Mohamed Nasheed

Mohamed Nasheed, the former president of the Maldives, has been granted refugee status in Britain, his office said on Monday, May 23rd.

Maldives dispersed opposition protesters for a second straight day Saturday, using tear gas and pepper spray and arresting more than a dozen demonstrators demanding the release of a former president and other jailed political leaders.

The Maldives president declared state of emergency on Wednesday following an explosion on his speedboat and the discoveries of a homemade bomb near his residence and a weapons cache.

Following clashes in the capital of Maldives, the president of the small nation resigned on Tuesday.