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☆ Island time: Why some resorts in the Maldives move their clocks ahead an hour
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Many resorts move their clocks at least one hour ahead of the country’s official time zone – which is five hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+5). The JW Marriott is one of four Maldives properties under the Marriott Group umbrella, alongside St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, the Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort and the Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands. Video Ad Feedback Inside one of the Maldives' most luxurious resorts 02:30 - Source: CNNSoneva, another luxury resort group with multiple properties around the Maldives, also sets the clocks at its resorts an hour ahead of Male Time. Not every island resort follows island timeVideo Ad Feedback Flying with the barefoot pilots of the Maldives 02:31 - Source: CNNNot every resort in the Maldives follows island time. “Here at Kurumba Maldives we don’t use island time and never have, simply because as the first resort in the Maldives the concept of island time didn’t exist,” says Ali Farooq, resort manager at Kurumba, which opened in 1972.

Persons: Mohit Dembla, Matteo Colombo, ”, Zhilah Vego, CNN Soneva, Soneva Jani, Jani Time, Charles Morris, “, –, Regis, Ali Farooq, Marriott’s Organizations: CNN, JW, Spa, CNN Travel, Marriott, Marriott Group, St, Regis, Westin, Ritz, Carlton Maldives, GM, ” Staff, Maldives ’, butlers, Kurumba, Velana International Locations: Maldives, Greenwich, Regis Maldives, Westin Maldives, Fari Islands, Beach, Maldivian, St, Kurumba Maldives, Kurumba, Malé

☆ Pro-China party reportedly wins big in the Maldives, likely accelerating its shift away from India
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Maldives' President Mohamed Muizzu casts his ballot during the country's parliamentary election, in Male on April 21, 2024. The Maldives votes in a parliamentary election likely to test Muizzu's tilt towards China and away from India, the luxury tourism hotspot's traditional benefactor. Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's ruling pro-China party cemented its grip on power in a landslide election victory, according to preliminary results reported by local media. The outcome is widely expected to accelerate the Indian Ocean archipelago's shift toward China and away from its traditional ally of India. Muizzu's People's National Congress won 65 out of 93 parliamentary seats in Sunday's vote, Reuters reported, citing media projections and preliminary results from the Maldives Elections Commission.

Persons: Mohamed Muizzu, Mohamed Muizzu's, Muizzu's Organizations: Muizzu's People's National Congress, Reuters, Maldives Elections, Maldivian Democratic Party, MDP Locations: Maldives, Male, China, India, Muizzu's People's

☆ Maldives signs China military pact in further shift away from India
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In January, Muizzu set a deadline of March 15 for the complete withdrawal of Indian military personnel stationed in the archipelago nation, according to the president’s office. India has also given Maldives two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft, which are mainly used for marine surveillance, search and rescue operations and medical evacuations, Reuters reported. The new deal with China marks a significant shift in Maldives’ foreign policy from Muizzu’s pro-India predecessor, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. But Maldives has long found itself in the middle of a geopolitical tussle with both India and China vying for influence. China has increasingly expanded its footprint in Maldives, most visibly through large-scale infrastructure projects such as the $200 million China-Maldives Friendship Bridge.

Persons: Mohamed Muizzu, Muizzu, “, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, ”, Mao Ning Organizations: CNN, Ocean, Maldivian Defense Ministry, Beijing, Reuters, Dornier, Maldives ’, Analysts, Foreign Locations: Maldives, China, India, Delhi, Beijing

☆ Chinese Vessel in Maldives Being Used for Scientific Research -Foreign Ministry
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - Research being carried out by a Chinese vessel calling at a port in the Maldives is exclusively for peaceful purposes and enhancing scientific understanding, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Tuesday as the research vessel is set to arrive in the island nation. The Xiang Yang Hong 3 will "make a port call, for rotation of personnel and replenishment", the Maldivian foreign ministry had said in a statement in January. The presence of the vessel is likely to raise the concern of India, which has previously viewed such vessels close to its shores as problematic. (Reporting by Joe Cash; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Tom Hogue)

Persons: Xiang Yang Hong, Joe Cash, Bernard Orr, Tom Hogue Locations: BEIJING, Maldives, Maldivian, India

MALE, Maldives (AP) — The Maldives government says it has asked for clarification of why Indian coast guard personnel boarded three Maldivian fishing vessels operating within its economic zone earlier this week without consultation. The Maldives military also found that Indian coast guard personnel had boarded two more boats, the statement said without explaining what they did on the boats . Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu was part of an “India Out” campaign as an opposition politician, demanding the removal of Indian military personnel stationed in some islands. The largest number of tourists visiting the Maldives come from India, making up 11% of the total last year. It is said there are at least 75 Indian military personnel in the Maldives and their known activities include transporting patients from remote islands and rescuing people at sea.

