Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu held a press conference that lasted nearly 15 hours. This was reported by his office on Sunday, saying it broke the previous record set by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, UNN reports with reference to AFP.
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Muizzu, 46, began the marathon press conference at 10:00 a.m. (05:00 GMT) on Saturday and continued for 14 hours and 54 minutes with brief pauses for prayers, his office said in a statement.
"The conference lasted past midnight — a new world record for a president — with President Muizzu continuously answering questions from journalists," the statement said.
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In October 2019, the National Agency for Registration of Ukraine stated that Zelensky's 14-hour press conference broke the previous record of more than seven hours set by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.
The government of the archipelago in the Indian Ocean said that Muizzu's extended session was also timed to coincide with World Press Freedom Day on Saturday.
"He recognized the crucial role of the press in society and emphasized the importance of factual, balanced and impartial coverage of events," the statement said.
During the extended session, Muizzu also answered questions asked by members of the public through journalists.
The statement said Muizzu, who came to power in 2023, also noted his island nation's rise by two positions to 104th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
During Saturday's session, he answered a wide range of questions, the statement said.
About two dozen journalists attended the meeting and were treated to food.
Muizzu's predecessor set another world record by holding the first-ever underwater cabinet meeting in 2009 to highlight the threat of rising sea levels that could flood the low-lying country.
Former President Mohamed Nasheed dived into the Indian Ocean, followed by his ministers, all in scuba gear, for a nationally televised meeting.
The Maldives is at the forefront of the fight against global warming, which could lead to rising sea levels and flooding of the country, which consists of 1,192 tiny coral islands scattered across the equator.