India-Maldives ties have seen a comeback with New Delhi reaching out to the Indian Ocean island country and the latter in turn reaffirming India first policy. But jog back to two years, and the situation was of major concern.

On February 05, 2018, the then President of Maldives Abdulla Yameen, whose closeness with China was well known had declared a state of nation-wide emergency after the Supreme Court overturned criminal convictions against nine major opposition figures. Then the purge started, with rounding up of opposition figures. Those put behind bars included Yameen’s own half-brother former illustrious President of the country, Maumoon Gayoom.

Next 10 months were all about reversing the freedoms in the country and, in terms of foreign policy, demolishing the Maldives-India relationship. Tearing the ‘India First’ policy, Yameen attempted to de-couple India from the Maldives, in all spheres.&nbsp;

Recalling Yameen’s tenure, it was undoubtedly the lowest point in the Maldives-India bilateral relationship. China had made inroads into almost all aspects of Maldivian government, tourism and economy, both private and public sectors.&nbsp;

The Maldives China Free Trade Agreement was rammed through the Parliament or People's Majlis became the symbol of the larger ties between Yameen administration and China. Interestingly, Yameen’s government left no records of the plethora of illegal deals undertaken with shady front companies of Beijing.&nbsp;

Yameen had also broken Maldives’ ties with the Commonwealth, distanced the country from its major donors USA, Australia, Japan and the EU. &nbsp;What is perhaps unknown is the increase in drug flow through the Maldivian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on Pakistani dhows spiking during this period. His administration had also suspended established joint protocols for keeping the EEZ secure from illicit activities.

Yameen era from 2013 to 2018 witnessed the rise of radicalised elements within Maldivian society as street gangs and ultra-religious elements held sway over society, a cause of worry given the geo-strategic location of the country.&nbsp;

The elections saw new dispensation led by President Ibu Solih of the Maldivian Democratic Party taking charge in November 2018. Indian Prime minister was present at his oath-taking ceremony, taking a six-hour flight to capital Malé. Solih in his first overseas visit paid a state visit to India in December of 2018 during which India announced $1.4 billion financial assistance package.&nbsp;

Last year Indian prime minister Narendra Modi visited the country, the first country he visited during his 2nd terms as PM. During the visit, he addressed the Parliament of the country and talked about a number of things including connectivity. He announced a ferry service that will connect India with the Maldives, and the project was implemented just last month.&nbsp;

The cargo ferry from Kochi to Kulhudhufushi/ Malé will increase economic activity in Northern Maldives. The vessel which is used for ferry service can carry 380 TEUs and 3000 MT on bulk cargo and has refrigerated containers. The Cargo service will open the large India market for Tuna exporters of Maldives and will further provide a springboard to Europe through Cochin and Tuticorin ports. Cochin Port has weekly connectivity to Europe through a 6500 TEU vessel.

New Delhi is currently engaged in a number of projects in the country with "no strings attached". This encompasses sectors like Tourism, community development, education, airport development, and in fact heritage---renovation of the ancient coral mosque. The Indian model of international developmental assistance is unique and based on ‘need-based, high impact’ projects for the local community.

India has engaged in 7 major infrastructure projects in the country under $ 800 million Line of Credit--and these include Water and Sewerage network for 34 islands, Addu Roads and Reclamation project, Gulhifalhu Port, expansion of facilities of Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company, Cricket Stadium in Hulhumale, Hanimaadhoo International Airport expansion and Cancer Hospital in Hulhumale.

Another Line of Credit of $ 400 million and a grant of $ 100 million has been extended for the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) – the bridge and causeway network that will link Male to Vilingili, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi which is the largest infrastructure project in the country.

The Maldivian economy, highly dependent on tourism from EU, Russia and India, has been hugely impacted by the COVID Crisis. For this India announced $250 million budgetary support last month, which was lauded by Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid during his United Nations General Assembly speech on Tuesday.

He said,"I thank all our partners who have generously extended financial, material and technical support during this crisis, even when they themselves are going through challenging times."

Adding, "One such example is India. The recent budget support of 250 million US dollars, was the single largest financial assistance from a donor during this pandemic."

India has been the first responder to all emergencies in the Maldives, be it the 1988 attempted coup d’état, 2004 tsunami, 2014 water crisis, or 2020 covid crisis.

Amidst the COVID crisis, India has reached out to the Maldives in a number of ways including by sending a rapid response team of doctors and specialists, a consignment of 5.5 tons of essential medicines, followed by more consignments &amp; 580 tons of food aid including foodgrains, onions, etc in May. Also, approximately 500 Maldivians in 8 batches of Maldivian patients have travelled to India in the past few weeks.

Meanwhile, new Solih administration was quick to reach out to the world. Maldives re-joined the Commonwealth in 2020 with India’s support, bilateral relations with Japan, Australia and the EU were restored and the ‘India First’ policy was reinstated. &nbsp;The country also finalized a long-pending defence cooperation agreement with the USA.

But there seems to be anxiousness about it in Beijing, given the commentary by Chinese government mouthpiece Global Times. From labelling Indian assistance to the Maldives as ‘politically motivated’, to terming the Maldives-US defence agreement as a ‘threat to India’, China's angst is clearly reflected in the malicious columns of the Global Times.&nbsp;

India-Maldives ties have seen a comeback with New Delhi reaching out to the Indian Ocean island country and the latter in turn reaffirming India first policy. But jog back to two years, and the situation was of major concern.

India-Maldives ties have seen a comeback with New Delhi reaching out to the Indian Ocean island country and the latter in turn reaffirming India first policy. But jog back to two years, and the situation was of major concern. On February 05, 2018, the then President of Maldives Abdulla Yameen, whose closeness with China was well known had declared a state of nation-wide emergency after the Supreme Court overturned criminal convictions against nine major opposition figures. Then the purge started, with rounding up of opposition figures. Those put behind bars included Yameen’s own half-brother former illustrious President of the country, Maumoon Gayoom. Next 10 months were all about reversing the freedoms in the country and, in terms of foreign policy, demolishing the Maldives-India relationship. Tearing the ‘India First’ policy, Yameen attempted to de-couple India from the Maldives, in all spheres. Recalling Yameen’s tenure, it was undoubtedly the lowest point in the Maldives-India bilateral relationship. China had made inroads into almost all aspects of Maldivian government, tourism and economy, both private and public sectors. The Maldives China Free Trade Agreement was rammed through the Parliament or People's Majlis became the symbol of the larger ties between Yameen administration and China. Interestingly, Yameen’s government left no records of the plethora of illegal deals undertaken with shady front companies of Beijing. Yameen had also broken Maldives’ ties with the Commonwealth, distanced the country from its major donors USA, Australia, Japan and the EU. What is perhaps unknown is the increase in drug flow through the Maldivian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on Pakistani dhows spiking during this period. His administration had also suspended established joint protocols for keeping the EEZ secure from illicit activities. Yameen era from 2013 to 2018 witnessed the rise of radicalised elements within Maldivian society as street gangs and ultra-religious elements held sway over society, a cause of worry given the geo-strategic location of the country. The elections saw new dispensation led by President Ibu Solih of the Maldivian Democratic Party taking charge in November 2018. Indian Prime minister was present at his oath-taking ceremony, taking a six-hour flight to capital Malé. Solih in his first overseas visit paid a state visit to India in December of 2018 during which India announced $1.4 billion financial assistance package. Last year Indian prime minister Narendra Modi visited the country, the first country he visited during his 2nd terms as PM. During the visit, he addressed the Parliament of the country and talked about a number of things including connectivity. He announced a ferry service that will connect India with the Maldives, and the project was implemented just last month. The cargo ferry from Kochi to Kulhudhufushi/ Malé will increase economic activity in Northern Maldives. The vessel which is used for ferry service can carry 380 TEUs and 3000 MT on bulk cargo and has refrigerated containers. The Cargo service will open the large India market for Tuna exporters of Maldives and will further provide a springboard to Europe through Cochin and Tuticorin ports. Cochin Port has weekly connectivity to Europe through a 6500 TEU vessel. New Delhi is currently engaged in a number of projects in the country with "no strings attached". This encompasses sectors like Tourism, community development, education, airport development, and in fact heritage---renovation of the ancient coral mosque. The Indian model of international developmental assistance is unique and based on ‘need-based, high impact’ projects for the local community. India has engaged in 7 major infrastructure projects in the country under $ 800 million Line of Credit--and these include Water and Sewerage network for 34 islands, Addu Roads and Reclamation project, Gulhifalhu Port, expansion of facilities of Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company, Cricket Stadium in Hulhumale, Hanimaadhoo International Airport expansion and Cancer Hospital in Hulhumale. Another Line of Credit of $ 400 million and a grant of $ 100 million has been extended for the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) – the bridge and causeway network that will link Male to Vilingili, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi which is the largest infrastructure project in the country. The Maldivian economy, highly dependent on tourism from EU, Russia and India, has been hugely impacted by the COVID Crisis. For this India announced $250 million budgetary support last month, which was lauded by Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid during his United Nations General Assembly speech on Tuesday. He said,"I thank all our partners who have generously extended financial, material and technical support during this crisis, even when they themselves are going through challenging times." Adding, "One such example is India. The recent budget support of 250 million US dollars, was the single largest financial assistance from a donor during this pandemic." India has been the first responder to all emergencies in the Maldives, be it the 1988 attempted coup d’état, 2004 tsunami, 2014 water crisis, or 2020 covid crisis. Amidst the COVID crisis, India has reached out to the Maldives in a number of ways including by sending a rapid response team of doctors and specialists, a consignment of 5.5 tons of essential medicines, followed by more consignments & 580 tons of food aid including foodgrains, onions, etc in May. Also, approximately 500 Maldivians in 8 batches of Maldivian patients have travelled to India in the past few weeks. Meanwhile, new Solih administration was quick to reach out to the world. Maldives re-joined the Commonwealth in 2020 with India’s support, bilateral relations with Japan, Australia and the EU were restored and the ‘India First’ policy was reinstated. The country also finalized a long-pending defence cooperation agreement with the USA. But there seems to be anxiousness about it in Beijing, given the commentary by Chinese government mouthpiece Global Times. From labelling Indian assistance to the Maldives as ‘politically motivated’, to terming the Maldives-US defence agreement as a ‘threat to India’, China's angst is clearly reflected in the malicious columns of the Global Times.

Long shadow of China recede over Maldives as Yameen's legacy becomes distant past

Pakistan's bid to host the 19th SAARC heads of government summit has failed yet again as it failed to achieve consensus for it in the south Asian region. Maldives at the SAARC informal foreign ministers meet on Thursday clearly told Pakistan that amidst the COVID crisis, it is not "appropriate time to discuss the summit".

