&nbsp;A New York City police detective was shot and killed by "friendly fire" and another officer was shot on Tuesday as they responded to an armed robbery, the city's police chief said.

The detective was identified as Brian Simonsen, 42, a 19-year veteran of the force. He was shot in the chest and declared dead at Jamaica Hospital, Police Commissioner James O'Neill told reporters.

He was the first New York police officer to die in the line of duty since July 2017.

The second detective was shot in one leg and listed as stable, police said.

The suspect, described as a 27-year-old "career criminal," was not identified by police. He was shot multiple times and taken to the hospital. An "imitation firearm" was found at the scene, O'Neill said.

"This is an absolute tragedy, the worst outcome any police officer or family of a police officer could ever imagine," O'Neill said. "Friendly fire aside, it is because of the actions of the suspect that Detective Simonsen is dead."

The detectives were responding to a call about a robbery at a cellphone store in Queens, O'Neill said. Officers responded and fired multiple rounds, during which Simonsen was hit, he said.

A New York City police detective was shot and killed by "friendly fire" and another officer was shot on Tuesday as they responded to an armed robbery, the city's police chief said.

A New York City police detective was shot and killed by "friendly fire" and another officer was shot on Tuesday as they responded to an armed robbery, the city's police chief said. The detective was identified as Brian Simonsen, 42, a 19-year veteran of the force. He was shot in the chest and declared dead at Jamaica Hospital, Police Commissioner James O'Neill told reporters. He was the first New York police officer to die in the line of duty since July 2017. The second detective was shot in one leg and listed as stable, police said. The suspect, described as a 27-year-old "career criminal," was not identified by police. He was shot multiple times and taken to the hospital. An "imitation firearm" was found at the scene, O'Neill said. "This is an absolute tragedy, the worst outcome any police officer or family of a police officer could ever imagine," O'Neill said. "Friendly fire aside, it is because of the actions of the suspect that Detective Simonsen is dead." The detectives were responding to a call about a robbery at a cellphone store in Queens, O'Neill said. Officers responded and fired multiple rounds, during which Simonsen was hit, he said.

New York detective killed by 'friendly fire' while responding to robbery

A suspected criminal was injured and another one went absconding during an encounter between police and criminals in Meerut on Monday.

The combing operation to arrest the absconding criminal is underway.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/history-sheeter-shot-dead-in-police-encounter-in-noida-36982" target="_blank">UP continues </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/history-sheeter-shot-dead-in-police-encounter-in-noida-36982" target="_blank">spate</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/history-sheeter-shot-dead-in-police-encounter-in-noida-36982" target="_blank"> of encounters, 2 more killed in 24 hours</a>

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Meerut: One criminal was injured during an encounter between police and criminals. One criminal absconding, combing operation on. (Earlier visuals) <a href="https://t.co/wmkxJvSdnJ">pic.twitter.com/wmkxJvSdnJ</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/978460646093262848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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As per official data, ever since the Yogi Adityanath-led government came to power, there have been more than 1100 police encounters in the state.

These shootouts have caused the death of 34 criminals, left 265 injured and led to the arrest of 2744 history-sheeters. On the other hand, four police personnel have been killed and 247 injured in these 10 months.

The UP chief minister had said that police will have full freedom to deal with rising crime rates in the state and asked criminals to either surrender or leave the state. The police promptly launched ‘Operation Clean’ and took no time in beginning to deal with the wanted men.

According to information released by Uttar Pradesh Police, there were 1142 police encounter in Uttar Pradesh between March 20, 2017, and January 31, 2018.

The combing operation to arrest the absconded criminal is underway

A suspected criminal was injured and another one went absconding during an encounter between police and criminals in Meerut on Monday. The combing operation to arrest the absconding criminal is underway. Also read: UP continues spate of encounters, 2 more killed in 24 hours Meerut: One criminal was injured during an encounter between police and criminals. One criminal absconding, combing operation on. (Earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/wmkxJvSdnJ — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 27, 2018 × As per official data, ever since the Yogi Adityanath-led government came to power, there have been more than 1100 police encounters in the state. These shootouts have caused the death of 34 criminals, left 265 injured and led to the arrest of 2744 history-sheeters. On the other hand, four police personnel have been killed and 247 injured in these 10 months. The UP chief minister had said that police will have full freedom to deal with rising crime rates in the state and asked criminals to either surrender or leave the state. The police promptly launched ‘Operation Clean’ and took no time in beginning to deal with the wanted men. According to information released by Uttar Pradesh Police, there were 1142 police encounter in Uttar Pradesh between March 20, 2017, and January 31, 2018.

