Maldives

3 August 2024
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, third from left, attends Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony at the presidential palace in New Delhi on June 9.
These days, most Israeli travelers to the Maldives are young surfers. With its foreign reserves falling, the archipelago is relying more than ever on its tourism sector.
International relations

Maldives weighs ban of Israeli passports but fears for tourism sector

Public anger in the Muslim-majority nation pressures government to act

15 June 2024
Sunset snooze: People are increasingly heading out of their habitual environments to reset their circadian rhythms.
Life

Travel focuses on new holy grail: 'sleepcations'

Growing tourism trend offers answer to a silent global epidemic

9 June 2024
India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, right, on May 9 met his visiting Maldivian counterpart, Moosa Zameer, in New Delhi. (Photo from Zameer's X account)
International relations

Maldives FM meets Indian counterpart at frosty time in relations

India's Jaishankar says better ties depend on 'reciprocal sensitivity'

9 May 2024
Ocean Women participant Aminath Shifza teaches two girls to swim in the waters off Rasdhoo Island as part of her instructor training. Despite being surrounded by water, many Maldivian girls face barriers to learning how to swim. (Photo by Anne Pinto-Rodrigues)
Life

Program seeks to get Maldivian women into the swim of things

Lack of female instructors, busy parents, gender stereotypes keep girls out of the water

12 April 2024
Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, met with Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu in Beijing in January.
20 March 2024
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Jan. 10. (cnsphoto via Reuters)
International relations

Maldives president meets Xi, woos Chinese tourists amid India spat

Bollywood stars, other Indians urge boycott over island ministers' remarks on Modi

10 January 2024
Some 80% of Maldives' land is less than a meter above sea level and every millimeter of rise in water level counts. (VWPics via AP Images)
Opinion

Small island states have to be compensated for climate harms

Nations are vulnerable but are also front-line warriors with insights to share

26 November 2023
Mohamed Muizzu, the new president of the Maldives, speaks during his inauguration ceremony in Male on Nov. 17.
International relations

Maldives President Muizzu gets down to work, ups ante on India

New administration exposes details of New Delhi's military presence

24 November 2023
Mohamed Muizzu, the Maldives' president-elect, will inherit a heavy sovereign debt burden when he takes office on Nov. 17.
Economy

Maldives' new president set to take office as debt alarms intensify

World Bank, Fitch greet Muizzu with grim warnings on bills due in next few years

30 October 2023
An "India Out" flag in the Maldives last year. Rather than building goodwill, New Delhi's investments and security support for its South Asian neighbors have largely fueled resentment.
Comment

Maldives exposes India's backfiring China containment strategy

Why New Delhi struggles to win friends and influence neighbors

22 October 2023
Mohamed Muizzu, winner of the Maldives' presidential election, smiles after a news conference in Male on Sept. 30.
Politics

Maldives' Muizzu marches to victory on anti-India drumbeat

Some expect new pro-China president to work with both Beijing, New Delhi

3 October 2023
Maldives electoral workers prepare to count ballots during the first round of the presidential election on Sept. 9.
Politics

Maldives' ex-President Nasheed plays kingmaker in election runoff

Pro-India Solih, China-friendly Muizzu set for final showdown on Saturday

29 September 2023
A Chinese-built high-speed train at Tegalluar train depot in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.
Your Week in Asia

Japan-China-South Korea meet, Vietnam GDP, Indonesia's train

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

24 September 2023
The Maldives' incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, right, now faces an uphill battle to keep his job and beat challenger Mohamed Muizzu, left. (Photos by Reuters) 
Politics

Maldives election runoff could turn tide in India-China contest

Pro-Beijing Muizzu takes page from jailed ex-President Yameen's playbook

12 September 2023
A motorcyclist takes photos of a decorated wall in Male on Sept. 6, ahead of the country's presidential election. Incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is the favorite, while Male mayor Mohamed Muizzu is considered his top challenger.
Politics

Maldives' Solih eyes historic second term in Saturday election

Candidates' carrots raise debt worries in South Asia's smallest democracy

8 September 2023
Parliamentary voting in Male in 2019: The Maldives' electoral democracy is limited while rising religious intolerance has increased the stakes of the upcoming polls.
Opinion

For the Maldives, this election season has only brought worries

Outcome could bring friction with India and pressure on democratic rights

6 September 2023
The annual Semicon Taiwan -- one of the most important events for the semiconductor industry -- will take place from Wednesday to Friday.
Your Week in Asia

ASEAN summit, Semicon Taiwan, Biden visits Vietnam

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

3 September 2023
The Maldives flag flies over the capital of Male. The Indian Ocean nation is known as a tourist destination but is also a key shipping point. (Nikkei photo)
Semiconductors

Maldives: Small island nation with big role shipping chips to Russia

$53m of chips transited Indian Ocean country 1 year after invasion, data shows

21 July 2023
A young hawksbill turtle swims toward the surface in waters off the Maldives. (Courtesy of Olive Ridley Project)
Life

Maldives fights to keep turtle eggs off dining tables

Local tastes for traditional delicacy threaten the animals' survival

20 July 2023
From left: The Maldives' former presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Abdulla Yameen, who is currently in jail, are aiming to unseat incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in September. (Source photos by AP and EPA/Jiji)
Politics

Maldives' nascent presidential race keeps India and China on edge

Jailed ex-President Yameen pushes anti-New Delhi message as party loyalties shift

19 July 2023
A resort on the Maldives' Gaafu Alifu Atoll: The idyllic islands are enjoying a tourism rebound, thanks in part to Russian travelers.
Travel & Leisure

Maldives leads tourism recovery, buoyed by Russian travelers

Several Asian destinations benefit from limited choices after war

29 May 2023
Multilateralism is “the only guarantee for peace, security and development” for small states, says Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid. (Photo by Hiroki Endo)
Interview

Maldives stresses pro-India stance while maintaining China ties

Foreign minister says regional cooperation, dialogue crucial to stability

28 May 2023
Diego Garcia, the site of a major U.S. military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean: The U.K. has begun negotiating the return of the archipelago to Mauritian control. (Handout photo from U.S. Navy)
Opinion

U.S. should accept that its Indian Ocean base belongs to Africa

Recognition of Mauritian sovereignty would not affect access to Diego Garcia

6 February 2023
The Maldives' then President Abdulla Yameen attends a meeting in Beijing in 2017. He brought the strategically located Indian Ocean nation closer to China, while his successor has adopted a pro-India approach.
Politics

Conviction of Maldives' pro-China Yameen overshadows election

Ex-president and current candidate's corruption appeal has high geopolitical stakes

5 January 2023