Firefighters responded on Friday night after an outdoor air-conditioning unit caught fire at an apartment in Hiya tower 5. The fire spread and damaged the sewage lines of 38 apartments in the building. The National Disaster Management Authority provided temporary shelter to 140 people from 30 apartments. The Housing Development Corporation said repair work is underway on the affected outdoor units and toilets.
Land reclamation at the Giraavaru lagoon began on Friday, followed by a lottery draw on Saturday to determine the allocation of plots from the newly reclaimed land under a revised land-use plan for the artificial island west of Malé.
Maldivian airlines launched short-haul domestic flights linking the four southernmost atolls using its Twin Otter aircraft fitted with landing wheels. Fares have been set at MVR 500 (US$ 32) for flights between Addu and Fuvahmulah, MVR 650 for flights between Fuvahmulah and Kooddoo or Kaadedhdhoo airports in Huvadhu atoll, and MVR 900 for flights between Addu and Huvadhu atoll. The airline said the expanded domestic network, which connects the four atolls to Gan International Airport in Addu City, is expected to help boost tourism in the southern region.
The International Federation of Journalists condemned the use of the "media control law" to "censor and suppress press freedom" following the new regulator’s order for Adhadhu to remove a political cartoon. The IFJ also raised concern over recent death threats made on social media against Ahmed Naif, president of the Maldives Journalists Association. The organisation called for the immediate repeal of the law and urged authorities to conduct a swift and transparent investigation into the threats.
Aboobakur Abdulla, an 83-year-old resident of Baa Eydhafushi who was critically injured in a traffic accident two weeks ago, passed away on Friday while undergoing treatment at IGMH in Malé. The elderly man was struck by a pickup truck on January 15 while walking home after Maghrib prayer. The driver was arrested and the incident remains under investigation.
The State Trading Organisation reported a net profit of MVR 244 million (US$15.8 million) in the final quarter of 2025. The state-owned company posted total net profits of MVR 762 million for the full year.
Ahead of the 5:30pm deadline on Sunday, the Elections Commission accepted 1,556 candidacy applications for local council seats and 1,332 applications for Women’s Development Committee positions as of Friday night. Of the approved council candidates, 1,197 are representing political parties while 359 are running as independents. For the WDC races, 1,091 candidates are affiliated with political parties and 241 are contesting independently.
