The Criminal Court sentenced Ibrahim Nazim, owner of Galolhu Pelican, to 10 years in prison for knowingly allowing drug trafficking to take place on his property, the first conviction of its kind since the offence was codified in the drug law. Prosecutors argued that police had repeatedly raided the property, arrested people with drugs and even notified Nazim in 2020, yet he continued renting it to the same tenants. The judge found that maintaining the tenancy despite repeated police warnings amounted to knowingly permitting the criminal activity. Nazim denied the charges, saying he was not present during the incidents and had cooperated with searches.
The tourism ministry gazetted new rules on extending resort construction periods, allowing CSR payments to be spent on development projects at the ministry's discretion rather than paid into the Tourism Trust Fund as before. Extensions now run to 12 months for an island and 24 for a lagoon, with half the work required to be complete by the end or the ministry may terminate the lease. CSR is charged monthly at rates varying by zone and size: a resort under 10 hectares in the Kaafu, Alif Alif and Alif Dhaalu zone pays US$5,000 a month for a six-month extension, rising to US$7,000 a month beyond a year, alongside a US$100,000 fee. Developers who finish within an extension may pay accrued rent and fines over five years interest-free, or over the remainder of the lease at three per cent. The ministry has identified 168 sites that have not opened and where no work is under way; the rules allow it to terminate leases where nothing has been started or more than US$10 million is owed.
A tourism industry meeting turned heated after President Muizzu's former tourism adviser Mohamed Khaleel, who resigned in August, called on the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry to take legal action against a law requiring resorts to convert 40 per cent of their dollar earnings. Khaleel called the amendment unlawful and said ministerial meetings had achieved nothing, adding that he resigned because the president had not listened to his concerns. MATI Chair 'Champa' Afeef pushed back, asking why Khaleel had not raised objections when the conversion requirement was first set at 20 per cent while he was still an adviser. The exchange grew sharper when Khaleel described the Maldives as a "banana republic," prompting Afeef to firmly reject the characterisation, saying he loved his country and would always defend it. Khaleel responded by asking whether defending the country meant watching its economy deteriorate.
Tourism Minister Mohamed Ameen said seven new airlines, from Russia, Bulgaria, Vietnam, Armenia, Ethiopia, France and Kuwait, will launch flights to the Maldives in the final quarter, as the industry works to recover from a slowdown caused by the Middle East conflict. Ameen also revealed that around US$97 million in unpaid land rent from tourism lease holders remains outstanding, with some operators in arrears since 2013. The government is in talks with defaulters but will take legal action if payments are not made. Separately, a new regulation was gazetted covering 168 undeveloped tourism sites, 107 islands and 61 lagoons, some stalled for up to 25 years, with accumulated deferred rent totalling US$537 million. Sites idle for more than eight years can now be immediately repossessed.
BML stopped charging the cross-border fee on debit card withdrawals from ATMs abroad, it said, after students overseas complained on social media that large amounts were being deducted. The bank said it has charged the fee since it introduced card services and stopped from Wednesday night, and that the change means the monthly US$1,200 limit for students' living and education costs can now be used in full.
Housing Minister Dr Muththalib said unresolved housing disputes will no longer be decided directly by the ministry, and will instead be referred to the Office for Civil Rights under the Attorney General's office. The announcement follows public criticism over a leaked memo revealing plans to sell a Hulhumalé Phase 2 plot, originally reclaimed for the Binveriya land scheme, to a private individual without a public announcement. The ministry has already referred the matter to the Anti-Corruption Commission before proceeding, citing the sensitivity of housing issues and the need for transparency.
The Met Office warned of heavy showers and thunderstorms across the country over the next three days as the southwest monsoon strengthens. Winds are expected to gust up to 40 miles per hour during showers, with rough seas particularly in the south. Mariners are advised to monitor weather updates and take necessary precautions.
The Maldives joined a China-led 46-nation alliance to combat telecoms and cyber fraud, with Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusaan signing on at the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum in Lianyungang, China. The alliance aims to share intelligence on cross-border scam networks, coordinate joint police operations, and study fraud conducted through AI and cryptocurrency. The move is timely as police reported over 2,700 scam cases since last year, with losses exceeding MVR33 million (US$2 million) and say 99 per cent of scams are carried out through online social media platforms.
MDP postponed its congress from 19 September to October 1–3, citing difficulty securing a venue after the government declined to cooperate on requests for the Social Centre, Henveiru grounds and Hulhumalé Central Park. The opening ceremony will be held at the Malé City Council hall.
The Elections Commission warned political parties against making unsubstantiated claims at rallies and events, saying such statements violate the conduct code under the Political Parties Act. The statement comes after former President Yameen claimed at a PNF rally last week that the December 2024 ministry building fire was deliberate and that police knew who did it.
MNDF said the two boats that drifted near Malé were in Customs' control, and that it rescued everyone aboard and was handing them over to Customs. It said Customs would provide information about the boats. Customs has not commented, so why they were taken into its control is not known. The boats were anchored between Dhoonidhoo and Malé and drifted at about 10pm when their anchors dragged in a squall, first grounding on the reef off the carnival area and then striking the Sinamalé bridge.
