Maldives

The Maldives is facing a shortage of medicines, with many essential drugs unavailable and challenges in accessing doctors, so that even basic treatments can be difficult to obtain; public complaints about healthcare quality reflect structural problems

Tourist arrivals continued to rise in December, with figures pointing to sustained year on year growth of 10% and over during what is traditionally the busiest month; notwithstanding the Christmas holidays China is expected to lead the incoming this month

The ban on packaging, producing, and importing single-use plastic water bottles sized between 500ml and 1 litre, set to begin on 1 December 1 has been set to 1 December 2027 by President Muizzu who amended previous presidential decree

The Maldivian National Cricket Team, which departed the UAE after competing in the ACC U19 Premier Cup, has been stranded in Sri Lanka due to the powerful storm affecting the country

Today's public referendum in Addu City to determine the jurisdictional composition of the City Council raises doubts about fairness, transparency, and participation: scheduled in a rush it left no time for public awareness and informed decision-making

Ducks and fish at a popular public park in the Hulhudhoo district of Addu City, Addu Atoll, have been dying en masse, sparking allegations of foul play

Legal action will be taken against individuals who intimidate or incite hatred toward police officers on social media; the warn came form the the Maldives Police Service after recent episode connected to the curbing of street protests

The government is planning to seek public support for major constitutional changes using a new law that the opposition claims is a "tool" for President Dr Mohamed Muizzu to prolong his five-year term beyond 2028

The UN Disability Rights Committee reported the absence of strategies, policies and disaggregated data on women with disabilities, the lack of gender perspectives in disability laws and the absence of disability perspectives in gender policies

President Muizzu called for more inclusion of small developing countries in international decision-making at the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of State meeting SCO Plus meeting in Tianjin, China

Journalists filled the parliament gallery in silent protest earlier this week as lawmakers in the chamber below debated a bill proposing a new regulatory body with sweeping powers to punish and shut down media outlets

A maximum prison sentence of three years and higher fines will hit individuals who intentionally fail to submit tax filings for any taxes required or fail to reveal data, if the proposed amendment to the Tax Administration Act passes