Cost of Living: Maldives’ August CPI shows transport prices up 8.06% year-on-year and food & beverage up 5.69%, with sharp jumps in fruits/vegetables like carrots and oranges. Crime & Justice: Police arrested a 44-year-old man after a 72-year-old worshipper was threatened and sexually assaulted while praying at home in R. Angolhitheemu. Tech & Language: Thaana AI launched voice cloning and new text-to-speech models for natural Dhivehi and English audio, including Dhinglish support and name-aware pronunciation. Finance & Resilience: Finance Minister Hassan Zaeer discussed with the OPEC Fund the idea of an emergency line of credit, alongside future water, sanitation, and port development. Child Protection: Maldives signed the Bogota Call to Action to end violence against children, with Health Minister Geela Ali stressing stronger laws and coordinated action. Land & Governance: AG Ahmed Usham says the $20b Rasmale’ waterfront/marina will be governed under a new real estate law being drafted, not existing tourism rules—responding to opposition concerns over 99-year lease terms. Public Safety: Maldives Safety and Security Conference 2026 opened, focusing on tourism risks and emergency preparedness, with Gage named main partner. Opposition Politics: Sun Online poll puts MDP’s Abdulla Shahid first for the 2028 opposition presidential ticket ahead of Ibrahim Solih and Mohamed Nasheed. Courts: Abdulla Yameen’s Aarah retrial resumed after a year-long suspension, following Supreme Court guidance on new evidence. Trade & Diplomacy: President Muizzu’s message on bilateral relations was delivered in Doha to Amir Tamim via foreign ministry officials.