Maldives Abdulla Shahid speaking at the virtual meet said, “The Maldives remains steadfast in its commitment towards regional cooperation. Taking a cue from our Leaders Meeting in March 2020, the Maldives calls for the creation of a conducive environment to reach consensus on the convening of the 19th SAARC Summit."

Explaining, "At this point in time we are preoccupied with dealing with COVID-19 pandemic and do not think it’s the appropriate time discuss the time of the Summit."

Plans to hold the 19th SAARC summit in Islamabad was on the agenda of the SAARC FMs virtual meet. The summit was to happen in 2016 in Islamabad but India along with most SAARC countries boycotted it due to Uri Terror attack perpetrated by Pakistan based terrorist.

Pakistan has been trying to host the summit for the last 4 years but has not been successful in its attempt. Last year also on the sidelines of the SAARC FMs meet, Islamabad claimed has been able to achieve the consensus but no movement happened.

Pakistan's bid to host the 19th SAARC heads of government summit has failed yet again as it failed to achieve consensus for it in the south Asian region. Maldives at the SAARC informal foreign ministers meet on Thursday clearly told Pakistan that amidst the COVID crisis, it is not "appropriate time to discuss the summit".

Pakistan's bid to host the 19th SAARC heads of government summit has failed yet again as it failed to achieve consensus for it in the south Asian region. Maldives at the SAARC informal foreign ministers meet on Thursday clearly told Pakistan that amidst the COVID crisis, it is not "appropriate time to discuss the summit". Maldives Abdulla Shahid speaking at the virtual meet said, “The Maldives remains steadfast in its commitment towards regional cooperation. Taking a cue from our Leaders Meeting in March 2020, the Maldives calls for the creation of a conducive environment to reach consensus on the convening of the 19th SAARC Summit." Explaining, "At this point in time we are preoccupied with dealing with COVID-19 pandemic and do not think it’s the appropriate time discuss the time of the Summit." Plans to hold the 19th SAARC summit in Islamabad was on the agenda of the SAARC FMs virtual meet. The summit was to happen in 2016 in Islamabad but India along with most SAARC countries boycotted it due to Uri Terror attack perpetrated by Pakistan based terrorist. Pakistan has been trying to host the summit for the last 4 years but has not been successful in its attempt. Last year also on the sidelines of the SAARC FMs meet, Islamabad claimed has been able to achieve the consensus but no movement happened.

Not appropriate time for SAARC summit in Pakistan: Maldives

India has extended the loan of $250 Million to the island nation Maldives to help it deal with the COVID-19 impact. The loan has been extended on favourable terms.

India extends $250 Million soft loan to the island nation Maldives

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday India and Maldives as close friends and neighbours will continue to support each other in their fight against the health and economic impact of COVID-19.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-extends-250-million-loan-to-maldives-to-deal-with-covid-economic-impact-without-conditions-328853">India extends $250 million loan to Maldives to deal with COVID economic impact 'without conditions'</a>

Modi was responding to a tweet by Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in which he expressed his thanks to the prime minister for India's financial assistance to his country.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Appreciate your warm sentiments, President <a href="https://twitter.com/ibusolih?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ibusolih</a>! As close friends and neighbours, India and Maldives will continue to support each other in our fight against the health and economic impact of COVID-19. <a href="https://t.co/esNRBWJxZg">https://t.co/esNRBWJxZg</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1307885162642853888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"India has always risen to the occasion whenever Maldives needed a friend. My sincere thanks to PM @narendramodi, government and people of India for their neighborly spirit and generosity following the official handover of USD250 million as financial assistance today," Solih said.

Modi replied, "Appreciate your warm sentiments, President @ibusolih! As close friends and neighbours, India and Maldives will continue to support each other in our fight against the health and economic impact of COVID-19."&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday India and Maldives as close friends and neighbours will continue to support each other in their fight against the health and economic impact of COVID-19.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday India and Maldives as close friends and neighbours will continue to support each other in their fight against the health and economic impact of COVID-19. Also read | India extends $250 million loan to Maldives to deal with COVID economic impact 'without conditions' Modi was responding to a tweet by Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in which he expressed his thanks to the prime minister for India's financial assistance to his country. Appreciate your warm sentiments, President @ibusolih! As close friends and neighbours, India and Maldives will continue to support each other in our fight against the health and economic impact of COVID-19. https://t.co/esNRBWJxZg — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 21, 2020 × "India has always risen to the occasion whenever Maldives needed a friend. My sincere thanks to PM @narendramodi, government and people of India for their neighborly spirit and generosity following the official handover of USD250 million as financial assistance today," Solih said. Modi replied, "Appreciate your warm sentiments, President @ibusolih! As close friends and neighbours, India and Maldives will continue to support each other in our fight against the health and economic impact of COVID-19."

India, Maldives will support each other in fight against health, economic impact of COVID-19: PM Modi

Former Maldives president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said Tuesday he has tested positive for coronavirus as the island nation battles an increase in new cases.

Gayoom, who held power for three decades, was checked after he developed a fever, a former aide close to the family told AFP. No word was available on his condition.

"I have tested positive for Covid-19," the 82-year-old politician wrote on Twitter. "May Almighty Allah bless me and all other sick people with a speedy recovery and good health!"

After leaving office in 2008 Gayoom has remained an active political figure. Opponents have accused him of being an autocratic leader during his three decades in power.

However, he is also credited with being an early campaigner against global warming and sea level rise which he had warned could wipe the low-lying Maldives off the face of the earth.

The Maldives, known for upmarket island tourism, reopened its international borders to visitors in mid-July after a three-month halt that crippled the hospitality industry.

It has seen a steady increase in cases in recent weeks and has reported a total of 7,047 infections and 28 deaths since the virus began to spread globally earlier this year.

Former Maldives president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said Tuesday he has tested positive for coronavirus as the island nation battles an increase in new cases. Gayoom, who held power for three decades, was checked after he developed a fever, a former aide close to the family told AFP.

Former Maldives president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said Tuesday he has tested positive for coronavirus as the island nation battles an increase in new cases. Gayoom, who held power for three decades, was checked after he developed a fever, a former aide close to the family told AFP. No word was available on his condition. "I have tested positive for Covid-19," the 82-year-old politician wrote on Twitter. "May Almighty Allah bless me and all other sick people with a speedy recovery and good health!" After leaving office in 2008 Gayoom has remained an active political figure. Opponents have accused him of being an autocratic leader during his three decades in power. However, he is also credited with being an early campaigner against global warming and sea level rise which he had warned could wipe the low-lying Maldives off the face of the earth. The Maldives, known for upmarket island tourism, reopened its international borders to visitors in mid-July after a three-month halt that crippled the hospitality industry. It has seen a steady increase in cases in recent weeks and has reported a total of 7,047 infections and 28 deaths since the virus began to spread globally earlier this year.

Maldives ex-President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom tests positive for coronavirus

Even as India Maldives Air travel bubble gets into place, the Maldives expects more Indian tourist to visit the Indian Ocean island country. The travel bubble was announced by the External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar during a virtual meeting with Maldives FM Abdulla Shahid earlier this month.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The MD of Maldives Marketing &amp; Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) which is the national tourism office of the Maldives Thoyyib Mohamed&nbsp;told WION that the travel bridge will be a "great boost for Maldives tourism."

Mohamed said, "India is the second-largest market for the industry and will help reignite the different sectors of the tourism industry. Given the close proximity between the two countries, this will open up the opportunity for Indian holidaymakers to take a long-awaited holiday, close to home."

The Maldives opened its borders to international tourists since July 15 and there are no quarantine restrictions for tourists. Tourists can travel straight from the airport to their respective resorts without entering Male, thereby providing a safe corridor.&nbsp;

Nearly half the country’s 160 plus resorts have started functioning and guesthouse industry comprising more than 800 guest houses in inhabited islands for budget-travellers are expected to commence soon.&nbsp;

In 2019, 167,000 Indian tourists, visiting the Maldives, which is a rise of more than 100 per cent over 2018. Improved flight connectivity from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi and Karnataka, and, a visa-free regime are among the several reasons that led to an increase in Indian tourists.

COVID-19 crisis had majorly impacted tourism in the country which is the mainstay of the economy. 2,400 active COVID-19 cases were reported in the country, a majority of them in capital Male.&nbsp;

Even as India Maldives Air travel bubble gets into place, the Maldives expects more Indian tourist to visit the Indian Ocean island country. The travel bubble was announced by the External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar during a virtual meeting with Maldives FM Abdulla Shahid earlier this month.

Even as India Maldives Air travel bubble gets into place, the Maldives expects more Indian tourist to visit the Indian Ocean island country. The travel bubble was announced by the External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar during a virtual meeting with Maldives FM Abdulla Shahid earlier this month. The MD of Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) which is the national tourism office of the Maldives Thoyyib Mohamed told WION that the travel bridge will be a "great boost for Maldives tourism." Mohamed said, "India is the second-largest market for the industry and will help reignite the different sectors of the tourism industry. Given the close proximity between the two countries, this will open up the opportunity for Indian holidaymakers to take a long-awaited holiday, close to home." The Maldives opened its borders to international tourists since July 15 and there are no quarantine restrictions for tourists. Tourists can travel straight from the airport to their respective resorts without entering Male, thereby providing a safe corridor. Nearly half the country’s 160 plus resorts have started functioning and guesthouse industry comprising more than 800 guest houses in inhabited islands for budget-travellers are expected to commence soon. In 2019, 167,000 Indian tourists, visiting the Maldives, which is a rise of more than 100 per cent over 2018. Improved flight connectivity from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi and Karnataka, and, a visa-free regime are among the several reasons that led to an increase in Indian tourists. COVID-19 crisis had majorly impacted tourism in the country which is the mainstay of the economy. 2,400 active COVID-19 cases were reported in the country, a majority of them in capital Male.

Maldives eyes Indian tourists as India-Maldives air travel bubble comes into place

Several new seaside cafes bearing the names of dream travel destinations are the newest entertainment venues serving thousands of Palestinians living in the blockaded Gaza strip.

'Dream destination' cafes offer taste of paradise in blockaded Gaza Strip

India has announced $250 million dollar support to Maldives through a soft loan arrangement. It was announced by India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.&nbsp;

The assistance will shore up liquidity, ease exchange rate fluctuations and provide the needed budgetary support to the government of Maldives to mitigate the impact of the economic crisis caused by COVID-19.

