Senior diplomat becomes new Maldives foreign minister

Senior diplomat Mohamed Asim has become foreign minister in the Maldives after his predecessor resigned to protest the resumption of the death penalty.
The president's office says in a statement that Asim took the oath of office before a senior judge today.
Dunya Maumoon resigned last week citing differences with President Yameen Abdul Gayoom's attempts to resume executions after more than 60 years of unofficial moratorium. Local media report that Maumoon's resignation is also a result of conflicts between the president and his half-brother and the ex-foreign minister's father Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who was a former president.
Two murder convicts have lost their final appeals and face imminent executions.

Famous for its luxury island resorts, Maldives became a multiparty democracy in 2008 after decades of autocratic rule.