And Finally... Maldives police probe insult-laden wedding ceremony

A video has emerged of the couple receiving the 'blessing' from the celebrant at the Vilu Reef resort.

A local newspaper quotes him as saying in the Dhivehi language: "Your marriage is not a valid one. You are not the kind of people who can have a valid marriage. One of you is an infidel. The other, too, is an infidel - and we have reason to believe - an atheist, who does not even believe in an infidel religion.

"You fornicate and make a lot of children. You drink and you eat pork. Most of the children that you have are marked with spots and blemishes. These children that you have are bastards."

He doesn't stop there, going on to refer to beastiality, sexual infections and 'frequent fornication by homosexuals'.

After the ceremony is completed, the couple go to plant a coconut tree, during which the celebrant makes comment on the bride's breasts.

The management of the resort issued a statement saying they were 'deeply saddened by this humiliating event' and proceeded to apologise for the celebrant's 'unforgivable conduct'.

Ismail Yasir, the islands' Deputy Tourism Minister, added: "We would like to assure everyone who would like to come to Maldives that we will take such incidents seriously and we will take action.

"We don't want for such incidents to be characterised as normal in the Maldives and I am sure it is not so."

The resort charges $1,300 (£820) for such a ceremony.