Addressing residents of the Henveiru ward in Malé as part of his ongoing town hall meetings, President Muizzu announced plans to review the eligibility criteria for social housing, including the requirement for five years of uninterrupted residency in the capital. The pledge came in response to concerns by a life-long Malé resident who explained how his six siblings had changed their registration to Addu when their mother did not inherit any land from her family home.
At the Henveiru town hall, the family of Hussain Humaam Ahmed, who was sentenced to death for the 2012 murder of Dr Afrasheem Ali, appealed to President Muizzu for a fair trial. Humaam's brother Mohamed Kinaanath called for his release after outlining concerns about due process, citing a UN review that had flagged insufficient evidence to warrant a death sentence as well as the acquittal of three suspects implicated in his confession.
After a heavy downpour on Saturday night caused severe flooding across Gaafu Dhaalu Thinadhoo, with many homes inundated, livestock losses reported, and floodwater entering the hospital and water plant for the first time, Mayor Saudh Ali told Dhauru that the rainfall, which began around 1:30am, was the highest ever recorded on the island. The Kaadedhdhoo weather station registered 72.9mm in 24 hours. Rough weather has persisted across the country for over a week.
The Bank of Maldives warned against the abuse of overseas card transaction limits. One individual allegedly used over 100 cards abroad for cash withdrawals and transactions at specific merchants. The monthly foreign transaction limit on debit cards linked to Maldivian Rufiyaa accounts was raised to US$ 1,000 per month on November 11 with a further US$ 3,000 limit for tickets, hotels, and medical treatment. According to the bank, cards belonging to non-travellers have been used to book tickets and hotels. Sharing personal cards violates customer agreements, BML said, warning that it may reverse the changes, block merchant transactions, and report violations to authorities.
President Muizzu ratified amendments to the Tourism Act allowing state-owned enterprises to be allocated islands, land, or lagoons for tourism development without competitive bidding, subject to cabinet approval. SOEs with at least 45 percent government ownership can be granted tourism facilities upon payment of acquisition fees and Corporate Social Responsibility contributions to the Tourism Trust Fund. The changes also permit six-month extensions for development deadlines, deferred rent during redevelopment periods, and fines of up to MVR 1 million (US$ 64,850) for operating tourism services without proper licensing.
A 43-year-old police officer was arrested over a fight inside a Malé salon on Friday. Ali Manik from Addu Hithadhoo reportedly damaged property, assaulted an employee and confronted police at the scene. The officer, who is currently hospitalised after falling while in custody, was suspended without pay. The criminal court ordered him to appear before a judge within 24 hours of discharge.
A 33-year-old man was arrested and remanded for 15 days for allegedly hacking a Viber account and fraudulently obtaining over MVR 150,000 by contacting people in the victim's name, with MVR 75,000 recovered so far.
At this year's World Travel Awards ceremony in Bahrain, the Maldives retained the title of World's Leading Destination for the sixth consecutive year. According to the Visit Maldives Corporation, the country remains "firmly on track to achieve the national target of 2.3 million arrivals by the end of 2025."
The National Disaster Management Authority recorded 251 reported hazard incidents across 20 atolls from December 2023 to December 2024, marking a 37 percent increase from the previous year. Rainwater flooding was the most frequent hazard, affecting 1,423 households, followed by fire incidents concentrated in urban areas like Malé, Hulhumalé, and Addu City. The government disbursed over MVR 10 million in financial assistance for flood and fire response. The Greater Malé Region recorded the highest number of incidents, with May and August identified as peak months, coinciding with seasonal weather patterns. Key challenges identified include high-risk concentration in densely populated urban areas, inconsistent reporting from remote islands, lack of disaggregated demographic data, and reactive rather than anticipatory seasonal response efforts.
US Ambassador Yon hosted senior officials from multiple political parties to discuss American interests in the Maldives and engagement in the region.
The Maldives set a Guinness World Record on Friday for organising the highest number of people snorkelling simultaneously at a single venue with 307 people participating at the Siyam World resort, surpassing the initial target of 250 participants. The event, organised by Freedive Maldives and Siyam World, required participants to snorkel for one minute without surfacing, making Siyam World the first Maldivian resort to set a world record. Participants from Haa Dhaalu, Noonu, and Baa Atolls, along with resort tourists, were awarded gold medals from Guinness World Records.
