Two fires broke out in Malé, both quickly put out with no injuries. A fire that started in a socket in a third-floor apartment at Mithuruge in Galolhu was reported at 8.39am and extinguished by 9.08am, damaging the apartment. The National Disaster Management Authority initially gave the location as Hudhuruvaage before correcting it to Mithuruge, citing an information error. The NDMA said four people lived in the house and one room was destroyed. A separate fire in a storeroom at Shafaage in Maafannu, a two-storey non-residential building near Jaya Cushion, was reported at 9.26am and put out by 9.46am; as a precaution, 10 expatriate workers next door were temporarily evacuated. The cause of the storeroom fire was not given. In an unconfirmed third incident, NDMA chief executive Hisaan Hasan told Mihaaru firefighters were attending smoke coming from a house near Kalaafaanu School.
A fire the same night gutted a house in Addu Maradhoo. The MNDF said its Maradhoo fire station was alerted to the fire at Chaman at 8.06pm and put it out by 10.55pm. No injuries were reported.
Ahmed Saneeh, a PNC councillor for Hulhumalé Medhu constituency, resigned as chair of Malé City Council's audit committee amid public criticism over his appointment, given his alleged involvement in the Binveriya land fraud case and a theft from a water theme park. He was the only former HDC employee linked to the land fraud not to have his position restored. The Malé City Council, the largest budget recipient among councils, has not been regularly audited for the past five years.
Malé City Council's 2020 audit report, covering former Mayor Shifa Mohamed's tenure, found that quotations were obtained from related businesses, including two branches of the same company and separate businesses owned by the same shareholders, for MVR 732,043 (US$ 47,470) worth of purchases, and that contracts were split to avoid procurement thresholds. The report also flagged mismatches between daily revenue records and the annual report, missing asset verification, unreconciled income registers and absent budget control documentation.
Five people were treated after a boat and a launch collided off Malé. Police said a launch called "Legion 1" was reported to have come alongside the Izzuddin jetty at 9.16pm. The other vessel left the scene without stopping, police said. Five people were taken to IGMH for treatment: four expatriate men and one Maldivian man.
The tax authority collected MVR 2.9 billion in June, up 10 percent from the same month last year and 14.7 percent above its own projection. MIRA said the rise was driven by higher bank income tax, general-sector and tourism-sector GST and corporate income tax, with bank income tax boosted by advance payments ahead of the July deadline. The figure was also lifted by corporate social responsibility fees and resort lease-period extension fees, which had not been collected in June 2025. MIRA said 14.3 percent of the month's revenue came from payments past their deadlines and a further 23.4 percent from targeted efforts to recover outstanding dues.
Muaz Mohamed Rasheed, the former managing director of Fenaka who resigned in December 2024 citing the company's unsustainable financial position, was appointed deputy managing director of Malé Water and Sewerage Company. His appointment comes despite corruption allegations including a case involving the purchase of cables at inflated prices, which he denied.
Custom seized more than 3.6 kilograms of synthetic cathinone worth over MVR 5 million that was being smuggled into the country by post on June 18.
Customs also seized more than 3.5 kilograms of drugs – 740 grams of cannabis and 2,796 grams of hash oil – worth over MVR 2.7 million that was being smuggled into the country by air on June 29.
A cargo boat sinking five nautical miles off Vaavu Felidhoo was assisted by the Coastguard. The Jazeera Q-10, travelling from Malé to Thinadhoo in Gaaf Dhaal, began taking on water and sinking, with its maritime rescue coordination centre alerted at 3.27pm. The two Maldivian and five expatriate crew on board were taken onto a launch. No injuries were reported.
Bahrain's Gulf Hotels Group signed an MoU with local partner Keiretsu to jointly develop a luxury resort in Kaafu Atoll, marking the group's first investment in the Indian Ocean. The planned resort will be affiliated with an as-yet-unnamed international luxury brand, with a joint venture to be established to own, develop and operate the property.
Dr Aminath Fazna, a paediatrician at IGMH and the first Maldivian doctor to specialise in autism diagnosis, passed away at the age of 47 after battling cancer. She completed her developmental paediatrics training at the University of California and had been practising since 2024, and is survived by two daughters.
