Maldives

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Island Paradise Seeks New Home

Low-lying islands divert tourist funds to buy land

(Newser) - Under serious threat from rising sea levels, the government of the Maldives is saving funds from the islands' biggest industry—tourism—to finance the purchase of a new national home, the Guardian reports. Much of the country, near India, rises less than 5 feet above the water, and the UN...

Former Prisoner Ousts Maldives' Brutal President

Torture victim wins Indian Ocean islands' first democratic vote

(Newser) - A former political prisoner won a decisive victory yesterday in the Maldives' first democratic election, the Telegraph reports, ousting Asia's longest-serving leader. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who came to power in 1978, conceded defeat to former journalist Mohamed Nasheed—a man he jailed 13 times and who walks with a limp...

Top Spots for Solo Adventurers
Top Spots for Solo Adventurers

Top Spots for Solo Adventurers

Go it alone for fun

(Newser) - Looking to mend a well-trodden heart with a solo adventure? From serene fishing villages to culture-packed cities, several destinations can be just the ticket. For those who prefer to go it alone, IgoUgo readers recommend:
  1. Vienna
  2. Rio de Janeiro
  3. Florence
  4. Parque Nacional Volcan Baru, Panama
  5. Marseille, France

Island Paradise Battles Global Warming

Republic of Maldives sounds alarm about rising sea levels

(Newser) - The Republic of Maldives has a lot to fear from rising sea levels, but the chain of tiny islands in the Indian Ocean is doing something to protect itself. The nation has built a concrete wall around the capital, Male, and constructed an entirely new island 7 feet higher than...

Boy Scout Saves Maldives President From Assassin

15-year-old blocks knife-wielding assailant

(Newser) - A 15-year-old boy scout saved the Maldives president from an assassination attempt today, wrestling the assailant to the ground. AFP reports that a 20-year-old man brandishing a knife went after Maumoon Abdul Gayoom while he was visiting one of the archipelago's northern islands. Police are currently trying to establish the...

World's Best Green Hotels
World's Best Green Hotels

World's Best Green Hotels

Leave a footprint as small as your carry-on at a luxurious eco-hotel

(Newser) - Solar-heated pools, energy-conserving lights, composted food scraps . . . hotels aren't all bastions of consumption and waste. Travel+Leisure teamed up with Conservation International to assemble a list of 20 eco-friendly hotels:
  1. Spice Island Beach Resort, Grenada
  2. Soneva Fushi Resort & Six Senses Spa, Maldives
  3. Heritance Kandalama, Sri Lanka

Brutal Maldives Leader Clings to Long-Time Grip

Repression mixes with tourism as a new generation seeks power

(Newser) - Luxury resorts coexist in the Maldives with claims of a darker reality: Censorship, political repression, torture, and recent terrorist bombings. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the longest-serving leader in Asia, is reneging on a promise to step down and instead will run for a seventh term. But now his own supporters are...

Maldives Blast Injures 12 Tourists
Maldives Blast Injures
12 Tourists

Maldives Blast Injures 12 Tourists

British, Japanese and Chinese visitors hurt by homemade device

(Newser) - Twelve tourists are in the hospital after a homemade bomb exploded in the Maldives capital of Male. The bomb, which was detonated with a cell phone, a gas cylinder and a washing machine motor, is a first for the Maldives, a tranquil country. “We are taking this very seriously...

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