A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
People making fun of Islam on social media will get house calls from government officials who will educate them about the faith, authorities have said. It was common for Maldivians to use social media to insult or disrespect the country’s official religion, Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Ziyad Bagir said at a news conference, and the […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
A Chinese tourist died Tuesday in a drowning accident in the pool of the Paradise Island Resort near the capital Malé. A police spokesperson confirmed to the Maldives Independent that they were investigating a report of a drowning. According to sources familiar with the accident, the deceased was a 54-year-old woman. She was immediately brought […]
Civil Court Judge Mohamed Haleem scheduled a record 160 cases Thursday, heard 153 cases and delivered judgments in 66 cases. Haleem mainly adjudicates housing and real estate disputes. Starting at 8 am, an hour before the earliest hearings are normally scheduled, he heard the cases throughout the day with an average of about six minutes […]
The Employment Tribunal has ruled that the state-owned airport company’s dismissal of an employee for sharing an anti-government Facebook post was fair and legal. Ismail Sivaan, a driver at the Maldives Airports Company Ltd, which manages the main international airport, was sacked in May following an anonymous complaint about third-party content on his personal Facebook account. […]
A decision to only grant Hajj and Umrah visas to pilgrims travelling with Saudi Airlines has sparked concern among pilgrimage groups in the Maldives. The Saudi embassy informed travel agencies Wednesday that visas would only be issued for Saudi Airline passengers. “According to Umrah and Hajj visa issuing system 50 percent of Umrah and Hajj […]
The Food and Drug Authority has recalled frozen berries suspected of being contaminated with Hepatitis A, warning against their sale or use. In a statement the FDA said that Creative Gourmet’s 300 gram frozen berries packet (expiring 15 January 2012) was recalled by food safety authorities in Australia and New Zealand as they were possibly […]