Italy's foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday that five Italian divers died in what is being described as the worst diving accident in Maldivian history, after the group failed to surface from a deep cave dive in Vaavu atoll. "The divers are believed to have died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 metres," the Farnesina said in a statement, adding that the Italian Embassy in Colombo had begun contacting the victims' families. The five were identified as Monica Montefalcone, 51, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa and a well-known marine scientist; her 20-year-old daughter Giorgia Sommacal, a biomedical engineering student; Muriel Oddenino, 31, a research fellow at the university's DiSTAV department under Montefalcone; Federico Gualtieri, a recent master's graduate in marine biology; and Gianluca Benedetti, an experienced diving instructor from Padua who had lived in the Maldives for seven years. The group had set out from the Duke of York, a 36-metre liveaboard operated by Luxury Yacht Maldives that left Malé harbour on Sunday for a week-long cruise. They were reported missing at 1:45pm on Thursday after failing to resurface near Alimatha. One body, later confirmed as Montefalcone's, was recovered by safari divers at 6:13pm from inside an underwater cave at about 60 metres depth. The Maldives National Defence Force said the four remaining divers are believed to be inside the cave, which is around 200 feet long. Coast Guard Ship Ghazee remained on the scene with additional MNDF divers and specialised equipment dispatched for what the military described as a "highly dangerous, high-risk operation." Police said the weather in the area was rough with a yellow alert in force for passenger boats and fishermen. Diving regulations cap recreational diving at 30 metres. The University of Genoa expressed its "deepest condolences" in a statement, noting the loss to its scientific community; Montefalcone was responsible for major marine conservation projects including Talassa, GhostNet and Mare Caldo and was a frequent television commentator on environmental issues. Italian diving medicine experts cited by Italian press suggested possible causes including oxygen toxicity from high-pressure breathing at depth, contamination of the breathing-gas mixture, or panic at depth, while cautioning that the cause cannot yet be determined. The accident drew immediate international attention, leading the BBC and AFP wire coverage and dominating Italian front pages on Thursday night.
President Muizzu issued a strongly worded, religiously framed response to allegations made in the Aisha documentary, in which a former staffer alleged he had a sexual relationship with her. At a ruling party rally in Malé, Muizzu said a group of young people had asked why he remained silent on the allegations. He said his response was to have faith in himself and to pray to Allah. “I know how I live, what I did or didn’t do, that will not change no matter what anyone else says,” he said, adding that he had no other response to the claims. Muizzu said he welcomed documentaries containing what he described as “false allegations,” arguing that Islam places great importance on patience in the face of reputational harm. He said that remaining patient would bring him sawab (reward). “So I am happy, Alhamdulillah. I wish they would make more documentaries. They cannot make a true documentary to ruin my reputation for sure – all lies. Put out more documentaries with complete lies and it will benefit me, in this world and the next. So if you want to give me more sawab, make more documentaries,” he said.
Muizzu attacked the planned joint meeting of former presidents Mohamed Nasheed, Abdulla Yameen and Ibrahim Solih as the work of "failures" who had betrayed each other. "When people who have grabbed each other by the throat and stabbed each other in the back come together and start talking about the nation while being nothing but failures – when failures come out and speak about the nation – I think when our young people analyse this, they will be very depressed," Muizzu said at the rally, held to celebrate PNC's performance in the April 4 local council elections. The three former presidents are due to meet for the first time on Friday night to discuss what they have framed as a press freedom crisis under the Muizzu administration. Muizzu said democracy in the Maldives currently lacks a responsible opposition and that the country had nothing to gain from working with the three. Without naming Yameen, he referred to the former president's tenure as one in which "people were jailed for the slightest remark," and called on relevant authorities to act on the Covid-era ventilator procurement scandal under Solih and the MMPRC corruption case under Yameen, pledging the government would create the space for such action. He also said the country's foreign policy had previously been tilted to one side but was now recognised internationally, promising "happy news" of results soon.
Protests outside designated areas in Malé will not be permitted, police said, warning it would disperse “unlawful gatherings, take legal action against organisers, and implement all necessary measures to protect public interest.” Police cited complaints about the nightly opposition protests causing road closures, disrupting public transportation, pedestrians, vehicle movement and businesses. Organisers were reminded to “respect public safety, the transport system and the rights of others while exercising constitutional rights.”
