Maldives this week: 12 - 18 December 2021
Last week's key headlines.
On 18 December, UNICEF Maldives said that the Maldives has received 100,620 doses of Pfizer vaccines, donated by the United States through COVAX.
On 17 November, the Embassy of China in the Maldives said that China always followed the principle of non-interference into the internal affairs of other countries. The Embassy's tweet was in response to a allegations that the 'India Out' campaign is funded by China.
On 16 December, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified the Civil Procedures Code. The parliament passed the bill on 29 November 2021.
On 16 December, the Criminal Court sentenced Mohamed Maeed to two years in prison for the arson attack on Raajje TV in 2013.
On 15 December, the Ministry of Health signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Fenaka Corporation for digitalisation of the health sector.
On 15 December, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified the third amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Law, which allows the police to detain terror suspects for 48 hours.
On 15 December, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih inaugurated the Greater Male Waste to Energy Project, valued at USD304 million. The project is funded through the Asian development Bank, Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Japan Fund for the Joint Crediting Mechanism, Technical Assistance Special Fund and the Islamic Development Bank.
On 15 December, the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and People's National Congress (PNC) announced that their Members of Parliament will be boycotting a parliament session to decide on removing members of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
On 15 December, the Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives Keiko Yanai paid a farewell call on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
On 14 December, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation announced that the Maldives has agreed to establish a vaccinated travel lane with Singapore.
On 14 December, the Criminal Court convicted and sentenced Ahmed Adhuham, charged with attempting to assassinate Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed, to 23 years, six months and nine days in prison.
On 13 December, the Abu Dhabi Fund said that it has signed an agreement to provide a USD14 million loan to the Government of Maldives to establish a waste-to-energy plant in the Maldives.
On 13 December, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified the fifth amendment to the Land Transport Act, which requires the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation to delegate the provision of specific services to local councils.
On 13 December, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified an amendment to the Public Finance Act, allowing local councils to avail loans.
On 13 December, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified a bill to repeal the Maldives Transport Authority Act.
On 12 December, the Maldives Police Service (MPS) said that documents shared in relation to investigation reports on cases filed on the 2018 presidential election are false. The opposition has called for the arrest of former Elections Commissioner Ahmed Shareef, alleging that the election had been rigged.
On 11 December, the Criminal Court released all Maldivians arrested by the police on 13 October in relation to a 100 kilogram drug bust, ruling that the police had not submitted sufficient evidence.