Another encounter in UP, suspected criminal injured, 1 absconding

A wanted criminal, carrying a bounty of Rs 50,000 on his head, was shot dead in an encounter with Uttar Pradesh police in Meerut district on Saturday.

&quot;A criminal with the bounty of Rs&nbsp;50, 000 on his head was killed in the incident, we chased him down after we got information of his presence in the area,&quot; the Meerut Superintendent of Police, Manzil Saini said.&nbsp;

The man has been identified at Surjit, who was accused of killing three members of a family and was planning to target another person, say police. The Police on specific information chased him down and after an exchange of firing, he was shot dead.

Reports say that Surjit had been giving police the slip since 2016 when he allegedly killed three of a family within a week. Reports said the killings were due to family rivalry.

Apart from the murder of three persons, Surjit was also wanted in ten other cases including extortion and kidnapping, say police sources.

Reports say that Surjit had been giving police the slip since 2016 when he allegedly killed three of a family within a week

A wanted criminal, carrying a bounty of Rs 50,000 on his head, was shot dead in an encounter with Uttar Pradesh police in Meerut district on Saturday. "A criminal with the bounty of Rs 50, 000 on his head was killed in the incident, we chased him down after we got information of his presence in the area," the Meerut Superintendent of Police, Manzil Saini said. The man has been identified at Surjit, who was accused of killing three members of a family and was planning to target another person, say police. The Police on specific information chased him down and after an exchange of firing, he was shot dead. Reports say that Surjit had been giving police the slip since 2016 when he allegedly killed three of a family within a week. Reports said the killings were due to family rivalry. Apart from the murder of three persons, Surjit was also wanted in ten other cases including extortion and kidnapping, say police sources.

Wanted man who killed family members shot in UP

Two masked gunmen opened fire on a cafe south of the Egypt capital, killing three people and wounding around five, security officials said on Sunday.&nbsp;

The attack took place at night in a village called Al-ayat which is about 50 kilometres away from Cairo.&nbsp;

The reason behind the attack remains unclear, however, it is being said that it was a criminal incident and not terrorism.&nbsp;

According to the state newspaper, two gunmen on motorcycles barged into the cafe and opened fire before leaving.&nbsp;

Security officials are currently investigating the matter and are on a lookout for the attackers.&nbsp;

The reason behind the attack remains unclear, however, it is being said that it was a criminal incident and not terrorism

Two masked gunmen opened fire on a cafe south of the Egypt capital, killing three people and wounding around five, security officials said on Sunday. The attack took place at night in a village called Al-ayat which is about 50 kilometres away from Cairo. The reason behind the attack remains unclear, however, it is being said that it was a criminal incident and not terrorism. According to the state newspaper, two gunmen on motorcycles barged into the cafe and opened fire before leaving. Security officials are currently investigating the matter and are on a lookout for the attackers.

Gunmen open fire at cafe in Egyptian capital, three dead

The past few days have seen Indian politics reaching a new low. With<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sacked-delhi-minister-kapil-mishra-alleges-kejriwal-took-rs-2-crore-bribe-aap-denies-charges-15301">&nbsp;new allegations of corruption</a> against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and leader of the Rashtriya Janta Dal party <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/fodder-scam-setback-for-lalu-as-supreme-court-orders-fresh-trial-against-him-15328">Lalu Prasad Yadav</a>, the public is losing trust in our political leaders.

It should come as no surprise though. The political watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) <a href="http://adrindia.org/research-and-report/election-watch/lok-sabha/2014/lok-sabha-2014-winners-analysis-criminal-and-finan">found in 2014</a> that a third of the members (185) in the current Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, faced criminal cases. It means 21% of Lok Sabha members&nbsp;(MPs) , or one in five, faced &#39;serious&#39; cases relating to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women etc.

