The "feels-like" temperature is rising with an average of 36 degrees Celsius across the country on Sunday, the Met office warned, advising caution ahead of the warmest period of the dry monsoon from mid-March to April. In anticipation of higher electricity usage, STELCO opened a backup facility in Hulhumalé with a dozen 1.6 megawatt generators.

After interviewing three applicants for a vacancy on the Supreme Court bench, the Judicial Service Commission advised the president to appoint High Court Chief Judge Hussein Shaheed to the apex court.

HDC terminated a contract with JAAH Construction over failure to complete an apartment complex in Hulhumalé despite multiple extensions since the Gardens project was launched in 2017 and payments were collected from buyers. The company was ordered to hand over the site after a final 45-day notice for completion. In a separate development, the civil court upheld HDC’s December 2018 cancellation of an agreement with Sealife Global to build 3,000 flats. 

In a secret ballot among city council members, Maafannu West councillor Mohamed Areesh was elected unopposed as the new deputy mayor of Malé with unanimous support. Following his resignation last week, former deputy mayor Ahmed Nareesh was appointed as a ministerial-level advisor to the youth and information minister.

MIFCO sought a US$ 64 million loan from the Islamic Development Bank to “enhance facilities, equipment, and expertise.”

The fisheries minister inaugurated a US$ 1.5 million coral cultivation and reef restoration project. The “Reefseed” project is a collaboration the Maldives Marine Research Institute, the Australian Institute for Marine Science, and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

Transparency Maldives backed calls by the Maldives Journalists Association for a prompt and fair investigation of an alleged threatening phone call from the president to the Adhadhu CEO. The veteran editor, Hussain Fiyaz Moosa, is also due to appear before the Maldives Media Council on Monday afternoon. 

Customs seized 1kg of cannabis from a shipment that arrived at the Velana International Airport. The estimated street value of the drugs was MVR 877,600 (US$ 57,000). 

Hikuma Ahmed Zahir was appointed as a member of the Employment Tribunal.