First Light

The Rasmalé waterfront and marina project still has legal steps ahead before work can begin, Attorney General Ahmed Usham said. He described the Eagle Hills document as commercial terms rather than a final project agreement, and said a proposed real-estate law and further agreements would need People’s Majlis approval. The proposed arrangement covers 500 hectares on a 99-year lease. PSM’s account foregrounds the Attorney General’s assurance that the government will act within the Constitution and law.

Former economic minister Fayyaz Ismail accepts the case for foreign investment but argues that the agreement, land valuation, tax treatment and risk guarantees should be disclosed to Parliament and the public. That is the central political divide in the coverage: official accounts stress a staged legal process and continued state ownership, while opposition voices make transparency and fair value the test of legitimacy. No outlet examined here establishes that a final law has been passed; the stated plan remains prospective.

President Mohamed Muizzu sent a message of condolence to Nepal’s Prime Minister after deadly floods and landslides, offering solidarity with bereaved families, the missing and affected communities. In a separate message to Thailand’s Prime Minister, he expressed sympathy over deaths, displacement and damage caused by heavy rain and flooding. Both messages also offered wishes for recovery and resilience.

Other Maldivian coverage largely repeats the Nepal statement as a diplomatic gesture. International reporting on Thailand, meanwhile, concentrates on the scale of the emergency and relief response rather than the Maldives’ messages. There is no material political disagreement in the accounts reviewed: the difference is one of emphasis between Malé’s solidarity and the affected countries’ disaster response.

The Maldives has signed the Bogotá Call to Action, a declaration associated with the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children. The Health, Family and Social Services Minister, Geela Ali, signed on the country’s behalf. PSM says the commitment covers stronger child-protection systems, legal and policy frameworks, digital safety, cross-sector cooperation and meaningful participation by children.

The call places these priorities alongside prevention of physical punishment, sexual violence, online exploitation, child marriage and recruitment, with justice and recovery for children affected by violence. For Maldives, the immediate benchmark is delivery through the 2024 National Action Plan on Prevention and Responding to Violence Against Children: better reporting and referral routes, trained services, reliable evidence, safeguards online, and support that reaches children and families. The declaration adds a public commitment; its value will be measured in implementation and accountability.