The Civil Service Commission amended its regulations to allow a 30-minute buffer period for employees who cannot reach the office on time due to unforeseen circumstances, without requiring prior approval, provided they notify HR. Employees arriving within the buffer period will have their end-of-day time adjusted accordingly, but those arriving after the 30-minute window will be marked late. Civil servants with medical conditions will also be allowed to work from home after submitting a doctor's letter.
The Local Government Authority ruled that Shujau Ali, who won the presidency of Vaavu Thinadhoo Council on a Democrats ticket, has vacated his seat after registering with the MDP, under a government amendment to the Decentralisation Act barring councillors from switching parties mid-term. Shujau said he joined MDP after The Democrats was dissolved for failing to maintain the minimum membership required under party law.
Bankers see automated, "invisible" payments as the next five years' biggest shift, panellists at the Maldives Financial Expo said. BML CEO Shareef suggested a tourist booking a holiday could have the resort, seaplane, launch transfers and excursions all paid at once through a payment API, without checking which bank is involved or entering card numbers. He said resort websites would need to be readable by AI, and pointed to "agentic commerce" already emerging abroad and supported by Visa and Mastercard, as well as the growing use of stablecoins. MIB's Ahmed Riza said an automated payment system was overdue, and that API integration to let people settle multiple bills at once was needed "today, not in five years." SME Bank CEO Badhurulla Hassan said banks should offer payment-gateway and blockchain services to local marketplaces. But panellists cautioned that the systems of government and major service providers are not yet built to adopt the newest services. They also flagged low financial literacy: MMA figures show more than 90,000 e-wallets registered but only about 28,000 active.
President Muizzu said the government's approach to tackling drug addiction centres on rehabilitating addicted youth and reintegrating them into society, calling for a community-based system grounded in religious values and involving families and state institutions. He said rehabilitation centres are being built on three islands and outlined supporting measures including housing, employment opportunities and small business support to prevent relapse.
PNC will hold voting in 131 island constituencies in Saturday's internal elections. Spokesman Mohamed Firuzul told the press that more than 2,500 candidates are contesting, calling it a major success for the party's mobilisation. The voter list has been published, with complaints to be lodged through the party portal; eligibility is based on the PNC membership registry at the Elections Commission as of June 15. Each constituency elects a president, deputy president, women's wing president, youth wing president and steering committee president. The PNC's congress is set for September 15 to 18.
The state earned US$ 120 million (MVR 1.8 billion) last year from resort lease extensions and land sale and transfer fees, according to the finance ministry's budget report. Eighteen parties paid to extend resort lease periods under the window opened in 2025, and 15 paid MVR 196 million in fees for land sale and transfer to develop resorts. A March 2025 amendment to the Tourism Act gave resorts substantial relief by letting them pay a discounted one-off fee for extensions if they paid early: within six months of the amendment taking effect, extending a 50-year lease by a further 49 years costs a one-off US$ 5 million, by 20 years US$ 2.5 million, and by 25 years US$ 3 million, after which a 49-year extension costs a one-off US$ 10 million. Previously, extensions cost US$ 100,000 per year added, rising to US$ 200,000 a year if paid over more than six months. The Maldives now has 179 operating resorts, with 44,977 beds.
Police arrested six Maldivian men aged 21 to 34 on suspicion of planning an assault in Malé and Hulhumale, seizing a folding knife and MVR 39,695 (US$ 2568.02) in cash from a Maafannu guesthouse and a nearby location searched during a Thursday night operation. The Criminal Court remanded four for 15 days and released two on conditions.
MDP signed a settlement agreement to pay Island Aviation MVR 3.6 million it owes the state airline. The debt is for chartering aircraft and tickets taken on credit during former President Solih's 2023 presidential campaign. The Civil Court had ordered the payment and ordered it again at the enforcement stage before the settlement was reached.
