A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
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 […]
Government plans to develop a cafe on the Male Friday Mosque site have stalled after a backlash on social media, including criticism from a former president. The Male’ Friday Mosque, built in 1658, is on UNESCO’s Tentative World Heritage List and is described as “the most important heritage site of the country” and “one of […]
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 […]
President Abdulla Yameen has hit back at opposition criticism over rising national debt, defending the huge loans taken by his four-year administration as necessary for development. Speaking at a function held Sunday night to hand out the annual ‘Youth Awards,’ Yameen said the criticism from opposition lawmakers showed a lack of vision or an understanding […]
The island of Thinadhoo became a campaign battleground over the weekend as the senior leadership of the ruling party and opposition coalition descended on the southern population hub for rival rallies. Violent clashes erupted between pro-government and opposition supporters when a ruling party delegation arrived Thursday evening. Video footage shows several young men with ruling […]
The state-owned Housing Development Corporation has announced the sale of more than 100 flats awarded under a previous government’s social housing programme. Built by a subsidiary of India’s Tata Group in the capital, the flats were put up for sale after its original recipients under the Veshi Fahi Malé programme were unable to secure loans before a […]
President Abdulla Yameen has sacked the chief of the Maldives’ integrity watchdog, days after he threatened to take action against the police. Yoosuf Maniu Mohamed, the president of the National Integrity Commission, was dismissed from his position on Thursday. The NIC is an oversight body for the law enforcement agencies and investigates alleged violations of […]
Tourist arrivals to the Maldives exceeded one million during October, reaching 1,125,995 visitors so far in 2017. Some 127,986 tourists visited last month, up nine percent from October 2016, according to statistics released this week. The government hopes to welcome a record 1.5 million tourists in 2017, despite missing the same target during the past two years. With the […]