Persons: Mohamed Muizzu, Muizzu, Narendra Modi, Modi Organizations: —, Indian, Maldives ., Maldives Locations: Maldives, India, Maldivian, Dhivehi, China, Lakshadweep, New Delhi

☆ India to Replace Troops in Maldives With Civilians by May
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The roughly 80 soldiers stationed in the Indian Ocean archipelago will be replaced by civilians, officials from both countries said. As global powers jostle for influence in the Indo-Pacific region, India and China have wooed the Maldives, which has traditionally been close to neighbour India. New Delhi's ties with Male have under strain since Mohamed Muizzu was elected president of the Maldives last year, pledging to end the country's "India First" policy. The Indian troops manage those operations. The next bilateral meeting will be in Male in the last week of February, the Maldives foreign ministry said.

Persons: Krishn Kaushik, Mohamed Junayd NEW, Mohamed Muizzu, Mohamed Junayd, William Mallard Organizations: May, Maldivian Foreign Ministry, Dornier Locations: Mohamed Junayd NEW DELHI, India, Maldives, China, New Delhi, Delhi

☆ The Maldives are known as a luxury vacation destination. But for $100 per day, my husband and I had the trip of a lifetime.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Geena Truman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementThe key to budget travel in the Maldives is visiting the local islandsWe found visiting local islands to be a beautiful and affordable way to experience the true culture of the Maldives. AdvertisementThe local Maldivian Islands were affordable and beautifulThe local islands were stunning. These excursions proved the waters of the local islands had just as much to offer as the private-island resorts. By staying on the local islands, we got to experience more of the Maldivian cultureBecause we visited the local islands, we got to learn a lot about the local culture. By staying on the local islands, we got to interact with members of the community and learn about their incredible sea-faring history.

Persons: —, Geena Truman, we'd, Truman Organizations: Service, Business, Manta Rays Locations: Maldives, Southeast Asia, Ukulhas, Omadhoo, Maldivian

The Maldives foreign ministry confirmed local media reports that research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3 was headed to the Maldives. The ship arrives amid a diplomatic dispute between the Maldives and its giant neighbor India. Pro-China Muizzu was elected to office in November on a platform to evict Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives. At least 75 Indian military personnel are said to be stationed in the Maldives, and Muizzu had accused his predecessor of compromising national sovereignty by allowing Indian personnel on Maldivian islands. The known activities of the Indian military include operating aircraft and assisting in the rescue of people stranded or faced with calamities at sea.

Persons: Xiang Yang Hong, Narendra Modi, Modi, Mohamed Muizzu, Muizzu, China Muizzu Organizations: —, Indian Locations: COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Maldives, India, China, Male, “, Lakshadweep, Asia, Africa, Europe, Maldivian

☆ Social media uproar may cost the Maldives millions, as feud with India intensifies
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Jonathan Delise | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Social media posts by Maldivian officials may cost the country millions in tourism revenue, as calls by Indian travelers to boycott the island nation intensify. Travel bookings to the Maldives tumbled following a diplomatic row that erupted last week after a series of posts appeared on X, formerly known as Twitter, on India Prime Minister Narendra Modi's account. Amid reports that thousands of Indian travelers have canceled trips to the Maldives, one prominent Indian travel booking website, EaseMyTrip, announced it is suspending flight bookings from India to the Maldives. The Maldives, located some 340 miles to the south, is the preferred playground for India, however. In 2023, more than one in 10 arrivals were from India, making it the country's largest source market, followed by Russia and China, according to Maldives tourism statistics.

