Culture
WHO to confirm presence of Zika in the Maldives
Officials from the World Health Organisation are conducting tests in the Maldives for signs of the Zika virus in the wake of media reports that a Finnish man was infected by the mosquito borne virus during a visit last year.
01 Feb 2016, 09:00
Electricity restored on Thinadhoo after powerhouse fire
The state utility company has restored electricity on the southern population hub of Thinadhoo after a powerhouse fire left residents in the dark for four days. Experts are calling for a transition to renewable energy.
01 Feb 2016, 09:00
Maldives sees wave of arrests on sorcery charges
Three elderly men were arrested from two different islands on a charge of practicing black magic this week. Another four were arrested last week. The police claim to have found “tools for the practice of black magic” in their possession, but relatives of some of the suspects said police had only confiscated Arabic books.
28 Jan 2016, 09:00
Thinadhoo without power for a third night
The residents of southern Thinadhoo Island are without power for a third night following a fire that destroyed its powerhouse. The state utility said it could take up to three months to rebuild the powerhouse, but hopes to restore power by Friday using donated electricity generators.
27 Jan 2016, 09:00
Crisis in Thinadhoo after fire leaves thousands without electricity
A fire that destroyed southern Thinadhoo island’s powerhouse this morning has left thousands of people without electricity and water. Shops ran out of kerosene by evening as hundreds queued up to stock up for lanterns, and the island council is now rationing jet fuel brought in from the airport.
26 Jan 2016, 09:00
New Maldives banknotes introduced into circulation
Following a launching ceremony at the president’s office, Dr Azeema Adam, the central bank’s governor, became the first to use the new banknotes for a purchase when she bought a papaya at the local market.
26 Jan 2016, 09:00
Maldives unveils new e-passports
President Abdulla Yameen launched last night the new biometric Maldivian e-passport and automated e-gate service at the international airport.
25 Jan 2016, 09:00
Fires in Malé causes millions in damages
A fire that engulfed an electronic shop in Male’s Maafannu ward this morning spread to a warehouse next door, destroying goods worth millions of rufiyaa.
20 Jan 2016, 09:00
Resettlement of Gaadhoo islanders underway
Resettlement of Laamu atoll Gaadhoo islanders to Fonadhoo of the same atoll has begun on Monday, with 38 families having moved completely.
14 Jan 2016, 09:00
Plans unveiled for an ‘industrial village’ in Malé
The ministry of housing and infrastructure awarded projects to two state-owned companies yesterday to develop an “industrial village” and a foodcourt in Malé’s southwestern harbour.
14 Jan 2016, 09:00
Policeman fired for theft wins high court bid to get job back
The High Court ruled that the dismissal of former Chief Station Inspector Mohamed Habeeb in February 2014 was unfair as he was not convicted of a crime in a court of law. The Maldives Police Service was ordered to reinstate the ex-policeman and provide compensation for lost wages.
14 Jan 2016, 09:00
Schools open for new academic year
Schools across the Maldives opened today for the new academic year with more than 75,000 students enrolled in 223 schools.
13 Jan 2016, 09:00
Doctor suspended after Kulhudhuffushi mother bleeds to death
A 33-year old mother’s death has sparked outcry over poor services in the Maldives’ remote atolls. Hospitals lack qualified doctors and medical equipment. The words “state of emergency” was sprayed onto the walls of the Kulhudhuffushi hospital today.
10 Jan 2016, 09:00
Maldives sportswomen allege discrimination in selection for South Asian Games
Sportswomen have alleged discrimination in a government decision to reduce the number of sports teams competing at the upcoming South Asian games in India. Of the 96 athletes slated to compete in the games, only 27 will be women.
05 Jan 2016, 09:00
Group of teenage skaters detained in Hulhumalé
Police officers advised the teenagers “not to skate in a manner that is unsafe for themselves and other citizens” and took them to the police station. One of the teenagers has since accused the police of subjecting the group to “physical and verbal abuse.”
03 Jan 2016, 09:00
Marital rape victim’s body sent to India for autopsy
The body of a marital rape victim who died of life-threatening injuries last week has been sent to India for a postmortem examination. The 37-year-old woman from the island of Thinadhoo in Gaaf Dhaal atoll was hospitalised in Malé last month. Her husband was arrested on December 11 and remains under police custody.
03 Jan 2016, 09:00
Five arrested from president’s flight
Five Maldivians were arrested from a Bangkok Airways flight on Thursday after a family of tourists complained to the crew and refused to travel on the plane. All five have since been released after the police determined that they had not endangered the airplane’s security.
02 Jan 2016, 09:00
Elderly woman arrested on suspicion of practicing sorcery
“Some islanders had lodged complaints with the police over the course of several days about the Gemanafushi woman practicing sorcery and threatening to use sorcery,” the police said.
29 Dec 2015, 09:00
Three men arrested in Vilufushi on charges of sorcery
A police spokesperson told The Maldives Independent that the suspects were arrested with warrants after complaints from islanders alleging that they were practicing black magic in houses and boats. The islanders accused the men of causing damages to households using black magic.
28 Dec 2015, 09:00
Government plans to relocate ancient mosque to ‘heritage island’
The government is planning to relocate the ancient Kalhuvakaru mosque in Malé to a heritage island to be developed on the capital’s suburb Hulhumalé. Built in the late 18th century, it came to be known as the “travelling mosque” due to its history of relocation.
27 Dec 2015, 09:00
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