First Light

Fuvahmulah City received the Guest House Champion Island award on 15 October 2026, at the Guest House Awards held during the Guesthouse Symposium, Mihaaru reported. The Deputy Mayor of Fuvahmulah City accepted the award on behalf of the island. The report did not list the other winners or the criteria used to select the champion island.

The awards form part of the Guesthouse Symposium organised by Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB) (opens in a new tab), which brings together guest house operators, financiers and island authorities to discuss the growth of tourism on inhabited islands.

Fuvahmulah is a single-island atoll in the south of the country with its own domestic airport, and it has become known among divers for tiger shark encounters. Guest houses on inhabited islands allow tourism spending to reach local businesses and households directly, a reason the sector receives attention in policy for atoll economies.

The Transport Ministry has set two daily periods during which heavy and goods vehicles may not operate on roads in Malé and Hulhumalé: 6:00 to 8:30 am and 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. The restriction took effect on 15 October 2026, the day it was announced. The stated aim is to make the roads safer and easier to use for pedestrians, cyclists and other road users, Mihaaru reported.

According to Edition (opens in a new tab), the restriction covers vehicles over 350 kg and heavy vehicles from small pickup size upward, including forklifts, trucks, cranes and trailers. In Malé, Boduthakurufaanu Magu is excepted. The ministry said action will be taken against violators under Law No. 16/2026, which Edition identified as the Land Transport Act. The notice does not state penalty amounts.

Similar restrictions have been applied in Malé before and were later lifted. Public complaints about heavy vehicles on the roads at school and office start times have increased recently, Edition reported.

The Auditor General's Office has released the audit of the Waste Management Corporation (WAMCO) for the 2022 financial year, Adhadhu reported on 15 October 2026. The state-owned company recorded revenue of Rf215.4 million, higher than the previous year, but expenses grew faster, producing a loss of Rf127.9 million. Government support rose to Rf105.2 million, from Rf66.9 million in 2021.

Staff salaries and benefits, at Rf234.7 million, exceeded total revenue. Accumulated losses reached Rf486.2 million. Short-term liabilities stood at Rf181 million, including Rf110.7 million owed to suppliers and service providers and Rf45.6 million in GST owed to the government, against cash of Rf11.6 million. Of Rf128.7 million owed to WAMCO, Rf44.2 million was due from government agencies and companies, including Rf19.6 million from Malé City Council. Rf75.6 million, about 59 percent of receivables, was assessed as unlikely to be recovered.

Auditor General Hassan Niyazi reported 17 major issues, including missing records needed to verify revenue, receivables, fuel expenses and assets. As the accounts could not be verified, the auditors issued a disclaimer of opinion, meaning they could not form a view on whether the statements are fairly presented. The report covers a financial year that ended nearly four years ago.

His Excellency Dr Mohamed Muizzu, President of the Republic of Maldives, said on 15 October 2026 that advancing food security through local production, sustainable farming and reduced reliance on imports is central to national sovereignty. He made the remarks in a statement on his official X account to mark National Farmers' Day, the President's Office said.

The President reaffirmed the government's commitment to using modern technology in agriculture to raise productivity and farmers' incomes. He said a key goal of the administration is for essential food commodities to be grown domestically and widely available, so that local output meets national demand. Higher domestic production, he said, would protect the country from global price swings and supply chain disruptions, keep foreign currency in the economy and create jobs across the atolls.

First Lady Sajidha Mohamed also issued a statement, saying technology-enabled farming can produce significant results even in small spaces. She encouraged home gardening for greenery, cleaner air and fresh food, and stressed safe, health-conscious cultivation.