Hassan Mamdhuh 'Mandey' was convicted on Saturday over the fraudulent sale of apartments from the K-Park Residence in Hulhumalé. The Hanbo Company’s minority shareholder – who was accused of taking more than MVR 100 million (US$ 6.5 million) as payments after forging the signature of managing director Shihu Jin, a Chinese national – was found guilty of 94 out of 104 counts of theft, fraud, deception and money laundering. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Tuesday with the court due to rule on the remaining charges. Mandey had been taken to court under police custody after failing to appear for a hearing last week.
PNC concluded its primaries on Saturday for April's local council elections with 298 candidates competing for 84 tickets in 42 constituencies. More than 11,300 votes were cast across 44 polling stations nationwide. The turnout exceeded 50 percent of about 21,000 eligible voters, the ruling party said. Final results are expected Sunday evening. Campaign Manager Ibrahim Falah described the process as peaceful and well-organised. But vote counting was disrupted in one Malé constituency over alleged rigging. Ahead of the polls, State Minister Dr Ahmed Adeel Naseer withdrew his candidacy for Addu Mayor, reportedly at the request of party leaders, handing the ticket to Mushrif Ali unopposed.
On Friday afternoon, Maafushi residents protested on speedboats in front the dredger reclaiming the Fushidhiggaru lagoon near the island – a hot spot for guesthouse tourism – voicing concern over damage caused to coral reefs from the spread of sedimentation plumes. Cristóbal Colón, one of the world’s largest trailer suction hopper dredgers, is reclaiming land for the current administration's flagship Rasmalé eco-city project.
A day after benefits for single parents were raised as pledged by the president, the regulations were amended to lower the upper limit of the monthly allowance for single mothers and fathers from MVR 15,000 (US$ 970) to MVR 12,000 a month. The allowance is to be raised from MVR 1,000 to MVR 3,000 per child with effect from January.
A fight between Nepalese women in Malé on Friday evening is under investigation, police said. Video circulating on social media shows three migrant women fighting in front of a café while bystanders attempted to intervene. The cause of the altercation remains unclear.
Izam Zahir, 25, from Gaaf Dhaalu Vaadhoo, a suspect wanted on allegations of rape, voluntarily surrendered to police on Saturday after evading authorities since July 2024. Police had issued nine public notices seeking his arrest following multiple court orders to produce him for hearings.
Customs seized 40kg of hashish oil in bottles labelled as chocolate syrup. The street value was estimated at MVR 30 million (US$ 2 million).
The higher education ministry announced plans to launch a project in January to train 250 local therapists, including speech, occupational, behavioural, and psychotherapists.
The operator of the Velana International Airport decided to raise CIP lounge rates from January. The fee will increase from US$ 219.07 to US$ 275 for passengers over two years old. New seasonal pricing will apply from April, with peak season (October-March) rates reaching US$ 400 for adults and US$ 300 for children aged two to 12. Tourism operators expressed dissatisfaction over the price hikes during high season without corresponding service improvements.
Two in every five residents will be a foreigner by 2062, "reflecting structural dependence on foreign labour combined with slowing population growth among Maldivians," the chief statistician warned, citing the Population Project report published in October, which estimated that the Maldivian population will peak in 2050 with 427,994 people. A fertility rate of 1.7 children per woman remains below the 2.1 children per woman needed for a stable population. "In 2022, foreign men outnumbered Maldivian men by 17,000 in the 25–29 age group. By 2062, this gap is projected to widen, reaching 40,000 in each of the key working-age groups," the Statistics Bureau observed last week.
A "major" study has been done on the use of Dhivehi poetry to treat mental health illnesses, Dhivehi Language Minister Adam Naseer Adam told the press, in response to a question about his much-derided remarks at last year's National Poets' Day.
Located in Noonu atoll near high-end resorts such as Velaa, Soneva Jani and the Cheval Blanc Randheli, the UAE-financed Maafaru airport is becoming the main hub for private jets arriving for the tourism peak season. Following the recent opening of a new apron and terminal extension building along with the doubling of the parking area this year, Maafaru is currently hosting 15 private jets with more than 25 expected by Sunday, the airport's general manager told Mihaaru on Friday. The number of private jet is expected to reach 800 this year, up from 579 last year. The state-owned airport operator, Island Aviation Services, is working with a German company on formulating a master plan for Maafaru, which will include a two-storey terminal building as well as an airport hotel, a permanent fuel facility and expanded seaplane services. Negotiations are underway for direct international flights.
