Former President Nasheed denied calling for the legalisation of alcohol sale on inhabited islands. The denial came after he said during a recent visit to Maafushi – to inaugurate the 'Heart of Maldives' tourism brand on the island that pioneered guesthouse tourism – that resort services or products should also be available from hotels and guesthouses on local islands. The remarks were widely interpreted as a call to authorise the sale of alcohol and pork on inhabited islands, drawing condemnation from religious scholars. The government will maintain the restriction on liquor and pork sale, Tourism Minister Thoriq Ibrahim told the press. "The only things that are available on resorts but not available on inhabited islands aren't alcohol and pork. We don't need to legalise alcohol on populated islands," Nasheed tweeted.
Four thefts a day on average are reported in Malé, 93 percent of which involve stolen motorcycles and electronic devices, police said at a press briefing. Of 3,449 cases reported in the capital so far this year, 1,425 were theft-related. Police recovered 865 out of 967 motorcycles. About 1,000 repeat offenders – including individuals arrested 128 times this year – are involved in the majority of cases, Superintendent Abdulla Rasheed explained. Discussions were underway with the PG office to expedite their court cases. An operation to ensure security in the Greater Malé Region and nearby resorts during the upcoming school holidays will be launched on Wednesday, Assistant Commissioner Abdulla Shareef announced.
Environment Minister Thoriq defended the removal of decade-old trees in front of the atoll shops on Malé's ring road. The busy section of the outer road could have been expanded without uprooting the shady trees, environmental NGO Bluepeace said, calling it "sad and heartbreaking". Asked about the removal at a press conference, Thoriq said the government will plant more trees to replace ones cut down for development projects, claiming to have planted one million trees under a five-million-tree initiative. According to an HDC official, the trees from the local market area are being replanted in Hulhumalé.
A racing track will be developed near the Hulhumalé highway, President Muizzu announced at the ‘Youth Coffee with the President’ session, held to conclude the two-day National Youth Conference. Racing tracks will be built in Malé and Addu as pledged during the campaign, Muizzu said in response to a question from a participant. The former project will be contracted to the Maldives Airports Company Ltd, he said. The president also addressed other concerns including housing and jobs.
As a small island nation, the Maldives has the "luxury of being able to cooperate freely with all" in lieu of alignment with one bloc, President Muizzu wrote in an op-ed published in the UK's Telegraph.
