The 2017 Maldives local elections were held on 6 May 2017 to elect members of Island Councils, Atoll Councils and City Councils across the country. The elections were originally scheduled for January 2017 but were postponed multiple times following requests by the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), legal disputes, and adjustments requested by the Elections Commission. The final date was set after the Supreme Court rejected further delays.
The elections took place during a period of heightened political tension between the government of President Abdulla Yameen and the opposition coalition alliance led by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Adhaalath Party (AP), Jumhooree Party (JP) and Maldives Reform Movement (MRM). Local councils are the primary organs of decentralized administration under the 2010 Decentralization Act, making the elections an important indicator of national political sentiment.
Vidya Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) is a private self-financing engineering college in Thrissur District in Kerala. The college offers a degree in Bachelor of Technology and courses in six branches of engineering - Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Civil, Computer Science, Electrical and Electronics, Electronics and Communication, Mechanical Engineering. The college also offers a degree in Masters in Computer Application (MCA). From the year 2011, the college has offered four MTech courses and two PhD programmes in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and Engineering. The college was established and is administered by Vidya International Charitable Trust (VICT), a body formed by more than a thousand non-resident Keralites, mostly based in the Arab States of the Persian Gulf.
Lhaimagu Faqeeraa () is a mystic most famously mentioned in the folklore of (). He is supposed to have lived in Lhaimagu island, in the Maldives. According to the story, he saw a vision of a (a woman with exceptional beauty) being born in Burunee island. He then travelled to Burunee to confirm this and informed the king about the .
The word comes from the word fakir, which is a Sufi, especially one who performs feats of endurance or apparent magic.
Claybord Black is a clay coated hardboard panel for scratchboard that is coated with India ink. Comparable to traditional paper scratchboard, it’s more durable and easier to scratch into for cleaner and crisper details and lines. The surface is made of a special clay coating that allows for precise detail and fine lines in drawing, painting, and other artistic techniques. The black background provides a striking contrast for white or colored mediums, making artwork stand out. Artists often use Claybord Black for techniques such as scratchboard, scratch art, and ink drawing. For added dimension, colored inks can be added to the white areas and then scratched again for additional highlights and volume.