Last month, New Delhi said it would soon annouce "substantial financial assistance package" for Maldivian economy which will help the country in post-COVID economic recovery. &nbsp;

The was stated during a message from the Indian high commission in the Maldives on the occasion Maldivian Independence Day that will be celebrated on July 26. The message from the Indian mission said, "Ours is an all-weather friendship steeped in history and with a glorious future" and "India first policy of Maldives and Neighbourhood first policy of India has set the foundation of the growing relationship"

India has already extended an assistance of $400 million through extended currency swap arrangement that will help the Indian ocean Island country tide over liquidity crisis.&nbsp;

New Delhi has also provided 6.2 tonnes of essential medicines under Operation Sanjeevani and 600 tonnes of essential food items to the country amid the pandemic.

India has announced $250 million dollar support to Maldives through a soft loan arrangement. It was announced by India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.

India has announced $250 million dollar support to Maldives through a soft loan arrangement. It was announced by India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar. The assistance will shore up liquidity, ease exchange rate fluctuations and provide the needed budgetary support to the government of Maldives to mitigate the impact of the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Last month, New Delhi said it would soon annouce "substantial financial assistance package" for Maldivian economy which will help the country in post-COVID economic recovery. The was stated during a message from the Indian high commission in the Maldives on the occasion Maldivian Independence Day that will be celebrated on July 26. The message from the Indian mission said, "Ours is an all-weather friendship steeped in history and with a glorious future" and "India first policy of Maldives and Neighbourhood first policy of India has set the foundation of the growing relationship" India has already extended an assistance of $400 million through extended currency swap arrangement that will help the Indian ocean Island country tide over liquidity crisis. New Delhi has also provided 6.2 tonnes of essential medicines under Operation Sanjeevani and 600 tonnes of essential food items to the country amid the pandemic.

India announces $250 million support for Maldives

China has asked the Maldives to pay up $10 million in middle of the pandemic. According to estimates, The Maldives owes China anything between $1.3 billion to $3.2 billion in debt. India has stepped in with $5.6 million as grants for high-impact projects in the Maldives. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay has a report.

Gravitas: China demands $10 Million from Maldives; India steps in with help

China's Exim bank has asked the Maldives to repay $10 million loan. It is a part of the loan given to former president Yameen's ally- Sun Ahmed Shyam.

The $127 million loan was given in sovereign guarantee and now china is asking the Maldives to cough up an unpaid instalment. The timing couldn't be worse. The Wuhan virus has hit the economy. The tourism sector has come to standstill.

So why is China asking for money now?

It is called blackmail. China is punishing the Maldives for its proximity to India.

The former president of this island country Abdullah Yameen was China's puppet. He ramped up infrastructure projects with Chinese funds.&nbsp;

And in the process, Yameen had cast aside democracy and the rule of law. Take a look at the inflow of money.

China invested 830 million dollars into the island country's airport. China built a 2-km bridge to link the airport island to the male.

It also built a 25-storey apartment complex and hospital in the Maldives. Beijing sent 306,000 tourists to the Maldives in the year 2018

Talk about china's debt-trap diplomacy...

Here's a question. Why the Maldives?

Because it holds strategic importance for Beijing. The Maldives has key shipping lanes.

It is located along china's shipping route to the middle east.

During a visit to the Maldives in 2014, Chinese president Xi Jinping had announced that the Maldives could become a part of the maritime silk road.

In other words, the belt and road initiative.

In August 2018, 3 Chinese naval ships docked in Male.

The Maldives racked up an estimated 1.3 billion dollars of debt to China.

This is more than a quarter of the Maldives' GDP.

The estimates are conflicting.

In 2018, former president Mohamed Nasheed said that China has handed over an invoice of 3.2 billion dollars.

"It was an invoice. It just had a figure, $3.2 billion. It was shocking," said Nasheed. "It wasn’t just a conversation, it was a written note handed over, it was clear, you owe us this much."

In short, China's plan was on track, until the Solih govt took over in September 2018.

Currently, Maldives owes billions of dollars to China.

What happens if it does not repay $10 million to china's Exim bank?

It could impact the credibility of the Maldives.

What happens if Male pays?

It could impact its foreign trade and forex reserves.

India has handed over a cheque of 5.6 million dollars. This is for the implementation of the high-impact grant project. In July, the State Bank of India announced liquidity support of 16.20 million dollars for businesses and deferred loan repayments.

But India may not be able to extend this support to all countries being crushed under Chinese debts.

They can either learn from the Maldives or brace for disaster.

China's Exim bank has asked the Maldives to repay $10 million loan. It is a part of the loan given to former president Yameen's ally- Sun Ahmed Shyam. The $127 million loan was given in sovereign guarantee and now china is asking the Maldives to cough up an unpaid instalment.

China's Exim bank has asked the Maldives to repay $10 million loan. It is a part of the loan given to former president Yameen's ally- Sun Ahmed Shyam. The $127 million loan was given in sovereign guarantee and now china is asking the Maldives to cough up an unpaid instalment. The timing couldn't be worse. The Wuhan virus has hit the economy. The tourism sector has come to standstill. So why is China asking for money now? It is called blackmail. China is punishing the Maldives for its proximity to India. The former president of this island country Abdullah Yameen was China's puppet. He ramped up infrastructure projects with Chinese funds. And in the process, Yameen had cast aside democracy and the rule of law. Take a look at the inflow of money. China invested 830 million dollars into the island country's airport. China built a 2-km bridge to link the airport island to the male. It also built a 25-storey apartment complex and hospital in the Maldives. Beijing sent 306,000 tourists to the Maldives in the year 2018 Talk about china's debt-trap diplomacy... Here's a question. Why the Maldives? Because it holds strategic importance for Beijing. The Maldives has key shipping lanes. It is located along china's shipping route to the middle east. During a visit to the Maldives in 2014, Chinese president Xi Jinping had announced that the Maldives could become a part of the maritime silk road. In other words, the belt and road initiative. In August 2018, 3 Chinese naval ships docked in Male. The Maldives racked up an estimated 1.3 billion dollars of debt to China. This is more than a quarter of the Maldives' GDP. The estimates are conflicting. In 2018, former president Mohamed Nasheed said that China has handed over an invoice of 3.2 billion dollars. "It was an invoice. It just had a figure, $3.2 billion. It was shocking," said Nasheed. "It wasn’t just a conversation, it was a written note handed over, it was clear, you owe us this much." In short, China's plan was on track, until the Solih govt took over in September 2018. Currently, Maldives owes billions of dollars to China. What happens if it does not repay $10 million to china's Exim bank? It could impact the credibility of the Maldives. What happens if Male pays? It could impact its foreign trade and forex reserves. India has handed over a cheque of 5.6 million dollars. This is for the implementation of the high-impact grant project. In July, the State Bank of India announced liquidity support of 16.20 million dollars for businesses and deferred loan repayments. But India may not be able to extend this support to all countries being crushed under Chinese debts. They can either learn from the Maldives or brace for disaster.

Chinese banks asks Maldives to repay $10 million loan

A team of United Nations Security Council in its report has said that Islamic State (IS) is working in the Maldives with "network of supporters".

The monitoring team of the UNSC's 1267 committee which is responsible for listing global terrorists in its reports to President of the council highlighted IS's role in the Indian Ocean Island country.

The report said,"The monitoring team was informed that ISIL-K works with a network of supporters in the Maldives"

On 15th of April five government speedboats were damaged in an arson attack in Mahibadhoo harbour in an attack claimed by Islamic State.

The IS claimed it to be the first attack in the country.

The UNSC report said,"according to member state information, the attack was a retaliation against government investigations into extremism and drug trafficking". Adding,"member states remain concerned about the radicalisation and recruitment in the Maldives"

The attack was extensively covered in IS media network in South Asia. The responsibility of the attack was taken via Al Naba, which is IS's weekly newsletter. The claim of responsibility was even translated to Dhivehi.

A team of United Nations Security Council in its report has said that Islamic State (IS) is working in the Maldives with "network of supporters". The monitoring team of the UNSC's 1267 committee which is responsible for listing global terrorists in its reports to President of the council highlighted IS's role in the Indian Ocean Island country.

A team of United Nations Security Council in its report has said that Islamic State (IS) is working in the Maldives with "network of supporters". The monitoring team of the UNSC's 1267 committee which is responsible for listing global terrorists in its reports to President of the council highlighted IS's role in the Indian Ocean Island country. The report said,"The monitoring team was informed that ISIL-K works with a network of supporters in the Maldives" On 15th of April five government speedboats were damaged in an arson attack in Mahibadhoo harbour in an attack claimed by Islamic State. The IS claimed it to be the first attack in the country. The UNSC report said,"according to member state information, the attack was a retaliation against government investigations into extremism and drug trafficking". Adding,"member states remain concerned about the radicalisation and recruitment in the Maldives" The attack was extensively covered in IS media network in South Asia. The responsibility of the attack was taken via Al Naba, which is IS's weekly newsletter. The claim of responsibility was even translated to Dhivehi.

Islamic State working with 'network of supporters' in the Maldives: UNSC report

India will soon announce "substantial financial assistance package" for Maldivian economy which will help the country in post-COVID economic recovery. &nbsp;

The was stated during a message from the Indian high commission in the Maldives on the occasion Maldivian Independence Day that will be celebrated on 26th July. Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have written to Maldives President Solih on the occasion of Independence day coveying their greetings.

The message from the Indian mission said, "Ours is an all-weather friendship steeped in history and with a glorious future" and "India first policy of Maldives and Neighbourhood first policy of India has set the foundation of the growing relationship"

India has already extended the assistance of $400 million through extended Currency swap arrangement that will help the Indian ocean Island country tide over liquidity crisis. New Delhi has also provided 6.2 tonnes of essential medicines under Operation Sanjeevani and 600 tons of essential food items to the country amidst COVID pandemic.

The Indian mission in the Maldives on the occasion of country's Independence day on Sunday will launch a photo exhibition depicting milestone events between the 2 neighbours. This year marks 55 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Maldives.

India will soon announce "substantial financial assistance package" for Maldivian economy which will help the country in post-COVID economic recovery. The was stated during a message from the Indian high commission in the Maldives on the occasion Maldivian Independence Day that will be celebrated on 26th July.

India will soon announce "substantial financial assistance package" for Maldivian economy which will help the country in post-COVID economic recovery. The was stated during a message from the Indian high commission in the Maldives on the occasion Maldivian Independence Day that will be celebrated on 26th July. Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have written to Maldives President Solih on the occasion of Independence day coveying their greetings. The message from the Indian mission said, "Ours is an all-weather friendship steeped in history and with a glorious future" and "India first policy of Maldives and Neighbourhood first policy of India has set the foundation of the growing relationship" India has already extended the assistance of $400 million through extended Currency swap arrangement that will help the Indian ocean Island country tide over liquidity crisis. New Delhi has also provided 6.2 tonnes of essential medicines under Operation Sanjeevani and 600 tons of essential food items to the country amidst COVID pandemic. The Indian mission in the Maldives on the occasion of country's Independence day on Sunday will launch a photo exhibition depicting milestone events between the 2 neighbours. This year marks 55 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Maldives.

