Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Muizzu pledges to end foreign military presence in Maldives

The president-elect stopped short of naming India, the only foreign power with a military deployment in the archipelago

Muizzu pledges to end foreign military presence in Maldives

THE president-elect of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, has marked his victory with a pledge to end the foreign military presence in his small but strategically placed atoll nation.

Muizzu, 45, addressing his first public rally after winning the runoff election on September 30, stopped short of naming India, the only foreign power with a military deployment in the archipelago.


He won an "India-out" campaign after New Delhi placed a small unit of security personnel to operate four reconnaissance aircraft gifted to the Maldives to patrol its vast maritime territory.

"We will be sending back military forces based in the Maldives according to law, and for sure we will do that accordingly," Muizzu said at the rally in the capital Male on Monday night.

"The people who brought... military forces don't want to send them back, but the people of the Maldives decided," he said.

Outgoing president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had realigned the nation's relations with traditional benefactor India, after his predecessor Abdulla Yameen moved the Maldives into Beijing's orbit, borrowing heavily from China for infrastructure projects.

Muizzu is a proxy of Yameen who was barred from last month's election because of his criminal conviction for corruption.

Within hours of his victory, Muizzu secured the release of Yameen, who was serving an 11-year jail sentence at the high-security Maafushi prison, and transferred him to house arrest in Male.

Muizzu, who is also the current mayor of Male, brushed aside media descriptions of him as a pro-China leader and said he will be "pro-Maldives".

"My top priority will be the Maldives and its situation," Muizzu said. "We will be choosing to be pro-Maldives. Any country who respects and obeys our pro-Maldives policy is considered a close friend of the Maldives."

India's prime minister Narendra Modi was among the first leaders to congratulate Muizzu on October 1.

New Delhi is "committed to strengthening the time-tested India-Maldives bilateral relationship", Modi posted on social media platform X.

China congratulated Muizzu last Monday (2), saying it "respects the choice of the Maldivian people".

"China is willing to work with the Maldives to consolidate the traditional friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and push for continuous new progress," Beijing's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Muizzu told a meeting with Chinese Communist Party officials last year that his party's return to office would "script a further chapter of strong ties between our two countries".

More For You

Voices of Faith 2025: A journey through spirituality and wisdom

Soumik Datta (R) and Gurdain Singh Rayatt

Voices of Faith 2025: A journey through spirituality and wisdom

Mahesh Liloriya

The inaugural edition of Voices of Faith commenced on Friday at the iconic Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, marking the beginning of an extraordinary three-day festival exploring theological philosophies, interfaith dialogues, and the deeper essence of spirituality through conversations, music, and healing vibes.

Organised by Teamwork Arts, the creators of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) and JLF London, Voices of Faith is presented by the Kamini and Vindi Banga Family Trust, with the support of Tech Mahindra. Eastern Eye and Garavi Gujarat serve as the official media partners of this landmark event. This unique festival seeks to offer insights into navigating the complexities of modern life through the timeless wisdom enshrined in global religious traditions. It focuses on the universal ideals of compassion and interconnectedness that underpin the world’s faiths, fostering dialogue that transcends barriers and deepens mutual understanding.

Keep ReadingShow less
Court reopens Asian child sex offender's deportation case

Home Office successfully challenged a ruling that allowed him to remain in Britain (Photo for representation: iStock)

Court reopens Asian child sex offender's deportation case

A PAKISTANI man convicted of sexually assaulting a child under 13 will face a fresh deportation hearing after the Home Office successfully challenged a ruling that allowed him to remain in Britain, reported The Times.

The offender, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had initially won his case to stay in the UK after claiming he would face "inhuman or degrading treatment" if sent back to Pakistan due to his alcoholism.

Keep ReadingShow less
India launches Operation Brahma to aid quake-hit Myanmar

Rescue teams work to save residents trapped under the rubble of the destroyed Sky Villa Condominium development in Mandalay on March 29, 2025. (Photo by SAI AUNG MAIN/AFP via Getty Images)

India launches Operation Brahma to aid quake-hit Myanmar

INDIA has swiftly responded to the devastating earthquake in Myanmar by launching Operation Brahma, sending emergency relief and rescue teams to the disaster-stricken nation.

A C-130J military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force landed in Yangon on Saturday (29), carrying 15 tonnes of relief supplies including hygiene kits, blankets and food parcels. The aid mission comes after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday (28), killing more than 1,000 people and injuring nearly 2,400 others.

Keep ReadingShow less
Britain’s happiness crisis: UK hits record low in global wellbeing rankings

Pakistan stands at 109th place out of 147 countries

Britain’s happiness crisis: UK hits record low in global wellbeing rankings

THE UK has experienced a significant blow to its national morale, plummeting to 23rd place in the World Happiness Report for 2025 – its lowest ranking ever – despite being the world’s sixth richest nation.

Released to mark the UN’s International Day of Happiness last Thursday (20), the report provided a nuanced exploration of national contentment that extends far beyond economic measurements.

Keep ReadingShow less
Government vows to block 'two-tier' sentencing guidelines for minorities
Shabana Mahmood (Picture by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Government vows to block 'two-tier' sentencing guidelines for minorities

THE government on Friday (28) pledged it would legislate to prevent judges considering a convict's background, rejecting new "two-tier" sentencing guidelines about to take effect.

The Labour government and the opposition Conservatives both oppose the new guidance -- due to come into force in April -- that would require a pre-sentence report examining a defendant's circumstances before handing out punishment for someone of an ethnic, cultural or faith minority.

Keep ReadingShow less