The government of Maldives says it has received information that the Supreme Court was about to order the arrest of President Abdulla Yameen.

The attorney general says the order would be unconstitutional and the police and army say they would refuse to carry it out. The Maldives was plunged into political turmoil on Thursday after the Supreme Court overturned convictions for terrorism against jailed political leaders and self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed. The first parliamentary session of this year, which was due to be held on Monday, has been cancelled indefinitely over security concerns.