The Criminal Court remanded three of the 10 people arrested at Wednesday night's press freedom protest in Malé. Social media activist Shamoon Jaleel 'Lucas' was remanded for 10 days on charges of disobeying police orders and disrupting public order. Ali Juman and Abdulla Shareef were remanded for five and three days respectively over allegations of disobeying police orders and assaulting police officers. The remaining six were released – three under conditions, two due to insufficient evidence for detention, and one after the court found he had been detained without being informed he was being placed under arrest.
Police arrested former journalist and MDP National Council member Hussain Hassan as he prepared to lead Thursday night's protest demanding the release of jailed Adhadhu journalists. Hassan, who had led each of the nightly protests since Tuesday's sentencing, was detained near Lecute on Majeedhee Magu at around 9pm alongside one other person before the protest had begun; only two or three people were in the area at the time. "They arrested us just because one person was standing here," Hassan said as he was taken to Malé Custodial, calling again for Mohamed Shahzan and Leevan Ali Naseer to be freed. Police later used pepper spray on protesters in Henveiru, including spraying several directly in the eyes, according to a Dhauru photojournalist at the scene. At least three people were arrested over the course of the night. Two of those initially released, Mohamed Shamin and Ali Musharraf – both regular figures at the front of the recent protests – were re-arrested overnight under court orders on allegations of assaulting a police officer.
The Maldives Journalists Association filed an appeal at the High Court challenging the Criminal Court's blanket gag order, which prohibits any public discussion of allegations against President Muizzu raised in Adhadhu's documentary "Aisha." The order, issued by Criminal Court Judge Muzammil Nasir, bans circulation of the documentary, prohibits direct or indirect discussion of its contents, and closes the qazf trial of Adhadhu CEO Hussain Fiyaz Moosa and editor Hassan Mohamed to the public on grounds of upholding community morals. MJA argued the order is directed at the entire community and infringes on the basic rights of both the public and journalists, calling a blanket ban on specific information "unacceptable in a democratic society." It filed the appeal as a matter of public interest and is seeking an interim stay pending the High Court's ruling. MJA said in a separate statement that the order fails the three-part test of legality, necessity and proportionality required under the constitution and the Maldives' international obligations. Legal experts have also questioned the order's validity, noting that extending restrictions beyond parties to the case conflicts with the constitutional right to freedom of expression.
Government spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef 'Mundhu' was unable to answer directly when asked how the Criminal Court's blanket gag order could be enforced while large numbers of citizens, including former presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Abdulla Yameen, openly defy it. Pressed by a Dhauru reporter during his weekly briefing on whether such a broadly drawn order could be enforced when only two Adhadhu journalists have so far been punished while many continue to flout it, Mundhu interrupted the question and said the government would "see whether the order can be enforced," but added it was not for the government to clarify the order's scope. "Some people are of the view that, as you say, the order is too broad, the order is too long. Or that they are not clear about what they can and cannot do. The authority you need to clarify with is the judiciary, not the government," he said. Asked specifically about the two former presidents' open defiance, Mundhu repeated that anyone unclear about what they may say should approach the courts: "I am clear about what I cannot say." On the question of which words and which "furniture" were prohibited under the order – a reference to the gag's apparent breadth – he said: "If you ask about the colour I paint my house and my furniture, that's not a question."
The ruling PNC parliamentary group submitted a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim, accusing him of misusing his position to sow discord and disrupt the “parliament’s order” and being biased towards a certain political ideology.
The Dhaalu Meedhoo Council president's race ended in a tie after the High Court reinstated one of two ballots cast for ruling party candidate Suha Ibrahim that had been invalidated during recounts. The result had remained unresolved since the April 4 local council election, when Suha initially defeated MDA candidate Mohamed Shahid by a single vote. Following complaints, the Elections Commission conducted two recounts and invalidated two of Suha’s ballots over additional markings. Challenging the decision at the High Court, Suha secured a partial victory on Thursday. The court ruled that the EC had correctly invalidated one ballot containing a separate mark, but wrongly rejected another where the tick beside the candidate’s name had simply been darkened with an extra pen stroke.
Police seized 18 cases of loose tobacco and 75 cartons of cigarettes from a Galolhu house, a Hulhumalé Phase 2 apartment and a van on Wednesday night, in an operation targeting the illegal import and sale of cigarettes. Police said the operation followed intelligence that various brands were being imported and sold in breach of the law. The van was towed and the case remains under investigation. No arrests have been made.
Malé City Council fined a speedboat for dumping rubbish on the southern harbour quay before departing, the council said. The vessel was traced and penalised when it returned to Malé and docked at Jetty 1 on the city's northern side. The council said such dumping is prohibited under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act of 2010 and urged residents and visitors to keep public spaces clean.
