After weeks of protests over plans to construct three 17-storey housing towers on land occupied by a laurel-wood grove in Villimalé, Housing Minister Dr Muththalib said one of the towers would be relocated to another site as the original plan would have required uprooting trees and cutting branches. The government had always aimed to carry out the project without removing trees, but limited availability of vacant land made it challenging to build flats for thousands of families, he tweeted. Reclaimed land and areas currently being reclaimed have already been earmarked for allocation as residential plots, he added.
The race for the Maldivian Democratic Party chairmanship intensified as former president Mohamed Nasheed campaigned in Addu, while MP Meekail Naseem, backed by President Solih’s faction, held a rally in Malé. Speaking in Addu, Nasheed said no one had “bled on the streets” more than him and stressed that his victory was key to winning the 2028 presidential election. Former economic minister Fayyaz Ismail said the party needed a “strong leader” like Nasheed rather than a youthful character at this time. Meanwhile, Meekail filed a complaint over deputy chairperson Ibrahim Waheed’s involvement in Nasheed’s campaign, arguing he must remain impartial as the senior official overseeing party membership. At his Malé rally, Meekail pledged greater transparency in the party’s finances.
Thoriq Ibrahim and Adam Shareef, who were recently dismissed as tourism and local government ministers respectively, along with former Attorney General Dhiyana Saeed, were appointed as Ambassadors-at-Large. Government spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef confirmed the appointments to the media.
The health ministry announced vacancies to recruit nine senior social service workers for the Initial Response and Case Management Section of the National Mental Health Department, amid a rise in suicide cases.
The Supreme Court scheduled a hearing on Wednesday to deliver its ruling on a constitutional challenge to amendments that allow political parties to unseat MPs by expelling them from the party.
Fenaka Corporation addressed concerns over high electricity bills in March, stating that readings were taken and bills issued in line with standard procedures, with no unauthorised changes made. The company said it will re-check the readings of anyone who has questions over their bills. The utility company noted that electricity usage typically rises during March, April and May each year, and urged the public to be mindful. According to STELCO data for Greater Malé, peak demand hit 125,943 kilowatts over the past month. Felt temperatures reached 37.3°C on April 4, Mihaaru reported in a data analysis. Demand closely tracks temperature, peaking between 2pm and 9pm when heat and household occupancy overlap.
Haa Dhaal Nolhivaram has been experiencing frequent power cuts since Ramadan, council president Yoosuf Moosa told Adhadhu.
The Japanese government handed over disaster response equipment worth a total of US$ 4.3 million to the National Disaster Management Authority.
Four new members – Hudha Faheem, Aishath Malha, Ali Shinan and Aishath Ali – were appointed to the board of Visit Maldives.
Police said it recovered a total of MVR 619,048 (US$ 40,146) stolen in theft and robbery cases in Male’ and Hulhumale in April. The recovered amounts include both cash and estimated value of retrieved items.
The Police Drug Enforcement and Counter Narcotics Intelligence unit conducted a series of raids, arresting five expatriates in connection with drug and alcohol-related offences. Bangladeshi national MD Rajib Ali, 35, was arrested on Wednesday after police stopped him on a road in Malé and found 35 bottles of alcohol in his possession. Another Bangladeshi national, MD Haroon Mia, 47, was arrested on Saturday, with police seizing four 5-litre bottles, 126 bottles (500ml), and 14 jerry cans containing substances suspected to be alcohol from two apartments linked to him in Malé. Police said both Rajib and Haroon were handed over to immigration authorities for deportation to Bangladesh. Sri Lankan national Husman Rasik Arsil Aleem, 26, was arrested at Velana International Airport while attempting to smuggle over one kilogram of drugs, and was remanded for seven days. In a separate case, Bangladeshi nationals Shiful, 40, and Sajib, 32, were arrested after Maldives Customs intercepted them attempting to smuggle 1,105 grams of drugs and illegal prescription medication through the airport. They were remanded for 15 days.
Chief Superintendent of Police Ahmed Shakir was appointed as the commander of South Police Division.
