Court employees nationwide wore black to work in protest against the new salary structure, which they say reduces take home pay despite modest basic pay increases. A petition signed by 81 legal officers claims the revised framework removes key allowances and reduces total pay by MVR 240 (US$ 15.5) to MVR 1,300 depending on grade, with officers now earning less while working six days instead of five. Other concerns included the removal of experience-based step allowances, lack of non-practice compensation, and reduced recognition for senior positions and advanced qualifications.
A full house committee of parliament decided against revising the anti-defection amendments made to the constitution in November 2024 that strips MPs of their seats if removed from their party. The ruling party’s supermajority rejected a proposal to either a public vote or roll call before seat forfeiture. The committee voted 50-8 to reject the recall vote provision.
The PNC’s parliamentary supermajority rejected a bill proposed by opposition MP Meekail Naseem to repeal the 2013 Freedom of Assembly Act. Amendments made to the law in 2016 effectively banned street protests in Malé, restricting gatherings to areas designated by the home ministry. The MDP government made a mistake in keeping the restrictions in place during the previous administration, Meekail said last week.
A foreign tugboat was fined MVR 12 million for destroying 477 square metres of reef at Shaviyani Milandhoo after sinking last October. The Environmental Regulatory Authority ordered Singapore-based Gloha Maritime Company, owner of the New Zealand-registered vessel Shwe Lin Yon, to pay compensation within one month, though historically only a limited number of operators settle such penalties for reef damage.
The Food and Drug Authority banned the sale of BabyHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula after traces of Clostridium botulinum bacteria were detected in the product. The US-manufactured formula was flagged by the US FDA and reported through the World Health Organisation's International Food Safety Authorities Network, prompting MFDA to prohibit the import and sale of all batches of the brand as a precautionary measure against the botulism-causing pathogen.
First Lady Sajidha Mohamed praised STELCO's electrician course for women, saying that it marks the beginning of major societal change by empowering women with skills to enhance household safety and economic independence. The program trained 116 women across seven batches in basic electrical troubleshooting, equipment identification, and energy-saving practices, addressing frequent fire incidents caused by electrical shortages due to lack of knowledge. STELCO Managing Director Ahmed Shamah Rasheed noted the free course aligns with government efforts to foster equal opportunities for women, with strong enrollment response and potential for income generation, supported by the new State Utility Skills Academy in Thulusdhoo designed to accommodate 50 trainees at a time.
