Male is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. The city is geographically located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll (Kaafu Atoll). Administratively, it is a city-class constituency and is governed by the Malé City Council. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where the palace was located. The city was then called “Mahal”. Formerly it was a walled city surrounded by fortifications and gates (doroshi).

A hillside erupts in flame as a raging wildfire fire burns in Placerita Canyon in Santa Clarita, Calif., Monday, July 25, 2016. A raging wildfire that forced thousands from their homes on the edge of Los Angeles continued to burn out of control Monday as frustrated fire officials said residents reluctant to heed evacuation orders made conditions more dangerous and destructive for their neighbors. (Photo by Nick Ut/AP Photo)

The R.C. Bush Pilots club was started in 1981, for those who enjoy flying radio control (RC) model planes. It’s one of the largest clubs in Florida, and calls Phil Wherry Field in West Palm Beach home. Photo: Professional pilot and remote control plane enthusiast Bob Rembert prepares to start the propeller of a 1/4 scale Edge 540 remote control, gas powered plane. (Photo by Bill Ingram/The Palm Beach Post)

Derby's Byron MacLean, left, edges out Hall's Joe Nham in the boys 55-meter hurdles at the CIAC State Open indoor track championships at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven, Saturday, February 17, 2024. Lyman Hall's Owen Rich, right, falls after taking down the final hurdle. (Photo by Cloe Poisson/Hartford Courant via AP Photo)

“As a photographer, peregrinator and naturalist, I have been searching for the ultimate unworldly world. I've always been drawn to unusual travel destinations. For me, to lose myself in a different culture is a great way to find balance in my life...”. – Li Xinzhao. (Photo by Li Xinzhao)

An arm holding a giant gun appears to explode through a wall, while elsewhere a man walks a tiger on a leash. These breathtaking pencil drawings are the work of 31-year-old artist Ben Heine, who lives and works in Rochefort, Belgium. The “anamorphic illusions”, part of the artist's “Pencil Vs Camera” series, appear slightly distorted unless viewed from the exact same perspective in which they were created. Photo: Visual artist Ben Heine at work in his studio while he creates one of his “anamorphic illusions” in Rochefort, Belgium. (Photo by Ben Heine/Barcroft Media)

Blind and visually impaired Palestinian students walk down the stairs at a school, where they are taught English through song and music, at a school in the West Bank city of Hebron March 2, 2016. Palestinian students at a school for the blind in the West Bank are learning English through song, a welcome departure from using braille and memorising grammar rules. While students are delighted with the change, some parents in the religiously conservative town of Hebron are concerned that using music in the classroom jars with Islamic tradition. (Photo by Ammar Awad/Reuters)