A petition calling for the withdrawal of a bill that would allow the government to seize land from council jurisdiction gathered 2,307 signatures, well above the 0.5 per cent threshold that triggers a debate in parliament, becoming the first to meet the requirement since the e-petition was launched in February. The petition must now be taken up during one of the next three sittings.
Former foreign minister Abdulla Shahid launched his presidential bid at a rally in Addu on Friday night. He resigned as MDP president and announced his intention to seek the party’s ticket for the 2028 election. Shahid pledged to draw on his experience in public service and international relations to revive the struggling economy by attracting foreign investment and creating a business-friendly environment for bilateral partnerships. He also positioned himself as a unifying candidate, promising not to alienate party members who had worked for the MDP or its reform efforts. Minority Leader Ibrahim Nazil, the MDP's parliamentary group leader, along with MDP Vice President Hisaan Hussain, and former MP 'Reeko' Moosa Manik attended the rally to show their support.
The government proposed legal changes to require offshore booking platforms, foreign tour operators and overseas travel agents to pay the Tourism Goods and Services Tax. The amendments to the GST law, due to take effect in October, are estimated to generate an additional MVR 1.6 billion (US$103 million) in revenue. Of US$5.6 billion in tourism revenue last year, US$3.2 billion entered the Maldivian banking system.
The National Award of Honour was presented to Mohamed Amir Ahmed for his contributions to Dhivehi language and literature, Ibrahim Rasheed for his contributions to construction and architecture, Najuma Hussain for her contributions to news and media communication, and the Society for Health Education for its contributions to health. The National Award of Recognition was conferred on seven individuals and one private company.
Addu City Mayor Ali Nizar said around 90 employees at Fenaka’s Addu branch were dismissed based on recommendations from three ruling party MPs representing Addu.
Speaking on The Pulse podcast, President Muizzu said most projects undertaken by his administration would be completed in 2027 and that a schedule had been drawn up to ensure completion. He acknowledged delays and slow progress, but said he expected work to resume once economic challenges were overcome. Muizzu also said his administration had to "almost start from zero” the Thilamalé bridge, claiming that no practical work was visible between Malé and Vilimalé when he took office. The project began in 2022 and included manufacturing components at a worksite in Gulhifalhu. In 2023, the contractor Afcons claimed to have built the world’s tallest precast segment.
Aminath Noya Sameeh will represent the Maldives at Mission ShakthiSAT Phase 2 in New Delhi this month, Women in Management said. The programme, run by Space Kidz India, trains 12,000 girls from 108 countries in satellite engineering, with one delegate from each country attending the in-person phase to build two satellites, one for low Earth orbit, due to launch from Sriharikota on 11 October, and one for a future lunar mission.
A fire broke out at a seventh floor apartment in Henveiru Fahiva, causing extensive damages. No resident was harmed. A policeman injured his hand while trying to break through the terrace door.
HPA published a procedure for awarding MVR3 million a year from the Public Health Fund to civil society organisations working on tobacco control. Grants range from MVR75,000 to MVR500,000 with administrative costs capped at 20 per cent of each application.
MNDF said it had covered 9,920 nautical miles by air and 2,790 nautical miles by sea in its search for three men who went missing during rescue efforts after the Friend 4 supply vessel sank. The captain had attempted to save the vessel until the last minute before it sank abruptly, which is believed to have sunk to a depth of 1,600 metres in the Huvadhoo Channel, beyond the operating capabilities of military submarines, MNDF said. The search involved drones, infrared technology, a new patrol boat gifted by the Australian government, interceptor craft, harbour patrol boats and police vessels. A search of the entire Huvadhoo Channel – the widest open-ocean channel between atolls – was expected to be completed on Saturday.
