News Digest- Maldives

Explained: What the signing of the $500m India-Maldives mega-infra project means – Indian Express
A year after India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, visited the Maldives and, during a meeting with his counterpart Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid, announced the signing of a $500-million infrastructure project, the Maldives government officially signed an agreement with Mumbai-based company AFCONS, for the construction of the Greater Malé Connectivity Project (GMCP).This infrastructure project, the largest-ever by India in the Maldives, involves the construction of a 6.74-km-long bridge and causeway link that will connect the Maldives capital Malé with the neighbouring islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi.

Japan provides 110M Yen grant aid to Maldives under ‘Human Resource Development Scholarships – Raajje
Japan has provided a grant of approximately USD 998,000 (110 Million Japanese Yen) to the Maldives, under the Japanese Project for Human Resource Development (JDS). Minister of Higher Education Dr. Ibrahim Hassan and Resident Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Mitsuyoshi Kawasaki signed the agreement at the ceremony held at the Ministry of Higher Education on Thursday. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Higher Education, Embassy of Japan and JICA attended the ceremony.

Explained: What the signing of the $500m India-Maldives mega-infra project means – Indian Express
A year after India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, visited the Maldives and, during a meeting with his counterpart Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid, announced the signing of a $500-million infrastructure project, the Maldives government officially signed an agreement with Mumbai-based company AFCONS, for the construction of the Greater Malé Connectivity Project (GMCP).This infrastructure project, the largest-ever by India in the Maldives, involves the construction of a 6.74-km-long bridge and causeway link that will connect the Maldives capital Malé with the neighbouring islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi.

Japan provides 110M Yen grant aid to Maldives under ‘Human Resource Development Scholarships – Raajje
Japan has provided a grant of approximately USD 998,000 (110 Million Japanese Yen) to the Maldives, under the Japanese Project for Human Resource Development (JDS). Minister of Higher Education Dr. Ibrahim Hassan and Resident Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Mitsuyoshi Kawasaki signed the agreement at the ceremony held at the Ministry of Higher Education on Thursday. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Higher Education, Embassy of Japan and JICA attended the ceremony.

Hood appointed as Foreign Relations Secretary – Avas
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has assigned Ibrahim Hood as the Secretary of Foreign Relations Office at the President’s Office.The President’s Office said he would continue to serve as the head of the Communications Office at the President’s Office despite his new appointment.

Over 300,000 individuals fully vaccinated – Avas
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said 300,064 people have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine until now. 476 individuals received the second dose of the vaccine on Tuesday – 261 people in capital Male’ and 215 in the atolls. 376,630 have received the first dose of the vaccine to date.A special program to vaccinate children aged between 12 and 17 is ongoing. 60 percent of children in the specific age group have been vaccinated under the program. 81 percent have received the first dose of the vaccine, which is over 20,000 children.

Maldives ex-tourism minister arrested in United Kingdom – Raajje
Former Tourism Minister Ali Waheed charged with multiple counts of sexual assaults charges has been arrested while in hiding in the United Kingdom, through Interpol.While the disgraced former minister had attempted to hold a virtual press conference on Wednesday afternoon from UK, RaajjeMV understands he was arrested as he was preparing to start.

Japan donates vaccines to the Maldives – Avas
Japan has donated 112,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to the Maldives through the WHO Covax Facility, as part of Japan’s “Last One Mile Support” initiative. Minister of Health, Ahmed Naseem received the vaccines on behalf of the Government of Maldives at a ceremony held Sunday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Maldives reports first Covid-19 death in 18 days – Raajje
Maldives on Sunday reported its first Covid-19 related death after 18 consecutive days of no such fatalities. The Health Protection Agency said that a 75-year-old local woman receiving treatment for Covid-19 at the Hulhumale’ Medical Facility (HMF) had passed away on Sunday morning. While this is the second death reported in August, it pushes the country’s Covid-19 death toll to 223.

No longer any reason for Maldives to be on UK’s red list: HC Farah – Raajje
Maldives’ High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Farahanaz Faizal has stated that there is no longer a valid reason for the Maldives to be included in the UK’s red list. While Maldives is among the 60 nations that are currently on UK’s red list, the country has three lists -green, amber and red- and each country has its own rules for arriving holidaymakers. Health Protection Agency (HPA) had previously revealed that the reason Maldives is on UK’s red list is because the country had not completed the Genomic Sequencing Test required to move up the list.

Maldives inches closer to tourist arrival target as figure exceeds 700,000-mark – Raajje
Maldives is inching closer to its tourist arrivals target for 2021, as the figures cross the 700,000-mark. By Wednesday, a total of 700,594 tourists were welcomed in the Maldives since the start of the promising year, according to the latest weekly statistics by the Ministry of Tourism. Statistics indicate that tourist arrivals recorded so far this year is an increase of 80 percent in comparison to the same period last year. It is however, a 35.4 percent plunge in comparison to the over one million arrivals of 2019, a groundbreaking year for Maldives tourism.