Fuvahmulah remained without water for a second day despite assurances by the president's spokeswoman at 2:51pm that water supply would be restored in about six hours. Earlier in the day, the MNDF delivered 2,800 cases of bottled water, of which 1,200 were distributed by the afternoon. The water supply had been disconnected around 1pm on Monday over health risks posed by contamination. Following instructions from the Food and Drug Authority and the Health Protection Agency, the state utility Fenaka Corporation was in the process of disinfecting the entire pipeline and flushing out storage tanks, the spokeswoman said. The disruption affected more than 9,000 residents in the southern atoll, leading to long queues outside shops and the MNDF distribution centre.
In his speech at the Republic Day ceremony, President Muizzu pledged to sign contracts in the near future to build 7,000 housing units in the Greater Malé Region and to invite applications for 15,000 plots of land to be awarded from Rasmalé over the next five months. The reclamation of Giraavaru will resume this month followed by Uthuru Thila Falhu before the end of the year, he said. The reclamation of 1,100 hectares from the Fushidhiggaru lagoon south of Malé is underway for the creation of Rasmalé, the current administration's flagship project to develop an eco-city as "a permanent solution" to the capital's housing crisis. The ongoing reclamation will "speed up threefold during the next month" after the arrival of more dredgers, Muizzu said.
Mosques in Malé and Addu were vandalised in two separate incidents. A window was smashed at the Thoiba mosque in Malé early on Tuesday morning. Mohamed Mutheeu Hassan, 24, was arrested from the crime scene, police told the media. Damage to a mosque in Hithadhoo were reported around 5:40pm. Photos posted by the Mishkat Foundation showed chairs strewn on the carpet and sockets and an electricity board torn off the wall.
A foreign national died after a cargo boat ran aground on Kaafu Kaashidhoo's southern reef. Police rescued 10 people at sea but the man had gone missing after the accident. He was found on the reef close to midnight but was pronounced dead upon arrival at the health centre, police said.
In his Republic Day address, President Muizzu committed to resolving the problem of indefinite detention of individuals awaiting trial. He cited the completion of a new criminal court building and a bigger budget for the judiciary as efforts made by the government to expedite stalled cases. An #EndVaanuvaa campaign has been underway over the past week with thousands of social media posts and the slogan sprayed on walls and public spaces across Malé. There were 435 people in pre-trial detention as of January 20. In May, the PG office started releasing non-violent offenders with electronic monitoring devices. However, only 10 detainees have been released with the ankle tags so far.
A 50-year-old woman was arrested for physically and sexually abusing her child while under the influence of alcohol. The case was reported to the police by the social and family protection ministry. The woman was taken into custody from a residence in Malé with a court order. Her identity was not disclosed to protect the victim. She was remanded for 30 days, police informed the media.
The Bank of Maldives introduced QR codes for money transfers and enabled WhatsApp as a channel to receive OTPs.
Damas company founder Mohamed 'Dimms' Solih was bestowed with the Order of the Dignified Rule of the Muleege Dynasty at the Republic Day ceremony. President Muizzu conferred the Highest Honour for Service to the Maldives Health Sector Medal on Moosa Anwar and presented the National Award for Public Service to 97 recipients. The President’s Award for Special Achievement was presented to 34 recipients.
A 29-year-old man was arrested after police responded to a reported assault and discovered 17.39kg of drugs during a search of his MPL Tower apartment in Hulhumalé. Mohamed Jazlan Ashraf has since been remanded in custody, police revealed.
A delegation from the Maldives Journalists Association briefed EU diplomats based in Sri Lanka about press freedom concerns following the creation of a new media regulator with sweeping powers. The MJA delegation in Colombo also met with the Free Media Movement, the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association, and sought advice from the Sri Lanka Press Complaints Commission on its self-regulatory model.
The new trademark law was ratified, enabling trademark registration and the protection of intellectual property rights. The law defines legal protections for registered marks, civil remedies for infringement, import procedures for counterfeit goods, and criminal penalties. Existing trademark owners must register within 12 months of enforcement, while authorities have six months to publish guidelines. The Act will come into force after 12 months.
Police set a one-hour limit on handcuff use for arrested individuals, extendable by one hour if the person is disobedient or poses a risk. The amended rules of procedure also allow handcuffs during transfers exceeding one hour and require their removal at police stations if the suspect poses no threat and complies with instructions.
