Police in the Maldives said an explosion that injured former president Mohamed Nasheed was an act of terrorism.

Mr Nasheed, 53, was wounded in the blast Thursday night outside his home and was being treated in a hospital in the capital, Male.

Home minister Imran Abdulla told a local television that the former leader’s injuries are not life-threatening.

Mr Nasheed is the current parliament speaker and was the first democratically elected president of the Indian Ocean archipelago, in power from 2008 to 2012.

Maldives police did not give details on possible suspects or what type of device was used.

No-one has claimed responsibility for the blast. Photos circulated on social media showed a destroyed motorcycle at the scene.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said in a televised speech that Australian federal police investigators will arrive on Saturday.

The Australian Federal Police said its members will engage with Maldives police and assess the assistance that can be provided to their investigation.

Mr Nasheed has been an outspoken critic of religious extremism in the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation, where preaching and practicing other faiths are banned by law.

The Maldives is known for its luxury resorts but has seen rare violent attacks. In 2007, a blast in a park in the capital wounded 12 foreign tourists.

Violence has been blamed on a rise in religious extremism. The Maldives has one of the highest per capita numbers of militants who fought in Syria and Iraq.

Arrests have been made from time to time.

Maldives authorities announced in January that a group of eight people arrested last November were found to have been planning to attack a school and were in the process of building bombs on board a boat at sea.

Police said they also conducted military training on uninhabited islands and had recruited children.

Mr Nasheed’s presidency ended a 30-year autocratic rule, but his own term was cut short when he resigned amid protests.

He was defeated in the subsequent presidential election and became ineligible to enter the 2018 race because of time served in jail. His party colleague, Mr Solih, won the vote.

Mr Nasheed remained an influential figure and was elected parliament speaker in 2019. He has championed global efforts to fight climate change, particularly rising seas which threaten the low-lying islands of his archipelago nation.

Neighbouring India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar said of Mr Nasheed in a tweet: “Wish him a speedy recovery. Know that he will never be intimidated.”

A charity has reported entire streets wiped out following a large explosion in Lebanon.

At least 50 people have been killed and 2,700 injured by the blast near Beirut’s harbour on Tuesday evening.

Authorities in Lebanon are yet to announce the cause of the explosion.

Save the Children said in a statement that members of their team on the ground in the city have reported entire streets destroyed and children unaccounted for.

Despite the charity’s offices in the city being badly damaged, they have pledged that a rapid response team is ready to offer support.

Jad Sakr, Save the Children’s country director in Lebanon, said: “We are shocked and devastated by the explosion today.

“The death toll may not be known for several days but we do know is that in a disaster like this, children may be hurt, shocked and separated from their parents.

“Our child protection teams are ready to support the government’s efforts, which will almost certainly go on for several days to come.

“It is vital that children and their families get access to the services they urgently need, including medical care and physical and emotional protection.”

He added: “The incident could not have occurred at a worst time and has hit communities who were already suffering from the impact of the Covid-19 crisis and the economic deterioration.

“Beirut’s main port, now completely damaged, is vital for much of the food, grains and fuel that Lebanon imports, and families will immediately feel the shortage in basic needs as a result of this tragedy.”

The UK has also pledged help, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying the Government is “ready to provide support in any way we can”.

It a tweet on Tuesday evening he also wrote: “The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking.

“All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident.”