2
import urllib
import sgmllib
import re

class MyParser(sgmllib.SGMLParser):
def __init__(self, verbose=0):
    sgmllib.SGMLParser.__init__(self, verbose)
    self.numbers = []
    self.bumbers = []
    self.inside_td_element = 0
    self.inside_tdno_element = 0

def parse(self, data):
    self.feed(data)
    self.close()

def start_td(self, attributes):
    if attributes == []:
        self.inside_td_element = 1
    else:
        self.inside_tdno_element = 1

def end_td(self):
    self.inside_td_element = 0
    self.inside_tdno_element = 0

def handle_data(self, data):
    if self.inside_td_element == 1:
        self.numbers.append(data)
    if self.inside_tdno_element == 1:
        self.bumbers.append(data)

def get_numbers(self):
    return self.numbers

def get_bumbers(self):
    return self.bumbers


class fuck:
def clicky(self, widget, textbuffer, entry):
    urlobj = urllib2.urlopen('http://www.dhivehinet.net.mv/index.php?action=edir', urllib.urlencode({'query':entry.get_text(), 'searchtype':'number'}))
    urlobjdata = urlobj.read()
    diParser = MyParser()
    cmpobj = re.compile(r"id=\"edir\".+?table>", re.DOTALL)
    feeddata = cmpobj.search(urlobjdata).group()
    diParser.feed(feeddata)
    asw = diParser.get_numbers()
    asd = diParser.get_bumbers()
    prrr = ''
    for i, j in zip(asw, asd):
        prrr = '%s %-80s %-10s\n' % (prrr, i ,j)
    textbuffer.set_text(prrr)

def closethingy(self, widget, event, data=None):
    gtk.main_quit()
def __init__(self):
    self.window = gtk.Window(gtk.WINDOW_TOPLEVEL)
    self.window.set_title("Alamaari")
    self.window.connect("delete_event", self.closethingy)
    vbox = gtk.VBox(False, 0)
    entry = gtk.Entry(50)
    vbox.pack_start(entry, False, False, 0)
    button = gtk.Button("Get List")
    textview = gtk.TextView()
    textbuffer = textview.get_buffer()
    button.connect("clicked", self.clicky, textbuffer, entry)
    scrolledwindow = gtk.ScrolledWindow()
    scrolledwindow.set_policy(gtk.POLICY_ALWAYS,gtk.POLICY_ALWAYS)
    scrolledwindow.add_with_viewport(textview)
    vbox.pack_start(button, False, False, 0)
    vbox.pack_start(scrolledwindow, True, True, 10)
    self.window.add(vbox)
    self.window.set_border_width(3)
    self.window.resize(700, 500)
    self.window.show_all()


if __name__ == "__main__":
fuck()
gtk.main()

XChat script for Lauren chatterbot

2007-05-18T14:10:00.000-07:00


Download

Works on XChat, a popular IRC client for Unix-like systems also available for Microsoft Windows.
If you want to use in instant messaging, there is BitlBee, and IRC Instant messaging gateway.
If you don't want to run your own BitlBee server, here are some of the free public servers.

im.bitlbee.org:6667
testing.bitlbee.org:6667
im.starkast.net:6667

import xchat

import os.path
import urllib2

import urllib
import cookielib
import os
import os.path
import re
from threading import Thread

__module_name__ = "LaurenBot"

__module_version__ = "0.1.1"
__module_description__ = "Lauren says"

# irc bot.


class Lauren(Thread):

 def __init__(self, strtalk, contactname , savefile=None):
         Thread.__init__(self)
         if not os.path.isdir('/tmp/LBot'):
                 os.mkdir('/tmp/LBot')
         self.cookiefile = '/tmp/LBot/'+contactname+'.lwp'
         self.cookiejar = cookielib.LWPCookieJar()
         self.opener = urllib2.build_opener(urllib2.HTTPCookieProcessor(self.cookiejar))
         urllib2.install_opener(self.opener)
         self.url = 'http://lauren.vhost.pandorabots.com/pandora/talk?botid=f6d4afd83e34564d&skin=input&speak=true'
         self.strtalk = strtalk
         self.savefile = savefile
         self.laurenreply =''


 def run(self):
         data = None
         iscookiefile = os.path.isfile(self.cookiefile)

         if iscookiefile:
                 self.cookiejar.load(self.cookiefile)
                 self.strtalk = str(self.strtalk).strip('[]').replace(',','').replace('\'','')
                 data = urllib.urlencode({'message':self.strtalk, 'botcust2':'ea5b96438fa868b7'})

         request = urllib2.Request(self.url, data)

         try:
                 urlobj = urllib2.urlopen(request)
                 self.cookiejar.save(self.cookiefile)
                 if not iscookiefile:
                         self.run()


                 message = urlobj.read()
                 if self.savefile:
                         fileobj = open('/home/vishah/Lauren.html', 'w+')
                         fileobj.write(message)
                         fileobj.close()
                 cmpobj = re.compile(r"LaurenBot:<\/b><\/i>([^>]+?)

[\n][\n]
", re.DOTALL|re.MULTILINE).search(message)
                 if cmpobj:
                         self.laurenreply = cmpobj.group(1)

         except IOError, e:
                 if hasattr(e, 'reason'):
                         xchat.prnt("Request not fullfilled by the server. Reason:"+str(e.reason))
                 elif hasattr(e, 'code'):
                         xchat.prnt("failed to reach server. ErrorCode:"+str(e.code))




print "loaded %s" % __module_name__


class xchatLauren(Thread):
 def __init__(self, word, word_eol, userdata):
         Thread.__init__(self)
         self.word = word
         self.word_eol = word_eol
         self.userdata = userdata

 def run(self):
         he_says = self.word_eol[3][1:]
         contact_name = str(self.word_eol[0]).split('!')[0].strip(':')

         if contact_name != "root":
                 current = Lauren(he_says, contact_name)
                 current.start()
                 current.join()
                 whatlaurensays = current.laurenreply


                 if whatlaurensays:
                         xchat.command("MSG %s %s" % (contact_name, str(whatlaurensays)))
         return xchat.EAT_NONE


def priv_cb(word, word_eol, userdata):
 obxcLauren = xchatLauren(word, word_eol, userdata)
 obxcLauren.start()

xchat.hook_server("PRIVMSG", priv_cb)

TheBalaaBodu

2007-05-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

the balaabodu is down very recently i new it on that night, but i didnt had time to take screen shot tonit i was going up nd down in the crazymaldivians.com and one of pics that i was suprise to see it this screen shot

after this i tryed to browse the site and again i got the security shit certificate that show now even the balaabodu is really explotic see the certificate below

sorry afra and ST , it the truth ,it cant be changed .......nd dnt belive in security....ok thnx

