Maldives News

Maldives army defuse presidential palace bomb

Bomb squad officers defused tonight a homemade bomb found on vehicle parked near the presidential palace in Malé. President Abdulla Yameen, who prefers to live at his private residence, only uses Muleeaage for official meetings.

Maldives introduces new banknotes

The new Maldivian rufiyaa note series unveiled last night “represents the Maldives, and the identity of Maldivians” and “attempts to encapsulate all the innate factors that define our country, and our ancestral identity,” the central bank said.

Parliamentary rules changed to expedite budget approval

Banks will lower interest rates, says finance minister

Commercial banks in the Maldives have agreed to lower interest rates on loans after the central bank slashed interest rates for the sale of treasury bills (T-bills) with effect from October 28, Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad has said.

MDP meets new police chief, discusses November 6 protest

The police had said in a statement that the acting police chief met with representatives from the MDP yesterday and asked them to reconsider plans to stage a mass protest on November 6 “given the present state of affairs in the country”.

No evidence of bomb on Yameen’s speedboat, says FBI

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has found no evidence an explosive device caused the blast on President Abdulla Yameen’s speedboat, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

Maldives downplays FBI findings on boat blast

Although the FBI had found no evidence of an explosive on President Abdulla Yameen’s speedboat, the government insisted that analysis by Sri Lankans and Saudis, and evidence gathered by Maldives security forces provide enough proof of a bomb plot.

Police officers asked to stay clear of politics on social media

“We will be taking action against police officers who comment, like, share or re-tweet political posts, photos or publish political posts in social media,” Assistant Commissioner Ahmed Mohamed informed departments heads last week.

Missing weapons from state armoury ‘a national security failure’

President Abdulla Yameen as the commander-in-chief must bear full responsibility for weapons that went missing from the state armoury, the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said. The military has acknowledged that a rifle and a submachine gun found in a weapons cache discovered on Friday in the lagoon of an uninhabited island in Baa atoll were from its armoury.

Hunt declared for eight suspects in boat blast probe

Mohamed Allam Latheef ‘Moho,’ a close associate of the vice president and the singer of a popular local band, is wanted by the police on suspicion of links to an alleged attempt to assassinate the president. The police said that Latheef has links to a weapons cache discovered on an island leased for resort development.

Social media celebrity, loyal to Adeeb, arrested in Sri Lanka

The police have confirmed Ahmed Ashraf, aka Shumba Gong’s arrest. The 18-year-old had tweeted that he was in danger and that “some people smashed my doors trying to come in.”

Court to hear appeal of vice president’s detention today

The High Court will review today Vice President Ahmed Adeeb’s detention on suspicion of links to an alleged assassination attempt on President Abdulla Yameen. The hearing is scheduled for 4:45pm.

Human rights watchdog calls for review of anti-terrorism law

Firearms found in ‘bomb plot raid’ belong to the Maldives army

A rifle and a submachine gun discovered under water in a raid over an alleged assassination attempt on President Abdulla Yameen are firearms that had gone missing from the state armory, the security forces have revealed.

Indian consortium awarded US$40m road construction project

The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) signed a contract with the Consortium of Mohan Mutha Exports and Ashoka Buildcon for “the construction and development of all major road networks in Hulhumalé Phase II, [and] connecting all the neighbourhoods and commercial areas such as the tourism district, yacht marina and knowledge park.”

Maldives security forces seize weapons cache

The Maldives security forces have seized a large cache of weapons including firearms, grenades and improvised explosive devices from an island leased for resort development. The arms cache was submerged 42 meters under the water on Hibalhidhoo Island in central Baa Atoll.

Security forces conduct late-night raids for weapons in Malé

Armed soldiers and police officers have entered at least three houses in Malé tonight in search of weapons. The ongoing raids are part of the investigation into an explosion on President Abdulla Yameen’s speedboat.

Businessman, arrested in Malaysia over ‘bomb plot,’ deported

Hamid Ismail, a relative of detained Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, was arrested from a condominium in Kuala Lumpur on October 28, along with four other Maldivians. He was deported today.

Saudi experts found trace of explosives on president’s speedboat

Forensic experts from Saudi Arabia found trace of a powerful explosive on President Abdulla Yameen’s speedboat, the national inquiry commission has said in a press statement tonight.

After social media outcry, government vows not to abuse anti-terrorism law

Home Minister Umar Naseer has vowed that the government “will not abuse” the Anti Terrorism Act in the wake of a public outcry over fears that the law could be used to prosecute dissidents.