Ahmed Naish
Ahmed Naish joined the Maldives Independent (formerly Minivan News) as a rookie reporter in January 2009, covering the country's tumultuous transition to democracy, first multi-party elections and series of political crises. He later served as editor-in-chief until the Maldives Independent suspended operations in January 2020 and returned to the role for the relaunch in January 2025. Naish has also written for local and international publications such as Al Jazeera and The Diplomat.
Stress test: 2025 Year in Review
Courts, nepo babies, medicine, housing, debt: the year's fault lines.
31 Dec 2025, 5:35 PM
Two tiers, 22,900 homes on paper: Malé's new housing rules
What changed, who qualifies, and what's still missing.
30 Dec 2025, 5:59 PM
Stranded students left to fend for themselves abroad
Scholarship and loan recipients describe systemic neglect by higher education ministry.
29 Dec 2025, 4:51 PM
Maldives gets failing grades on money laundering and terrorism financing
Global watchdog warns of political interference, zero convictions.
22 Dec 2025, 4:45 PM
The forever accused: when waiting for trial becomes the punishment
Muizzu vowed to end vaanuvaa. Hundreds remain trapped in legal limbo.
18 Dec 2025, 9:33 PM
Protect national security, face fines: what a new code asks of Maldivian journalists
Five ways the code of ethics departs from international standards.
16 Dec 2025, 4:53 PM
One in six Maldivian teenagers has considered suicide. They're turning to AI for help.
Youth mental health consultations up 400 percent. The system can't cope.
15 Dec 2025, 4:00 PM
Stability and darkness: Muizzu touts achievements as critics savage two-year record
Extracts from the president's anniversary speech.
17 Nov 2025, 5:32 PM
"You are my saviour": Maldives ex-president Waheed to Jeffrey Epstein
The special envoy sought a sex offender's advice as president.
16 Nov 2025, 3:32 PM
Maldives government and civil society present competing realities at UN human rights review
Exiled activists counter official narrative of "steady progress."
09 Nov 2025, 6:03 PM
Battle over Binveriya: the exclusive land scheme tearing Maldivians apart
Capital privilege or rightful inheritance? Debate rages over free plots for Malé natives.
05 Nov 2025, 9:58 PM
Maldives makes history with generational ban as smuggling makes mockery of tobacco control
Smuggled cigarettes exceed legal sales as customs revenue collapses.
03 Nov 2025, 6:15 PM
Between government optimism and World Bank warnings: dissecting the 2026 budget
Seventy cents of every dollar will go to debt payments.
02 Nov 2025, 11:06 PM
The pension fund workaround: the Maldives money printing controversy
QE or creative accounting? The MVR 2.4 billion transaction explained.
27 Oct 2025, 3:37 PM
Addu splits: Feydhoo votes to stay as Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo break away
Fewer than half of eligible voters turned out in Saturday's referendum.
25 Oct 2025, 8:15 PM
Episode 12: Shiman's lawyer recounts procedural chaos after private photo leak
The opposition activist's photo was leaked hours after police seized her phone.
13 Oct 2025, 2:16 PM
Photos from the frontline: pepper spray and sonic weapons in Majeedhee Magu standoff
Riot police blocked the MDP protest march.
04 Oct 2025, 1:34 PM
Campaign donors, family firms, and election-eve payments: the Fenaka scandal explained
A utility's descent into patronage, kickbacks, and political warfare.
29 Sep 2025, 6:03 PM
A neighbour's guide to media self-regulation: Sri Lanka's Press Complaints Commission shares hard-won lessons
A conversation with CEO Sukumar Rockwood.
28 Sep 2025, 4:32 PM
The #AdeebFiles: buried evidence of how the Maldives became a kleptocracy
Corruption is normalised and culturally embedded.
23 Sep 2025, 6:00 PM