India to announce financial assistance package to the Maldives

Human Rights Watch on Saturday urged the Maldives to drop charges against 80 migrant workers arrested for demanding their unpaid wages in a country otherwise known for its upmarket tourism.

The New York-based group said authorities detained the foreign workers during separate demonstrations against inhumane living conditions and work without pay.

"The authorities should drop charges and release all those held for engaging in peaceful protest, and address allegations of human trafficking and other abuses...," HRW said in a statement.

Workers in the construction sector had not been paid even before the country went into coronavirus lockdown in March, according to officials. Sporadic clashes erupted since May.

Bangladeshi worker Mohammad Mohsin told AFP by phone that clashes with police broke out two weeks ago as they had not been paid for six months.

"Our families are dying at home starving and being hunted by loan sharks," Mohsin said, referring to many borrowing money to travel to the Maldives in search of what they believed would be well-paid jobs.

Police confirmed they arrested 41 migrant workers at Hulhumale, just outside the capital on July 13. There had been several other arrests elsewhere bringing the total number detained to just over 80.

HRW said Male was invoking national security and banning protests to deflect from its failure to curb abuses against migrant workers.

"Instead of suppressing protests, Maldives authorities should address and remedy the violations of migrant workers' rights that are spurring people to the streets," HRW director Patricia Gossman said.

Police said they advised workers "not to resort to violence in the name of industrial conflicts."

There was no immediate government reaction to the latest HRW statement, but responding to concerns earlier this month, the Maldivian foreign ministry said it acknowledged the "unjust treatment" of foreign workers in the nation of 340,000 people.

"The government accepts significant reform is required to redress these grievances... (but incidences) where individuals have resorted to violence have been deeply alarming, and will not be further tolerated," it said.

The atoll nation which is better known as a hotspot for well-heeled honeymooners closed its international borders in March to contain the spread of the coronavirus which has infected 3,175 and killed 15.

The majority of infections have been among Bangladeshi workers who often live in squalid conditions on the highly congested capital island.

The Maldives reopened its international borders to tourists on July 15 as the country lifted most of its lockdown measures.

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Human Rights Watch on Saturday urged the Maldives to drop charges against 80 migrant workers arrested for demanding their unpaid wages in a country otherwise known for its upmarket tourism.

Human Rights Watch on Saturday urged the Maldives to drop charges against 80 migrant workers arrested for demanding their unpaid wages in a country otherwise known for its upmarket tourism. The New York-based group said authorities detained the foreign workers during separate demonstrations against inhumane living conditions and work without pay. "The authorities should drop charges and release all those held for engaging in peaceful protest, and address allegations of human trafficking and other abuses...," HRW said in a statement. Workers in the construction sector had not been paid even before the country went into coronavirus lockdown in March, according to officials. Sporadic clashes erupted since May. Bangladeshi worker Mohammad Mohsin told AFP by phone that clashes with police broke out two weeks ago as they had not been paid for six months. "Our families are dying at home starving and being hunted by loan sharks," Mohsin said, referring to many borrowing money to travel to the Maldives in search of what they believed would be well-paid jobs. Police confirmed they arrested 41 migrant workers at Hulhumale, just outside the capital on July 13. There had been several other arrests elsewhere bringing the total number detained to just over 80. HRW said Male was invoking national security and banning protests to deflect from its failure to curb abuses against migrant workers. "Instead of suppressing protests, Maldives authorities should address and remedy the violations of migrant workers' rights that are spurring people to the streets," HRW director Patricia Gossman said. Police said they advised workers "not to resort to violence in the name of industrial conflicts." There was no immediate government reaction to the latest HRW statement, but responding to concerns earlier this month, the Maldivian foreign ministry said it acknowledged the "unjust treatment" of foreign workers in the nation of 340,000 people. "The government accepts significant reform is required to redress these grievances... (but incidences) where individuals have resorted to violence have been deeply alarming, and will not be further tolerated," it said. The atoll nation which is better known as a hotspot for well-heeled honeymooners closed its international borders in March to contain the spread of the coronavirus which has infected 3,175 and killed 15. The majority of infections have been among Bangladeshi workers who often live in squalid conditions on the highly congested capital island. The Maldives reopened its international borders to tourists on July 15 as the country lifted most of its lockdown measures.

Maldives detains migrant workers seeking unpaid wages: HRW

Sri Lanka and Maldives have become the first two countries in the World Health Organisation's South-East Asia region to eliminate both measles and rubella ahead of a 2023 target, the U.N. Health agency announced Wednesday.

This success is encouraging and demonstrates the importance of joint efforts&nbsp;in combating diseases as the world grapples with the coronavirus, WHO South-East Asia regional director Poonam Khetrapal Singh said in a statement.

A country is considered to have eliminated measles and rubella when there is no evidence of endemic transmission of the viruses for more than three years and there is a well- performing surveillance system.

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Maldives reported its last endemic case of measles in 2009 and rubella in October 2015, while Sri Lanka reported its last endemic case of measles in May 2016 and rubella in March 2017.

WHO praised the efforts of countries in the region to continue vaccinating children while battling the coronavirus pandemic. It said all of the countries in recent years have introduced two doses of measles vaccine and at least one dose of rubella vaccine in their routine immunisation programmes.

First-dose coverage of measles vaccine is now 88 per cent and second-dose coverage 76 per cent&nbsp;in the region, WHO said. Since 2017, nearly 500 million more children in the region have been vaccinated for measles and rubella, it said.

Last September, the 11 countries in WHO's South-East Asia region set 2023 as a target for the elimination of measles and rubella. The countries in the WHO region are Bangladesh, Bhutan, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, North Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

WHO said Bhutan, East Timor and North Korea have succeeded in eliminating measles.&nbsp;

Sri Lanka and Maldives have become the first two countries in the World Health Organisation's South-East Asia region to eliminate both measles and rubella ahead of a 2023 target, the U.

Sri Lanka and Maldives have become the first two countries in the World Health Organisation's South-East Asia region to eliminate both measles and rubella ahead of a 2023 target, the U.N. Health agency announced Wednesday. This success is encouraging and demonstrates the importance of joint efforts in combating diseases as the world grapples with the coronavirus, WHO South-East Asia regional director Poonam Khetrapal Singh said in a statement. A country is considered to have eliminated measles and rubella when there is no evidence of endemic transmission of the viruses for more than three years and there is a well- performing surveillance system. Maldives reported its last endemic case of measles in 2009 and rubella in October 2015, while Sri Lanka reported its last endemic case of measles in May 2016 and rubella in March 2017. WHO praised the efforts of countries in the region to continue vaccinating children while battling the coronavirus pandemic. It said all of the countries in recent years have introduced two doses of measles vaccine and at least one dose of rubella vaccine in their routine immunisation programmes. First-dose coverage of measles vaccine is now 88 per cent and second-dose coverage 76 per cent in the region, WHO said. Since 2017, nearly 500 million more children in the region have been vaccinated for measles and rubella, it said. Last September, the 11 countries in WHO's South-East Asia region set 2023 as a target for the elimination of measles and rubella. The countries in the WHO region are Bangladesh, Bhutan, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, North Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. WHO said Bhutan, East Timor and North Korea have succeeded in eliminating measles.

WHO says Sri Lanka and Maldives eliminate measles, rubella

The Maldives will soon achieve gender parity at the heads of its foreign missions, with 9 missions being headed by women and 9 by men. The Indian Ocean island country has 18 missions globally. The country recently nominated 3 new envoys including to India, of which 2 are women. &nbsp;

The country's foreign minister Abdulla Shahid said, "3 out of 5 nominated, as Heads of diplomatic Missions are women. Once appointed, Maldives Foreign Service will have gender parity among its head of missions for the first time in the history of our diplomatic service. For us to excel, equal participation of women &amp; men is crucial."

Acting High Commissioner of Maldives in India Aminath Shabeena has been nominated as her country's envoy to UAE. Maldives envoy to UAE Dr Hussain Niyaz has been nominated as the country's envoy to India. Both will be appointed after parliamentary approval.

Females’ envoys will head the Maldives missions in New York, London, UAE, Bangladesh, Malaysia, China, Pakistan, Trivandrum and UNESCAP. 40% of the Executive Committee of Maldives Foreign Ministry leadership is made up of female.&nbsp;

In fact, it will be interesting to know, the whole delegation supporting Foreign Minister Shahid during his India visit in January for the annual Raisina dialogue was female. At the time, the then high commissioner of Maldives Aishah Didi, Deputy HC Shabeena and India Department Director from the capital were all female. Aishath did was later appointed as Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services.

The Maldives will soon achieve gender parity at the heads of its foreign missions, with 9 missions being headed by women and 9 by men. The Indian Ocean island country has 18 missions globally.

The Maldives will soon achieve gender parity at the heads of its foreign missions, with 9 missions being headed by women and 9 by men. The Indian Ocean island country has 18 missions globally. The country recently nominated 3 new envoys including to India, of which 2 are women. The country's foreign minister Abdulla Shahid said, "3 out of 5 nominated, as Heads of diplomatic Missions are women. Once appointed, Maldives Foreign Service will have gender parity among its head of missions for the first time in the history of our diplomatic service. For us to excel, equal participation of women & men is crucial." Acting High Commissioner of Maldives in India Aminath Shabeena has been nominated as her country's envoy to UAE. Maldives envoy to UAE Dr Hussain Niyaz has been nominated as the country's envoy to India. Both will be appointed after parliamentary approval. Females’ envoys will head the Maldives missions in New York, London, UAE, Bangladesh, Malaysia, China, Pakistan, Trivandrum and UNESCAP. 40% of the Executive Committee of Maldives Foreign Ministry leadership is made up of female. In fact, it will be interesting to know, the whole delegation supporting Foreign Minister Shahid during his India visit in January for the annual Raisina dialogue was female. At the time, the then high commissioner of Maldives Aishah Didi, Deputy HC Shabeena and India Department Director from the capital were all female. Aishath did was later appointed as Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services.

Maldives to soon achieve gender parity at its heads of missions globally

The Maldives has become the first country in South Asia to open its borders. The Indian Ocean Island country will open its borders on July 15 to the world. The country had closed its borders on March 27 due to the COVID crisis, impacting its largely tourism-dependent economy.

The announcement was made by Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Tuesday during a presser. During the presser, he outlined the Maldivian Government’s major planned activities to help the country recover and rebuild under a ‘new normal’.

