A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
The government wants to amend the Penal Code to add “treason to the state” as a criminal offence. Attorney General Mohamed Anil said the government was preparing two bills to amend the Penal Code, SunOnline reported. The bills are scheduled to be sent to parliament when it resumes after recess. Anil made the comments on […]
The tourism ministry has added a plot of land from the capital to the list of properties up for long-term lease without any bidding process. The land is estimated to be 19,343 square feet with an acquisition cost of MVR1.4 million (US$90,800). Parliament authorised the government to lease islands for tourism development without any competitive […]
Photo: Mihaaru The first-ever Maldivian oncology surgeon has started his practice at the state-owned Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). Dr Mohamed Shifan, 43, was working at IGMH before leaving for Sri Lanka to specialise in cancer surgery. He joins IGMH’s new Oncology Centre. According to health ministry statistics from 2016, cancer is among the leading […]
Picture: Tweet screenshot from @hanafymv A hospital has had to correct health ministry statistics which falsely stated that more than 95,000 people had used MRI services at the facility in a two-year period. An official at the state-owned Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital told Mihaaru the correct figure is 9,500. “We provide MRI services from 8am […]
The Maldives’ political situation and preparations for the presidential elections are on the agenda for a visiting delegation of top European Union officials. The EU said the delegation will be in Maldives on Saturday for a three-day visit. “The mission will be led by the European External Action Service (EEAS) Deputy Managing Director for Asia, […]
Photo: @presidencymv The anti-graft watchdog wants to stop the handover of a project to a Chinese company over corruption complaints. Hassan Manik, information officer of the Anti-Corruption Commission, confirmed to the Maldives Independent that the watchdog was looking into complaints. The investigation is at the evaluation stage, he said, but declined to elaborate. Donfang Electric […]
Photos: Auf Majeed Presidential elections are due to be held in the Maldives later this year, with opposition parties in talks to field a unity candidate to defeat Abdulla Yameen. But the Maldives Independent can reveal that discord among opposition leaders is threatening to derail efforts. Opposition sources have confirmed that disunity among the leaders […]
A European Union delegation is visiting the Maldives to assess the implementation of recommendations made in a 2014 election observation report, ahead of this year’s presidential polls. The 2014 EU Mission to the Maldives was led by Slovakian MEP and former foreign minister Eduard Kukan, and published a report recommending steps to ensure the transparency […]
Photo: SunOnline A 24-year-old man has been arrested on Rasdhoo island in Alif Alif atoll for allegedly attacking a member of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives. SunOnline reported the suspect was remanded for 10 days. The injured man, Ahmed Waheed, was treated in hospital on Rasdhoo. He sustained minor head injuries. Waheed ran for […]