A police officer was suspended after a video of him engaging in homosexual relations was leaked online. An ethics inquiry and a criminal investigation are underway, police confirmed to the media.
The policeman, who reportedly works at the Drug Enforcement Department, appears to be the latest victim of a blackmail ring involving secretly filmed liaisons with a 25-year-old Bangladeshi man in a Malé apartment.
The incidence of major communicable diseases such as dengue fever and acute respiratory infections remained high in June.
Ahead of the upcoming week-long Eid holidays, the Velana International Airport anticipated “a record-breaking domestic passenger flow of 3,300 passengers with 125 aircraft movements.”
Maldivian airline expects to serve 42,000 passengers after increasing flights between 26 June to 10 July. The national carrier operates domestic flights to 14 destinations with six or seven daily flights to some regional airports.
The Maldives Journalist Association submitted a petition signed by 158 journalists urging the president and attorney general to amend provisions in the evidence bill passed by parliament last week that allow courts to compel disclosure of sources.
Both the MJA and regulatory body Maldives Media Council fear that the “overbroad and expansive” provisions could be abused to force journalists to disclose sources.
The Malé City Council filed a complaint with the anti-graft watchdog alleging corruption in the awarding of a streetscaping project by the infrastructure ministry to the Road Development Corporation. The opposition-majority council also decided to sue on the grounds that the ministry had taken over the project in violation of the decentralisation law. Ruling party councillors backed both decisions.
RDC previously proposed MVR39 million (US$2.5 million) to rebuild the Ameenee Magu thoroughfare, according to the council. But the project was contracted on Sunday for MVR89 million.
RDC and the ministry deny that Ameenee Magu was part of the streetscaping project signed between the council and the state-owned company.
The city council designated 4 pm to 6 pm on the first two days of Eid (Saturday and Sunday) as vehicle-free hours in Malé.
A park developed on Faresmaathoda island in Gaaf Dhaal atoll with Indian assistance was officially opened.
A grandfather and great-grandfather found guilty of sexually abusing a two-year-old girl were sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The horrific case on the southern island of Kanduhulhudhoo shocked the nation when it came to light in early 2020.
The transport ministry announced higher taxi fares to take effect on 6 July, with an increase from MVR75 (US$4.8) to MVR85 for trips between Malé and Hulhumalé phase one.
Reflecting elevated global oil prices, the State Trading Organisation hiked the price of diesel and petrol for the fourth time this year on 24 June.
The Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital signed an MoU with the Chennai-based Gleneagles company to conduct training programmes for doctors and nurses as well as observership and awareness raising programmes.
Armed soldiers with help from police officers closed off three areas in Malé, including the high-security green zone, the parliament speaker’s residence, and the Chinese embassy.
According to media reports, the operation was conducted over reports of a bomb-like device at the China embassy, which the military later determined was not an explosive device.
A 23-year-old woman died after a car crashed into a double-decker bus in Malé’s outer ring road. Video footage shows the speeding car skid out of control on the wet surface and collide with the bus on the other lane. Firefighters removed the trapped passengers from the wrecked car.
Mariyam Amaany Rasheed, from Gaaf Alif Maamendhoo, passed away while undergoing treatment. Two other young women and two young men who were in the car remain at the intensive care unit at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital. Three are on ventilators. The bus driver and attendant suffered minor injuries.
The economic development ministry warned of fake online portals and websites for issuing migrant worker quotas. The fraudulent sites were created to scam unsuspecting users and steal personal information.
Mohamed Latheef, a co-founder of the Maldivian Democratic Party, passed away in Sri Lanka. Condolences and tributes for Latheef, a key leader of the pro-democracy movement, poured in on social media.
Storm surges caused flooding on 35 islands over the weekend. Four families from Gaaf Dhaal Madaveli, one family from Addu City’s Maradhoo-Feydhoo and one family from Thaa Thimafarushi were displaced and provided temporary shelter by councils.
