Addu City Mayor Ali Nizar slammed the "Greater Addu" campaign slogan of his ruling party rival Mushrif Ali after the PNC's campaign launch in the southernmost atoll the previous night. Nizar, who is seeking re-election on the opposition MDP ticket, accused his opponent of complicity in "dismantling Addu on the direct advice of Dr Muizzu" – referring to October's referendum where Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo split from the city – and dismissed the slogan as “just hollow rhetoric like 'India Out.'" At a rally attended by cabinet ministers on Saturday night, PNC candidate Mushrif laid out key initiatives, including establishing a research centre, expanding tourism beyond guesthouses, creating vocational jobs, attracting investors, and reconnecting with the Addu diaspora. The vision aims to transform Addu into a cultural hub with a knowledge-based economy and regional sporting prominence, he said.
The government lifted a ban on travelling to Syria that was imposed in 2019, and removed Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham from its list of proscribed terrorist organisations following its assumption of power after toppling the Assad regime in December 2024.
The tourism ministry invited bids for resort development in 13 lagoons across Haa Alif Maadhuni and Kelaa, Haa Dhaal Makunudhoo and Maafaru, and Shaviyani Gonaa, as well as a separate tender for three halal tourism zones in Haa Dhaal Makunudhoo, Laamu Fonagaadhoo and Addu's Dhonhera. Dhonhera replaces the originally announced site of Hankede after public criticism prompted the government to shift the location in October. Bids for both tenders close on April 6.
The Supreme Court questioned police procedures and the acceptance of a dying declaration in the first Maldives case where such testimony had been admitted as evidence. Ibrahim Shahum Adam had been sentenced to death by the High Court in 2021 for the 2011 murder of Ahsan Basheer, based on the victim's hospital statement identifying the assailant. His lawyers challenged the conviction and argued that police had failed to record the declaration despite three opportunities. Only police officers testified during the trial without medical staff corroboration, they told the court. The five-judge bench decided to hold further hearings to clarify matters before ruling on the appeal.
Police decided to conduct post-mortem examinations on two inmates who died in prison last week. Ibrahim Suhail, 53, died on Monday from pneumonia after a week of treatment at IGMH, where he was also being treated for a stroke. Hassan Niyaz, 45, from Seenu Hithadhoo, died after his condition deteriorated at Hulhumalé prison and he was transferred to the hospital. He had been sentenced to 25 years for a drug offence on January 30.
The Food and Drug Authority banned the sale of several batches of French brand Babybio infant formula after cereulide toxin was detected. The ban followed a notice from Europe's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed after French authorities ordered the disposal of affected batches. The toxin can cause nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain, potentially leading to dehydration in infants.
Parliament launched an electronic petition portal, allowing citizens to submit and track petitions online through eFaas verification. It makes the country only the third in South and Southeast Asia with such a system after Pakistan and Thailand, parliament said. The portal was developed in partnership with UNDP and supported by the UK and Australian governments. It introduces legal thresholds that trigger parliamentary action and includes timelines for responses, with special petitions eligible for debate in the Majlis.
MTCC assistant manager Abdullah Halid was transferred from Fiyoaree to Ihavandoo after refusing to support PNC candidate Abdullah Mubaah and backing current council president Faisal Rasheed instead, Adhadhu reported. Halid claimed the sudden transfer came at Housing Minister Muththalib's direction after he disagreed with the minister during a site visit, accusing him of using his influence. The ruling party candidate is reportedly the minister's relative. The transfer occurred despite Halid being a senior PNC member who actively campaigned to bring the current government to power.
Government ministries and the President's Office faced 195 complaints last year for failing to respond to information requests within the legal deadline, according to statistics released by the Information Commissioner's Office. Ministries and the President's Office accounted for 142 and 53 of those complaints respectively. A further 53 appeals were filed by persons dissatisfied with the responses. In his address on Thursday, President Muizzu said 1,251 of 1,341 RTI requests submitted to the presidency and ministries in 2025 had been answered, with the remainder still being processed.
Prices of essential items decreased by 0.08 percent in January compared to the same month last year, but rose by 0.45 percent from the previous month.
India's Afcons Infrastructure said the 6.7-kilometre Thilamalé Bridge linking Malé, Vilimalé, Thilafushi and Gulhifalhu is being executed as one of the fastest overwater projects of its class, pushing back against frustrations over the pace of construction. In a statement, Afcons cited rough seas and strong currents as major challenges and compared the project's timeline to the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link and Øresund Bridge, both of which took seven years, and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, which took 11. The company said it expects to complete the Malé-Vilimalé section by the end of this year. The project, awarded in August 2021, is financed through a US$ 100 million Indian grant and a US$ 400 million concessional credit line from India's Exim Bank.
Chief Justice Abdul Ghanee Mohamed announced the judiciary's top priority this year will be clearing a backlog of over 13,000 cases pending for more than a year, with a special task force to be formed next Tuesday. The goal is to make the judiciary backlog-free by year's end while handling an estimated 21,000 new cases, he said at the opening ceremony of the 2026 judicial year.
