A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
Two Sri Lankan fishing boats were seized by the Maldives Coast Guard Tuesday evening as they were patrolling near one of the country’s most lucrative fishing zones. The vessels were spotted near Vaavu Atoll. “The boats are under our control now and we are trying to bring them to Malé. Each boat had five crew […]
Composite image of Ihavandhoo MP Mohamed Abdulla (R) and Hanimaadhoo MP Hussain Shahudy. Two more lawmakers, Ihavandhoo MP Mohamed Abdulla and Hanimaadhoo MP Hussain Shahudy, have been disqualified from Parliament after ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) informed the Elections Commission that the two have been expelled from the party. PPM’s secretary general Abdulla Khaleel […]
MP Abdulla Riyaz pictured outside the Criminal Court. The state prosecution has forwarded another indictment against opposition Jumhoory Party’s deputy leader Abdulla Riyaz to the Criminal Court. The lawmaker of Kinbidhoo constituency is already charged with trespassing for forcefully entering the parliament house premises last July despite the army barring entry. His latest indictment is […]
Sumon Miah, the Bangladeshi national who confessed to killing Ismail Umar, a mechanic at the Ihavandhoo ice plant. Sumon Miah, who is charged with the murder of a local man in Haa Alif atoll Ihavandhoo island last Ramadan, pleaded guilty on Monday and gave a graphic description of the crime in court. The victim, Ismail […]
Nooshin Washeed was 14 when she first heard about murder in the Maldives: a secretary found dead in a bathroom with multiple stab wounds at the Chamber of Commerce. It was 2001. The victim was Azleena Nafees, she was 27. Nooshin recalls how shocked and scared people were over her death. It was the talk […]
Jumhooree Party Leader Gasim Ibrahim has defied a travel ban imposed by the Maldivian government and travelled to Germany for medical treatment. Gasim, sentenced to three years in absentia for attempted bribery, was released on medical furlough for cardiovascular treatment and travelled to Singapore in September. Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) refused to extend his medical […]
A member of the Maldives print and online media regulator has sued it for declining to investigate a silent protest staged by Raajje TV staff at this year’s journalism awards ceremony. Assad Shareef, a former actor and unsuccessful ruling party parliamentary candidate, filed the lawsuit against the Maldives Media Council at the civil court. “The issue […]
The High Court has overturned an Employment Tribunal unfair dismissal ruling over the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort’s sacking of three local staff in 2014. Ahmed Siyad, Hussain Ali Didi and Moosa Mohamed, who were senior members of the Tourism Employees Association of Maldives, were accused of organising and joining four separate “illegal” demonstrations on the […]
The Old Friday Mosque in capital Male. The government on Monday annulled its earlier notice seeking contractors to develop a cafeteria in the grounds of the Old Friday Mosque in capital Male. The housing ministry on Sunday had revealed plans to develop a garden and café in the grounds of Old Friday Mosque, one of […]