LOST The New Season

2007-05-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

Imagine next season with all new characters stepping forward because all of their fearless leaders and/or "go to" people are gone from their beachside existance. What will these new main characters do next? Who will be the next one to step forward to replace Jack's role? Kate's role? Sawyer's asshole role? What new discoveries will they all find that will dwarf the first 2 season's mysteries? I'm still floored at this very possible theory of mine.
I just fucking can't wait until next season. Imagine, an all new cast mixed with some regulars such as Claire, Charlie, Hurley, Sayid, Jin & Sun. Imagine all new dreadful back stories for all new main characters because let's face it, our possibly kidnapped or feared dead main characters have had their back stories told as much as they can.
And then as we watch season 3 we'll be intrigued with all new character stories but I'm assuming we'll eventually get a dose of the missing main characters returning here and there throughout the season. It's all very dramatic and damn good TV. My mind is fucking blown.
I almost forgot. We finally know that the island is not a realm between heaven or hell or some place in another dimension because we finally got to see the outside world that detected the electromagnatic explosion that is supposely the real reason as to why the plane crashed. What a final blow to the many other looney theories of LOST fans.
Remember, ABC is planning to air LOST season 3 chunks with no repeats at a time so catch up this summer on season one & two because season 3 will be a tough to follow for those trying to catch up.
I bow to LOST. I bend over to LOST. Thank you for an amazing 2 seasons and making TV not a complete waste of time. Wow.

Maldives Old Photo

2007-05-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

A painting by Ahmed Shuaib depicting the minaret (munnaru) in Male’. The scene of the actual site depcited in the picture has now changed beyond recognition.

Fasy's DVD Launch in Studio 3, TVM

2007-05-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

Fasy is set to launch their DVD at a premier event in Studio 3 of Television Maldives, on 14th May 2006 at 21:45hrs. Tickets to this exclusive event are priced at only MRf 130/=. Each ticket holder will receive an exclusive DVD of Fasy, autographed by Fasy. This DVD consists of eleven tracks of footage from their recent concert which was held at Alimas Carnival on 16th February 2006.

Ticketing Hotline: +960-968-939-1

Fasy’s Official Website

View the event flyer
This is going to be a truely historic event as TVM will conduct a live telecast of the event from 22:30hrs onwards. This event is expected to pack TVM’s Studio 3, with Fasy’s die-hard fans, great lights and sound, and never before seen performances of Fasy at close range.

Theawaykid Web online Service Powered by Theawaykid Corporation

2007-05-17T04:23:00.000-07:00

Theawaykid Email Login.

Anti Drug Campaing Online at Theawaykid

2007-05-17T03:42:00.000-07:00

Anti-drug Campaign by Chained Organizations

The Chained Organizations anti-drug campaign is a campaign which will help the community to be aware of such addictive drugs and substance abuse. Even now, more teens than ever use illegal drugs. This campaign will enable the whole community to get to know about substance abuse and how these facts could be avoided and controlled in our society today.

This campaign deals with the re-emergence of the drug problems in the whole society in this era and the ways in which the authorities deal with it. Riding on a sweeping victory over the drug addicts and its dealers, we, the chained organization is thorough and decisive in finding out and providing you with the drug problems that had plagued our country and the society for centuries. In this era, however, almost in every country including ours is increasing integration into matters related to drugs; the effectiveness of the old methods has been called into question. Severe punishment of offenders has failed to curb the spread of drug trafficking, and mass campaigns have aroused scant interest from the populace. The much-reduced efficacy of the anti-drug efforts due to the changed macro-environment implies that the drug problem in our community will be persistent if not worsen. It doesn’t matter whether one person of each family is a drug addict or the whole family is under its victim.

Governments are trying to figure out how many families have been corrupted by drugs and or other matters of addiction. All substance abuse is considered as drugs. Thus, those who are victims are under the consequences of drug addicts. A more recent issue which has emerged has to do with adolescents in Maldives who are facing serious problems of drug addiction, alcoholism and other tourism industry related by-products which we all should take under consideration and try to stop those acts. In fact, this is something that will badly affect our family union. As drug addiction is becoming particularly acute, discussing about these facts would enable each and every individual to beware of these.

Maldivian Early Industry Review from Theawaykid2007.

2007-05-17T03:19:00.000-07:00

An old craftsman working at home.

A lacquered wooden box (kullavah). Most Maldivian lacquer ware is made by artisans of Tuladu island (South Malosmaduli Atoll). This Particular box has a very ancient and beautiful design, but nowadays simpler designs are preferred, Photo courtesy BHM (Bernisches Historisches Museaum).

A lacquered wooden column from the royal place in Male. The place was destroyed in the 1970s. Photo Nils Finn Munch-Petersen.

a craved wooden ceiling.Male Hukuru Miskiy woodcarvers used to do excellent and intricate woodwork.

. The finished rope lengths are tied in bundles of a certain size called ''bondi" in order to be brought to the market.

Elections not free nor fair until Gayoom implements Human Rights Commission and Commonwealth Expert

2007-05-17T03:16:00.001-07:00

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) expresses its deep concern over President Gayoom’s continued refusal to ensure a free and fair by-election within the national constitutional assembly.
The ongoing by-election for three seats in the People’s Special Majlis has already been marred by bribery, undue use of state facilities and influence by candidates supported by President Gayoom. Members and favoured candidates of the President’s party have been openly observed manning and entering polling booths as well as rifling through doctored voter lists which include numerous names of deceased persons.

The Maldives Human Rights Commission and Commonwealth Expert Team have both recommended that the President allow for an independent Elections Commission in order to address such problems. Yet the Elections Commissioner, formerly a member of the President’s ruling party, is dismissed solely at the President’s pleasure and as a likely consequence has willfully failed to remedy any irregularities brought to his attention by the opposition.

The MDP therefore reiterates its urgent call for the President to immediately implement the recommendations of the Maldives Human Rights Commission and Commonwealth Expert Team. The MDP strongly believes there is no credible or legitimate reason for the President to not allow our citizens to freely and fairly elect their national representatives.

The use of brutal force by the security forces in Fares-Maathoda

2007-05-17T02:33:00.000-07:00

PRESS STATEMENT
MDP/2006/PR- 01
Date: 05 January 2006 (Thursady)
The use of brutal force by the security forces in Fares-Maathoda
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is appalled by reports that the law and order situation in Huvadhoo Atoll in South Maldives is deteriorating rapidly following the deployment of security forces to the island of Fares-Maathoda and the use of brutal force against protestors who were peacefully assembled, and other civilians. The island has a population of around 1800 inhabitants.
According to local sources several gun shots have been fired and tear gas and electric batons are being used against unarmed civilians.
MDP expresses its concern that the news of the deteriorating situation in Fares-Maathoda is raising further tension in the Huvadhoo Atoll.
MDP condemns the use of brutal force by the Security forces and calls on President Gayoom to respect basic human rights and to immediately halt the use of brutal force against the unarmed civilians of Fares-Maathoda .
MDP also wishes to note that the peaceful assembly in Fares-Maathoda earlier this week was instigated by years of neglect and failure of the government to provide basic services to the island. MDP also wishes to highlight, that it was only two days back that the Minister for Construction and Public Infrastructure, Mauroof Jameel and the Minister of Atolls Development, Mohamed Waheed Deen, in interviews to Television Maldives, acknowledged that it was the Government’s failure for the past six years to dredge the entry channel to provide access to the island that led to the unrest in Fares Maathoda.
MDP calls on the Government of the Maldives to stop misleading the public, through the government controlled state media, instigating tension, and abusing basic human rights, and to divert all energies to the development of the country.
MDP further condemns the continued deployment of military personnel and equipment in suppressing peaceful assembly without declaring emergency
Statement issued on behalf of the Maldivian Democratic Party by spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor. For enquiries please call +960 777 8285 or email: secretariat@mdp.org.mv

