Tuesday, September 29, 2015 27 Maldives Prez escapes a devastating boat explosion A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE! Assassination bid ruled out; but Maldives seeks help from US, Australia to clear air Malé and he escorted the first lady commuted to house arrest in boat carrying Maldives to hospital where she is under July, but last month police took President Abdulla observation following a minor him back to prison in a surprise YameenA on his return from the injury,” he said. move that drew fresh criticism. Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia The Maldives has launched Nasheed’s international lawyer has been hit by a mysterious an investigation into the on-board explosion. mysterious incident and The explosion ripped is seeking help from the through the speed boat carrying United States and Australia President, injuring his wife and to determine what happened. two others, but leaving him Reporters had gathered at the unhurt. presidential jetty to receive It remains unclear what Yameen, who had landed a few caused the explosion, which minutes earlier at the nearby came at a time of heightened Hulhule airport after a visit political tensions in the atoll to Saudi Arabia for the hajj nation after the controversial pilgrimage. State television jailing of Yameen’s predecessor Mohamed Nasheed. Abdulla Yameen Unconfirmed reports The explosion suggested the blast, which Amal Clooney has warned occurred as the tightly-guarded ripped through she will press for sanctions vessel docked in the capital the speed The Maldives’ first lady Fathimath Ibrahim (centre) reportedly had minor injuries and was sent against the Maldives unless he island Male, came from the to a hospital is released. engine room below deck. boat carrying That comment triggered “The first lady Fathimath President, footage showed the president upmarket tourist destination, a rushed trial that the UN said a row with another high- Ibrahim, a senior protocol injuring his wife being escorted off the boat but its image has suffered in was seriously flawed. profile London lawyer Cherie officer and a bodyguard of the and onto a police launch, recent years due to prolonged The charge against Nasheed Booth, who is representing president were hurt and taken and two others, while witnesses said they saw political unrest. relates to the ordering of the the government, and who to hospital,” said Mohamed but leaving him an ambulance rush to the jetty The country has come in for arrest of an allegedly corrupt said the sanctions call was Hussain Shareef, minister at and authorities immediately tough international criticism judge when he was still “unjustified” and a threat to the President’s Office. unhurt cordoned off the area. over the jailing of Nasheed president in 2012. the economic stability of the “The president was unhurt The Maldives is a popular for 13 years after conducting His 13-year jail sentence was honeymoon islands. Powerful typhoon Dujuan batters Taiwan trains away from the eastern cities of Damage threat Hualien and Taitung before services Dujuan was graded a “strong Taiwanese were suspended. typhoon” - the top category - by authorities said tens High-speed rail services in the west Taiwan’s weather bureau while other were also cancelled. regional forecasters, including the of thousands of Authorities warned that coastal Hong Kong Observatory, categorised homes were without areas could be particularly dangerous it as a “super typhoon”. power in the north as tides are affected by the current China issued a red alert, its highest, “supermoon”. for Dujuan. This is because the moon has Heavy rain and gales are set to to return to harbour and residents to reached its closest orbital point to hit parts of Fujian, Zhejiang and stay indoors. Shanghai, the official Xinhua news Almost 3,000 people were agency quoted the National Marine evacuated on Sunday from Taiwan’s ‘Super typhoon’ Dujuan Environmental Forecasting Centre as Green Island and Orchid Island. saying. More than 4,000 were moved CHINA The centre instructed ships’ crews yesterday ahead of the storm. People hold their umbrellas while walking against winds caused by Dujuan Forecast track Taipei wind and rain, but there were no Wednesday uper-typhoon Dujuan battered immediate reports of injury. Hong Tuesday Taiwan with torrential rain and “It picked up speed in the past few Kong Monday fierceS winds yesterday evening, while hours, but will slow somewhat after China issued its top alert as the storm hitting the mountains in the east,” TAIWAN approached the mainland. an official from the Central Weather SOUTH CHINA 600 km Dujuan hit the island’s northeastern Bureau said. SEA tip earlier than expected after picking Dujuan made landfall in the PHILIPPINES up speed as it approached, with northern county of Yilan, where Source : HKO more than 7,000 people evacuated in some areas have seen more than 500 advance. millimetres (20 inches) of rain in the Taiwanese authorities said tens of last 24 hours. Earth and therefore has a stronger thousands of homes were without Panicked visitors to the island’s gravitational pull than usual. power in the north. east - many of whom had headed The storm intensified as it Waves crashed along the east coast there for the Mid-Autumn Festival approached Taiwan, with gusts of Coast guards keep watch near Keelung as ‘super typhoon’ Dujuan and the capital Taipei was swept with long weekend - crammed onto 227 kilometres (141 miles) per hour. approaches Taiwan.