Maldives News

President sacks commissioner general of customs

President Abdulla Yameen today sacked Commissioner General of Customs Abbas Adil Riza and appointed Maldives Ports Limited CEO Mohamed Junaid to the post.

STO recalls shipment of tainted flour

The State Trading Organisation (STO) has warned its customers not to use flour that contains impurities. An STO media official said samples from the contaminated batch have been sent to Maldives Food and Drug Authority for testing.

Death chamber, isolation cells, and new jails

The government has earmarked funds in next year’s budget for new jails, a “death chamber” and solitary confinement units at the Maafushi jail, but slashed funding for the human rights watchdog to carry out torture prevention programmes and monitor compliance with international human rights treaties.

Two years on – “Blame it on bro”

On its two year anniversary in power, the PPM government is mired in scandal. Yet there is no push for reform among its supporters. Blame was put on ex Vice President Ahmed Adeeb’s shoulders, while a purge of his loyalists was suggested to put the government back on track.

World Bank blacklisted Chinese company awarded Maldives bridge project

The CCCC Second Harbour Engineering company was sanctioned in 2009 and barred from engaging in any road and bridge projects financed by the World Bank Group until January 2017.

Population consolidation keystone of 2016 state budget

As the dispersion of the Maldivian people in 188 islands is an obstacle to economic development, Jihad said the government’s population consolidation policy is to settle 70 percent of the population to Hulhumalé.

Lawyers of two more suspects in boat blast suspended

The Supreme Court has suspended the lawyers representing two more suspects in the September 28 explosion on President Abdulla Yameen’s speedboat.

Maldives publishes child sex offenders registry

The online registry lists more than 70 individuals with their photos, full names, national identity card numbers, date of birth, age, address, date of conviction, date of imprisonment, date of scheduled release and name of the detention center the individual is being held.

No money for the folks back home

Why a government plan to levy a three percent tax on migrant worker remittances has drawn concern among human rights advocates.

How civil unrest affects Maldives tourism

The Maldives tourism industry, famous for its secluded hotels, has traditionally been shielded from unrest in the capital. But continuing bad press, generated by years of political turmoil is beginning to have an effect, tour operators say.

Translation of President Yameen’s Republic Day speech

A translation of President Abdulla Yameen’s speech on the occasion of Republic Day

Maldives hires second public relations firm

The government of the Maldives has hired a second public relations firm, London-based BTP Advisers, the Maldives Independent can reveal.

MPs grill ministers over ‘unrealistic’ revenue targets

MPs on the parliament’s budget review committee questioned ministers today about targets in the 2016 budget after revenue this year fell far short of forecasts.

Killed, exiled or deposed

All three of former vice president’s lawyers suspended

The Supreme Court has suspended lawyers Hussain Shameem and Ahmed Thalib from appearing in any court while the police barred lawyer Ali Nadheem from meeting impeached Vice President Ahmed Adeeb at the Dhoonidhoo detention centre.

Contractor chosen for ‘China-Maldives Friendship Bridge’

The bidding process was launched in Beijing last Tuesday with a team of 11 experts evaluating bids from three companies shortlisted by the Chinese government. They were China Railway Major Bridge Engineering, CCCC Second Harbour Engineering, and Sichuan Road and Bridge Construction. The housing ministry has not revealed the chosen contractor.

Translation of President Yameen’s Oct 25 speech

President Abdulla Yameen’s speech on October 25, the day after his deputy Ahmed Adeeb’s arrest.

MDP gears up for mass protest on Nov 27

The main opposition party originally planned to hold the anti-government demonstration on November 6, but was forced to call it off after President Abdulla Yameen declared an unprecedented 30-day state of emergency and suspended the constitutional right to freedom of assembly.

Government hospital introduces MRI scanning

MRI scans were previously only available at the privately-owned ADK hospital in Malé. Customers often had to wait weeks for appointments.

Maldives: state of insanity – part II

When a president with an army at his command and an armoury at his disposal has a bad trip or an episode of intense paranoia, the consequences can be markedly different from when an ordinary person has such experiences, writes Azra Naseem in the second part of the Finifenmaa blast chronicles.