Maldives News

Pepper spray coma victim wakes up

Abdullah Saleem remains hospitalised despite showing signs of recovery.

Imam questioned over refusal to deliver ‘politicised’ sermon

An island Imam questioned over his refusal to read a controversial Friday sermon has accused the Islamic ministry of using religion for politics.

Army bars media from parliament meetings

Soldiers blocked the entrance to the parliament building, saying there had been no written notification allowing journalists access.

Maldives threatened with ‘targeted measures’

PPM MP aggrieved over stalled airport project

MP Abdulla Khaleel has fallen out with the government over failure to deliver on an airport pledge, VFP reports, citing a source close to the MP for Faafu Nilandhoo.

Parliament resumes with speedy five-minute sitting

Parliament resumed regular business Monday morning with only pro-government lawmakers in attendance for a sitting that lasted less than five minutes.

Weekend arrests: a round-up of round-ups

The protests have been ongoing since February 1 and gained momentum after a controversial parliamentary vote to extend a state of emergency, with crowds calling for the arrest and resignation of President Abdulla Yameen.

Maldives presidential elections first round to be held early September

The Elections Commission expected a first round to be held in early September and a second round, should it be necessary, would be held within 21 days from election day.

Maldives president DID refuse UN help

A video shows UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric talking to reporters about exchanges between the United Nations and Malé.

Lawyers revolt as prosecutor general comes under pressure

More than 30 lawyers at the prosecutor general’s office backed Aishath Bisham for saying parliament’s vote on the state of emergency was unconstitutional.

Tourism bodies beg for Maldives state of emergency to stop

Operators say hundreds of hotel bookings have been cancelled daily since February 5, when a 15-day state of emergency was declared, despite government assurances that all is normal in the resort islands.

Short and snappy: President gives 18-minute speech to parliament

The president’s speech clocked in at just 18 minutes. Last year’s speech lasted one hour and 13 minutes.

Maldives listed among ‘highly corrupt countries’

The Corruption Perception Index scores and ranks countries by their perceived level of public sector corruption using a scale of zero to 100, where zero is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.

State of emergency ‘unconstitutional’

Prosecutor General Aishath Bisham wrote to police hours after parliament approved President Abdulla Yameen’s request to extend the state of emergency by 30 days.

India ‘deeply dismayed’ by Maldives state of emergency extension

Ties with India have been in the spotlight since the Maldives signed a massive free trade deal with China, and relations have become strained in recent months through a combination of snubs, suspensions, tweets and editorials.

Delicate and sensitive: Maldives seeks to reassure international community again

There has been widespread condemnation about President Abdulla Yameen’s administration and the country’s vital tourism industry has taken a beating as holidaymakers stay away.

Police detainee treatment condemned

There have been frequent protests in the capital demanding the release of high-profile prisoners, with the police detaining opposition lawmakers and even their relatives.

Maldives state of emergency extended by another 30 days

The state of emergency in the Maldives has been extended by another 30 days, after parliament on Tuesday approved President Abdulla Yameen’s request.

“When somebody shits, we clean it up”: President addresses coup plot

“That night of 1 February was an attempt to bring my government down to its knees,” said President Abdulla Yameen of a Supreme Court ruling ordering the release of his opponents.

RaajjeTV journalist in Sri Lanka for injury treatment

Hussan Hussain boarded a plane to Sri Lanka on Sunday evening. Police tried to stop him from leaving but failed as he had already passed through the boarding gate.