ފޮރިން މިނިސްޓަރުގެ ނައިބުކަން ދުންޔާ އަށް ދިނުމަކީ ބަންގާޅަށް ރާއްޖެ ވިއްކާލުން ފަދަ ކަމެއް: ކުރީގެ އެޓާނީ ޖެނެރަލް

2007-05-17T02:26:00.000-07:00

ރައީސުލްޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާގެ ދަރިކަނބަލުން ދުންޔާ މައުމޫނަށް މިނިސްޓަރ އޮފް ފޮރިން އެފެއާޒްގެ ނައިބުކަން ދެއްވުމަކީ ބަންގާޅަށް ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ ވިއްކާލުން ފަދަ ކަމެއް ކަމުގައި ދައުލަތުގެ ކުރީގެ ބަންޑާރަ ނައިބު އަދި މަޝްހޫރު ޤާނޫނީ ވަކީލު ޑރ މުހައްމަދު މުނައްވަރު ވިދާޅުވެއްޖެ އެވެ.

ވިލަރެސް ހަފްތާ މަޖައްލާ އަށް ދެއްވި އިންޓަރވިއުއެއްގައި ވާހަކަދައްކަވަމުން ތަޖުރިބާކާރު ގާނޫނީ ވަކީލު ޑރ މުނައްވަރު ވިދާޅުވީ ދުންޔާ މައުމޫނަށް ފޮރިން މިނިސްޓްރީގެ ނައިބުކަން ދެއްވީ ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގައި އެ ފެންވަރުގެ މީހުން ނެތިގެން ނޫން ކަމަށާއި ދުންޔާއަށްވުރެ މޮޅު މީހުން އެ ތަނުގައި މަސައްކަތް ކުރާތާ އެތައް ދުވަހެއް ވެފައި އެބަތިބި ކަމަށެވެ.

May 16, 2007, 04:04

News : Local News
Vote for Dr. Munavvar

Maldives 'sinks Tamil Tiger vessel'

2007-05-17T02:24:00.000-07:00

A Maldivian spokesman said the Tamil Tiger rebel boat was carrying guns and mortar bombs [AP]

The Maldives coast guards have sunk a small vessel carrying suspected Tamil Tiger rebels at sea in their southern territorial waters.

The Maldivian government said the incident took place on Thursday after a 12-hour standoff.

Ahmed Shaheed, the Maldives' foreign minister, told Reuters by telephone from the Maldivian capital of Male: "We have sunk the vessel. We have captured the five people aboard.

"We suspect they are Tamil Tigers."

A government spokesman said one of the captured men identified himself as a Tamil Tiger and said the boat was carrying guns and mortar bombs.

Maldivian fishermen spotted the Tigers boat on Wednesday evening and gave chase after believing it was a fishing boat poaching in their waters, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, Maldives government spokesman, said.

When the boat's crew opened fire on the fishermen, they informed the Maldivian coast guard, which later sank it after a standoff, Shareef said.

The incident took place several hundred nautical miles off the south of the Maldives archipelago.

Sri Lanka's Navy has sunk several boats and trawlers in recent months suspected of trafficking weaponry for the Tigers across the Palk Strait that separates Sri Lanka and India.

The Tamil Tigers, fighting for an independent state in Sri Lanka for ethnic Tamils, were not immediately available for comment.

Nationwide demonstration held to urge for constitutional reform, Passes off peacefully

2007-05-17T02:21:00.001-07:00

Demonstrations calling for constitutional reform took place yesterday across the country, passing off peacefully. The MDP National Council resolved to hold the protests following the DRP boycott of Special Majlis meetings and in support of setting the voting age for the upcoming constitutional referendum at 18.
Several thousand people gathered in Male’ to hear speeches given by the MDP leadership and youth members. Demonstrations took place in islands across the country.
Constitutional reform has been slowed by the DRP and Presidential appointees boycotting numerous sessions of the Special Majlis. When eventually pressured to attend the Majlis, the Speaker did not allow for a debate on the voting age for the upcoming referendum on the country’s system of government.
Avoiding a debate on this issue contravened both the Majlis rules of procedure and the advice of the Majlis Administrative Committee made up of ten DRP MPs and one independent MP, who recommended that such a debate be allowed.
The MDP advocates for a parliamentary system of government and for the voting age for the referendum to be 18, in line with international norms, the age of adulthood as defined in Maldivian legislation, and the draft constitution. The DRP promotes a presidential system and maintains that the age should be 21, fearing that the 18-21 age group will vote against them. While the Special Majlis has the power to decide the terms of its own referendum – including what the voting age should be – the DRP argue that rules governing referenda organised by the President should apply.
MDP Acting President Ibrahim Hussain Zaki said:
“There are at least 23,000 people aged between 18 and 21 in this country who the government is trying to disenfranchise.
“In all other respects these people are considered adults by the state. You can’t say one minute that you want people to act as responsible adults and the next minute patronise them and say they can’t vote.
“We are a young country and these people are our future. We must allow them to take part in the democratic debate.
“By blocking even a debate on this issue, the government is only slowing the process of constitutional reform. We need to move ahead quickly with a referendum where all adults can vote so that the constitution can finally be amended.

Maldives government comments on autopsy report

2007-05-17T02:20:00.001-07:00

For Immediate Release
MDP/2007/PR-051
Date: 21 April 2007 (Saturday)
Maldives government comments on autopsy report
of Mr. Hussain Salah premature prevarication
The Maldivian Democratic Party regards public comments made by Maldives Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed Shaheed on 21 April 2007 on the autopsy report of Mr. Hussain Salah as premature prevarication and an attempt to distort the larger truth surrounding the cause of death of the deceased.

