The housing ministry defended selling a 1,250 square foot plot in Hulhumalé Phase 2 to Ahmed Zahir at MVR375 (US$24) a square foot, saying it honoured a 2003 commitment to sell him 904 square feet for MVR339,000 that no government had resolved. A leaked memo put the sale at MVR468,750 over five years with a discount of 91 per cent as Hulhumalé rates are above MVR4,500 a square foot. Adhadhu reported the market rate as above MVR10,000. A source told Adhadhu the President's Office ordered the sale. Zahir is a member of the ruling PNC. The ministry said the plot fell vacant when a Binveriya agreement was cancelled, that Zahir gave up a Gulhifalhu plot and that it will refer the matter to the ACC. Housing Minister Muththalib said that a memo sent only to facilitate a payment was "spun in the worst possible way, harming a civil servant and an elderly man who had fought 23 years to correct an injustice."
The Maldivian government pushed back against Indian media reports that it sidelined India by awarding the Thilafushi commercial port relocation project to China Harbour Engineering Company, saying the contract was granted through proper legal procedures and does not signal a shift against any particular country. The first phase, covering feasibility study and design, went to the Chinese firm in February 2026, despite Indian PM Modi having offered to assist with the project during his October 2024 visit. Quay wall construction has been assigned to MTCC. Both India and the US raised concerns over the decision to award the Thilafushi port project to a Chinese firm, Adhadhu reported.
Police said a task force investigating unlicensed foreign currency trading has received 65 tips since launching a public hotline, including information on 27 foreign nationals, 18 businesses suspected of unlicensed trading, four outlets selling at above-market rates and 16 online platforms. One foreign national has been taken into Immigration custody so far.
MMA urged people not to change foreign currency with anyone other than a bank or a licensed money changer, saying it has found some operating illegally without a licence. The central bank recently revoked the licence of a money changer that dealt in foreign currency in breach of the law and regulations.
The President's Office reprimanded Sangu TV and Channel 13 after journalists from both stations raised concerns at Monday's press conference about selective media invitations, telling the outlets their reporters' conduct was regrettable and warning against repeating it, without specifying what the reporters did wrong.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the House of Commons that the Chagos deal secures the long-term legal basis for operating the Diego Garcia military base for 99 years, and that the US-UK military partnership and regional security will remain unaffected. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch argued that handing sovereignty to Mauritius and then leasing back the base weakens Britain's defence posture and inflates costs. The remarks came after President Muizzu wrote to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham asking him to reopen talks on sovereignty over the Chagos Islands. A spokesperson said the president was "deeply disappointed" Britain did not consult the Maldives when Keir Starmer agreed to cede the archipelago to Mauritius. The Foreign Office said it speaks to Maldivian counterparts regularly on a range of issues, but that sovereignty over Chagos is a matter for the UK and Mauritius, "which is why the previous government launched negotiations with Mauritius on the issue in 2022, rather than with the Maldives."
Maldives State Shipping warned that congestion at Malé Port has worsened to the point where bookings, schedules and transshipment routes via Colombo may be changed or cancelled without prior notice. The company says it reserves the right to adjust freight rates, cancel bookings, or reroute vessels due to port congestion, geopolitical disruptions, or sanctions, and will not be liable for any resulting losses. The warning comes amid months of complaints about cargo ships waiting days at Colombo port due to lack of berthing space in Malé.
Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed announced plans to build parking structures on two plots in Malé: the Heenamaage land and a site on Sosun Magu next to MNU Business School, with completion targeted for November next year. He said parking fees will be kept affordable and set by the government, with separate facilities for two- and four-wheeled vehicles, and mechanical and digital on-demand systems. Four sample streets will also be redesigned to eliminate roadside parking, with markings to restrict double-side parking on narrow lanes.
Faafu Bilehdhoo Island Council introduced an MVR2,500 monthly allowance for people who transfer their residency to the island, and an MVR5,000 exit fee for those who de-register, both aimed at halting population decline. The island's registered population stands at 1,417 but only 967 people actually live there. Bilehdhoo becomes the third island to introduce a de-registration fee, following Hinnavaru (MVR 2,000) and Thinadhoo (MVR 5,000).
