President Muizzu did not meet a “fake” Saudi prince as widely reported, Foreign Minister Khaleel told parliament. Fahad Saud Alshalan is legitimately the son of a Saudi princess, he insisted, but failed to explain why the President’s Office quietly deleted a statement on its official website – which used the title "His Royal Highness Prince" – and removed social media posts about the meeting, which came after he attended the signing of a multi-billion finance hub joint venture with a Qatari family office on May 4. Alshalan was found to be a distant relative of the Saud family without any official government role.
Fish catch dropped to 107,666 tons in 2024, well below the 26-year average of 140,000 tons annually from 1998-2023. The decline worsened in 2025 with catches falling 34 percent to 43,191 tons by July 31 compared to 65,479 tons in the same period last year.
Of 1,600 individuals stopped by the police in Hulhumalé in July, 1,000 were found to have criminal records, police statistics showed.
UAE budget carrier Air Arabia became the first international airline to operate from Velana International Airport's new terminal.
The Dhonfanu council urged President Muizzu to transfer management of Hanifaru bay from the Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve Office to the council.
Former president Yameen sat down for a lengthy interview with Adhadhu, denying complicity in corruption scandals or the arrest of opposition leaders.
The High Court reversed a magistrate's court order to release a police constable arrested for alleged vape and drug trafficking. The court recommended measures to revise the rules and protocols for swearing in new police officers after the defendant claimed to have stayed silent when the oath was administered, fearing the consequences of swearing by God. The admission angered the presiding judge who admonished the defendant's lawyer.
The government is working with international lawyers to “recover” ocean territory lost when a new maritime boundary was drawn with Chagos, the foreign minister claimed, blaming former president Solih’s recognition of Mauritius’s sovereignty over the southern archipelago.
The parents of a baby who fell ill due to a multi-drug resistant bacteria that spread at IGMH in May accused the government-run hospital of refusing to issue a referral letter for a follow-up visit to India. IGMH insisted the treatment is available locally but the family was reluctant to go back to the hospital.
The government reimbursed the Vaavu atoll council for the president’s visit to Felidhoo last year, which cost MVR 134,000, after the council’s president complained on social media.
Despite a vaping ban and steep tariff hikes, a UNICEF report found that tobacco use remains at alarmingly high levels due to peer pressure and a culture of smoking. Key policy recommendations included advocacy for the inclusion of youth in policy-making.