Mr. Hussain Salah's post-mortem examination was completed in Colombo in the afternoon of 21 April 2007. The autopsy report was handed over to the Maldives High Commission with strict instructions for the sealed envelope to be opened in the concurrent presence of the deceased’s family members and Maldives Police personnel. The family of the deceased is yet to be summoned to the High Maldives High Commission in Sri Lanka to open the autopsy report.
Maldives Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed Shaheed made a statement to the Maldives and international media from 1715 Hrs on 21 April that the preliminary results of Mr. Salah's post-mortem has ruled out violence and establishes death by drowning. However, the preliminary report was at the time yet to be opened in the presence of family representatives and the Maldives Police. The Maldivian Democratic Party condemns this obvious prevarication by the Maldivian government.
The Maldivian Democratic Party believes that decisions and official public announcements on the cause and circumstances surrounding the death of the late Mr. Hussain Salah should be based on a legal review of all the results outlined in the autopsy report.

Statement issued on behalf of the Maldivian Democratic Party by MDP Secretary-General Hamid Abdul Ghafoor. For enquiries please call+960 3340044 , email: secretariat@mdp.org.mv

MDP hold London press conference

2007-05-17T02:18:00.000-07:00

The MDP yesterday held a press conference in London to brief members
of the international community on the obstacles to a free and fair
election in the Maldives.
Held in Westminster, the conference was well attended by Members of
Parliament, diplomats, media, NGO officials, and representatives from
the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission.
MDP Chairperson Mohamed Nasheed lead a presentation on the obstacles
to a free and fair election in the Maldives and presented the MDP's
proposals for moving forward with reform. He was joined by Ambassador
Ahmed Naseem, MDP's Representative to the UK, and Mohamed Aslam (MP
and MDP Elections Director) in a Questions & Answers session after the
presentation.
The presentation illustrated the government's failure to create either
a culture of democracy or the institutions of democracy. The use of
violence and arbitrary arrest to deter political participation was
highlighted, and the government's record on their Roadmap critically
analysed.
Yesterday's conference concluded the visit to the UK undertaken by MDP
officials, who were invited to join the Conservative Party local
elections campaign. Nasheed, Aslam, and MDP Party Development Officer
Shazley Shafeeg observed campaigning and vote-counting in Bury St.
Edmund's. The trip is one of many capacity-building initiatives
planned for the coming year between the Conservative Party and the
MDP.
MDP Chairperson Mohamed Nasheed said:
"It was very clear from the press conference that the international
community has become sceptical of the government's promises of reform.
"Not all of them were aware of the recent upsurge in police violence
and fabricated charges made against – photos of those attacked really
made an impact.
"And I think they were also surprised about how badly the Roadmap has
failed. The fact that only two bills have passed when the government
hold a majority in the Majlis is an impossible record for the
government to defend.
"We told the international community that they must try to get the
government back to the negotiating table, but not just to talk for the
sake of talking. They must pressure them to make real concessions and
keep their promises."

MDP protests against deportation of its consultant Adam Cooper

2007-05-17T02:14:00.000-07:00

Politically motivated deportations to be raised in Majlis
The MDP strongly protests against the irregular and unjustified deportation of its political consultant, Mr. Adam Cooper. In light of the continued abuse of power by the Immigration Controller, the issue of politically-motivated deportations will now be raised within the People’s Majlis by the MDP.
The decision to deport Cooper was taken by Ibrahim Shafiu, Immigration Controller and Coordinator for the President’s Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP). He has publicly stated that Cooper was deported because he “refused a summons to the [Immigration] office”.
However, when summoned, Cooper did go to the Department of Immigration. Upon arrival to the scheduled meeting, the Immigration Controller refused to meet Cooper with his lawyer present. Following this, Mr. Cooper wrote to the Immigration Controller stating: “I would like to reiterate my willingness to meet with you to discuss whatever issues you desire”.
The summons was issued soon after Cooper had contributed opinion pieces in the local press analysing media and judicial legislation, and calling for a less partisan and personal political debate. Articles on pro-government websites responded with calls for Cooper to be beheaded.
No written communication was ever issued by a government department to Mr. Cooper or his employers raising any concerns about his work. The only communication received this year regarding Cooper’s employment was a letter from the Ministry of Employment granting Mr. Cooper an extension on his work permit up to January 2008.
Upon deportation, Cooper was informed that he had “violated Immigration rules and regulations”. No Department of Immigration has yet been able to identify what rule and regulation Cooper allegedly broke that warrants immediate deportation.
Diplomatic representations have been made to the Maldivian government on this issue. MDP leaders have also attempted to negotiate with the Minister of Defence, Ismail Shafiu, who oversees the Department of Immigration. The MDP proposed to allow Cooper into the country for a month to wrap up his work and collect his belongings. Minister Shafiu has failed to respond to this proposal.
Mohamed Aslam, MP for Addu Atoll will now raise the issue of politically-motivated deportations in the People’s Majlis.
Adam Cooper said:
“Obviously I’m very disappointed about what’s happened. Whatever the government’s concerns about my work, I think I should have been given the opportunity to address those concerns before I was deported.
“I am very surprised that turning up to a meeting with a lawyer is considered sufficient grounds for deportation. I would like to have been informed precisely what rule and regulation I had supposedly broken.”
“I hope that the government will reconsider their decision.”
MDP Acting President Ibrahim Hussein Zaki added:
“The Immigration Controller has a long record of deporting anyone that he doesn’t like on spurious grounds. Of all the civil servants working for the DRP, he is the one who abuses his power for political reasons the most.
“Adam’s is the latest in a long line of unjustified deportations of those working for political reform, human rights, or journalism. The government accuses these people of breaking rules, being Islamic terrorists and Christian missionaries simultaneously, and so on. Not once have they produced any evidence to support their claims
“Both the Immigration Controller and Minister of Defence must learn how to exercise their power in a responsible and mature way, not according to the whim of DRP.”

Maldives Dictator Slaps Tsunami Victims in the face

2007-05-17T02:08:00.000-07:00

Thousands of Tsunami 2004 victims remain homeless but the tsunami monument is built on time. December 2004 Tsunami was a biggest natural disaster to hit the Maldives in living memory. More than 100 people lost their lives and over 28,000 were left homeless. Maldives’ population is just over 300,000 hence this was a large percentage. Some islands had to be abandoned completely, such as R. Kandholhudhoo. In terms of damage to infrastructure, the cost of the tsunami ran into hundreds of millions, and in comparison to other nations in the region, Maldives suffered the worst economic damage. Despite the fact that millions were pledged in donation, thousands of Maldivias are still homeless and living in temporary accommodations, resulting is several social and psychological problems for them. However, in typical fashion, the Maldives Dictator disregarded their plight and went about building a monument in Male’ costing several hundred thousand dollars. The following pictures is a timeline of this project, which is a slap on the face for those who remain homeless today.

Tuesday's tidal wave hit Hithadhoo

2007-05-17T02:00:00.000-07:00

Breaking News.
The unexpected tidal wave that hit several islands across the Maldives severely damaged many islands, especially those that were small. The capital island of Addu Atoll, Hithadhoo was also flooded and cleaning operations are now underway. Hithadhoo is one of the largest inhabited islands in the country but was left in chaos after the tidal wave of Tuesday.

