Maldives
Maldives government abuses anti-terror law to silence public officials
The government of President Abdulla Yameen of the Maldives continues to abuse an overbroad anti-terror law as a blunt-force tool to arbitrarily and indiscriminately silence perceived political threats to his regime, writes the ICJ’s Nikhil Narayan
28 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Three Maldivians en route to Syria extradited
Three Maldivian men have been arrested in Turkey while attempting to illegally cross over into Syria and join extremist militant groups in the war-torn country.
24 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
CONI and the Coup III: The legacy
If there is a particular event which can be pointed to as the beginning of the end of Maldives’ peaceful transition to democracy, the acceptance of the 2012 CONI report as a way forward can be described as such, writes Azra Naseem.
22 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Man falls to death during suspected robbery in Malé
The 29-year-old man fell from the second floor of the Sunny Coast house in the Maafanu ward of the capital around 3:20am. “As of now, we know that the man does not reside in the building,” a police spokesman said, declining to confirm local reports that the individual fell during an attempted robbery.
22 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
11 arrested in ongoing clashes between police and Malé’s gangs
The police claim the arrests are linked to a “special operation to curb violence” while the gangs are accusing the police of attempting to cover up an unlawful assault by Specialist Operations officers and vandalism of three gang hangouts on Friday.
21 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Maldives urged to ‘end arbitrary actions targeting judges’
The International Commission of Jurists condemned today “arbitrary and politically motivated actions against judges” in the Maldives, shining the spotlight on the arrest of a magistrate judge and the abrupt transfer of two top judges in the past year.
21 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Police set new restrictions on lawyer visits to detainees
Detainees can now meet their lawyers for 90 minutes, twice a week, between 9:00am to 10:00pm on working days. Family visits are limited to one hour every two weeks.
20 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Government cancels auction of protected islands in UNESCO biosphere reserve
The fisheries ministry is cancelling auctions of four protected islands in the Baa Atoll UNESCO biosphere reserve following a social media outcry.
20 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Ex-defence minister in Singapore on medical leave from prison
Jailed former defence minister Mohamed Nazim left the Maldives for Singapore on Friday on government-authorised 21-day medical leave from prison.
20 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Islam, patriarchal discourses and gender-based violence in the Maldives
What we are witnessing in the Maldives today is the selective use of religious scriptures to give ‘divine’ endorsement of power and privilege to men and reinforce patriarchy, argues Hawwa Lubna
20 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Army deployed amidst clashes between police and gangs
Soldiers were deployed to the streets of Malé at midnight on Saturday in the wake of reported clashes between riot police officers and a number of gangs.
19 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Criminal court bench overhauled
The judicial watchdog has launched a major overhaul of the criminal court bench as the court prepares to begin hearing terror charges against officials and soldiers implicated in an alleged assassination attempt on President Abdulla Yameen.
17 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Abu Dhabi pledges US$40m loan for Maldives airport project
The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has pledged a US$40million loan to develop the Maldives’ main airport, the finance ministry has said. The government is also in talks with the IDB to obtain an additional US$110million loan for the project.
17 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Majlis votes to keep list of designated terror groups secret
The new law states that the home minister must compile a “positive list” comprising of organisations that Maldivians are permitted to join. An individual who wants to join or promote an unlisted group has to seek permission from the home ministry.
16 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
MP pledges to build US$5m hospital in northern island
An opposition MPhas pleged to spend US$5million on upgrading a healthpost to a hospital in the island of Fokaidhoo in northern Shaviyani Atoll.
16 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Maldives cancels PR deal with Podesta
The government of Maldives has cancelled a US$300,000 PR deal with Washington-based lobbyist Podesta, following former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb’s arrest on a charge of plotting to kill President Abdulla Yameen.
16 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Appeals court upholds ex-defence minister’s arms smuggling conviction
The High Court upheld today a weapons smuggling conviction against former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim, ruling that there was no evidence to suggest he was framed by rogue police officers.
15 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
One bad apple
What happens when a leadership becomes dysfunctional? What is its impact on the health of the society they rule over? Just as children mimic their parents, do citizens mimic their leaders? Does our need to follow authority make us betray the positive, fundamental values that define our humanity? Asks Latheefa A. Verall
15 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Ruling party MP calls female MPs ‘screaming crows’ in equality debate
PPM MP Riyaz Rasheed caused a stir today labelling the four women MPs of the opposition “shameless” and “screaming crows.” He also said that women are the leading cause for heart attacks and strokes.
14 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Maldives tax receipts soar in February
The tax authority reported an extraordinary increase of 66.1percent in February revenues, off the back of an increase in tourist arrivals in January. Total income reached MVR1.5billion (US$97million).
14 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
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