The Criminal Court sentenced Adhadhu journalists Mohamed Shahzan and Leevan Ali Naseer to prison for 15 days and 10 days respectively. After rushed closed-door hearings, they were found guilty of contempt of court for allegedly violating a blanket gag order that prohibited reporting "directly or indirectly” about a documentary in which a former aide alleged a sexual affair with President Muizzu. Shahzan was found guilty of contempt of court for questioning why President Muizzu made late night phone calls to the staffer. He was sentenced to 15 days and fined MVR 25,000 (US$ 1,620). Leevan was fined MVR 26,800. The pair were taken to Maafushi jail late on Tuesday night after initially being held in Hulhumale jail.
The housing ministry has received 37,000 applications, including drafts, for the Muizzu administration's first housing scheme with two weeks to go before the deadline, Minister Abdulla Muththalib told the press. Of these, 20,000 have been formally submitted and 17,000 are still in the application stage. The scheme, launched on January 18, aims to distribute 7,900 flats and 15,000 plots of 1,250 square feet in Rasmalé, with eligibility limited to couples where neither spouse owns property. Muththalib said the ministry has enough land in the Malé area for 10,700 flats, down from an earlier estimate of 12,000 after Civil Aviation capped Hulhumalé Phase 3 buildings at 14 storeys instead of 17 to accommodate the airport flight path. Work has started on 3,260 flats; another 4,000 are planned at Gulhifalhu under an Indian Line of Credit.
President Muizzu issued a decree formally removing methylphenidate from the list of prohibited drugs, completing the legal change parliament approved unanimously on Monday. The ADHD medication is now available in the Maldives as a first-line treatment. The presidential Decree amends the 2011 Drugs Act on the recommendation of the National Drug Control Council, after cabinet approval and the parliamentary vote. Methylphenidate had been classified as a prohibited narcotic under Item 89 of Schedule I.
Kulhudhuffushi City Council barred Mashi Maali parade figures that fall outside "general social standards", contradict Islam, or use the names or photographs of identifiable people. The annual parade, held each Eid al-Adha, traditionally features satirical effigies mocking topical political and social issues and draws nationwide attention. Participants will be individually responsible for the figures they enter, the council said, while encouraging "figures big and small" to take part. Dhauru noted the restrictions come amid the controversy over Adhadhu's documentary alleging wrongdoing by President Muizzu, on which the Criminal Court has barred direct or indirect discussion pending its ruling.
A 69-year-old woman from Alif Alif Rasdhoo died on Wednesday morning of a heart attack she suffered after finding her son hospitalised from an assault on the island last Friday night. Zaahidha Idrees collapsed at the hospital where her son had been admitted unconscious, after he was struck on the head with an iron bar in a money dispute with a Chinese national who runs the guesthouse where her son works, according to Dhauru. Both were flown to Malé the same day; IGMH confirmed Zaahidha's death at 8:39am. Her son's condition is reported to be stable. The Chinese man was arrested on the night of the assault but later released, prompting some islanders to gather outside the guesthouse in protest.
The Criminal Court sentenced a 43-year-old man to 15 years in prison for sexually abusing multiple children. Sharafullah Ismail of Muraka, Kandhuhulhudhoo in Gaaf Alif atoll was convicted under the Special Measures for Perpetrators of Child Sexual Abuse Act. Police said the conviction followed examination of the evidence and legal arguments submitted in the case.
Ashiyath Alaika Adhnan, the PNC candidate who lost the Malé Women's Development Committee presidential race last month, was appointed state minister at the tourism ministry, Mihaaru reported. The appointment was made on Tuesday but has not been officially confirmed by the government.
The Criminal Court sentenced a 43-year-old woman to six years in prison for blackmail and producing pornographic material. Mariyam Riyasa of Southbreeze, Henveiru was convicted on under the Sexual Offences Act.
The 21st Asia Media Summit opened in the Maldives, drawing more than 300 delegates to Villa Nautica resort under the theme "Maldives 2.0: From Tradition to Tech." Jointly organised by the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development and state broadcaster PSM, with the Bank of Maldives as main sponsor, the four-day summit features plenary sessions on digital transition, a ministerial dialogue on public media regulation and AI workshops. Technology Minister Ali Ihusaan inaugurated the event, warning of "serious challenges: misinformation, disinformation, online manipulation, and declining public trust" and saying "responsible journalism has never been more important than it is today." The summit concludes on Thursday with a coral planting initiative in Kudagiri.
