In its first punitive action under the "media control law," the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission ordered Adhadhu to immediately remove a cartoon that depicted a man with a Pinocchio nose stealing money from the pocket of another man prostrating in prayer. The thief bears a resemblance to President Muizzu. The satirical cartoon breached constitutional limits on freedom of expression, which restricts speech contrary to a tenet of Islam, the regulator contended, citing provisions in the new media law and code of conduct on respect for Islam. In its reply to the commission’s order, the opposition-aligned outlet said the cartoon was intended to highlight the prevalence of theft in the Maldives, noting that regular mosque-goers would acknowledge that such incidents do occur. Adhadhu asked the commission to clarify how the cartoon violated a tenet of Islam, which the constitution defines as legal principles found in the Quran or the Prophet’s teachings that are undisputed among scholars. The outlet said it would respond formally and decide whether to temporarily remove the cartoon once the commission provides this clarification. The Maldives Journalists Association condemned the commission’s order, warning that “censoring satire is a slippery slope to silence all dissent and set a dangerous precedent”.
Ameen Abdulla, 30, a Maldives Ports Limited employee, died in an accident at the Malé commercial harbour. He sustained critical injuries after falling between two tug boats and passed away while undergoing treatment at IGMH, police said.
The Criminal Court acquitted Abdulla Maumoon, the former managing director of Maldives Gas, of five bribery charges. The Prosecutor General’s Office said it will appeal the decision to the High Court, arguing that the ruling failed to properly assess the evidence presented by the prosecution and was inconsistent with legal and judicial standards. Maumoon is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence after being convicted on two separate bribery charges.
Ahmed Naif, an editor with Dhauru and president of the Maldives Journalists Association, reported receiving death threats on Facebook, including a message claiming he would be “cut up and sold” if he set foot on Kaafu Guraidhoo. Naif said the threats started after his comments on civil servants’ dress code and his remarks on legalising alcohol sales from city hotels during a Dhauru podcast.
The distribution of tuna cases to more than 118,673 households nationwide as Ramadan gifts will begin this weekend, the local government ministry announced. Each household will receive one case. A household is defined in the atolls as a family that cooks and eats separately, while in Malé, households are allocated based on each residential water supply meter. Distribution from 15 centres in the capital began on Thursday night and is scheduled to start on other islands on Saturday. Tokens to collect the canned tuna can be obtained through an online portal and must be collected before February 11. MIFCO said it produced a total of 118,977 cases of tuna and completed wrapping up on Thursday.
The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party said it is preparing to launch its nationwide campaign for the upcoming local council elections on February 12, and will begin training sessions for candidates and campaign teams on Thursday. Abdulla Waheed, the party’s spokesman for the council elections, also accused the government of offering jobs and attempting to exert undue influence over the electoral process.
The housing ministry handed over 41 plots of land awarded from Gulhifalhu under the previous administration's contentious Binveriya scheme.
