Maldives government closes all luxury spas

Luxury spas in the Maldives, along with massage parlours, must close, the government ordered yesterday. The move threatens the income from tourism, a sector that generates nearly 30 per cent of GDP.

Opposition parties claimed sales of pork and alcohol in the mainly Sunni Muslim nation were offensive. But some said the action was not a matter of morals or religion, but aimed at harming businesses owned by opposition members.