The Maldives Transport and Contracting Company’s fleet of 36 minibuses arrived at the Malé port. MTCC plans to introduce the minibus service in Malé and other populous islands on 31 July. The 20 to 25-seater vehicles will arrive at bus stops in Malé every 10 minutes, MTCC CEO Adam Azim told the press.
Week-long festivities to celebrate Eid Al Adha concluded with a music show and fireworks in the capital’s suburb Vilimalé. The merriment began across the country after communal prayers on Saturday morning. Celebratory activities included throwing coloured powder and dancing with costume parades, bodu beru (drum) performances and ‘koadi kedun.’
In the congested capital, families enjoyed vehicle-free evenings on the first two days of Eid.
A 45-year-old man was stabbed in an altercation between two foreign nationals on Ududhoo, an uninhabited island in Baa Atoll. The victim was in critical condition at the Eydhafushi hospital and a 43-year-old man has been arrested, police told the media.
Embattled Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flew to Singapore and resigned after transiting in the Maldives. Sri Lankan expatriates protested in Malé as the Maldives government faced a backlash with accusations of helping the disgraced leader escape prosecution.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and First Lady Fazna Ahmed returned after performing this year’s hajj pilgrimage during an unofficial visit to Saudi Arabia.
M.D. Alamgiri, a Bangladeshi national accused of secretly filming homosexual relations with more than 40 Maldivian men, was arrested with a court warrant. He is reportedly facing blackmail charges.
After a furore over leaked sex tapes with lawyer Nazim Sattar and a Drug Enforcement Department police officer, Alamgiri recently posted a video with an apology to the public.
Covid-19 cases and hospital admissions declined over the past week.
