Maldives News
Popular TV station suspends coverage after journalists’ arrest
Opposition aligned Raajje TV station has suspended coverage of political affairs following the brief detention of a fourth journalist today amidst an unprecedented nationwide state of emergency.
06 Nov 2015, 09:00
Vice president’s impeachment ‘unconstitutional,’ contends lawyer
Ahmed Adeeb’s lawyer contends that the president does not have the power to reduce the constitutionally-mandated period for the vice president to respond to charges from 14 days to seven days by declaring a state of emergency. Several prominent lawyers as well as the main opposition party concurs.
06 Nov 2015, 09:00
EU, Commonwealth join chorus of concern over state of emergency
“It is essential that all constitutional fundamental rights and freedoms are immediately restored and that due process of law is respected. A genuine dialogue with all political parties on the future of the country needs to be established,” the European Union said in a statement.
06 Nov 2015, 09:00
Police crash MDP ’emergency tea party,’ make arrests
At least 50 police officers today cordoned off the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s campaign offices and dispersed hundreds of supporters gathered for a tea party, held instead of a protest which was cancelled because of the ongoing state of emergency.
06 Nov 2015, 09:00
Maldives police raid private TV station at midnight
The court warrant authorising the raid on Sangu TV stated that the police are seeking evidence related to a “video message uploaded to YouTube threatening to kill the president of the Maldives and senior officials of the state, and to carry out terrorist attacks.”
06 Nov 2015, 09:00
World not convinced of need for Maldives emergency
International human rights groups and the governments of the UK and the US have urged the Maldives to revoke a nationwide state of emergency and restore full constitutional freedoms.
05 Nov 2015, 09:00
Impeached vice president facing corruption, illegal weapons charges
Impeached Vice President Ahmed Adeeb is now facing prosecution on charges of bribing police officers into divulging state secrets and smuggling weapons, the police have said.
05 Nov 2015, 09:00
Maldives parliament votes to impeach vice president – as it happened
The Maldives parliament impeached today Vice President Ahmed Adeeb in an abrupt vote scheduled a day after an unprecedented state of emergency was declared in the island nation.
05 Nov 2015, 09:00
Parliament approves declaration of state of emergency
The parliament today approved President Abdulla Yameen’s declaration of a 30-day state of emergency in the face of criticism from opposition MPs. The unprecedented nationwide state of emergency was approved with 58 votes in favour, 14 votes against, and three abstentions.
05 Nov 2015, 09:00
Multiple bomb scares in Maldives capital
Hundreds were evacuated this morning from Malé’s southwest harbor in the third bomb scare of the day. Security forces said a third suspicious object had been found under a fuel drum, but it turned out to be “fake.”
05 Nov 2015, 09:00
Maldives ‘safe for tourists’ despite state of emergency
The government of Maldives raised fear of a bomb plots in declaring an unprecedented nationwide state of emergency today, but insists that the honeymoon destination is safe for tourists.
04 Nov 2015, 09:00
US lawmakers in bid to gain Congress backing for Nasheed’s release
A bipartisan coalition of 13 top US lawmakers, in a resolution submitted to the Congress, have called on the Maldives to free former President Mohamed Nasheed, imprisoned in March on a terrorism charge.
04 Nov 2015, 09:00
Supreme Court suspends Vice President’s lawyer
The Supreme Court has suspended detained Vice President Ahmed Adeeb’s lawyer, Hussain Shameem, on a charge of contempt of court.
04 Nov 2015, 09:00
The Petro Dictatorship
President Abdulla Yameen has a powerful motivation to keep opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed in jail – he threatened the financial interests of the powerful cartel of oil traders who stood to lose billions if the country ditched diesel and converted to solar, argues Mark Lynas.
04 Nov 2015, 09:00
PPM confident of impeaching vice president without MDP support
The ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives says it is confident of impeaching Vice President Ahmed Adeeb without the main opposition party’s backing.
03 Nov 2015, 09:00
Police accused of beating three Raajje TV journalists
The opposition-aligned Raajje TV has alleged that three of the station’s journalists arrested while covering last night’s bomb scare were beaten by police. The criminal court ordered the police to release the journalists at a remand hearing this afternoon.
03 Nov 2015, 09:00
President warns Maldivians to be wary of ‘traitorous plotters’
In his address to the nation on the occasion of Victory Day – celebrated annually on November 3 to commemorate a failed coup attempt in 1988 – Yameen assured the public of efforts to ensure security after a weapons cache, including firearms and explosives, was discovered submerged in the lagoon of an uninhabited island leased for resort development.
03 Nov 2015, 09:00
A bomb in the heart of Malé
Amidst an escalating struggle for influence at the country’s top leadership, the residents of Malé reacted to the news of Monday’s bomb with skepticism, signaling an unprecedented loss of confidence in the security forces and the government.
03 Nov 2015, 09:00
Man arrested over photo of boat blast suspect
Ismail Shakir, an employee of the state-owned Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL), was arrested for taking a photograph of Maldivian police officers taking a suspect in a ‘bomb plot’ into custody from the airport tarmac on Friday.
02 Nov 2015, 09:00
Vice President loses remand appeal
Vice President Ahmed Adeeb remains in custody after losing an appeal of his detention over suspicion of links to an alleged assassination attempt on President Abdulla Yameen.
02 Nov 2015, 09:00
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