A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
A 75-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing four siblings on an island in Gaaf Dhaal atoll. A police spokesman confirmed that the suspect was arrested in Malé last Thursday “on charges of sexually abusing four underage girls.” On Friday, the criminal court remanded him to 15 days under house arrest. The arrest […]
The joint opposition has not started talks on fielding an interim candidate in the 2018 presidential election, former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has said. “We haven’t talked about that yet,” he told the press Monday night. “It’s a bit early for that so haven’t talked about that at all,” he told reporters when asked about […]
A bribery hearing of MP Faris Maumoon was postponed Tuesday after the opposition lawmaker complained about not getting enough time to meet his lawyers. Faris, son of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, allegedly bribed a fellow lawmaker before a no-confidence vote against the parliament speaker in July. The MP for Dhiggaru requested to cancel proceedings […]
NGOs have slammed the decision to destroy mangroves to make way for an airport in Kulhudhuffushi, ahead of next week’s official project launch by President Abdulla Yameen. The white clay mangroves, said to be the largest of their kind in the Maldives, are home to endangered species and serve as a natural defence system against […]
The Maldives is tightening its grip on the media and freedom of speech by using the broadcasting regulator to silence and intimidate journalists, a leading NGO has warned, as the government pushes a draft law that could see newspapers and TV stations temporarily shut down or fined. Transparency Maldives, in a statement Monday, condemned the […]
Parliament on Monday approved the ratification of the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol, an international agreement to reduce the global production and use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The Maldives’ accession was endorsed with 28 votes in favour from the 85-member house. After boycotting debate and voting on a supplementary budget last month, opposition lawmakers resumed […]
Journalist Hawwa Rasheed* was in a near-deserted newsroom compiling headlines for an upcoming bulletin when two rough hands grappled her from behind and grabbed at her breasts. “I was completely numb. Those few minutes felt like years,” Hawwa said while fiddling with her headscarf, trying to cover her chest. She slapped away the invasive hands […]
Raajje TV has paid off an MVR500,000 ($32,467) fine imposed by the broadcasting regulator for airing comments deemed a threat to national security, as a preliminary hearing to appeal an earlier fine began Sunday. The opposition-aligned station was last month penalised for broadcasting remarks from opposition MP Mohamed Musthafa. It was the third fine slapped […]
Teachers in the Maldives must be educated on how to monitor students for extremist ideologies, according to the first strategy document from the National Counter Terror Centre. US-based security and risk management consultancy the Soufan Group says around 200 to 250 Maldivians are known to be fighting in Syria and Iraq, making the island nation […]