He said, "On July 15th the country will reopen its borders for international travel, and the Government will allow resorts to welcome visitors. This will provide much-needed relief to our Tourism Industry and accelerate the country’s economic recovery."

July will also witness the further easing of temporary restrictive measures in Maldives Prayers in the congregation are expected to resume, students will return to classrooms, and restaurants and cafes will open for dine-in service according to the president. 
Guesthouses are expected to resume business in August.

The country had 2217 COVID cases, out of which 1813 recovered and active number stands at 394. Of the total COVID cases, 1442 were foreigners while only 775 were Maldivians. The country confirmed its first case of COVID on March 7th and by April 15th the greater Male region had gone on full lockdown.

India had reached out to the country with medicine and other relief. Under operation Sanjeevani, India sent 6.2 tonnes of essential medicines to the country. In the month of May, India sent 600 tonnes of food items to the Maldives via Indian Naval Ship Kesari.

The Maldives has become the first country in South Asia to open its borders. The Indian Ocean Island country will open its borders on July 15 to the world. The country had closed its borders on March 27 due to the COVID crisis, impacting its largely tourism-dependent economy.

The Maldives has become the first country in South Asia to open its borders. The Indian Ocean Island country will open its borders on July 15 to the world. The country had closed its borders on March 27 due to the COVID crisis, impacting its largely tourism-dependent economy. The announcement was made by Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Tuesday during a presser. During the presser, he outlined the Maldivian Government’s major planned activities to help the country recover and rebuild under a ‘new normal’. He said, "On July 15th the country will reopen its borders for international travel, and the Government will allow resorts to welcome visitors. This will provide much-needed relief to our Tourism Industry and accelerate the country’s economic recovery." July will also witness the further easing of temporary restrictive measures in Maldives Prayers in the congregation are expected to resume, students will return to classrooms, and restaurants and cafes will open for dine-in service according to the president. Guesthouses are expected to resume business in August. The country had 2217 COVID cases, out of which 1813 recovered and active number stands at 394. Of the total COVID cases, 1442 were foreigners while only 775 were Maldivians. The country confirmed its first case of COVID on March 7th and by April 15th the greater Male region had gone on full lockdown. India had reached out to the country with medicine and other relief. Under operation Sanjeevani, India sent 6.2 tonnes of essential medicines to the country. In the month of May, India sent 600 tonnes of food items to the Maldives via Indian Naval Ship Kesari.

Covid-19: Maldives becomes first South Asian country to open borders

The second repatriation Navy ship INS Magar has left male with 202 stranded Indian nationals. The 202 stranded Indian nationals include 24 women, two expectant mothers, two children and one man from Tamil Nadu with a fractured leg.

The Navy in a statement said, "Even as heavy rains at Male made conditions difficult, the ship made arrangements to ensure safety of people."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/citizens-aboard-ins-jalashwa-return-from-maldives-as-a-part-of-repatriation-mission-297742">Also read:&nbsp;Citizens aboard INS Jalashwa return from Maldives as a part of repatriation mission</a>

The ship is expected to arrive on the Indian shores in 48 hours time. Indian envoy to Maldives Sunjay Sudhir thanked Indian Navy for its support.

He said, "Operation Vande Bharat is the largest evacuation operation ever conducted by the government of India. We are sending 202 Indian nationals to Kochi onboard INS Magar. Grateful to Indian navy for its operation Samudra Setu and sparing INS Jalashwa and INS Magar for this major operation which means so much to Indian community members who will soon be getting back to meet families."&nbsp;

INS Jalashwa with 687 repatriated Indians reached Kochi harbour on Sunday morning. INS Jalashwa was the first repatriation ship sent last week on May 08 to get back stranded Indian nationals.&nbsp;

India started its mega repatriation process last week to bring back foreign Indian nationals who are stranded due to COVID-19 crisis by air and sea.&nbsp;

The second repatriation Navy ship INS Magar has left male with 202 stranded Indian nationals. The 202 stranded Indian nationals include 24 women, two expectant mothers, two children and one man from Tamil Nadu with a fractured leg.

The second repatriation Navy ship INS Magar has left male with 202 stranded Indian nationals. The 202 stranded Indian nationals include 24 women, two expectant mothers, two children and one man from Tamil Nadu with a fractured leg. The Navy in a statement said, "Even as heavy rains at Male made conditions difficult, the ship made arrangements to ensure safety of people." Also read: Citizens aboard INS Jalashwa return from Maldives as a part of repatriation mission The ship is expected to arrive on the Indian shores in 48 hours time. Indian envoy to Maldives Sunjay Sudhir thanked Indian Navy for its support. He said, "Operation Vande Bharat is the largest evacuation operation ever conducted by the government of India. We are sending 202 Indian nationals to Kochi onboard INS Magar. Grateful to Indian navy for its operation Samudra Setu and sparing INS Jalashwa and INS Magar for this major operation which means so much to Indian community members who will soon be getting back to meet families." INS Jalashwa with 687 repatriated Indians reached Kochi harbour on Sunday morning. INS Jalashwa was the first repatriation ship sent last week on May 08 to get back stranded Indian nationals. India started its mega repatriation process last week to bring back foreign Indian nationals who are stranded due to COVID-19 crisis by air and sea.

Operation Setu Samudra: INS Magar departs from Male; to bring back 202 stranded Indians

On day four of India's repatriation mission,&nbsp;INS Jalashwa - with 698 Indian nationals from the Maldives arrived at the Kochi port a short while back.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fauci-among-3-key-us-members-of-white-house-response-team-in-self-quarantine-after-covid-exposure-297726" hreflang="en">Fauci among 3 in US response team self-quarantined after virus exposure</a>

The visuals of the navy vessel nearing the Kochi port were seen with almost 700 passengers on board.

Passengers are expected to disembark a short while from now.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-brazil-records-10627-deaths-155939-confirmed-cases-297712">COVID-19: Brazil records 10,627 deaths, 155,939 confirmed cases</a>

Special arrangements have been made at the Kochi port for the arriving passengers.

Ambulances are on standby, and all evacuees will undergo temperature checks before being placed under quarantine.

As part of operation Samudra Setu, the second navy ship - INS Magar is expected to depart the Maldives later today.

The ship will be carrying around 200 Indian nationals from the Maldives.

Both ships - &nbsp;ins Jalashwa and INS Magar are expected to repatriate another group of Indians to Tuticorin next week.

The passengers will be first taken to the male airport for immigration and other formalities following which they will board the vessel.

On the air evacuation front, eights flights are scheduled to arrive throughout today. Four flights will be arriving from the gulf nations that remains the focus of this repatriation mission.

Two flights from Doha will be landing in Kerala and one flight each from Kuwait and Riyadh.

Two flights are also scheduled to arrive in Delhi and Mumbai from London.

On day four of India's repatriation mission, INS Jalashwa - with 698 Indian nationals from the Maldives arrived at the Kochi port a short while back. Also read: Fauci among 3 in US response team self-quarantined after virus exposure The visuals of the navy vessel nearing the Kochi port were seen with almost 700 passengers on board.

On day four of India's repatriation mission, INS Jalashwa - with 698 Indian nationals from the Maldives arrived at the Kochi port a short while back. Also read: Fauci among 3 in US response team self-quarantined after virus exposure The visuals of the navy vessel nearing the Kochi port were seen with almost 700 passengers on board. Passengers are expected to disembark a short while from now. Also read: COVID-19: Brazil records 10,627 deaths, 155,939 confirmed cases Special arrangements have been made at the Kochi port for the arriving passengers. Ambulances are on standby, and all evacuees will undergo temperature checks before being placed under quarantine. As part of operation Samudra Setu, the second navy ship - INS Magar is expected to depart the Maldives later today. The ship will be carrying around 200 Indian nationals from the Maldives. Both ships - ins Jalashwa and INS Magar are expected to repatriate another group of Indians to Tuticorin next week. The passengers will be first taken to the male airport for immigration and other formalities following which they will board the vessel. On the air evacuation front, eights flights are scheduled to arrive throughout today. Four flights will be arriving from the gulf nations that remains the focus of this repatriation mission. Two flights from Doha will be landing in Kerala and one flight each from Kuwait and Riyadh. Two flights are also scheduled to arrive in Delhi and Mumbai from London.

Citizens aboard INS Jalashwa return from Maldives as a part of repatriation mission

The Maldives has seen a rapid rise in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks.&nbsp;

It had reported its first case in March and first death from COVID-19 with the number of positive cases standing at 280 on April 30.

Official figures on Saturday showed 766 cases, including 743 that are still active. Three people have died so far.

A vast majority of the patients are residents of Male, the capital, known to be a very congested city.

First cases of COVID-19 were reported at tourist resorts in this Indian Ocean archipelago state and authorities for sometime kept it from spilling over into the community.

But a patient in Male -- with no traceable source of infection -- triggered an explosion in the number of cases.

Six inhabited islands, including Male, are now under lockdown.

The Maldives has seen a rapid rise in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks. It had reported its first case in March and first death from COVID-19 with the number of positive cases standing at 280 on April 30.

The Maldives has seen a rapid rise in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks. It had reported its first case in March and first death from COVID-19 with the number of positive cases standing at 280 on April 30. Official figures on Saturday showed 766 cases, including 743 that are still active. Three people have died so far. A vast majority of the patients are residents of Male, the capital, known to be a very congested city. First cases of COVID-19 were reported at tourist resorts in this Indian Ocean archipelago state and authorities for sometime kept it from spilling over into the community. But a patient in Male -- with no traceable source of infection -- triggered an explosion in the number of cases. Six inhabited islands, including Male, are now under lockdown.

Maldives sees rapid spike in coronavirus patients

INS Jalashwa set sail from Male to bring back stranded Indians Indian Navy Ship (INS) Jalashwa sailed out from Male for Kochi on Friday (May 08) night with 698 citizens stranded in the Maldives due to lockdown imposed to contain the spreading of the deadly coronavirus

INS Jalashwa set sail from Male to bring back stranded Indians

Day 2 of India's repatriation mission is underway. In this segment of WION, we bring to you exclusive visuals from Malé ahead of evacuation.

Operation Samudra Setu: Exclusive visuals from Malé airport ahead of evacuation

Ahead of Indian Navy's Operation “Samudra Setu” (Sea Bridge) to get back stranded Indians from the Maldives due to COVID crisis, Indian Envoy to the Maldives Sunjay Sudhir has said while the process starts on 8th May Mid Day, more such evacuation will happen in subsequent days. Speaking exclusively to our principal diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal from capital Male, Envoy Sunjay said, "We have the full backing of our govt" and "we are looking forward to 8th of May when the first lot of Indians will return back home to Kochi".

