The prosecutor general’s office has charged a Maldivian man over the death of a Bangladeshi migrant worker in Kaafu atoll Himmafushi island. The 38-year-old was found dead in August inside Life Beverages water bottling plant, where he worked. PG spokesman Ahmed Thaufeeq said the unnamed Maldivian was charged with non-consensual touching and criminal coercion. Two […]
The foundation stones of a new industrial park for small and medium-sized enterprises was laid Wednesday by the tourism and economic development ministers. Financed from the government budget, the MVR30 million (US$1.9 million) project for a six-storey building in Hulhumalé was jointly undertaken by the state-owned Housing Development Corporation and Business Center Corporation. “This building […]
Nearly a quarter of Maldivian youth are not employed or engaged in education or training, according to the World Bank’s new South Asia Economic Focus report. The employment share of Maldivians in the booming tourism and construction industries – the main drivers of economic growth – is relatively low as both sectors attract many migrant […]
A special audit of the Southern Transport Link has flagged more than MVR350,000 (US$22,700) that has gone missing from the subsidiary of the state-owned Maldives Ports Limited. According to the report made public Monday, the money was earned from ferry services, transporting cargo and renting vessels between December 21, 2015 and May 31, 2016 but […]
Opposition lawmaker Ahmed Faris Maumoon has been temporarily transferred to house arrest from Maafushi Prison. Faris, the eldest son of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, was arrested in July in the midst of a series of attempts by the opposition coalition to remove Parliament Speaker Abdulla Maseeh. An official Maldives Correctional Services document, a copy […]
The Maldives’ main opposition party has called for an immediate international investigation into custodial deaths after an inmate died while being treated at hospital. Abdulla Rasheed, who was serving a five-year sentence on assault charges, passed away on Monday at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital. It is the seventh custodial death in two years. “The […]
Hundreds of non-Maldivian fishing vessels have been operating illegally in the nation’s waters, according to an assessment from the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture. The assessment was conducted with help from international cooperation, based on Automatic Identification System (AIS) data collected through satellite service providers. The two-year study identified 432 vessels performing unauthorized activities in […]
The Maldives has defended a Saudi-led coalition fighting rebels in Yemen after the kingdom was blacklisted by the UN for killing and injuring hundreds of children last year. The military alliance was placed on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ “list of shame” for 683 child casualties and 38 verified incidents of attacks on schools and hospitals. But in […]
The opposition Jumhooree Party (JP) is mulling the idea of presidential primaries and regional branches as part of reform efforts. A seven-member committee is looking at ways of building a stronger relationship with members and boosting public support. “Right now the party congress is limited to unelected members of other committees of the party. We […]