Four of the five men charged in connection with the murder of 25-year-old Mohamed Anas were Monday given 10 days to appoint lawyers. Anas, a speedboat captain from the northern island of Meedhoo in Raa atoll, was stabbed 37 times in July by a group of masked men inside the Litus Service Centre in the […]
In August 2016, the Maldives passed a controversial law that criminalised defamation and restricted freedom of expression. The Maldives Broadcasting Commission has punished opposition-aligned Raajje TV several times under this law, increasing tensions between journalists and the government-backed regulator. Following is a timeline of actions taken by MBC against Raajje TV this year. March 7: […]
During a daily team meeting one Sunday at Raajje TV, journalists and producers debated on ways to minimise the impact of their third fundraising drive for the year on their work. The campaigns – the current one launched on October 8 – battle exorbitant fines imposed by the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) after the introduction […]
Anti-corruption NGO Transparency Maldives has relaunched a campaign urging the public to pressure lawmakers to disclose their personal finances. The Haamakurey or ‘Make it Public’ campaign calls on MPs to make their asset declaration available to the public. The constitution requires them to annually submit to the parliament’s secretary-general “a statement of all property and monies owned by him, business interests […]
The behemoth State Trading Organisation has promised higher salaries for its 1,000-strong workforce after changes to its pay structure. The state-owned wholesaler announced a review of its pay structure in a press release Sunday shortly after local media reported that allowances and working hours will be reduced on October 21 as a cost-cutting measure. “At […]
The new governor of the central bank has expressed concern with the Maldives’ vulnerability to external shocks, such as oil price hikes and reduced tourist arrivals, due to a depleted foreign currency reserve. “Although the growth rate is likely to exceed expectations in the short term, substantial downside risks continue to cloud the medium-term and […]
A 78-year-old with special needs has been transferred to government care after a Facebook post seeking a guardian for him went viral. Ali Anwar, the assistant director of Seenu atoll office, posted photos of Ali Thakuru after several unsuccessful attempts to get him into government special care. The post, which has more than 1220 shares […]
State witnesses have testified in favour of human trafficking suspects said to have brought large numbers of migrants to the country by submitting fraudulent documents to the immigration department. Mohamed Muahmar and Hussain Sunaih are suspected of trafficking by submitting fake construction agreements to obtain an immigration permit. They face charges of human trafficking, lying […]
There has been an increase in the registered number of poor people in the Maldives, as the Islamic ministry Sunday began distributing zakat at a rate of MVR900 (US$59) per person. Zakat is an obligatory alms tax collected from the accumulated wealth of all able-bodied Muslims in the Maldives. This year’s zakat will be distributed […]