Persons: Ankit Chaturvedi, Narendra Modi's, EaseMyTrip, — Organizations: CNBC Travel, India, India Express Locations: India, Maldives, Lakshadweep, Andaman, Sri Lanka, Russia, China

☆ Maldives New President Asks India to Withdraw Its Military
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MALE (Reuters) - Maldives new President Mohamed Muizzu, who campaigned on altering the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago's "India first" policy, has requested India withdraw its military from the country. Muizzu won the presidential election in September, ousting Ibrahim Solih in a runoff after promising to remove a small Indian military presence of some 75 personnel. At his inauguration on Friday, Muizzu said, "I will ensure that this country has no foreign military presence on its soil." Muizzu made the request to Kiren Rijiju, India's minister for earth sciences, who was representing India at the president's inauguration, it said. (Reporting by Krishn Kaushik in New Delhi and Mohamed Junayd in Male; Writing by Munsif Vengattil; Editing by William Mallard)

Persons: Mohamed Muizzu, Muizzu, Ibrahim Solih, Kiren, Krishn Kaushik, Mohamed Junayd, Munsif Vengattil, William Mallard Organizations: Indian Locations: Maldives, India, China, New Delhi

☆ Maldives new president asks India to withdraw its military
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mohamed Muizzu, Maldives presidential candidate of the opposition party, People's National Congress speaks with the media personnel during the second round of a presidential election in Male, Maldives September 30, 2023. REUTERS/Dhahau Naseem /File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMALE, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Maldives new President Mohamed Muizzu, who campaigned on altering the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago's "India first" policy, has requested India withdraw its military from the country. Muizzu won the presidential election in September, ousting Ibrahim Solih in a runoff after promising to remove a small Indian military presence of some 75 personnel. At his inauguration on Friday, Muizzu said, "I will ensure that this country has no foreign military presence on its soil." Muizzu made the request to Kiren Rijiju, India's minister for earth sciences, who was representing India at the president's inauguration, it said.

Persons: Mohamed Muizzu, Dhahau Naseem, Muizzu, Ibrahim Solih, Kiren, Krishn Kaushik, Mohamed Junayd, Munsif Vengattil, William Mallard Organizations: People's, REUTERS, Indian, Thomson Locations: Maldives, Male, India, China, New Delhi

☆ Maldives will return Indian military as soon as possible, says incoming president
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Uditha Jayasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Mohamed Muizzu, Maldives presidential candidate of the opposition party, People's National Congress speaks with the media personnel during the second round of a presidential election in Male, Maldives September 30, 2023. REUTERS/Dhahau Naseem/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCOLOMBO, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Maldives will work to return Indian military personnel from its shores "as soon as possible," President-elect Mohamed Muizzu told Reuters on Sunday, insisting it was the top foreign policy priority for the tiny Indian Ocean island chain. Muizzu won Maldives' presidential election last month, beating incumbent President Ibrahim Solih in a second-round runoff. Solih had followed an "India first" policy but Muizzu in his election campaign promised to remove a small Indian military presence of some 75 personnel in Maldives. "The focus is not on the actual number of military personnel here, it is on not having any at all in the Maldives.

Persons: Mohamed Muizzu, Dhahau Naseem, Muizzu, Ibrahim Solih, Solih, I’m, Uditha, Swati Bhat, Susan Fenton Organizations: People's, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Maldives ., Thomson Locations: Maldives, Male, India, China

☆ Foreign troops must leave Maldives, president-elect Muizzu says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mohamed Muizzu, Maldives presidential candidate of the opposition party, People's National Congress speaks with the media personnel during the second round of a presidential election in Male, Maldives September 30, 2023. REUTERS/Dhahau Naseem/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Foreign military forces cannot stay in the Maldives, president-elect Mohamed Muizzu told a rally celebrating his victory in closely watched weekend presidential elections that are expected to redraw ties with India and China. "All the countries which agree to our pro-Maldives policy will be our close friends and allies," Muizzu told supporters at Monday's event. India, with traditionally close ties to Male, denies that assertion, and is helping to build a naval harbour for Maldivian forces to be trained by its military. Solih, who championed an "India First" policy, continues in office until Muizzu is inaugurated on Nov. 17.

Persons: Mohamed Muizzu, Dhahau Naseem, Ibrahim Solih, Muizzu, Solih, Mohamed Junayd, Krishn Kaushik, Uditha, Blassy Boben, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: People's, REUTERS, Foreign, Indian, Thomson Locations: Maldives, Male, DELHI, India, China, New Delhi