MNDF Coast guard conducts Maritime Safety Awareness program aimed to a resort

2007-05-17T01:52:00.000-07:00

Maldives National Defence Force Coast Guard conducted a Maritime Safety Awareness Program for the staff of “Thaaju Koral Reef” resort. This program which extended from 11 to 12th of this month was conducted on a request from “Thaaju Koral Reef” resort. The aim of this program is to provide knowledge and information with practice on how to help and rescue victims during marine disasters. In addition to this, participants were taught lessons on water rescue, navigation and map reading, seamanship, emergency first aid, rescue swimming and rescue techniques. 21 participants of “Thaaju Koral Reef” resort participated in this program.

Chief of Staff observed the joint training exercise “Ekuverin”

2007-05-17T01:51:00.000-07:00

At the Kadhdhoo Domestic Airport Chief of Staff Major General Mohamed Zahir was received by Col. Farhath Shaheer of MNDF and Col. Sanjay of Indian Army.

On arrival to the training site CoS was given a briefing on the proceedings of the exercise by Col. Sanjay and a brief tour of the training grounds was guided by Col. Farhath Shaheer. During his one day visit he observed the joint training exercise and met with some participant soldiers of MNDF and Indian Army. He also observed various drills jointly conducted by MNDF SF and Indian Army SF, and MNDF infantry and Indian Army Infantry. These included house clearance drills, live firing drills and many more. Lt.Col. Mohamed Nazim accompanied the CoS during his visit.

Malaysian Navy Captain calls on the Chief of Staff

2007-05-17T01:50:00.000-07:00

Commanding Officer Captain Mohamed Aliya of the Malaysian Royal Navy ship made a courtesy call on the Chief of staff Major General Mohamed Zahir on the 8th of this month. The meeting was held at the Chief of Staff’s office. Office of the Chief of Staff’s administrative officer Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Nazim also participated in the meeting. The discussion was on ways to strengthen the ties of friendship that exist between both militaries. Chief of Staff also noted that the relationship with the Malaysian Navy would further enhance as a result of such port visits. Captain Mohamed Aliya and Chief of Staff Major General Mohamed Zahir exchanged gifts at the end of this meeting.

MNDF Coast Guard conducts awareness program For Students of Ahmadiyya School

2007-05-17T01:49:00.000-07:00

Maldives National Defence Force Coast Guard Conducted an awareness program aimed at Madrasathul Ahmadiyya on Maritime safety. This program was organized and developed by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Defence and National Security jointly. Over 200 students of Ahmadiyya School participated in this program which was conducted at Ahmadiyya school hall. Topics covered in this program include maritime Safety equipment, survival procedure during maritime disasters and action to take on encountering strange objects at sea. The classes were conducted on 9th of this month.

Entertainment show “Sifaufaa” to mark the 115th anniversary of MNDF

2007-05-17T01:48:00.002-07:00

The “Sifaufaa event if much anticipated entertainment event to mark the anniversary of MNDF each year. The aim of Sifaufaa is to facilitate MNDF staff and their families to get introduced to each other and share experiences in an informal atmosphere. The Sifaufa will be held on the 9th and 10th of this month. The event consisted of Entertainments and a banquet. The Chief Guest of the celebration was the president His Excellency Mr. Maumoon abdul Gayyoom. The president was welcomed at the drill square of Kalhuthukkalaa Koshi by the Minister of Defence and National Security and the deputy Commander in Chief Honorable Ismail Shafeeu with the MNDF Chief of Staff Major General Mohamed Zahir. The Sifaufaa was also visited by ministers and senior dignitaries of the government.

Joint exercise with Indian Forces commenced in L.Kaddoo MNDF headquarters

2007-05-17T01:48:00.001-07:00

Maldives National Defence Force and Indian Army is conducting a military joint exercise called “Ekuverin” meaning “Friends” in MNDF headquarters L.Kaddoo. The Chief Guest of the ceremony which was held to begin the exercise was Brigadier Ahmed Naeem Mohamed of MNDF. Indian Defence Advisor for Maldives, Captain Suraj Berry and the Commanding officer Colonel Faruhath Shaheer of Defence Institute for Training and Education also participated in this ceremony. In addition, army personnel from both MNDF and India participated in the ceremony. The purpose of this exercise is to improve military skills of both countries and to enhance the ability to conduct joint operations. This exercise will extend till 16th of this month.

Fire exposed School saved by MNDF Fire and Rescue Service

2007-05-17T01:47:00.001-07:00

A Fire incident occured in a store north of Thaajuddin School at noon today. The children and staff of Thaajuddin School were immediately evacuated as the fire alarm went off. MNDF Fire and Rescue Service attended the fire immediately after receiving the fire call. The fire was fully controlled and put out within few minutes. None was reported hurt. The store contained discarded pile of woods, used car tires and heat insulation materials. Maldives Police Service is now investigating the cause of this fire.

MNDF Recognizes remarkable service and outstanding achievement

2007-05-17T01:46:00.000-07:00

On the occasion of the 115th anniversary of MNDF, a special ceremony to recognize remarkable service and outstanding achievement was held at Kalhuthukkalaa Koshi last night. The Chief Guest of the ceremony was the Minister of Defence and National Security and the Deputy Commander in Chief Honorable Ismail Shafeeu. Chief of Staff Major General Mohamed Zahir and some officers of MNDF participated in the ceremony. Major Mohamed Ziyad gave the welcoming speech with a word of thanks. In this ceremony, the new addition of the book “Code of Punishment” was launched by the Chief Guest Honorable Ismail Shafeeu.

In this ceremony, personnel who have won competitions at National and International level in the field of sports and recreation were recognized. Also personnel who have won 1st place in academic field were awarded mementos of recognition by the Chief of Staff Major General Mohamed Zahir. MNDF personnel who have shown exceptional performance in fulfilling their duties were presented with shields by the Chief Guest Honorable Ismail Shafeeu. After saying a prayer to the Almighty, the ceremony closed with the MNDF song.

President notes on positive results experienced after implementation of Family Law

2007-05-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has noted on the positive results experienced after the implementation of the Family Law.

The President made the statement in his message on the occasion of the International Day of the Family. The President further stated that work was being done on revising and strengthening the current family law.

The President highlighted the importance of future planning and preparation in starting a family. He said that the matrimonial relationship was a sacred bond formed with the objective of creating a family. In this regard, he stressed that mutual respect, fully performing parental duties and maintaining happiness in the family were important factors that should be considered by both husband and wife.

In his message, the President stated that families form the foundation of society and that family bonds played a vital role in strengthening and sustaining this foundation.

The President also extended his warm congratulations and sincere good wishes to all Maldivian families, on the occasion of the International Day of the Family and said that in this period of wide-ranging reforms in the country, the government also attached a great importance to family issues.

President meets senior official from IDB

2007-05-16T09:16:00.001-07:00

President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has met the Chief Executive Officer and the General Manager of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of Private Sector (ICD), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Dr. Ali Soliman yesterday.

