A former President's Office staffer alleged in a documentary by Adhadhu that she had a sexual relationship with President Muizzu, claiming the encounters took place on in his office. The 22-year-old woman, whose identity was concealed, said Muizzu communicated with her using disappearing messages outside office hours. Adhadhu said it had seen the chat logs. She was appointed to the President's Office early last year, worked there for about a week, and was then transferred to political director posts at the gender ministry and later the higher education ministry before leaving government. Presidential spokesperson Heena Waleed denied the allegations, calling them "baseless lies."
The Maldives government told the BBC it does not recognise the UK's agreement to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and is pursuing a formal submission to the International Court of Justice. The President's Office said it raised objections in two letters to the UK in November 2024 and January 2026 and in a phone call with Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy in December, warning that "any transfer of the archipelago must account for Maldivian interests." The government said if sovereignty is to be vested in any nation, "it must rightfully be the Maldives" based on historical and geographical proximity. UK Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said the question of sovereignty was a matter for Britain and Mauritius alone. Mauritius suspended diplomatic relations with the Maldives in February over the dispute.
An environment conservation group organised a protest in Villimalé on Friday against plans to fell trees for the construction of 17-storey housing towers. Government supporters staged a counter-protest, insisting they wanted “development” and accusing the NGO of obstructing housing for Villimalé residents. They harassed the small group of protesters, used obscene language, and demanded they leave the island. On Thursday night, President Muizzu attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the 300-unit housing project by Bank of Maldives subsidiary BML Affordable Home Leasing. The construction of the 900-square-foot three-bedroom apartments was awarded to Rasheed Carpentry and Construction (RCC).
Infrastructure Minister Abdulla Muththalib said five electric vehicles from the state-run taxi service will begin operating in Villimalé, saying it would be suited to the island’s pedestrian-friendly environment.
The Maldives condemned the attack on Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls' School in Minab, Iran, that killed 168 children, calling it a serious violation of international humanitarian law. The belated statement at the UN Human Rights Council came after public uproar over the government's initial silence. The foreign ministry described Israel as "a serial violator of international law and a sponsor of state terrorism" at the core of the conflict. It followed public outrage over the government co-sponsoring a resolution describing Iran's attacks on Gulf states as "unprovoked."
Bank of Maldives shareholders approved a record dividend of MVR 60 (US$ 3.9) per share – totalling MVR 323 million – after the bank posted a net profit of MVR 2.5 billion in 2025, up 9.8 percent. The AGM also approved a 1:2 bonus share issue and a 1:10 stock split. Every existing share will become 30 shares. The face value per share will drop from MVR 50 to MVR 5 once the split takes effect, which BML expects within 21 working days. The book value per share will fall from MVR 3,048 to around MVR 102, positioning the bank for potential future public share offerings. The bank said the changes are designed to make BML stock more accessible to retail investors by lowering the per-share price. Total assets reached MVR 55.8 billion and a record MVR 10 billion in new loans were issued during the year. The government owns 51 percent of BML. The Pension Office and MTCC hold seven and four percent respectively.
Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef inaugurated a land reclamation and coastal protection project and a separate project to build 50 housing units in Gaaf Dhaal Madaveli. He also inaugurated a road development project in Gaaf Dhaal Hoadedhoo. In Faesmaathodaa, he inaugurated the second phase of a road development project and a project to reclaim land, upgrade its harbour and develop a boat beaching area.
President Muizzu visited the project site for the ongoing land reclamation of Giraavaru lagoon west of Malé and inspected the project's progress. About 105 hectares out of a total 167.15 hectares has been reclaimed so far. The infrastructure minister said land surveying, registration and handover of land plots to recipients of a land ownership scheme will begin within three weeks following completion of reclamation.
Customs announced 48 vacancies for assistant customs officer trainees. The government continues to face criticism over a wave of job announcements ahead of next week’s local council elections. The state-owned MTCC was reported to have advertised 1,000 new jobs over the past month, including 600 in the past two weeks alone.
President Muizzu revealed plans to introduce legislation allowing constituents to trigger recall votes to remove sitting MPs or local councillors who lose public confidence. Speaking at an event by Sangu TV titled "Espresso with the President," Muizzu also said he wants to reserve 10 percent of parliamentary seats for young people and women.
Police reported a rise in blackmail and extortion cases involving private photos and videos, as well as the non-consensual sharing and sale of intimate content. Such material shared in trust between partners is increasingly being used after breakups to defame, intimidate, and seek personal or financial gain, causing serious psychological and social harm, police said.
A petition submitted to the People’s Majlis e-petitions portal called on the civil service to count the 90-day period required for promotions even when female staff take the legally mandated six-month maternity leave. The petition had received 1,075 signatures, passing the minimum threshold needed for it to be accepted for debate in parliament.
Police arrested five Bangladeshi men over the kidnapping and torture of another Bangladeshi man at a construction site in Hulhumalé last Wednesday. Police said the victim was found in Villimalé after search efforts were launched following the report.
Current and former attorneys general, former constitutional assembly members and senior lawyers joined a panel discussion organised by the Bar Council to debate the referendum on concurrent elections and shortening the current parliamentary term to align parliamentary and presidential elections. Attorney General Ahmed Usham, along with former AGs Azima Shukoor and Dhiyana Saeed, argued the change would not alter the constitution’s basic structure. Lawyer Shaaheen Hameed also backed the move, while Shamsul Falaah was the only panellist to oppose it.
The Housing Development Corporation issued a seven-day notice to halt the operation of a laundry service being operated out of a residential apartment at Vinares projects in Hulhumalé. HDC told the media that legal action will be taken if the operation is not shut down within the period.
