President Muizzu’s three-day visit to Pakistan, the first by a Maldivian head of state in 11 years, coinciding with 60 years of diplomatic ties, produced 20 MoUs covering defence, health, fisheries, tourism, IT and AI, civil aviation and other sectors. Both sides agreed to grow bilateral trade from US$13.9 million to US$200 million within two years. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif briefed Muizzu on Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty dispute with India during their summit, though Muizzu made no public comment on those remarks, speaking only of Maldives’ readiness to work with regional countries toward reviving SAARC. Muizzu also received an honorary doctorate from the International Islamic University of Islamabad during the visit.
Parliament’s public accounts committee approved increases to allowances for the speaker, cabinet ministers and island councillors, raising their total monthly remuneration to MVR95,125 (US$ 6,154), MVR75,500 and between MVR23,000 and MVR30,500, respectively. The changes include an MVR22,000 allowance for the speaker, an MVR 17,000 vehicle allowance for ministers and an MVR5,000 service allowance for councillors. Opposition MDP MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa opposed the hikes, warning that the additional expenditure would strain the state budget and leave councils with less funding for services.
Heavy rainfall flooded parts of Malé as the Meteorological Service issued an orange alert warning of torrential rain and possible flooding in the central atolls. Pumps were deployed in 10 areas and sandbags requested by 33 homes, 35 shops, four schools and two clinics, among others, the National Disaster Management Authority said. The authority said it had helped 31 of the properties by 11pm and supplied 10,000 sandbags to the Malé City Council, with the MNDF, police, the Red Crescent, MTCC and HDC also involved in the response. One home reported a sewage leak. Earlier in the day severe flooding in Gaaf Dhaal Fiyoaree affected 90 per cent of households. The Met office expects adverse weather to continue for two to three days.
Civil Court Judge Abdulla Ihusaan resigned amid a Judicial Service Commission investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against court staff. The JSC’s investigative committee found misconduct on 12 October and had recommended his dismissal, although the commission had not yet formally decided on his removal. The JSC confirmed that Ihusaan’s resignation took effect on Wednesday.
Police are investigating the alleged gang rape of a 22-year-old woman on an island under the Upper South Police jurisdiction, following a report filed on Tuesday. Police said the investigation has also uncovered suspected cases of child sexual abuse and exploitation and that the allegations are being treated as a serious criminal matter.
Majority Leader Ibrahim Falah said it would be "unwise" for Maldivians to join the opposition’s “Maldivian Land for Maldivians” protests against the Eagle Hills Maldives Waterfront and Marina project. During a parliamentary debate on a resolution calling for the agreement to be made public, he called it the most transparent project the country has announced and said the opposition is against it because it would help President Muizzu win the next election. He asked whether Maldivians should forever be left with "a loincloth and shorts, casting nets in the sea."
MDP MP Meekail Naseem accused the government of rushing the Eagle Hills deal because someone stands to profit personally, saying it is hard to explain otherwise why roughly 500 hectares of Rasmalé is being handed over with no acquisition cost, even though the state earns nothing from the project.
Lawyer and former MP Ali Hussain asked the Judicial Service Commission to review a Supreme Court registrar's decision to reject his constitutional case seeking to halt the handover of 500 hectares of Rasmalé to Eagle Hills. The registrar ruled last week that the matter cannot be filed directly at the Supreme Court as a first-instance case. Ali Hussain, who filed within the 14-day review window, argues that the agreement directly violates Articles 250 and 251 of the constitution and should be declared void. He is also seeking an interim order freezing the deal so no third-party rights can arise over the land.
Former deputy transport minister Hassan Zihan was remanded in custody for 15 days over a Facebook post suggesting it would be entertaining to set fire to the President’s Office, Parliament and Supreme Court. Zihan, who was arrested in Fuvammulah, made the remarks in response to a news report about protests in Albania before deleting the post. The Fuvammulah magistrate court ordered his detention pending investigation. Zihan, a former MNDF officer dismissed from his ministerial post in 2024, has been a vocal critic of the government.
