A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
Four suspects have been arrested in connection with the sudden and unexplained deaths of a 22-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman in Hulhumalé. Ahmed Haameen, from the island of Thimarafushi in Thaa atoll, and Fathmath Sama, from the capital Malé, were pronounced dead on arrival at the Hulhumalé hospital around 8:30 pm on Thursday night, […]
A 25-year-old man was stabbed to death Friday night near the halfway house for recovering addicts in Hulhumalé. Local media has identified the victim as Haris Abdul Ghafoor from the island of Dhaandhoo in Gaaf Alif atoll. According to the Hulhumalé hospital, he was stabbed eight times and was pronounced dead upon arrival. Raajje TV […]
Flogging. Pre-marital sex. Suicide. Maverick film-maker Abdul Faththaah’s latest flick touches on taboo subjects in the Maldives. Hahdhu (Limits), written by Mahdi Ahmed, has been watched by more than 10,000 people since its release earlier this month, garnering a 4.6 rating out of 5 on its Facebook page. One of the most talked-about scenes is […]
Tourist arrivals to the Maldives increased by 5.9 percent as traditional European markets offset a decline in Chinese holidaymakers. According to the tourism ministry, 892,025 tourists visited the Maldives between January and August this year, up from 842,635 for the same period in 2016. The European market made up 45.9 percent of all tourists who […]
Almost 100 expatriates suspected of being undocumented have been taken for screening to the expat detention centre in Hulhumalé Thursday. The Immigration and Emigration Department’s media official Hassan Khaleel told the Maldives Independent it was a routine inspection and not based on a complaint. The 87 people were standing near Zikra mosque in the capital. […]
Housing Minister Dr Mohamed Muiz departed on a five-day visit to China Wednesday night to observe the construction of steel box girder beams for the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge. Muiz told reporters at the airport that he would “watch the fabrication work at the factory, seek detailed information, meet with engineers, and see how the work […]
The fatal stabbing of Nadheem Abdul Rahman was a revenge killing arising from a feud between two groups, police said Wednesday. Nadheem was stabbed to death by masked assailants in late July, with his murder and that of Mohamed Anas coming amid a spike in violent crimes in Malé that led to a manhunt for […]
The housing minister on Wednesday defended a decision to publish an anonymous list of flat winners as a corruption probe continued into the social housing scheme and despite thousands of people complaining about its lack of transparency. The 661 winners of the flats built in Hulhumalé, a reclaimed island under development near Malé, are the […]
Hundreds of police and soldiers descended on the island of Villingili in Gaafu Alif atoll ahead of a visit from President Abdulla Yameen, cracking down on opposition protesters by removing banners and placards. Around 300 security officers, some armed, were sent to Villingili two days prior to Yameen’s arrival according to atoll council president Ahmed […]