Here are some graphics breaking the numbers down:

<iframe class="highcharts-iframe" src="//cloud.highcharts.com/embed/ixuwoqy" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 500px"></iframe>

&nbsp;

<iframe class="highcharts-iframe" src="//cloud.highcharts.com/embed/yxalete" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 500px"></iframe>

With Indian politicians again getting mired in corruption and bribery scandals, we take a look at Indian MPs and the various cases against them

The past few days have seen Indian politics reaching a new low. With new allegations of corruption against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and leader of the Rashtriya Janta Dal party Lalu Prasad Yadav, the public is losing trust in our political leaders. It should come as no surprise though. The political watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) found in 2014 that a third of the members (185) in the current Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, faced criminal cases. It means 21% of Lok Sabha members (MPs) , or one in five, faced 'serious' cases relating to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women etc. Here are some graphics breaking the numbers down:

Infographic: How many Lok Sabha MPs face criminal charges?

Three senior Irish bankers were jailed on Friday for up to three-and-a-half years for conspiring to defraud investors in the most prominent prosecution arising from the 2008 banking crisis that crippled the country&#39;s economy. 
 
The trio will be among the first senior bankers globally to be jailed for their role in the collapse of a bank during the crisis. 
 
The lack of convictions until now has angered Irish taxpayers, who had to stump up 64 billion Euros, almost 40 per cent of annual economic output, after a property collapse forced the biggest state bank rescue in the euro zone. 
 
The crash thrust Ireland into a three-year sovereign bailout in 2010 and the finance ministry said last month that it could take another 15 years to recover the funds pumped into the banks still operating. 
 
Former Irish Life and Permanent Chief Executive Denis Casey was sentenced to two years and nine months following the 74-day criminal trial, Ireland&#39;s longest ever. 
 
Willie McAteer, former finance director at the failed Anglo Irish Bank, and John Bowe, its ex-head of capital markets, were given sentences of 42 months and 24 months respectively. 
 
&quot;Dishonest, Deceitful&nbsp;and Corrupt&quot; 
 
All three were convicted of conspiring together and with others to mislead investors, depositors and lenders by setting up a 7.2-billion-Euro circular transaction scheme between March and September 2008 to bolster Anglo&#39;s balance sheet. 
 
Irish Life placed the deposits via a non-banking subsidiary in the run-up to Anglo&#39;s financial year-end, to allow its rival to categorise them as customer deposits, which are viewed as more secure, rather than a deposit from another bank. 
 
&quot;By means that could be termed dishonest, deceitful and corrupt they manufactured 7.2 billion Euros in deposits by obvious sham transactions,&quot; Judge Martin Nolan told the court, describing the conspiracy as a &quot;very serious crime&quot;. 
 
&quot;The public is entitled to rely on the probity of blue chip firms. If we can&rsquo;t rely on the probity of these banks we lose all hope or trust in institutions,&quot; said Nolan. 
 
None of the defendants reacted visibly to the sentencing before being led away by officers to Mountjoy Prison, the country&#39;s largest, and used in the past to hold Irish Republican Army prisoners. 
 
&#39;Green Jersey&nbsp;Agenda&#39; 
 
Lawyers for the accused argued during the trial that their motivation in authorising the deal was the &quot;green jersey&quot; agenda, the financial regulator&#39;s request for Irish banks to support one another as the financial crisis worsened. 
 
McAteer was convicted in 2014 of illegal lending and providing unlawful assistance to investors, but sentenced to perform community service when a judge ruled he was &quot;led into error and illegality&quot; by the Irish regulator. 
 
Scandal-hit Anglo-Irish, described by Nolan as &quot;probably the most reviled institution in the state&quot;, was put into liquidation in 2013 and remains subject to other criminal trials. 
 
Irish Life and Permanent was broken up during the restructuring of Ireland&#39;s financial sector and its banking arm, permanent tsb, remains under 75 per cent state ownership. 
 
Two other Anglo-Irish bankers, chief operations officer Tiarnan O&#39;Mahoney, 56, and former company secretary Bernard Daly, 67, earlier this year had their sentences quashed on appeal after spending several months in prison. 
 
