DUBAI: The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a travel warning on Wednesday advising its citizens planning to visit the Maldives to take precautions.
The advisory, posted on the ministry’s official Twitter account, comes as political instability continues in the small island nation.
Political turmoil has swept the Maldives since a surprise court ruling in January that ordered the release of jailed opposition leaders, including many of President Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s main political rivals.
The ruling has led to a tense standoff between President Yameen Abdul Gayoom and the Supreme Court, with protests spilling into the streets of the capital, Male, and soldiers in riot gear deployed to the parliament building to stop lawmakers from meeting.
The UN and many foreign governments including the United States, Britain and India have expressed concern over the state of emergency and have urged Yameen to respect the earlier court order.
Hours after the emergency was declared, security forces in riot gear stormed the Supreme Court building, arresting the two judges, including Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed. It was not immediately clear what charges they face, if any.
The Maldives is an archipelago of more than 1,000 islands with fewer than 400,000 citizens, more than one-third of them living in the crowded capital city. Tourism now dominates the economy, with wealthy foreigners flown to hyper-expensive resort islands.
UAE issues travel warning to travelers headed to the Maldives
UAE issues travel warning to travelers headed to the Maldives
Israeli fire kills two in Gaza as truce deal moves to next phase
- Medics said two men were killed by Israeli forces in eastern Khan Younis
- The two sides have traded blame over the truce violations
CAIRO: Israeli fire killed at least two Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday, health officials said, in the latest violence rattling a fragile ceasefire as Hamas and Israel looked to implement the second phase of the US-brokered Gaza peace plan.
Medics said two men were killed by Israeli forces in eastern Khan Younis, in an area adjacent to where the army operates. The Israeli military told Reuters it wasn’t aware of any casualties as a result of Israeli fire on Thursday.
The Gaza health ministry said Israeli airstrikes, tank shelling and gunfire have killed at least 490 people since the truce took effect in October after two years of war that widely demolished the Palestinian enclave.
Israel said four soldiers have been killed by Palestinian militants in the small coastal territory over the same period.
The two sides have traded blame over the truce violations.
By advancing to phase two, the US and mediator partners Egypt and Qatar must confront the more contentious issue of Hamas disarmament, which the group has long rejected. The plan also calls for deploying an international peacekeeping force.