He confirmed 54 Indians have been tested positive in the Indian Ocean Island country. Meanwhile, New Delhi has been reaching out to the Maldives during the ongoing COVID crisis with medicines and in coming few days will be gifting 580 tons of essential food items including wheat, flours, eggs, sugar, potatoes and onions to the Maldives even as the country observes Ramzan.

WION: How is the mission reaching&nbsp;out to Indians stranded in the Maldives and the repatriation process is all set to start, your take?

Sunjay Sudhir:&nbsp;The Indian community is a high priority&nbsp;for us. In the Maldives, we have 27000 Indians, mainly in the hospitality&nbsp;sector, the medical profession, as well as the education profession. Of the total 550 cases, 54 Indians have tested positive. Fortunately, they are all in good&nbsp;health. We maintain very close contact with the community mainly using social media--Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and Viber groups in the community. We try our best to share practical&nbsp;information, authentic information on how to deal with COVID and other evacuation related information.

I myself have given out 2 video messages to the Indian community. We have also set up helplines, on which people can call freely and speak in multiple Indian languages. As far as positive tested Indians are concerned we have sent out care packages which contain lot of essential things which can at least&nbsp;mitigate the difficult&nbsp;times which are Indian friends are going through. We have also made an&nbsp;arrangement&nbsp;for food for those who have lost the jobs and are finding difficult to fend for themselves.

We are providing medical assistance including essential medicines for stranded&nbsp;tourist. We have been able to create a complete database&nbsp;of Indians who want to go back to India. We will take Indian navy's ship help, the first of which, will arrive 2 days from now. Around midday of 8th of May, the first group of about 700 Indians will set sail back home,&nbsp;back to Kochi,&nbsp;that will be the first lot. After that we are planning few&nbsp;other evacuations though Navy ship.

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WION: How has the cooperation between India and Maldives going to jointly deal with COVID crisis.&nbsp;We launched operation Sanjevani to supply medicines to the Maldives..

Sunjay Sudhir:&nbsp;Cooperation on the COVID front has been characteristic of the relationship, the way we have been working with each other at almost&nbsp;all times in our history. The first thing we did was in the context of COVID is to evacuate all the 7 Maldivians from Wuhan. Actually, Maldives was the first country whose nationals we evacuated from Wuhan. Our 14 member rapid response medical team were here for 10 days in March.

Again the Maldives was the first country to which we sent a medical team. We also gifted about 5.5 tonnes&nbsp;of COVID related and other essential medicines to the govt of Maldives. Operation Sanjeevani was a very challenging operation which we could accomplish with the help of IAF. One IAF C130 picked up huge amount of medical consignment from 4 Indian cities and delivered that to Male, it was about 6.2 tonns.

This was done on April 2nd. We also facilitated&nbsp;continues supply of essential food items, also commodities like cement so that the construction&nbsp;sector does not suffer&nbsp;here. We have been facilitating&nbsp;evacuation flights for Maldivians, facilitating cargo flights. Digital video conferences have happened between trade officials, health officials and as we speak--series of 3 video conferences between top doctors of AIIMS and top doctors in the Maldives currently going on. The first of the series happened only yesterday. Within a week's time, we will also be gifting 580 tonnes&nbsp;of essential food items including wheat, flours, eggs, sugar, potatoes and onions to the govt of Maldives.

It has been testing times and also remembers it happens to be the holy month of Ramzan. On the economic front, the govt of Maldives has taken a big hit because of the hit to the tourism industry as well as the export of fishes. This has led to a bad liquidity situation. We have provided $150 million dollars worth of currency swap under the bilateral agreement which we had. This happened just a few days back and it happened of 27th April, we have been trying our level best to provide whatever assistance we can to govt of Maldives in these very very difficult times.

&nbsp;

WION: How has the&nbsp;cooperation to deal with COVID crisis been between the countries been under the&nbsp;SAARC framework..

Sunjay Sudhir:&nbsp;PM Modi has championed a regional approach to combat tourism, perhaps that is the most sustainable way in which we can handle a pandemic situation. In the digital video conference which PM initiated on March 5th with heads of state of govt of SAARC countries, India had announced a COVID emergency fund of 10 million dollars. And the Maldives was the first and perhaps the largest beneficiary of this fund so far.

The Maldives on its part also pledged $ 200,000 for this fund. PM had initiated some kind of viable framework for joint cooperation&nbsp;between SAARC countries to&nbsp;combat COVID.A digital video conference was also initiated by the SAARC disaster management centre in Gujarat with all the other countries to deal with this disaster could be discussed and that was a very successful&nbsp;video conference.

WION: How has been the&nbsp;ground situation and how are the Indian diplomats faring..

Sunjay Sudhir:&nbsp;I must say govt of Maldives has been trying its level best. President Solih has himself led the charge for this big challenge and for a long time they were able to protect Male. It was only on 15th April, the situation changed when the first person tested positive in the capital city and after that, you can imagine that in a city as congested as Male, it is very difficult to contain the spread and now, unfortunately, it has reached the level of community spread. I think things have plateaued&nbsp;out. Of the 550 cases, the&nbsp;majority are foreigners.

It all started with foreigners and even now if you look at Male, the&nbsp;majority are foreigners.&nbsp; Actually half the numbers are Bangladeshis because of a lot of Bangladeshi workers in Male. Govt is working on a war footing to contain the spread and create new isolation facilities but it is a herculean task.

For us at the high commission, it has been testing times. We are working overtime to take care of the community and at the same time provide assistance to the govt of Maldives. You have rightly mentioned it is the largest evacuation&nbsp;process globally as well as Indians in the Maldives. We have roped in some volunteers from the community and I must acknowledge&nbsp;that help has been very very forthcoming. We have the full backing of our govt that makes our task much less formidable. These days we are working day in and day out on evacuation exercise and we are looking&nbsp;forward to&nbsp;8th of May when the first lot of Indians will return back home to Kochi and then we will subsequently plan other rounds of evacuation in the days and weeks to come.

WION: Have we shared any Indian COVID containment models with the Maldives?

Sunjay Sudhir:&nbsp;We have done that. The Indian rapid response medical teams were first to visit the Maldives. It was first for the Maldives as well as Indian team to visit any country and that team came here with the protocols which were in practice, in India at that time, including the protocol developed by AIIMS and the medical teams also helped set up facilities in outline Islands. And as we speak digital video conference between the senior doctors from AIIMS including director Dr&nbsp;Randeep Guleria and very senior cardiologist Dr Ambuj Roy has been taking place.

The first session took place earlier and the Maldivian side was led by the Maldives minister of state for health who happens to be a medical doctor&nbsp;Dr Shah Mahir. In this discussion, I am told several containment models and approaches have been discussed and we continue to share best practices.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Ahead of Indian Navy's Operation “Samudra Setu” (Sea Bridge) to get back stranded Indians from the Maldives due to COVID crisis, Indian Envoy to the Maldives Sunjay Sudhir has said while the process starts on 8th May Mid Day, more such evacuation will happen in subsequent days.

Ahead of Indian Navy's Operation “Samudra Setu” (Sea Bridge) to get back stranded Indians from the Maldives due to COVID crisis, Indian Envoy to the Maldives Sunjay Sudhir has said while the process starts on 8th May Mid Day, more such evacuation will happen in subsequent days. Speaking exclusively to our principal diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal from capital Male, Envoy Sunjay said, "We have the full backing of our govt" and "we are looking forward to 8th of May when the first lot of Indians will return back home to Kochi". He confirmed 54 Indians have been tested positive in the Indian Ocean Island country. Meanwhile, New Delhi has been reaching out to the Maldives during the ongoing COVID crisis with medicines and in coming few days will be gifting 580 tons of essential food items including wheat, flours, eggs, sugar, potatoes and onions to the Maldives even as the country observes Ramzan. WION: How is the mission reaching out to Indians stranded in the Maldives and the repatriation process is all set to start, your take? Sunjay Sudhir: The Indian community is a high priority for us. In the Maldives, we have 27000 Indians, mainly in the hospitality sector, the medical profession, as well as the education profession. Of the total 550 cases, 54 Indians have tested positive. Fortunately, they are all in good health. We maintain very close contact with the community mainly using social media--Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and Viber groups in the community. We try our best to share practical information, authentic information on how to deal with COVID and other evacuation related information. I myself have given out 2 video messages to the Indian community. We have also set up helplines, on which people can call freely and speak in multiple Indian languages. As far as positive tested Indians are concerned we have sent out care packages which contain lot of essential things which can at least mitigate the difficult times which are Indian friends are going through. We have also made an arrangement for food for those who have lost the jobs and are finding difficult to fend for themselves. We are providing medical assistance including essential medicines for stranded tourist. We have been able to create a complete database of Indians who want to go back to India. We will take Indian navy's ship help, the first of which, will arrive 2 days from now. Around midday of 8th of May, the first group of about 700 Indians will set sail back home, back to Kochi, that will be the first lot. After that we are planning few other evacuations though Navy ship. WION: How has the cooperation between India and Maldives going to jointly deal with COVID crisis. We launched operation Sanjevani to supply medicines to the Maldives.. Sunjay Sudhir: Cooperation on the COVID front has been characteristic of the relationship, the way we have been working with each other at almost all times in our history. The first thing we did was in the context of COVID is to evacuate all the 7 Maldivians from Wuhan. Actually, Maldives was the first country whose nationals we evacuated from Wuhan. Our 14 member rapid response medical team were here for 10 days in March. Again the Maldives was the first country to which we sent a medical team. We also gifted about 5.5 tonnes of COVID related and other essential medicines to the govt of Maldives. Operation Sanjeevani was a very challenging operation which we could accomplish with the help of IAF. One IAF C130 picked up huge amount of medical consignment from 4 Indian cities and delivered that to Male, it was about 6.2 tonns. This was done on April 2nd. We also facilitated continues supply of essential food items, also commodities like cement so that the construction sector does not suffer here. We have been facilitating evacuation flights for Maldivians, facilitating cargo flights. Digital video conferences have happened between trade officials, health officials and as we speak--series of 3 video conferences between top doctors of AIIMS and top doctors in the Maldives currently going on. The first of the series happened only yesterday. Within a week's time, we will also be gifting 580 tonnes of essential food items including wheat, flours, eggs, sugar, potatoes and onions to the govt of Maldives. It has been testing times and also remembers it happens to be the holy month of Ramzan. On the economic front, the govt of Maldives has taken a big hit because of the hit to the tourism industry as well as the export of fishes. This has led to a bad liquidity situation. We have provided $150 million dollars worth of currency swap under the bilateral agreement which we had. This happened just a few days back and it happened of 27th April, we have been trying our level best to provide whatever assistance we can to govt of Maldives in these very very difficult times. WION: How has the cooperation to deal with COVID crisis been between the countries been under the SAARC framework.. Sunjay Sudhir: PM Modi has championed a regional approach to combat tourism, perhaps that is the most sustainable way in which we can handle a pandemic situation. In the digital video conference which PM initiated on March 5th with heads of state of govt of SAARC countries, India had announced a COVID emergency fund of 10 million dollars. And the Maldives was the first and perhaps the largest beneficiary of this fund so far. The Maldives on its part also pledged $ 200,000 for this fund. PM had initiated some kind of viable framework for joint cooperation between SAARC countries to combat COVID.A digital video conference was also initiated by the SAARC disaster management centre in Gujarat with all the other countries to deal with this disaster could be discussed and that was a very successful video conference. WION: How has been the ground situation and how are the Indian diplomats faring.. Sunjay Sudhir: I must say govt of Maldives has been trying its level best. President Solih has himself led the charge for this big challenge and for a long time they were able to protect Male. It was only on 15th April, the situation changed when the first person tested positive in the capital city and after that, you can imagine that in a city as congested as Male, it is very difficult to contain the spread and now, unfortunately, it has reached the level of community spread. I think things have plateaued out. Of the 550 cases, the majority are foreigners. It all started with foreigners and even now if you look at Male, the majority are foreigners. Actually half the numbers are Bangladeshis because of a lot of Bangladeshi workers in Male. Govt is working on a war footing to contain the spread and create new isolation facilities but it is a herculean task. For us at the high commission, it has been testing times. We are working overtime to take care of the community and at the same time provide assistance to the govt of Maldives. You have rightly mentioned it is the largest evacuation process globally as well as Indians in the Maldives. We have roped in some volunteers from the community and I must acknowledge that help has been very very forthcoming. We have the full backing of our govt that makes our task much less formidable. These days we are working day in and day out on evacuation exercise and we are looking forward to 8th of May when the first lot of Indians will return back home to Kochi and then we will subsequently plan other rounds of evacuation in the days and weeks to come. WION: Have we shared any Indian COVID containment models with the Maldives? Sunjay Sudhir: We have done that. The Indian rapid response medical teams were first to visit the Maldives. It was first for the Maldives as well as Indian team to visit any country and that team came here with the protocols which were in practice, in India at that time, including the protocol developed by AIIMS and the medical teams also helped set up facilities in outline Islands. And as we speak digital video conference between the senior doctors from AIIMS including director Dr Randeep Guleria and very senior cardiologist Dr Ambuj Roy has been taking place. The first session took place earlier and the Maldivian side was led by the Maldives minister of state for health who happens to be a medical doctor Dr Shah Mahir. In this discussion, I am told several containment models and approaches have been discussed and we continue to share best practices.