Banks in the United States and Britain have paid billions of dollars in fines and settlements connected to wrongdoing over their handling of subprime loans that helped cause the crisis. But no senior industry executives in those countries have been sent to jail. 
 
(Reuters)

Banks in the US and Britain have paid billions for their handling of subprime mortage loans but no senior execs from there have gone to jail

Three senior Irish bankers were jailed on Friday for up to three-and-a-half years for conspiring to defraud investors in the most prominent prosecution arising from the 2008 banking crisis that crippled the country's economy. The trio will be among the first senior bankers globally to be jailed for their role in the collapse of a bank during the crisis. The lack of convictions until now has angered Irish taxpayers, who had to stump up 64 billion Euros, almost 40 per cent of annual economic output, after a property collapse forced the biggest state bank rescue in the euro zone. The crash thrust Ireland into a three-year sovereign bailout in 2010 and the finance ministry said last month that it could take another 15 years to recover the funds pumped into the banks still operating. Former Irish Life and Permanent Chief Executive Denis Casey was sentenced to two years and nine months following the 74-day criminal trial, Ireland's longest ever. Willie McAteer, former finance director at the failed Anglo Irish Bank, and John Bowe, its ex-head of capital markets, were given sentences of 42 months and 24 months respectively. "Dishonest, Deceitful and Corrupt" All three were convicted of conspiring together and with others to mislead investors, depositors and lenders by setting up a 7.2-billion-Euro circular transaction scheme between March and September 2008 to bolster Anglo's balance sheet. Irish Life placed the deposits via a non-banking subsidiary in the run-up to Anglo's financial year-end, to allow its rival to categorise them as customer deposits, which are viewed as more secure, rather than a deposit from another bank. "By means that could be termed dishonest, deceitful and corrupt they manufactured 7.2 billion Euros in deposits by obvious sham transactions," Judge Martin Nolan told the court, describing the conspiracy as a "very serious crime". "The public is entitled to rely on the probity of blue chip firms. If we can’t rely on the probity of these banks we lose all hope or trust in institutions," said Nolan. None of the defendants reacted visibly to the sentencing before being led away by officers to Mountjoy Prison, the country's largest, and used in the past to hold Irish Republican Army prisoners. 'Green Jersey Agenda' Lawyers for the accused argued during the trial that their motivation in authorising the deal was the "green jersey" agenda, the financial regulator's request for Irish banks to support one another as the financial crisis worsened. McAteer was convicted in 2014 of illegal lending and providing unlawful assistance to investors, but sentenced to perform community service when a judge ruled he was "led into error and illegality" by the Irish regulator. Scandal-hit Anglo-Irish, described by Nolan as "probably the most reviled institution in the state", was put into liquidation in 2013 and remains subject to other criminal trials. Irish Life and Permanent was broken up during the restructuring of Ireland's financial sector and its banking arm, permanent tsb, remains under 75 per cent state ownership. Two other Anglo-Irish bankers, chief operations officer Tiarnan O'Mahoney, 56, and former company secretary Bernard Daly, 67, earlier this year had their sentences quashed on appeal after spending several months in prison. Banks in the United States and Britain have paid billions of dollars in fines and settlements connected to wrongdoing over their handling of subprime loans that helped cause the crisis. But no senior industry executives in those countries have been sent to jail. (Reuters)

Ireland jails three top bankers over 2008 banking meltdown

Almost 22 months ago, Maldivian journalist, Ahmed Rilwan, 28, disappeared in Mal?. He was last seen&nbsp;on a closed-circuit television camera while trying to buy a ferryboat ticket on his way home. His family still believes he will return one day, but his colleagues have a far more grim take on this. They believe Ahmed has been murdered.&nbsp; 
 
A police chief inspector recently confirmed that he was in fact abducted on the same night from his apartment. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;The situation is very bad. The media is under attack from all fronts,&quot; said Zaheena Rasheed, editor of the online newspaper, The Maldives Independent, where Rilwan worked as a reporter. 
 
For most travellers, Mal?, the capital city of the Maldives, is just a quick stopover on their way to dreamlike beaches and crystal blue waters. However, the dreamy landscape has a much more sinister side to it and Zaheena has good reason to be worried. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;I am very afraid. I myself have received death threats. I could disappear or I could be killed. My office has already been attacked. Other media offices have been burned to the ground,&quot; he fears are not unfounded. 
 