Doctor Ali Soliman had been the first foreign consultant to have served as an Economic Advisor in Maldives from 1979 to 1981.

The President expressed the need to have an Islamic bank in the Maldives and said that the government had been working on undertaking such an initiative for some time.

The Minister of Finance and Treasury Qasim Ibrahim, Minister for Presidential Affairs Mohamed Hussain, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the First Dawood Islamic Bank Ltd Rafique Dawood, Chief Executive Officer and President of the First Dawood Islamic Bank Ltd Niklaus Shwarz, Chief Executive Officer of Dawood Capital Management Ltd T. Uzra Dawood and Executive Director at the President’s Office Doctor Moosa Fathee also attended the meeting.

UNDP hands over Rf 2 million to Muli island office

2007-05-16T09:15:00.001-07:00

In relation to the tsunami disaster United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) has handed over more than Rf 2 million that is to be given to the homes which have seen 60 percent completion of construction in Meemu atoll Muli island.

According to UNDP Communication Officer Ahmed Nafeez, the money was deposited into the account of Muli Island Office last week. The money was donated to the 69 houses out of 84 houses. The rest of the houses that would soon see the completion of 60 percent of construction work will receive their donation by next month.

“We handed the money over after evaluating the damages that had occurred due to the tsunami,” said Nafeez.”In the first round we donated enough money to complete 60 percent of the work needed. After surveying the island, we have handed the rest of the money.”

Out of the 84 houses UNDP are rebuilding, the international organization had also started work on 29 additional homes in the island. UNDP also said that two of the houses out of the 29 additional homes have already been completed.

Muli Island Chief Ahmed Rasheed said that, the office is currently working on handing the money over to the owners of the 69 houses that are almost completed.

“The money will be distributed after evaluating the extent of damages that were inflicted (on the houses),” said the Island Chief. “After going through the list, we are distributing the money.”

UNDP said that the construction work in Muli is done by the residents themselves.

Discontented Fonadhoo residents gather near atoll office following distribution of 4,000 square feet land in Gan

2007-05-16T09:14:00.001-07:00

Discontented Laamu atoll Fonadhoo residents had gathered near the atoll office and expressed dissatisfaction because 3,000 square feet lands were distributed in Fonadhoo whereas 4,000 square feet lands were being distributed in Gan.

According to Atoll Chief’s Assistant Mohamed Jameel, about 50 people had gathered near the atoll office to clarify why 4,000 square feet of lands were distributed in Gan when only 3,000 square feet plots were distributed in Fonadhoo.

“Fonadhoo residents were unhappy because of this issue,” said Jameel. “The Atoll Chief had explained to the gathered people why 4,000 square feet of land were distributed in Gan. After the Tsunami, British Red Cross had built 4,000 square feet houses so the Housing Ministry had also decided to distribute the same size of land plots as well. This was arranged in order to avoid any disruptions that might occur.”

However Fonadhoo resident Mohamed Khaleel said that the Atoll Chief had not given any satisfying answers to their inquiries during the gathering.

“The Atoll Chief had first tried to avoid answering any questions,” said Khaleel. “He had tried to leave twice while speaking with us. We stayed near the Atoll office for about three hours. The residents were unhappy because different residents were being treated in different ways.”

Land plots in Gan were last distributed on Sunday to 179 residents. The last time land plots were distributed in Fonadhoo was during last year.

Tidal waves cause huge damages to southern islands

2007-05-16T09:13:00.001-07:00

Flood on GDH. Rathafandhoo island road, an school girl crossing the road yesterday.

After reports had come in that several islands across the Maldives have been hit by tidal waves and had caused damages to property, several islands were still being hit by tidal waves even last night.

According to information received from atoll offices, 18 islands from seven atolls have experienced the waves around 9:15pm and 12:30am last night. Southern islands were mostly known to have suffered from the tidal waves.

The waves had hit Haa Alifu atoll Hoarafushi island in the north as well around 10:30pm last night. The waves had flooded the island, around 20 feet away from the beach though no damages were inflicted on any properties.

Tidal waves had hit Shaviyani atoll Bileffahi twice around 9:30pm and 10:15pm. The waves had made around a 200-foot incursion into the island. Maroshi from the same atoll also experienced the waves around 10:00pm.

Alifu Dhaalu atoll Dhidhdhoo had experienced small tidal waves around 10:30pm last night. According to the atoll office no serious damages had occurred.

Thaa atoll experienced the waves around 10:00pm last night and the waves had made a 100-foot incursion into the island. The waves had hit Thimarafushi between 10:00pm and 11:00pm last night and had flooded the houses that were situated on the beach. According to the atoll office, Kinbidhoo was still experiencing the tidal waves at the time of this report (made last night) and Gaadhifushi also had suffered the waves around 11:00pm and 12:00pm last night.

From southern Laamu atoll, Kunahandhoo had experienced the tidal waves only last night. From Gaafu Dhaalu atoll the waves had struck Nadalla, Hoadeddhoo, Madaveli, Rathafandhoo, Gaddhoo and Fares-Maathodaa. The waves mostly hit Fares-Maathodaa and Gaddhoo from the atoll. Due to the waves nearly all the residents of Fares-Maathodaa were staying on boats that were docked in the lagoon. The whole island was reportedly flooded.

At the time of this report, Gaddhoo was still experiencing waves last night though not as much as waves the island had experienced during daytime yesterday.

In southernmost Addu atoll, the waves were mostly experienced by Maradhoo around 10:53pm last night. According to Addu atoll office, Maradhoo-Feydhoo and Feydhoo had experienced waves between 10:00pm and 11:30pm last night.

According to atoll offices of Haa Dhaalu, Noonu, Raa, Baa, Lhaviyani, Kaafu, Alifu Alifu, Vaavu, Meemu, Faafu, Dhaalu, Gaafu Alifu and Gnaviyani, the islands in these atolls had not been hit by any waves last night.

The world’s most sought-after poo

2007-05-16T09:02:00.001-07:00

Macho men of the ancient Middle East ingested a powdered form of it to increase strength and virility; the elderly sipped it in teas to combat brain and heart ailments. Physicians from turn-of-the-last-millennium Britain vowed it could treat colds, headaches and epilepsy. According to Scientific American, the Portuguese “took over the Maldives in the sixteenth century in part to gain access to the island’s rich bounty of the redolent stuff.” Even today, finding a lump of it is like finding a lump of waxy, black, stinky gold: recent fist-sized finds have yielded as much as $18,000 when sold. So what is it already?

It’s ambergris, or in layman’s terms, whale poo. (Not vomit, as some have thought.) It’s formed when a male sperm whale ingests squid, whose pointy, hard beaks irritate the whale’s stomach, which responds by coating the beaks in a fatty substance. This eventually ends up in the water again, more or less undigested (by obvious means), and once the sun bakes it a little bit, the floating masses become one of the most prized pieces of flotsam in the sea. (Its value is dependent on how much time it’s spent floating; according to ambergris broker Bernard Perrin (in SciAm), “it ages like fine wine.”)

