The removal of cemeteries to build parks and recreational facilities is not permissible, the Fatwa Council declared, reversing a ruling from eight years ago that required respectful relocation of remains. The ruling comes with the Malé City Council in the process of converting the Maafannu cemetery to a park with a small basketball court.
Firefighters took more than six hours to put out a fire that broke out on the fourth floor of the Ensis Fisheries warehouse in Hulhumalé phase one.
Seven accidents at sea were reported to the Coast Guard amid strong winds, heavy rain and rough seas across the country. A 79-year-old man who left on a dinghy from Gaaf Dhaal Gadhdhoo went missing, a person on a canoe went missing near the Raa Uthurumaafushi resort, the engine stopped on a vessel carrying four people in Ari atoll, a safari boat with 22 tourists and 15 crew members started taking on water near Baa Dharavandhoo, a speedboat ran aground on a reef near Girifinolhu in Malé atoll, a fishing boat went missing with seven people in Meemu atoll and a cargo boat with eight Maldivians and four foreigners sank en route from Malé to Laamu Hithadhoo.
After nearly two months, X lifted the suspension of the anonymous account Hassan Kurusee, a provocative outlet for whistleblowers and citizen journalism that plays an outsized role in Maldivian politics.
As the US dollar black market rate continued to rise amid a worsening foreign exchange crisis, most international airlines started requiring payments in US dollars for Maldivians to buy tickets. "How can we do business by buying a dollar for MVR 20," a local agent told Adhadhu.
The tax authority collected MVR 2.63 billion (US$ 170 million ) in June, up 27 percent from the same period last year as tourism tax receipts rose with a 13 percent increase in tourist arrivals.
Sri Lanka’s cabinet approved a long-awaited agreement for mutual legal cooperation on criminal matters with the Maldives.
Former president Gayoom presented former Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed with a miniature of the Friday mosque minaret as a gift on his 100th birthday.
Police warned of increasing attempts to hack Telegram accounts with phishing links.
No arrests have been made over the assault of a former policeman in Hulhumeedhoo, police said.
The Privatisation and Corporatisation Board relaxed the criteria for appointing chairpersons to state-owned enterprises, scrapping a requirement to score 60 percent from an interview evaluation.
PSM launched a special Independence Day documentary ahead of the upcoming 60th anniversary on July 26.