The streets of Mal? are home to criminal gangs involved in drug dealing, robberies and violence on commission. A survey by the Asia Foundation, based on interactions with 130 gang affiliates, reports that there are &quot;between 20 and 30 different gangs operating in Mal?, with 50 to 400 members in each group.&quot; This means that more than a thousand individuals are involved in such criminal activities in a city of 150,000. &nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
These gangs often carry out violence on behalf of political groups. The report reads: &quot;Politicians and businessmen often offer drugs and alcohol when they (the gang members) complete an illegal task (commissioned by them). Hence, there is a reciprocal relationship between gang members and politicians and businessmen.&quot; They often act in an atmosphere of impunity.&nbsp; 
 
Gang members are most likely to get away with it given the protection offered by the rich and influential. Even if some are caught they are able to get out of police stations without their crimes being brought to book. Escaping a gang is nearly impossible for a designated victim. Mal? is a small town on an island. Hiding is not really a viable option.&nbsp; 
 
It is not only about the fear of gangs. The Maldivian media is facing an increasingly difficult situation. In April, a group of journalists was arrested for a day. They were part of a protest against a draft law aiming to reintroduce defamation as a crime that was abolished seven years ago. Just a month before, the Civil Court had halted the printing of Haveeru, the oldest and most widely-circulated Maldivian newspaper. An order issued against a three-decade old ownership dispute. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
The turbulent situation took off in 2008, a turning point in the history of the archipelago. The human rights activist and environmentalist Mohamed Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the country. His victory ended three decades of autocratic rule by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who was the longest-serving politician in South Asia. Gayoom granted economic growth to the archipelago, but democracy paid a high price. One-party elections, politicians appointed only by the president, heavy restrictions on freedom of press, religion and dissent were the norm. 
 
Nasheed&#39;s liberal agenda came as a break with the past. After decriminalising defamation, his government passed a bill to establish a Media Council &quot;to preserve the freedom of media&quot;. He allowed foreign journalists to travel freely to the country and granted greater access to the local press. Minivan News, then the only local English online newspaper, could start working in the Maldives rather than in exile in Sri Lanka. &nbsp; 
 
Young democracies, however, are often fragile, and so was Nasheed`s presidency. After less than three years, a police mutiny and weeks of protest staged by his opponents, he decided to resign &ndash; or was forced to do so &quot;at &nbsp;gunpoint&quot;. &nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
In a contested run-off, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, half-brother of the man who ruled for 30 years, became the new Maldivian President. &nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
In 2015, events abruptly turned and Nasheed&#39;s situation plummeted. Following a trial that Amnesty International called &quot;deeply flawed and politically motivated&quot;, the former president was sentenced to 13 years for terrorism. He was accused of arbitrarily removing the criminal court chief judge during his presidency. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Some Maldivians did not accept the verdict in silence and took to the streets in Mal?. The police arrested many protesters, including three reporters, who were covering the protest. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There is a big crackdown on media freedom. It is very difficult for a person who is critical of the government to find any kind of work in the country,&quot; said Azra Naseem, a Maldivian research fellow at the Institute for International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction in Dublin City University. &quot;If you are not with the government there is no space for you in the Maldives.&quot; 
 
Former president Nasheed is currently in London. 
 
He was authorised to leave his prison cell for a delicate surgery on the condition that he would return to jail once the treatment was done. However, that may not happen now. The British government has granted former president Nasheed political refugee status. A news welcomed by the media community and sections of Maldivian citizens who are not keen to toe the totalitarian line. 
 
&quot;Maldivians want to see better days. I am not alone and this is my home. I grew up in a dictatorship and I don&#39;t want to see my country regress into fear. I want to see a freer and more equal Maldives,&quot; Zaheena Rasheed said.

Journalists arrested, a former president on the run, criminal gangs, political unrest, radical Islamists and more...

