Maldives News
Nasheed calls for reforms to the Commonwealth
“The Commonwealth, in short, needs to stop giving legitimacy, and thus helping to prop up, the dictators and authoritarians who abuse their people and flout the values that the Commonwealth is supposed to stand for,” said former President Mohamed Nasheed.
14 Apr 2016, 09:00
Raajje TV forced to apologise for report on president’s links to Sri Lankan sorcerer
The broadcasting regulator instructed Raajje TV in a letter yesterday to issue a formal apology over a documentary aired on February 6 about a Sri Lankan man who allegedly performed sorcery or black magic to help President Abdulla Yameen win the 2013 election.
14 Apr 2016, 09:00
Imran petitions UN rights panel over terror conviction
A local human rights NGO has petitioned the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on Sheikh Imran Abdulla’s behalf, requesting a judgment declaring the Adhaalath Party president’s terror conviction illegal.
14 Apr 2016, 09:00
Human rights group urges retrial for Afrasheem murder convict
The Maldivian Democracy Network has called for a retrial in the case of a young man convicted of killing a parliamentarian, arguing that the death sentence handed to Hussain Humam Ahmed was unfair and contravened the Islamic Shari’ah.
13 Apr 2016, 09:00
Charges filed against fourth Raajje TV journalist
Adam Zareer, a videographer at the privately-owned station, was served summons yesterday to appear for a first hearing next Sunday. He is accused of obstructing police duty during an anti-government protest on March 25 last year.
13 Apr 2016, 09:00
Majlis creates new Islamic affairs council
The parliament has amended the 1994 Religious Unity Act to set up a new Supreme Council for Islamic affairs with the authority to issue fatwas or legal opinions on religious disputes.
13 Apr 2016, 09:00
Mystery deepens over convicted ex-MP’s departure from Singapore
The immigration depart has claimed that MP Ahmed Nazim’s passport is in its possession despite reports of the former ruling party lawmaker fleeing from Singapore to the United Kingdom last week.
13 Apr 2016, 09:00
Judicial watchdog passed over qualified nominees in appointment of judges
A leaked marks sheet compiled after evaluating some 26 candidates shows that the Judicial Service Commission passed over three judges who topped the list with the highest marks based on educational qualifications and experience.
13 Apr 2016, 09:00
ACC seeks prosecution of ex-vice president over US$6m corruption scandal
The anti-corruption watchdog has asked the Prosecutor General’s office to press charges against jailed former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb over a US$6 million corruption scandal exposed in an October 2014 audit report of the state-owned tourism promotion company.
13 Apr 2016, 09:00
India did not raise issue of political prisoners, says foreign minister
Briefing the press this afternoon on Yameen’s official two-day visit to India, Dunya said: “According to my information, the names of any these people did not come up during discussions between the president and India’s prime minister and they did not criticise our affairs either.”
12 Apr 2016, 09:00
Maldivian man arrested over gangster’s murder in Colombo
The arrest of the 28-year-old is the first made in Malé over the killing of the murder of Maldivian national and notorious gangster Hussain Razeen ‘Rabarey’ in Colombo.
12 Apr 2016, 09:00
Malé households do not separate waste, survey shows
A majority of household waste in Malé is collected by expatriate workers, each of whom dispose waste for an average of ten households every day, according to a survey by the state-owned Waste Management Corporation.
12 Apr 2016, 09:00
Supreme Court throws out Haveeru ownership appeal
The Supreme Court threw out today an appeal filed against a controversial ruling that split the ownership of Maldives’ oldest newspaper Haveeru, which resulted in the paper’s closure nearly two weeks ago. The government has announced that it intends to intervene to restart the paper’s publication.
12 Apr 2016, 09:00
Airport bridge will not cause lasting damage to Malé’s surf point, says minister
The construction of a bridge between Malé and Hulhulé poses no threat to the city’s surf point at Varunulaa Raalhugandu, Housing Minister Dr Mohamed Muizz said today, assuring surfers that they would be able to surf there once the project is completed in 2018.
12 Apr 2016, 09:00
Maldives, India sign defence action plan
“It is clear that the contours of India-Maldives relations are defined by our shared strategic, security, economic and developmental goals. The prompt implementation of a concrete action plan in the defence sector will strengthen our defence cooperation,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a joint press conference with President Abdulla Yameen yesterday.
12 Apr 2016, 09:00
Bangladeshi man stranded at sea in attempt to flee employer
A fishing boat found a Bangladeshi migrant worker stranded at sea in an alleged to flee from his employers at a resort under construction on a northern island.
11 Apr 2016, 09:00
Broadcasting regulator ‘concerned’ over charges against Raajje TV journalists
The Maldives Broadcasting Commission has expressed concern over charges filed against three journalists from the opposition-aligned Raajje TV, but stopped short of condemning the unprecedented criminal prosecution of journalists.
11 Apr 2016, 09:00
Maldives seeks Indian protection from ‘unfair punitive action by CMAG’
“The reason I visited Mr Prime Minister in India today is to express my appreciation for the very steadfast leadership India has shown in protecting Maldives in the CMAG deliberations. We look at India for continued support in preventing any unfair, any punitive action by the CMAG on the Maldives,” President Yameen said today in his ongoing official visit to India.
11 Apr 2016, 09:00
183 Maldives journalists sign petition for press freedom
Some 183 Maldivian journalists have signed a historic petition urging the authorities to tackle threats to press freedom, including the withdrawal of a bill criminalising defamation and ending impunity for crimes committed against reporters.
10 Apr 2016, 09:00
Shumba Gong tortured in jail, says lawyer
Ahmed ‘Shumba Gong’ Ashraf was forced to sit on the floor, in handcuffs, while prisons officers alternately poured hot and ice-cold water on him, said lawyer Moosa Siraj.
10 Apr 2016, 09:00
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