Maldives News
Opposition announces shadow cabinet
The newly launched ‘Maldives United Opposition’ has announced a 19-member shadow cabinet comprised of senior opposition figures and former top officials of President Abdulla Yameen’s administration.
01 Jun 2016, 09:00
Maldives opposition shows united front, urges supporters to “set aside differences”
Five rival opposition groups announced today a united front to remove President Abdulla Yameen from office, urging supporters to bridge differences to restore democracy.
01 Jun 2016, 09:00
Can Maldives reefs recover from El Nino?
Environmentalists say Maldives reefs may not bounce back from this year’s El Nino as fast as the government expects because of human stressors, such as dredging and land reclamation.
31 May 2016, 09:00
Maldives averts ban from international football
The Football Association of Maldives was facing automatic suspension from FIFA, world football’s governing body, if it did not adopt revised statutes and hold an election before a deadline of May 31. The polls have been delayed for nearly two years due to infighting, corruption allegations, and government interference
31 May 2016, 09:00
Mental health clinics swamped after new criteria disqualifies staff
Mental health clinics in the Maldives are struggling to treat hundreds of patients after a new regulation rendered a majority of staff ineligible to become licensed professionals.
31 May 2016, 09:00
Watchdog suspends judge after arrest on drug charge
The judicial watchdog body has suspended a judge at the Thinadhoo magistrate court after he was arrested on a drug charge last Saturday.
31 May 2016, 09:00
Jameel to head new opposition coalition to oust Yameen
Opposition leaders are to announce a new coalition, headed by former Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, to remove President Abdulla Yameen, The Maldives Independent understands.
30 May 2016, 09:00
First couple departs for Malaysia
President Yameen will be meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak whilst the first lady is scheduled to deliver a lecture at the three-day ‘Permata International Conference: Children Beyond Tomorrow.’
30 May 2016, 09:00
Teacher arrested on suspicion of links to terror groups
A senior teacher at the Kunahandhoo island school was arrested last night on suspicion of links to terrorist organisations. But islanders are incredulous. “He is a good, pious man, the community trusts him,” the council president said.
30 May 2016, 09:00
Bridge pipes ‘stored’ on Gulhifalhu reef
Some 18 massive steel pipes imported for the ongoing construction of the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge are being kept on top of a coral reef near Malé.
30 May 2016, 09:00
Verdict in protracted murder trial postponed
The criminal court has postponed the sentencing of four young men charged in connection with the murder of 16-year-old Mohamed Aruham in May 2012.
30 May 2016, 09:00
Court to review acquittal of man charged with air gun possession
Inthif Rauf was arrested on October 30 after the police discovered a gun during a raid of his home in Malé. The criminal court, however, ruled earlier this month that the prosecution was unable to prove that it was “a dangerous weapon.”
30 May 2016, 09:00
Yameen’s remarks on sex workers, opium spark controversy
President Abdulla Yameen has sparked outrage on social media with recent comments on Maldivian men visiting sex workers in Bangkok, feeding opium to the youth, and a reference to Allah’s children.
29 May 2016, 09:00
Maldives leads push for first-ever precautionary controls on tuna fishery
The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, a regional fisheries management body, adopted last week a Maldives-led proposal to set harvest control rules on the skipjack fishery.
29 May 2016, 09:00
Magistrate arrested on drug charge released by high court
The High Court released this morning a magistrate arrested from the southern island of Thinadhoo in Gaaf Dhaal atoll Saturday night on a charge of drug abuse. Magistrate Ali Rasheed, 38, was arrested “in a state of intoxication” and a rubber packet containing drugs was found on the ground, the police said in a statement.
29 May 2016, 09:00
Pakistan pledges US$10m loan for Maldives military
Speaking to reporters last night upon his return from a four-day official visit to Pakistan, Defence Minister Adam Shareef Umar said the loan will be used to purchase military equipment and two aircraft.
28 May 2016, 09:00
Evidence submitted to prove Adeeb planned to flee after boat blast
A forensic analysis of the former vice president’s mobile phone “shows that Adeeb had used his phone to search online for ways to assassinate the president using chemicals or explosives and that he had searched for ways to flee the country and obtain a visa from another country,” the state prosecutor explained.
28 May 2016, 09:00
Customs seize sauce bottles with wine and pork
The Maldives Customs Service launched a special operation on Tuesday night to seize sauce bottles containing white wine and pork on sale at a shop in Malé.
26 May 2016, 09:00
Prosecutors revise charges against Raajje TV journalist
Raajje TV Chief Operating Office Hussain Fiyaz Moosa Fiyaz was accused of assaulting a police officer while reporting on the military’s attempts to defuse a bomb on November 2 last year, but he was charged with touching an individual without his consent.
26 May 2016, 09:00
Victim of local market assault passes away
A 41-year-old man injured early march in an assault at the local market in Malé passed away on Wednesday afternoon.
26 May 2016, 09:00
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