These days it’s used mostly by perfume companies (fragrances like Chanel No. 5 depend on it), and there are still people in the world who use whale waste as an aphrodisiac. But can it really cure heart disease and epilepsy? Scientists are doubtful. But here are some fun ambergris facts that we’re more sure about:

• In “Paradise Regained,” Milton describes Satan tempting Christ with meat pastries steamed in ambergris.

• Madame du Barry supposedly washed herself with it to make herself irresistible to Louis XV.

• The Arabic anbar refers to this very whale-based substance and is the root of the word amber.

• Its name is derived from the French “ambre gris,” or gray amber.

• In “Moby-Dick,” Melville called it the “essence found in the inglorious bowels of a sick whale.”

Coast guard now chasing the foreign fishing trawler after shooting incident

2007-05-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Vilingili - 16:50 - Coast guard vessel has now reached the area. Reports say the vessel is just a dozen or so miles south of Vilingili island. It's taken more than 3 hours for the coast guard vessel to reach the spot. Fisherman refused to go back to the island despite orders from coast guard to do so. The vessel is believed to be around 100 feet long, according to sources in the fishing Dhoni.

Vilingili- 15:30 - Reports are coming from Vilingili in North Huvadhoo Atoll that a foreign vessel had fired warning shots after a fishing Dhoni called 'MV Tuna' from the island chased a foreign trawler which is believed to have enter the territory illegally. Coast guard was notified but as usual were late in responding, sources say. A police vessel is now near the Dhoni and coast guard wants the Dhoni to stop pursuing the trawler and to turn back. The trawler is bearing a Sri Lankan flag, sources said. Experts say that the vessel might belongs to Maldives Dictator's cronies and hence the authorities will not apprehend them. No coast guard vessel in the area as yet.

Featured photos from Flickr photo.

2007-05-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

Evening Biker

Way in to the capital

There Was A Girl Who Loved A Biker She Used To Follow Him Across world But The Biker Didn't Like...

Uploaded on Mar 26, 2007

22 comments

Harbor light of Male’; the Capital of Maldives.

Uploaded on Mar 24, 2007

15 comments

Ferry Across The Mersey

When i was a boy

Life goes on day after day Hearts torn in every way So ferry 'cross the Mersey 'cause this land's...

Uploaded on Mar 24, 2007

27 comments

I won't forget when Peter Pan Came to my house, took my hand I said I was a boy, I'm glad he...

Uploaded on Mar 21, 2007

9 comments

Uncle's Eye

Century of anecdotes

Miss Amaany ,5 years old, always busy with toys, especially Barbie.

Uploaded on Mar 21, 2007

4 comments

The Eiffel {y'-ful} Tower, an immense stucture of exposed latticework supports made of iron, was...

Uploaded on Mar 18, 2007

20 comments

Comatose Apple

Dolphin View

Hello all! How can I improve this picture? I do need serious comments from u all. Please! help...

Uploaded on Mar 18, 2007

9 comments

best viewed large. Location: DolphinView Cafe' Male' Maldives. Date 16th March 2007

Uploaded on Mar 17, 2007

19 comments

Enviable Luminosity

You are guiding me towards pro

It was yesterday, i was very excited with my new mate (EOS1D). Hope u like this. Location: New...

Uploaded on Mar 14, 2007

13 comments

Mua! Thank you very much for your kind help and support. Testing the new SLR (Canon Eos 1D Mark II...

Uploaded on Mar 13, 2007

4 comments

Swing Needle

Inimitable Sunset

She was so happy to have her birthday present from family.

Uploaded on Mar 12, 2007

9 comments

The Staircase of Hotel Kingston, West patalNagar, New Delhi, India

Uploaded on Mar 12, 2007

18 comments

Emanation of Energy

New day has come

This was one of a very lucky day in of my life, but I could not…. Location: Kaafu Vilingili/ Rep...

Uploaded on Mar 10, 2007

3 notes / 40 comments

Oh yeah, it's OK, God brings in a brand new day Another chance, another choice Another...

Uploaded on Mar 10, 2007

10 comments

Indigo nightfall

Sky Waves

Uploaded on Mar 9, 2007

8 comments

Come on, take a trip with me, across the beautiful tiny islands, scrutinizing the rays of...

Uploaded on Mar 7, 2007

32 comments

Competitor’s Bravery

Blissful day

Dedicated to all Wide screen users. Please download the lager version for your desktop. hope you...

Uploaded on Mar 6, 2007

25 comments

Single leaf shrub	So called “BENZ”	Happy milk ‘man’
I'm the hit, I'm the hook That your looking for If your looking for the single one You can feel what... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Mar 4, 2007 20 comments	Best viewed large... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Mar 3, 2007 23 comments	About a seven years old small but funny and talkative boy who is usually busy on every morning with... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Mar 3, 2007 21 comments
Sovereignty	Indian day's end	Desperate nightfall
Hope you like this... best viewed large location: Male'/ Rep of Maldives © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Mar 2, 2007 2 notes / 20 comments	Dear all my friends, WELCOME BECK. I’m sorry that I could not upload photos for few days; because... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Mar 1, 2007 47 comments	In the place where all spirits rest I leave my soul to touch the fate of fire So proud, so strong,... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Feb 16, 2007 47 comments
Reminiscences of "Terrific" Jam	They call me "Valho"	Footstool Philosopher
The entrance of "Traphic jam" music show. Best viewed large... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Feb 14, 2007 4 notes / 33 comments	Dried Tuna, favorite food in Maldivian Society... Best viewed large... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Feb 13, 2007 2 notes / 13 comments	Best viewed large... hope you like this... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Feb 12, 2007 3 notes / 41 comments
Little Trophy Morning	Viscous Gold	Tracking the golden rays
It was around 11am , in a Friday morning. These small boys were energized for an... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Feb 11, 2007 1 note / 35 comments	Location: K.Vilingili, (Small Island near the capital). Maldives. Date: 13th January 2007 © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Feb 10, 2007 1 note / 10 comments	Location: K.Vilingili, (Small Island near the capital). Maldives. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Feb 9, 2007 66 comments
Ozone day Dance	Entrance of Capital	Bay of indulgence
The Earth's ozone layer protects all life from the sun's harmful radiation, but human... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Feb 7, 2007 9 comments	Male' The capital of Maldives. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Feb 6, 2007 10 comments	The bay is free for all. Spend your time, get pleasure and be happy… Location: V Atoll Fulidhoo /... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Feb 5, 2007 51 comments
Inspection by the eye	Distinctive Deer	Ruddy Makeup
location: V. Fulidhoo, Maldives. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Feb 4, 2007 28 comments	Things are unique, when you are unable to describe their nature... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Feb 3, 2007 5 comments	Download larger version for your desktop © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2007 15 comments