Almost 22 months ago, Maldivian journalist, Ahmed Rilwan, 28, disappeared in Mal?. He was last seen on a closed-circuit television camera while trying to buy a ferryboat ticket on his way home. His family still believes he will return one day, but his colleagues have a far more grim take on this. They believe Ahmed has been murdered. A police chief inspector recently confirmed that he was in fact abducted on the same night from his apartment. "The situation is very bad. The media is under attack from all fronts," said Zaheena Rasheed, editor of the online newspaper, The Maldives Independent, where Rilwan worked as a reporter. For most travellers, Mal?, the capital city of the Maldives, is just a quick stopover on their way to dreamlike beaches and crystal blue waters. However, the dreamy landscape has a much more sinister side to it and Zaheena has good reason to be worried. "I am very afraid. I myself have received death threats. I could disappear or I could be killed. My office has already been attacked. Other media offices have been burned to the ground," he fears are not unfounded. The streets of Mal? are home to criminal gangs involved in drug dealing, robberies and violence on commission. A survey by the Asia Foundation, based on interactions with 130 gang affiliates, reports that there are "between 20 and 30 different gangs operating in Mal?, with 50 to 400 members in each group." This means that more than a thousand individuals are involved in such criminal activities in a city of 150,000. These gangs often carry out violence on behalf of political groups. The report reads: "Politicians and businessmen often offer drugs and alcohol when they (the gang members) complete an illegal task (commissioned by them). Hence, there is a reciprocal relationship between gang members and politicians and businessmen." They often act in an atmosphere of impunity. Gang members are most likely to get away with it given the protection offered by the rich and influential. Even if some are caught they are able to get out of police stations without their crimes being brought to book. Escaping a gang is nearly impossible for a designated victim. Mal? is a small town on an island. Hiding is not really a viable option. It is not only about the fear of gangs. The Maldivian media is facing an increasingly difficult situation. In April, a group of journalists was arrested for a day. They were part of a protest against a draft law aiming to reintroduce defamation as a crime that was abolished seven years ago. Just a month before, the Civil Court had halted the printing of Haveeru, the oldest and most widely-circulated Maldivian newspaper. An order issued against a three-decade old ownership dispute. The turbulent situation took off in 2008, a turning point in the history of the archipelago. The human rights activist and environmentalist Mohamed Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the country. His victory ended three decades of autocratic rule by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who was the longest-serving politician in South Asia. Gayoom granted economic growth to the archipelago, but democracy paid a high price. One-party elections, politicians appointed only by the president, heavy restrictions on freedom of press, religion and dissent were the norm. Nasheed's liberal agenda came as a break with the past. After decriminalising defamation, his government passed a bill to establish a Media Council "to preserve the freedom of media". He allowed foreign journalists to travel freely to the country and granted greater access to the local press. Minivan News, then the only local English online newspaper, could start working in the Maldives rather than in exile in Sri Lanka. Young democracies, however, are often fragile, and so was Nasheed`s presidency. After less than three years, a police mutiny and weeks of protest staged by his opponents, he decided to resign – or was forced to do so "at gunpoint". In a contested run-off, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, half-brother of the man who ruled for 30 years, became the new Maldivian President. In 2015, events abruptly turned and Nasheed's situation plummeted. Following a trial that Amnesty International called "deeply flawed and politically motivated", the former president was sentenced to 13 years for terrorism. He was accused of arbitrarily removing the criminal court chief judge during his presidency. Some Maldivians did not accept the verdict in silence and took to the streets in Mal?. The police arrested many protesters, including three reporters, who were covering the protest. "There is a big crackdown on media freedom. It is very difficult for a person who is critical of the government to find any kind of work in the country," said Azra Naseem, a Maldivian research fellow at the Institute for International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction in Dublin City University. "If you are not with the government there is no space for you in the Maldives." Former president Nasheed is currently in London. He was authorised to leave his prison cell for a delicate surgery on the condition that he would return to jail once the treatment was done. However, that may not happen now. The British government has granted former president Nasheed political refugee status. A news welcomed by the media community and sections of Maldivian citizens who are not keen to toe the totalitarian line. "Maldivians want to see better days. I am not alone and this is my home. I grew up in a dictatorship and I don't want to see my country regress into fear. I want to see a freer and more equal Maldives," Zaheena Rasheed said.

Mal?: Political hit jobs, drugs, robberies - the grime under the sun and sand

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