WHTC : reported that Saudi king postpones visit to Maldives over flu outbreak

(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Salman has postponed a visit to the Maldives due to an outbreak of flu, the government of the Indian Ocean archipelago said on Friday. The Maldives has been hit by an outbreak of flu, with some cases showing signs of H1N1 influenza A, or swine flu. Salman, who is on a month-long Asian tour, was due to visit the Maldives on Saturday. The visit "has been postponed due to the high prevalence of the flu in the Maldives," the government said in a statement, adding that a new date would be confirmed. The opposition says allowing Saudi influence in the country would result in more radicalization.

Saudi king postpones visit to the Maldives over swine flu

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The Maldives' government said Friday that Saudi Arabia's king has postponed an official visit because of the spread of swine flu in the archipelago nation. According to health ministry statistics, 105 people have tested positive for the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, since January and two have died in the small country of 340,000 people. King Salman was scheduled to visit the Maldives on Saturday. Opposition parties in the Maldives had planned protests during Salman's visit against what they said was a government plan to sell 21 tiny islands to a member of the Saudi royal family. ___This story has been corrected to show that name of virus is H1N1.

Saudi king cancels Maldives visit over swine flu fears - Regional

Malé (Maldives) (AFP) - The Saudi king has cancelled a scheduled visit to the politically-troubled atoll nation of the Maldives because of an outbreak of swine flu in its capital, the government in Male announced Friday. Dozens of people tested positive this month for the H1N1 influenza strain, also known as swine flu, Maldivian health authorities said. Foreign Minister Mohamed Asim said a new date for King Salman's trip to the Indian Ocean archipelago would be announced later. The Maldives was to be the final stop in the monarch's ongoing Asian tour that has already taken him to Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Japan. The country is a popular upmarket holiday destination but its image has been hit by political unrest in recent years.


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