Time named President Muizzu among the magazine's annual 'Most Influential People in Health,' citing a generational ban implemented in November 2025 to bar anyone born after 2007 from purchasing tobacco, as well as a ban on the import, sale and use of vapes enforced in December 2024. "Muizzu’s administration has sometimes been accused of overreaching policies, but in addition to the ban, it also established free tobacco cessation clinics on each of the islands, and started a free 24/7 mental-health helpline in 2026," Time observed.
Addu City's linked islands faced a new bout of power cuts after an engine failure brought down the powerhouse, Fenaka informed the public. The utility said it was working to restore supply. Addu has suffered recurring blackouts for over a decade. It experienced outages on 89 days in the past year alone, despite successive government promises of a permanent fix. Water supply in the city is also intermittent. An announced project to address the issue has yet to begin.
Police suspended an investigation officer suspected of involvement in the theft of MVR 2 million (US$130,000) worth of sea cucumbers from a Thilafushi warehouse. The officer has been removed from investigative duties and is being investigated by the Professional Standards Command, police said. The sea cucumbers, belonging to a Chinese national, were stolen on December 29 through fraud and deception and recovered from two houses in Malé. Police said 787kg of the 1,438kg haul consisted of species banned from export. An MPL employee is also suspected of involvement. The suspect had petitioned the Criminal Court to release the seized goods but the court ruled they should remain in police custody. Police have announced plans to auction the stock on the advice of the Prosecutor General's Office, saying the rightful owner cannot be determined. The case follows an investigation by Raajje TV that detailed how the officer allegedly lured warehouse guards away on a pretext while accomplices removed the stock.
MTCC completed laying asphalt on Malé's ring road from the local market to the official jetty, expanding the busy stretch to four lanes ahead of Ramadan. "The widened roads will help ease traffic congestion, while a new stormwater drainage system will reduce flooding during heavy rainfall ensuring safer, more resilient infrastructure for all road users," the state-owned company said.
SME Digital introduced a shariah-compliant guesthouse financing facility, offering up to MVR 10 million (US$ 648,500) with a 9.5 percent "annual profit rate" and a 15-year repayment period with a grace period of up to 18 months. The loan will require collateral and a minimum equity contribution was set at 20 percent of the total project cost. The Bank of Maldives subsidiary also offered up to MVR 1.5 million for homestay or smaller scale rental facilities.
Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation fined two residents a total of MVR 8,000 for dumping waste in the social housing towers in Hulhumalé, the first penalties since the corporation warned it would begin enforcement. FDC and WAMCO have cleared 460 tonnes of rubbish – about 27 dump truck loads – from 13 of the 32 towers in Phase 2, where residents moving into the new 4,000 flats have been piling furniture packaging, construction debris and household waste in corridors and around lifts. A recent rubbish fire at one tower damaged water pipes. Managing director Hamdhan Shakeel posted photos showing areas cleared on Saturday had been filled with waste three days later, calling the dumping "uncivilised." Residents have complained that disposal costs are high and there is nowhere to store waste while renovation work is ongoing. FDC has also set up new dustbins for household waste.
The Civil Court ordered Beyond Air's operator, Beyond-SimDi Operations, to pay US$ 16,160 to an Italian passenger who was not refunded after cancelling six tickets in accordance with the luxury airline's own refund policy. Silvio Pinto had sought US$ 14,000 in ticket refunds and US$ 2,160 in legal costs. The company did not contest the claim.
The government proposed a legal framework for the national service programme, which is open to Maldivians aged 16 to 28 and consists of basic education and training followed by a placement in a uniformed service. The bill would create a governing council chaired by the president – and including the home affairs, defence and finance ministers, the defence chief and the police commissioner – to oversee the programme. The first three-month cohort of 350 recruits completed training last year, of whom 66 went on to vocational training at an MNDF facility in Baa Kihadhoo.
The High Court upheld an order requiring the JSC to provide over MVR 678,000 in back pay to former Supreme Court Secretary General Dr Hussain Faiz, who was fired in November 2022 on allegations of installing CCTV cameras to spy on judges from his office. Faiz denied the claims and the Employment Tribunal found his dismissal was unlawful. The High Court concurred, ruling that the JSC failed to prove misconduct and that simply claiming a loss of trust does not relieve an employer of the burden of proof. Faiz now serves as a member of the Civil Service Commission.
In his ongoing official visit to Germany, President Muizzu delivered a keynote address at Berlin's Humboldt-Universität calling for climate finance to be treated as a matter of justice, arguing that countries like the Maldives contribute negligibly to emissions but face the gravest consequences. He urged the integration of climate risk into national planning, scaling up concessional adaptation finance. Natural ecosystems such as reefs and mangroves remain among the most effective climate defences, he said. Adaptation and development must go hand in hand, he said, warning that delay only multiplies future costs.
At the German Council on Foreign Relations, Muizzu called for an ocean-centred foreign policy, saying the ocean remains underrepresented in strategic thinking despite its role in climate regulation, food security and global trade. He described the Indian Ocean as one of the most consequential regions of the 21st century and stressed the need to protect undersea digital infrastructure through international cooperation. Small states are increasingly emerging as norm-shapers in climate action and marine protection, he said, adding that ocean governance will shape the future of both small island nations and the wider international order.
During a debate on a bill to classify attacks on mosques as terrorism, MDP MP Mohamed Ibrahim objected to Majority Leader Falah branding the opposition "a party of irreligious ideology," and asked the speaker to intervene. But Speaker Abdul Raheem said only a new law could prohibit such language, though he urged MPs not to use it. MDP MPHussain Ziyad said no Muslim had the right to declare another irreligious and noted that parliamentary rules already bar speech contrary to Islam.
State-owned Island Aviation Services sold the Maldivian Aviation Academy flying school in Addu to a foreign-backed company at a significant loss, Adhadhu reported. The airline invested US$ 2 million to establish the academy but sold it with all its facilities to Zenith Aviation Academy, a joint venture registered last year, for about US$ 900,000. Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen said the academy was sold because it was running at a loss, and that operating an airline and a flying school together was unusual. But aviation industry sources told Adhadhu the sale amounted to giving away a long-term revenue stream, noting that Zenith has already enrolled a large number of foreign students in a global market where pilot demand far outstrips supply.
