A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
Two foreign fishing vessels captured by the Maldivian Coast Guard last week were pirate boats, the defence minister has said. Adam Shareef made the remarks during a training course closing ceremony on the military island of Girifushi. He commended the coast guard for showing courage and taking full control of the pirates spotted in Maldivian […]
An illegal fishing vessel has been intercepted in Maldivian waters with 200 tons of tuna. The foreign vessel was intercepted around 11pm Thursday about 76 nautical miles off Hirilandhoo island in Thaa atoll, the Maldives National Defence Coast Guard said in a statement. The vessel, “Chotpattanna 55”, was flying a Somali flag and had a […]
Morning rainfall caused heavy flooding in Malé on Wednesday, Mihaaru reported. The flooding has made it difficult for pedestrians to use the road, especially in Maafannu and Galolhu ward. Water levels have reached over two and a half feet near the state hospital IGMH, causing parked motorcycles to fall over. The falling of a large tree […]
Environmental impact assessments have been approved for two airports without the reports being published or opened for comments, an NGO has claimed. Save Maldives raised concerns about the projects in Maafaru and Funadhoo on Sunday, saying the Environmental Protection Agency had yet to make its findings public. The EPA was unavailable for comment at the […]
Heavy rainfall on Monday caused flooding and damage on four islands throughout the Maldives. According to the police, flooding was reported on the islands of Maalhos in Baa atoll, Isdhoo in Laamu atoll, Villigili in Gaaf Alif atoll, and Gadhdhoo in Gaaf Dhaal atoll. Police officers worked with island councils to pump and drain floodwaters, […]
It has been a busy winter for the Maldives Environment Minister Thoriq Ibrahim. Last Wednesday he concluded the One Planet Summit, which marked two years since the Paris Agreement. In November he attended the COP23 Summit. The Maldives is a poster child internationally for its vulnerability to climate change, but its globetrotting and grandstanding has […]
The Maldives. Credit: UNDP UNITED NATIONS, Dec 8 2017 (IPS) – The 44-member Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) represents some of the world’s most vulnerable island nations fighting a virtually losing battle against rising sea levels triggered by global warming and climate change. A negotiating voice of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), AOSIS has […]
Aaital Khosla (C), Miss Earth India 2015, pictured at the tree planting programme at Sun Island Resort and Spa. PHOTO/SUN ISLAND Aaital Khosla, who represented India at the Miss Earth 2015 pageant, participated in a tree planting programme hosted by Sun Island Resort and Spa. According to the resort, the tree-planting programme was organised by […]
A bout of extreme weather during the weekend caused damage to households and property in 62 islands across the Maldives. Heavy rainfall caused flooding on 36 islands, strong winds tore off roofs and felled trees on 22 islands, and swells were reported from four islands, the National Disaster Management Centre told local media. The flooding did […]