☆ Maldives election: could be key for China, India rivalry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Mohamed Junayd | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Progressive Party of Maldives worker poses with an "India Out" flag in Male, Maldives, March 21, 2022. REUTERS/Alasdair Pal/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMALE, Sept 6 (Reuters) - A presidential election in the Maldives on Saturday could be decisive in determining whether China or India win a competition for influence over the tiny Indian Ocean island chain. While India has longstanding cultural, financial and security ties with the Maldives, China has in recent years invested in infrastructure projects as it builds closer ties and pursues its Belt and Road vision of transport and energy networks. India, which denies that, is helping to build a naval harbour for Maldivian forces, who will be trained by the Indian military. Reporting by Mohamed Junayd in Male; Writing by Krishn Kaushik; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alasdair Pal, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Mohamed Muizzu, Ahmed Shaheed, Shaheed, handouts, Solih, Muizzu, Mohamed Junayd, Krishn Kaushik, Robert Birsel Organizations: Progressive Party of, REUTERS, Reuters, Baani, Progressive Party, People's National Congress, Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: Progressive Party of Maldives, India, Male, Maldives, China, Solih's

☆ A Ukrainian MP is being investigated for calling in sick during the war, and then showing up in the Maldives with his wife and kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Ukrainian lawmaker is under investigation after he was found vacationing in the Maldives. He left Ukraine in June on a trip to Poland, and called in sick while abroad on July 10, per officials. He and his family were then discovered to be staying at the Waldorf Astoria, authorities said. Aristov then called in sick on July 10, remotely registering with a private medical institution in Kyiv, the bureau said. The Ukrainian authorities raided Aristov's apartment and seized his passport, publishing a YouTube video showing immigration stamps for the Maldives dated July on the passport.

Persons: Yuriy Aristov, Aristov, Dave Pynt, Ruslan Stefanchuk, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mykola Tyshchenko, Tschenko, Stefanchuk Organizations: Waldorf, Service, Bureau of Investigation, State Bureau of Investigation, Michelin, Journalists, Slidstvo.info, holidaying, Facebook, People, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Locations: Maldives, Ukraine, Poland, Wall, Silicon, Ithaafushi, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Maldivian, Ukraine's, Aristov, Thailand

☆ Beond: the new Maldives airline that's all business class
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

BeondAbout three dozen airlines currently offer service to Velana International Airport, the Maldives’ main airport near the capital island Malé. “The Maldives is one of those markets that can fill an aircraft, even a mostly economy class cabin,” says Feuerherd. However all-business class airlines have used narrow-bodies before. There are no direct flights from Delhi, but carriers including Air India have business class seats from around $750 with a single connection. “There probably is a niche to carve out of premium travelers who want more of a private jet experience, but maybe don’t have the private jet budget.”

Persons: CNN —, –, ”, Sascha Feuerherd, “, Beond, “ We’re, they’d, Arabesque, coy, Feuerherd, it’s, Matteo Colombo, Rob Morris, ” Mike Stengel Organizations: CNN, Ferrari, Airbus, Velana International, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Beond, Perth, Boeing, La Compagnie, British Airways, Etihad, Oman Air, Air India, – Locations: Maldives, India, ”, Malé, Dubai, Delhi, Germany, Frankfurt, Munich, Asia, UAE, Maldivian, Europe, Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, South Africa, Cape Town, La, French, Paris, New York, London, Oman, Emirates, Cirium, – Dubai, Qatar

Redeeming credit card rewards for a stay in the Maldives can save you thousands of dollars. I'll no longer use points for Maldives resorts after an all-inclusive stay that was a much better value. As COVID-19 was sweeping the globe, speculative bookings to faraway places like the Maldives plummeted amid the uncertainty in future travel restrictions. In order to generate revenue, many hotels in the Maldives started offering great deals on fully refundable all-inclusive package deals. Here's how seven days at The Standard Huravalhi Maldives permanently changed my booking approach to one of my favorite destinations.

Persons: —, I'd, Marriott, Ethan Steinberg, we'd, It's, I'm, Shak, Ethan Steinberg Gudaguda, I've, they're, they'll, who's, Zinah, Ethan Steinberg We'd Organizations: Service, Marriott, Malé Locations: Maldives, Malé, Maldivian, KULA, Regis

☆ 2 credit cards can earn you at least 10% back in travel rewards on hotel and car rental bookings — but there are some pitfalls to watch for
▼ + stars: | 2021-12-16 | by ( Jasmin Baron | Sarah Silbert | Read More | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). Read Insider's guide to the best travel rewards credit cards. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns 10x points on hotel and car rental bookings made through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal (after earning the card's annual $300 travel credit). Here's how to earn big rewards on your hotel and rental car bookings with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Prices may be different from booking directly, and you won't earn hotel points or stay credits when you book this way.

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