Three ships sent to evacuate Indians from the Maldives and UAE

WION in an exclusive conversation with Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid over the first death in Maldive due to COVID-19. Watch video to know more.

WION in an exclusive conversation with Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid

Maldives has reported its first death from COVID-19 with the number of positive cases standing at 280.

The victim was an 83-year-old woman from the capital Male.

First cases of COVID-19 were reported at tourist resorts in this Indian Ocean archipelago state and authorities for sometime kept it from spilling over into the community.

There has, however, been a sudden spike in recent days in the number of patients in the capital as well as far off islands with no traceable source of infection.

Maldives has reported its first death from COVID-19 with the number of positive cases standing at 280. The victim was an 83-year-old woman from the capital Male.

Maldives has reported its first death from COVID-19 with the number of positive cases standing at 280. The victim was an 83-year-old woman from the capital Male. First cases of COVID-19 were reported at tourist resorts in this Indian Ocean archipelago state and authorities for sometime kept it from spilling over into the community. There has, however, been a sudden spike in recent days in the number of patients in the capital as well as far off islands with no traceable source of infection.

Maldives reports its first coronavirus death

Continuing its support to the Maldives in times of COVID-19 crisis, New Delhi has activated a currency swap arrangement to help the Indian Ocean Island country to mitigate the impact of COVID crisis. The move is expected to help Maldive's financial system by stabilizing the exchange rate and ease liquidity.&nbsp;

India has given a foreign currency swap facility of $ 150 million to the Maldives Central Bank--Maldives Monetary Authority-- under the USD 400 million currency swap agreement signed in July 2019 between the two countries.

A currency swap is a transaction in which two parties exchange principal and interest in different currencies.

Companies doing business abroad often use currency swaps to get more favourable loan rates in the local currency than if they borrowed money from a local bank

Example if, the Maldives borrow 100 Rs From India and told India that it will repay 100 Rs in INR but the Interest in Maldivian rufiyaa or vice versa the Maldives borrow Rs 100 from India and gave back the principal amount in Maldivian rufiyaa and repaid interest in INR. Both parties benefit by hedging against interest rates.&nbsp;

The decision to activate the currency swap arrangement comes a week Indian PM Modi and Maldives President Solih spoke. The $ 400 million currency swap facility is a part of the $ 1.4 billion the economic package announced by India for the Maldives in December 2018 during the State Visit of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. That was the first visit of Maldives President to India after being elected in November of that year.

Indian govt is also considering extending the validity of the currency swap facility by one year. Maldives is the only SAARC country other than Bhutan, which has been extended USD 400 million currency swap facility. 
&nbsp;

Continuing its support to the Maldives in times of COVID-19 crisis, New Delhi has activated a currency swap arrangement to help the Indian Ocean Island country to mitigate the impact of COVID crisis.

Continuing its support to the Maldives in times of COVID-19 crisis, New Delhi has activated a currency swap arrangement to help the Indian Ocean Island country to mitigate the impact of COVID crisis. The move is expected to help Maldive's financial system by stabilizing the exchange rate and ease liquidity. India has given a foreign currency swap facility of $ 150 million to the Maldives Central Bank--Maldives Monetary Authority-- under the USD 400 million currency swap agreement signed in July 2019 between the two countries. A currency swap is a transaction in which two parties exchange principal and interest in different currencies. Companies doing business abroad often use currency swaps to get more favourable loan rates in the local currency than if they borrowed money from a local bank Example if, the Maldives borrow 100 Rs From India and told India that it will repay 100 Rs in INR but the Interest in Maldivian rufiyaa or vice versa the Maldives borrow Rs 100 from India and gave back the principal amount in Maldivian rufiyaa and repaid interest in INR. Both parties benefit by hedging against interest rates. The decision to activate the currency swap arrangement comes a week Indian PM Modi and Maldives President Solih spoke. The $ 400 million currency swap facility is a part of the $ 1.4 billion the economic package announced by India for the Maldives in December 2018 during the State Visit of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. That was the first visit of Maldives President to India after being elected in November of that year. Indian govt is also considering extending the validity of the currency swap facility by one year. Maldives is the only SAARC country other than Bhutan, which has been extended USD 400 million currency swap facility.

India activates currency swap to help the Maldives amid COVID-19

The number of people infected with the coronavirus crossed 22,000 in densely populated South Asia on Friday driven by a rise in cases in India as the tiny Indian Ocean island nation of Maldives locked down its capital.

Health officials have warned that the region, home to a fifth of the world's population, could be the new frontline against the disease because of millions living in packed slums and fragile public health systems.

India's caseload rose to 13,387, a jump of nearly 700 over the previous day, despite a lockdown now in its fourth week and which will last at least until early May.

Authorities have identified a fifth of India's hundreds of districts as red zones with the highest number of cases, including the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Hyderabad.

But Lav Agarwal, government health joint secretary leading the fight against the coronavirus, said the rate of increase of infections was slowing because of the lockdown of 1.3 billion people in the world's second-most populous country after China.

Before the shutdown, the number of cases was doubling every three days, but now it was taking 6.2 days to double, Agarwal said, citing government data.

"There is a decline, but we have to remain (in) the fight," he said. The government has said it will permit farm and industrial activity in parts of the countryside that are least affected by the coronavirus from next week to lessen the pain for millions.

Authorities in the resort islands of the Maldives placed the capital Male under a 14-day lockdown after eight people tested positive over the last three days, taking the total to 28.

The government had earlier stopped all travel to and from the tropical islands and shut down businesses.

But on Friday, the Health Protection Agency issued strict stay-at-home orders for Male, home to 40 per cent of the country's population of 450,000, fearing a big outbreak in the congested city.

Maldives, best known for its white sands and palm-fringed atolls, reported its first case at the beginning of March when two employees of an island resort tested positive.

Bangladesh also warned its 160 million people that the country was at risk after positive cases were detected in 45 districts out of a total of 64. It warned of strict action against anyone violating stay-at-home orders.

"Only social distancing can keep the outbreak under control as no vaccine or treatment is available for the disease," the directorate general of health services said in a statement.

The big worry remains the low level of testing across the region. India has slowly raised the number to a little over 27,000 on Thursday, but in comparison with other countries it remains small given the huge population.

India has tested 203 people per million of its population, lower than Brazil (296) and well behind the United States at 9,866 and Italy 18,481, all of which are themselves considered laggards in the race to screen as many people as possible.

&nbsp;

The number of people infected with the coronavirus crossed 22,000 in densely populated South Asia on Friday driven by a rise in cases in India as the tiny Indian Ocean island nation of Maldives locked down its capital.

The number of people infected with the coronavirus crossed 22,000 in densely populated South Asia on Friday driven by a rise in cases in India as the tiny Indian Ocean island nation of Maldives locked down its capital. Health officials have warned that the region, home to a fifth of the world's population, could be the new frontline against the disease because of millions living in packed slums and fragile public health systems. India's caseload rose to 13,387, a jump of nearly 700 over the previous day, despite a lockdown now in its fourth week and which will last at least until early May. Authorities have identified a fifth of India's hundreds of districts as red zones with the highest number of cases, including the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Hyderabad. But Lav Agarwal, government health joint secretary leading the fight against the coronavirus, said the rate of increase of infections was slowing because of the lockdown of 1.3 billion people in the world's second-most populous country after China. Before the shutdown, the number of cases was doubling every three days, but now it was taking 6.2 days to double, Agarwal said, citing government data. "There is a decline, but we have to remain (in) the fight," he said. The government has said it will permit farm and industrial activity in parts of the countryside that are least affected by the coronavirus from next week to lessen the pain for millions. Authorities in the resort islands of the Maldives placed the capital Male under a 14-day lockdown after eight people tested positive over the last three days, taking the total to 28. The government had earlier stopped all travel to and from the tropical islands and shut down businesses. But on Friday, the Health Protection Agency issued strict stay-at-home orders for Male, home to 40 per cent of the country's population of 450,000, fearing a big outbreak in the congested city. Maldives, best known for its white sands and palm-fringed atolls, reported its first case at the beginning of March when two employees of an island resort tested positive. Bangladesh also warned its 160 million people that the country was at risk after positive cases were detected in 45 districts out of a total of 64. It warned of strict action against anyone violating stay-at-home orders. "Only social distancing can keep the outbreak under control as no vaccine or treatment is available for the disease," the directorate general of health services said in a statement. The big worry remains the low level of testing across the region. India has slowly raised the number to a little over 27,000 on Thursday, but in comparison with other countries it remains small given the huge population. India has tested 203 people per million of its population, lower than Brazil (296) and well behind the United States at 9,866 and Italy 18,481, all of which are themselves considered laggards in the race to screen as many people as possible.

