President Muizzu, cabinet ministers and the Indian High Commissioner walked across the section of the Thilamalé bridge connecting Malé to Villimalé to mark the national Engineer's Day. Muizzu told reporters that he expects the bridge to be completed within a year and that it symbolise the close partnership with India.
Muizzu, accompanied by the foreign and infrastructure ministers and Chinese Ambassador Kong Xianhua, visited the China-Maldives Everlasting Friendship Park to mark the anniversary of the adjacent Sinamalé bridge and Engineer's Day. Muizzu thanked Ambassador Kong for China’s continued assistance to the Maldives, while both exchanged conciliatory remarks
Muizzu announced plans to establish a state-of-the-art engineering laboratory. In a video message, he said the laboratory would provide services to a range of disciplines, including civil, mechanical, electrical, electronic, software, aircraft and aeronautical engineering, as well as robotics, AI and digital engineering. As part of a media blitz to mark the Engineer's Day, which he introduced last year, Muizzu also met with engineering students from MNU’s Faculty of Engineering, Science and Technology.
The Criminal Court sentenced Zubair Ali, Nasif Ali and Ismail Zabeeh to prison after finding them guilty of money laundering and possessing and selling pornographic content through nine Telegram accounts and 571 channels. The three men were arrested in August 2024 on suspicion of distributing 241,651 photos and 86,618 videos of Maldivian women. Zubair was sentenced to three years, seven months and 27 days in prison and fined MVR600,000 (US$38,910) for possessing and selling pornographic content and money laundering. This included a jail sentence of just 18 days on one count of possessing pornographic content, including those of children, and nine days for the second count. Nasif and Zabeeh were each sentenced to two years and six months in prison on money laundering charges. Nasif was also ordered to pay MVR263,232, in addition to the money he obtained through the Telegram channels. Zabeeh was ordered to pay MVR100,000 in addition to MVR700,000 he obtained by catfishing users into believing he was a woman.
MIFCO increased its skipjack tuna purchase price from MVR20 per kilo to MVR21 per kilo. The state fisheries company said the change reflected current supply and demand.
Several Bank of Maldives customers had large, unauthorised amounts deducted from their bank accounts, Adhadhu reported.
A 28-year old man from a south-central island was arrested on Friday for sexually abusing his three-year-old daughter and recording the abuse, Mihaaru reported.
A nine-year-old girl injured in a motorbike accident in Hulhumalé on Saturday was transferred from Hulhumalé Hospital to IGMH, where she is being treated in the Intensive Care Unit on a respirator, the hospital said.
The High Court ordered the Civil Court to accept a lawsuit filed by private tuna exporter Ensis Fisheries against the fisheries, economic and finance ministries, challenging the government’s decision in November 2023 to provide subsidies exclusively to MIFCO and increase its tuna purchase price to MVR25 per kilo. Ensis argued that the decision amounted to anti-competitive conduct against private companies, which purchases, processes and exports tuna from the same market under a license issued by the fisheries ministry. The company asked the court to rule that the government’s capital contributions to offset losses incurred from purchasing tuna above international market prices violated the 2020 Competition Act. Ensis also sought damages from the government. The High Court overturned the Civil Court's July 2024 dismissal of the case in July 2024, saying the lower court must first hear arguments from both Ensis and the government on whether the decision falls within the exceptions granted to the government under the Competition Act before determining whether the remedies sought by Ensis can be granted.
The board of Hankede Development Corporation, the state-owned company created to develop an integrated tourism development in Hankede in Addu atoll, has been constituted with a majority of members from the Bank of Maldives, Adhadhu reported. The company’s managing director and three out of its five board members are senior officials of the bank.
The National Social Protection Agency asked people who registered for social security benefits before November 2024 to re-register by 30 November 30 continue receiving the benefits, citing rules on providing benefits for a two-year period.
Two regulations under the Insurance Act came into force. One defines what counts as a risk located in the Maldives, including immovable and movable property, people living here, liability, and registered businesses, and sets out when an exemption may be granted from the requirement to insure such risks with a licensed local company, and how to deal with a foreign insurer where one is allowed. The other covers who may solicit insurance business, the requirements for a broker's licence, licensing conditions for companies, branches and subsidiaries, security deposits and insurance funds, and administrative action under the act. Insurers operating in the Maldives must hold an MVR2 million security deposit.
The ruling PNC invited applications from candidates seeking senior party positions at its upcoming congress, scheduled for 15-18 September.
