A power outage triggered a complete blackout across Malé and Hulhumalé on Saturday afternoon, just hours after the State Electricity Company celebrated the “successful” upgrade of a 50MW power station in Hulhumalé without disrupting electricity supply. The upgrade was carried out during low-demand hours between 3am and 8am. STELCO announced around 11am that the work had been completed as planned and thanked staff and Wartsila engineers. The power cut occurred about an hour later. Electricity was fully restored to all areas by 3:30pm. STELCO Managing Director Ali Azwar told the state broadcaster that the outage was caused by issues following updates to TLC software and firmware.
DAN Europe and Maldivian authorities issued a joint statement on Friday providing a preliminary factual overview of the four-day search and recovery operation at the cave system in Vaavu atoll where five Italian divers died on 14 May. The statement, coordinated between the MNDF, Maldives Police Service, DAN Europe, the Finnish technical diving team, the Italian foreign ministry, Nakai Resort Alimatha and two local contractors (Water Solutions and Foresight Surveyors), confirmed that the four divers found together had entered an additional tunnel branching off the second chamber, just beside the entrance tunnel, and concluded they were "unable to find their way back to the exit, most likely due to disorientation within the cave system." Any further determination on causes and responsibilities would be left to investigators, the statement said, urging the public and media to refrain from circulating unverified speculation. It warned the cave should not be entered without specialised cave-diving training and equipment, and closed in memory of the six victims: the five Italians and MNDF Sergeant Mohamed Mahudhee. The appeal to stop speculating comes as several competing expert theories have circulated through Italian and international press: DAN Europe CEO Laura Marroni's wrong-turn reconstruction for la Repubblica last week; veteran Maldives diver Shafraz Naeem's account to ANSA of a likely cascade of nitrogen narcosis, inadequate gas at depth and poor visibility; and Alfonso Bolognini, president of the Italian Society of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine, who has suggested the group may have been pulled into the cave by a strong current.
The bodies of the four Italian divers recovered last week – Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, Federico Gualtieri and Muriel Oddenino – were repatriated on a Turkish Airlines flight via Istanbul, arriving at Milan's Malpensa airport on Saturday afternoon and transferred to a hospital morgue in Gallarate for autopsies. Rome prosecutors are running a parallel culpable homicide investigation against persons unknown, with a coroner, toxicologist and diving-medicine specialist enlisted; the Gualtieri family has also retained its own forensic pathologist. Instructor Gianluca Benedetti's body, recovered on May 14, was returned earlier and an autopsy has already been ordered.
At a press conference on Saturday, chief government spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef 'Mundhu' faced repeated questions over the death of Sergeant Mahudhee during a recovery dive. The MNDF had not informed President Muizzu that Coast Guard divers lacked the capability for the operation, he said. But Mundhu avoided directly addressing questions about incorrect information he had initially provided regarding Mahudhee’s death. He also said that discussions are ongoing to introduce regulations for technical diving in the Maldives.
Italian investigators took possession of mobile phones, computers, tablets, USB drives and a hard drive belonging to the five victims of the Vaavu diving incident. According to DIVE magazine, the items were transported to Italy by Stefano Vanin, an associate professor of zoology who was aboard the same live-aboard vessel, and handed over to the Genoa Flying Squad of Italy’s state police. Investigators have also requested access to GoPro cameras, dive computers and other equipment recovered from the victims and currently held by Maldivian authorities.
Former President Nasheed apologised for leaving the MDP in 2023, saying he felt compelled to do so after former President Solih stopped speaking to him after the party secured a parliamentary supermajority in 2019, alongside concerns over the handling of the May 6 bomb attack investigation and the MDP parliamentary group's attempted removal of close associates. Nasheed made the remarks in response to a question from an MDP member in Raa Dhuvafaru. While acknowledging he may have made mistakes, he said he wished party members would also apologise to him. Responding to the comments, Meekail Naseem – who is facing off against Nasheed for the party chairmanship – said MDP members do not owe apologies to any leader, saying that it was party members who elevated them.
Ahmed Shakir, 48, who was reported missing after jumping into the Hulhumalé lagoon from an oil barge on Thursday evening, was found dead on Friday morning. Police said Shakir entered the water near the STELCO area in Hulhumalé to tie a rope and was reported missing at around 6:30pm. Search efforts involving police, the MNDF and airport rescue teams led to him being found unconscious underwater at about 8:25am on Friday. He was taken to Hulhumalé Hospital, where he was declared dead. The man was a crew member on an oil barge, MNDF said.
Adhadhu journalist Leevan Ali Nasir was released after serving 10 days in prison on contempt of court charges for writing a news report about a May 10 Criminal Court gag order banning discussion or publication related to an Adhadhu documentary, in which a former President’s Office staffer alleged a sexual relationship with President Muizzu.
The deadline to apply for land plots and housing flats under the Muizzu administration’s 'Housing for All' scheme was extended for a third time until June 15, the housing ministry announced. The scheme’s information hotline will remain closed for the Eid al-Adha holidays until May 31. The previous application deadline had been May 31.
A coalition of civil society organisations and tourism groups wrote an open letter to President Muizzu raising concerns over the recent downsizing and rezoning of the Eedhagili Kilhi and Koattey Protected Area in Addu Nature Park to facilitate a road extension through reclamation of the Moolekede Fishimathi wetland. The groups said the project scope had expanded following the rezoning, leading to further encroachment into the degraded wetland. They argued the move makes buffer zones around the core protected area unclear, despite the site’s UNESCO biosphere reserve status requiring such protections. The groups criticised the environment ministry for enabling “further irreversible damage” and said Muizzu had failed to uphold his pledge to consider youth voices in environmental decisions.
The Sri Lankan High Commission reminded Maldivians that all foreign nationals travelling to Sri Lanka will be required to complete an Electronic Travel Authorisation before departure starting May 25. However, Maldivians will continue to receive a free 90-day tourist visa through the ETA system, the High Commission said.
Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital set up a fever and rash help desk in response to a rise in measles cases. The desk, located near the ambulance portico by the main emergency entrance, will operate daily from 8am to 11pm, the hospital said. Patients experiencing fever and rash were advised to wear masks to help prevent the spread of infection.
A total of 63 National Service recruits graduated after completing skills training at a ceremony held in Baa Kihaadhoo. The group included 14 girls and 49 boys aged between 17 and 19. According to the defence ministry, the recruits completed a four-month programme in automobile engineering, marine engineering, electrical work, refrigeration, welding and office management.
Defence Minister Hassan Rasheed met with British High Commissioner Nick Low and discussed “ways to further bilateral and defence cooperation” with the United Kingdom.