South Asia coronavirus cases hit 22,000 as Maldives locks down capital

Maldives Parliament will become the first parliament in the world to conduct its proceedings via video conference as social distancing becomes norm&nbsp;to fight COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

The rehearsals for the same was held on Saturday during which the Speaker of the House Mohamed Nasheed participated.&nbsp;

The actual sessions will start from Monday and will continue till health emergency is lifted.

Nasheed speaking to WION from Male said, "One-quarter of humanity under de facto house arrest or some other form of isolation, including countless lawmakers. But the world’s parliaments cannot just stop representing their people during this crisis. The institutions of democracy must continue to function. The Maldivian parliament will go on, meeting online, and all its work will continue unimpeded."

&nbsp;"The crisis will change the world order; how we live; and how we produce and consume goods and services" and his country "has always managed to overcome challenges, no matter how big," adding that he is "confident we will emerge from this one, and prosper once more," he added.

Director of Media and Communications of the Maldives Parliament, Hassan Ziyau elaborating further said, " Despite Members not being physically present in the parliamentary chambers, the work of the parliament will continue as normal, with all parliamentary functions, such as votes, debates, and committee meetings, taking place online.”

Last week leaders of the 20 biggest economies--the G20 meet virtually and discussed a joint strategy to fight the coronavirus crisis. Before that PM Modi had proposed a SAARC summit to deal with COVID crisis.

Maldives Parliament will become the first parliament in the world to conduct its proceedings via video conference as social distancing becomes norm to fight COVID-19 pandemic.

Maldives Parliament will become the first parliament in the world to conduct its proceedings via video conference as social distancing becomes norm to fight COVID-19 pandemic. The rehearsals for the same was held on Saturday during which the Speaker of the House Mohamed Nasheed participated. The actual sessions will start from Monday and will continue till health emergency is lifted. Nasheed speaking to WION from Male said, "One-quarter of humanity under de facto house arrest or some other form of isolation, including countless lawmakers. But the world’s parliaments cannot just stop representing their people during this crisis. The institutions of democracy must continue to function. The Maldivian parliament will go on, meeting online, and all its work will continue unimpeded." "The crisis will change the world order; how we live; and how we produce and consume goods and services" and his country "has always managed to overcome challenges, no matter how big," adding that he is "confident we will emerge from this one, and prosper once more," he added. Director of Media and Communications of the Maldives Parliament, Hassan Ziyau elaborating further said, " Despite Members not being physically present in the parliamentary chambers, the work of the parliament will continue as normal, with all parliamentary functions, such as votes, debates, and committee meetings, taking place online.” Last week leaders of the 20 biggest economies--the G20 meet virtually and discussed a joint strategy to fight the coronavirus crisis. Before that PM Modi had proposed a SAARC summit to deal with COVID crisis.

Maldives Parliament goes virtual as social distancing becomes norm to fight coronavirus 

The 'Janata curfew' or people's curfew is a historical and motivational step, Bangladesh's former Information minister Hasanul Haq Inu told WION in reaction to the 14-hours voluntary lockdown in India.

In the wake of rising coronavirus cases in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a &nbsp;self-imposed voluntary lockdown, Janata-curfew, on Sunday during which public transport was suspended or curtailed and all markets and shops except those dealing in essential items were closed.

Watch: India cooperates for 'Janata Curfew' as PM Modi urges for 14 hrs self-isolation

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Lauding Prime Minister's step towards combating the rapidly spreading virus, Bangladesh leader said, "people's curfew is a great and laudable step". &nbsp;

"People's curfew helps citizens to develop awareness, alertness and discipline", Hasanul said adding, that all these "three things were achieved."

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-sends-aid-to-italy-the-new-global-epicentre-of-coronavirus-pandemic-287940">India sends aid to Italy, the new global epicentre of coronavirus pandemic</a>

Meanwhile, Maldives' Defence Minister Mariya Didi also shared her views on the Janata curfew with WION.&nbsp;

"I see this as a very positive step towards flattening the curve. I commend this very brave decision of PM Modi," she said.

"India is the largest democracy. The way they have done it by taking democratic principles into the account and with the assent of the people its very nice to see," Maldivian leader also said.

The Indian government has been keeping a close watch on the preparedness of the health facilities in the wake of the rising number of confirmed cases of COVID-19.

So far, &nbsp;seven people have succumbed to the coronavirus the number of infections stands at 341 which is very low in comparison to the other countries like Iran or Italy.

The ICMR on Saturday revised its strategy to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus. It said all hospitalised patients with severe acute respiratory illness, shortness of breath and having fever and cough will now be tested for COVID-19 infection. The new ICMR guidelines also said asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case should be tested once between day 5 and day 14 of coming in his/her contact.

 
&nbsp;

The 'Janata curfew' or people's curfew is a historical and motivational step, Bangladesh's former Information minister Hasanul Haq Inu told WION in reaction to the 14-hours voluntary lockdown in India.

The 'Janata curfew' or people's curfew is a historical and motivational step, Bangladesh's former Information minister Hasanul Haq Inu told WION in reaction to the 14-hours voluntary lockdown in India. In the wake of rising coronavirus cases in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a self-imposed voluntary lockdown, Janata-curfew, on Sunday during which public transport was suspended or curtailed and all markets and shops except those dealing in essential items were closed. Watch: India cooperates for 'Janata Curfew' as PM Modi urges for 14 hrs self-isolation × Lauding Prime Minister's step towards combating the rapidly spreading virus, Bangladesh leader said, "people's curfew is a great and laudable step". "People's curfew helps citizens to develop awareness, alertness and discipline", Hasanul said adding, that all these "three things were achieved." Also read: India sends aid to Italy, the new global epicentre of coronavirus pandemic Meanwhile, Maldives' Defence Minister Mariya Didi also shared her views on the Janata curfew with WION. "I see this as a very positive step towards flattening the curve. I commend this very brave decision of PM Modi," she said. "India is the largest democracy. The way they have done it by taking democratic principles into the account and with the assent of the people its very nice to see," Maldivian leader also said. The Indian government has been keeping a close watch on the preparedness of the health facilities in the wake of the rising number of confirmed cases of COVID-19. So far, seven people have succumbed to the coronavirus the number of infections stands at 341 which is very low in comparison to the other countries like Iran or Italy. The ICMR on Saturday revised its strategy to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus. It said all hospitalised patients with severe acute respiratory illness, shortness of breath and having fever and cough will now be tested for COVID-19 infection. The new ICMR guidelines also said asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case should be tested once between day 5 and day 14 of coming in his/her contact.

'Historical step': Bangladesh, Maldives laud India for observing 'Janata curfew' over coronavirus

India has reached out to the Maldives with medical supplies and by sending a medical team in the backdrop of growing coronavirus epidemic. The Indian envoy to Maldives Sanjay Sudhir handed over three months supply of medicines weighing 5.5 tonnes to Maldives foreign minister Shahid Abdulla.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/pm-modis-maldives-visit-from-cricket-to-defence-what-will-be-on-prime-ministers-agenda-225378">PM Modi's Maldives visit: From cricket to defence, what will be on Prime Minister's agenda</a>

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, the Indian envoy said, "Pandemics do not know national boundaries and COVID-19 has taken its toll globally and the world is under its impact. The world is going through difficult times and so is India and so is the Maldives. This is the time for friends to stand with each other and support each other in action as India and Maldives are doing today."

Explaining, "Being the major country in the SAARC region, and also the Indian Ocean region, who else can provide concrete and timely support to the Maldives, it has to India. We are trying our best, to do our bit in this joint efforts."

Maldives foreign minister has welcomed the gesture and in a tweet said, "It will be a tremendous help as we combat the #COVID19. One country alone cannot face this pandemic. Together, we shall prevail".

A 14-member Indian team of pulmonologists, anaesthetists, physicians and lab technicians reached the Indian Ocean country on Friday.

In the month of February, India evacuated nine Maldivians in two evacuation missions along with other Indian nationals from Wuhan in China which is the epicentre of the crisis. Earlier this year, India provided 30,000 doses of measles vaccines within 72 hours of request made by Male.

 
&nbsp;

India has reached out to the Maldives with medical supplies and by sending a medical team in the backdrop of growing coronavirus epidemic. The Indian envoy to Maldives Sanjay Sudhir handed over three months supply of medicines weighing 5.

India has reached out to the Maldives with medical supplies and by sending a medical team in the backdrop of growing coronavirus epidemic. The Indian envoy to Maldives Sanjay Sudhir handed over three months supply of medicines weighing 5.5 tonnes to Maldives foreign minister Shahid Abdulla. Also read: PM Modi's Maldives visit: From cricket to defence, what will be on Prime Minister's agenda Speaking at the handing over ceremony, the Indian envoy said, "Pandemics do not know national boundaries and COVID-19 has taken its toll globally and the world is under its impact. The world is going through difficult times and so is India and so is the Maldives. This is the time for friends to stand with each other and support each other in action as India and Maldives are doing today." Explaining, "Being the major country in the SAARC region, and also the Indian Ocean region, who else can provide concrete and timely support to the Maldives, it has to India. We are trying our best, to do our bit in this joint efforts." Maldives foreign minister has welcomed the gesture and in a tweet said, "It will be a tremendous help as we combat the #COVID19. One country alone cannot face this pandemic. Together, we shall prevail". A 14-member Indian team of pulmonologists, anaesthetists, physicians and lab technicians reached the Indian Ocean country on Friday. In the month of February, India evacuated nine Maldivians in two evacuation missions along with other Indian nationals from Wuhan in China which is the epicentre of the crisis. Earlier this year, India provided 30,000 doses of measles vaccines within 72 hours of request made by Male.

Coronavirus: India reaches out to Maldives, sends three months' medical supplies

Maldivian Defence Minister said on WION Global Summit 2020 on importance of democracy. Mariya Didi said, 'Democracy offers a system that is transparent and accountable. Although there is an erosion in democratic norms across the world, I think there is hope.'

Maldivian Defence Minister on importance of democracy

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