A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
India will “do nothing but upset itself” if it tries to prevent closer trade ties between China and the Maldives, Beijing state media has said, days after the tiny island nation approved a deal with the world’s second biggest economy. The Free Trade Agreement has reportedly stunned New Delhi into silence, but the Global Times […]
The World Bank has apologised for Maldivians being asked “unintended” political questions in a financial survey about how good their president is. In a statement issued Tuesday the global institution said survey staff had been posing questions “beyond the scope” of a data gathering exercise about how people save, borrow, make payments and manage risks […]
A landmark free trade deal between the Maldives and China was rushed through parliament Wednesday, hours after President Abdulla Yameen sought approval for ratification. The free trade agreement – which commits both nations to reduce tariffs on most imported goods to zero – was passed with 30 votes from ruling party lawmakers in the 85-member […]
World Bank. PHOTO/KOSOVA PRESS The World Bank on Tuesday revealed that a company conducting a survey in the Maldives for the former has been posing political questions to survey takers. In a press release, the World Bank announced that the survey is for its Global Findex, the world’s most comprehensive database on financial inclusion. According […]
Jumhooree Party Leader Gasim Ibrahim has defied a travel ban imposed by the Maldivian government and travelled to Germany for medical treatment. Gasim, sentenced to three years in absentia for attempted bribery, was released on medical furlough for cardiovascular treatment and travelled to Singapore in September. Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) refused to extend his medical […]
President Abdulla Yameen has hit back at opposition criticism over rising national debt, defending the huge loans taken by his four-year administration as necessary for development. Speaking at a function held Sunday night to hand out the annual ‘Youth Awards,’ Yameen said the criticism from opposition lawmakers showed a lack of vision or an understanding […]
The island of Thinadhoo became a campaign battleground over the weekend as the senior leadership of the ruling party and opposition coalition descended on the southern population hub for rival rallies. Violent clashes erupted between pro-government and opposition supporters when a ruling party delegation arrived Thursday evening. Video footage shows several young men with ruling […]
President Abdulla Yameen has sacked the chief of the Maldives’ integrity watchdog, days after he threatened to take action against the police. Yoosuf Maniu Mohamed, the president of the National Integrity Commission, was dismissed from his position on Thursday. The NIC is an oversight body for the law enforcement agencies and investigates alleged violations of […]
Six ministries have been sent right to information requests after refusing to hand over data to the Maldives Independent, which wanted to fact-check claims made by President Abdulla Yameen. Yameen rattled off figures and challenged “political leaders who say they do not see development” at the November 17 rally marking the four-year anniversary of his […]