pretty lat/long

Miss Ultra Yellow	Inferno of Ogre	Violent behavior above the capital
Yellow is a bright color, some say it’s the queen of the colors, some say it’s the color of good... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 31, 2007 29 comments	Furiously a huge monster spurt at me a plume of fire, I was so apprehensive…. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 30, 2007 43 comments	It was seemed fighter jets were bombing to the capital. I was petrified... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 29, 2007 11 comments
Figment of Imagination	Mauve Seduction	Venomous Apples
Sometimes when I look into the sky, Clouds start to follow my mind and try to give the picture that... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 29, 2007 41 comments	Babe, you seduce me You take my heart and use me My feelings all run wild when you seduce me all the... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 27, 2007 11 comments	… I was breaking the laws that the sign makers made and all I could eat was the poisonous apple... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 26, 2007 19 comments
Lavender blossom	Detrimental Extraction	Im Mr Lonely
I was walking in the park Dreaming of a spark When I heard the sprinklers whisper Shimmer in the... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 25, 2007 8 comments	Bags of sand, Extracted from the lagoon of V. Fulidhoo. Maldives © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 24, 2007 12 comments	This is for Wide Screen Users, Please Download the lager version for your... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 23, 2007 11 comments
Fiber Glass Flowery	Sunset Seventh Heaven	Twilight Sky
Download Lager version for your desktop. Hope like this. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 22, 2007 7 comments	Fulidhoo, V. Atoll, Maldives © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 21, 2007 18 comments	I do like sunsets. I shoot this picture on my way to beach side. It was a perfect day, a... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 19, 2007 6 comments
Make a wish	Goodly Cropper	Eight Patals Ploy
A small boy was sitting just beside me while I was capturing the image. First I asked him for a... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 19, 2007 15 comments	Download the larger version for your Desktop. Hope you like this. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 17, 2007 9 comments	Carefully count the number of petals, but don’t get wrong... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 17, 2007 7 comments
Green Augment	Feminism	Six Lips Lady
I love the appearance but I hate the odor © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 15, 2007 7 comments	The advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of sexual equality. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 14, 2007 8 comments	Some times solitary makes unique and special. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 14, 2007 16 comments

pretty lat/long

Pelt of jailbird	Pine needles, Green	Razor-sharp, but supple
Download the larger version for your Desktop. Hope you like this © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 14, 2007 2 comments	visit to a Sulthan Park © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 14, 2007 1 comment	A visit to Sulthan Park © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 14, 2007 1 comment
"hold!", if not we are going to fall...	Pines in a friendly grip…	Chair Exhibition
I like these small fruits, they are lovely and yummy... please try one :-) © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 12, 2007 8 comments	Noor! thanks for holding this for me. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 12, 2007 3 comments	H. Feydhoo, Top Floor © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 11, 2007 4 comments
Multifarious Tracks	Green speck	Islamic Prosperity
A tree from Sultan Park, Male, Maldives. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 11, 2007 4 comments	10th January 2007,5: 15 pm, K. Funadhoo... Captured from 8th floor of H. Feydhoo. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 10, 2007 2 comments	The beautiful Mosque Captured from "T jetty," South west Harbor...Male', Maldives. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 9, 2007 6 comments
Sky Beauty, West	Crests of the waves	Welcome to paradise
West of Male’, behind the MCSE… © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 7, 2007 4 comments	It could be worse I could be alone I could be locked in here on my own Like a stone that certainly... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 6, 2007 42 comments	Dear Mother Cant you hear me whining? It's been 3 whole weeks Since I have left your home This... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 6, 2007 3 comments
Beach Day, On the Beach	Red Butterfly	Ready to disperse
Forever in my dreams my heart will be Hanging on to this sweet memory A blue day of... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 6, 2007 9 comments	This picture is dedicated to my good friend , Mr. Noor. Dear, thank you very much for... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 5, 2007 3 comments	Yes! Its ready to disperse … © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 5, 2007 3 comments
Nectar farm	Miraculous gaze	Daughter, Miss Eye
This picture is dedicated to my good friend, Mr. Moosa I’m glad to have a good friend like you. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 5, 2007 3 comments	Darling, when I look into your eyes..... I can see a love restrained.... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 4, 2007 1 note / 12 comments	The daughter of most beautiful women in the Island. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 4, 2007 1 comment

Please don’t	Secrets of orange and yellow	Violet, I feel shy
Please do not allow her to cut your finger… please… © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 4, 2007 2 comments	This picture is dedicated to my beloved sister. She likes orange; don’t you? © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 3, 2007 3 comments	These violet flowers are exquisite and so emotional ... I really don’t know why it is…, © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 3, 2007 2 comments
Yellow virgin	Beach Watcher	World Cup Memories
Not yet used or exploited… © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 3, 2007 2 comments	It's my duty... watching over the beach for 24 hours of 7 days in a week. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 3, 2007 8 comments	Brazil... my favorites, those super goals are indelibly imprinted in my mind... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 3, 2007 3 comments
I miss you shiu...	Ripen Crop	Saved from a peril
My buddy there...he really miss his girl.... yeah, he do love her... a lot... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 3, 2007 9 comments	It’s ripen, hurry up… don’t let it go. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 2, 2007 5 comments	A featured predator of …. (guess) © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 2, 2007 4 comments
Xylem in Green	Be acquainted with..	Sky, dotted with Green grass
I was a Biology Student... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 2, 2007 6 comments	Truly, a nice place to have some time with a person like you.. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 1, 2007 1 comment	Beautiful day for a person like me.. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 1, 2007 3 comments
BeachBoy...Moosa	Sunday Sun Set	Sky Ray
Tiny boy over there is a close buddy.. called moosa. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Jan 1, 2007 4 comments	Sunday is a special day, i don't know why... Do u know? © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Dec 31, 2006 4 comments	A flagged Dhoni... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Dec 31, 2006 \| place with no name<\/a>'); return false" class="Plain">Map 3 comments
Beach-Sofa	Playing The Darkness	Dragon Sky
One of the comfortable sofa i ever had.. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Dec 31, 2006 2 comments	Dozens of boys were trying to show their astonishing movements… along the evening. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Dec 31, 2006 7 comments	"""mythical monster, typically with wings and claws and able to breathe out... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Dec 31, 2006 6 comments
Shimmering Water	Shhh... Pirates around	Orange Garden
26th September 2006 (Friday) was a beautiful day. I captured this picture at abt 6:15 pm. hope u... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Dec 30, 2006 1 comment	Hehehe.. don't be afraid of pirates.. It was a tourist safari floating on v. fulidhoo lagoon. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Dec 30, 2006 3 comments	The Sun always set to view us a beautiful scenario but sometimes... © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Dec 30, 2006 3 comments
Mesmerizing
Maldives, sunset captured from V. Fulidhoo. © All rights reserved. Uploaded on Dec 30, 2006 3 comments These all are from our Friends site http://www.kalhusoru.com Nazeef.