Africa Uganda Uber has ended its operations in Uganda after having been a commodity in the local urban transport for over a decade; the exit takes immediate effect and follows extensive review of Uber's business priorities across Africa
Asia Nepal The government has taken steps to discourage the practice of awarding multi-year contracts for smaller projects as current rules, which permit such contracts for smaller projects too, have resulted in an accumulation of projects enjoying seamless funding
Europe Netherlands The two-day Christmas period was the second warmest since records began in 1901; five of the 10 warmest Christmas periods have been recorded since the turn of the century
Europe Moldova The IATA code for Chisinau airport will pass from KIV, standing for Kishinev, the capital's name in Russian, to RMO, for Republica Moldova, the country's official name in Romanian, a move by the pro-Western government to contain Russian influence
Europe Malta Malta's largest annual charity telethon, L-Istrina, started at noon yesterday and by 7;15pm €3 million had already been raised, raising funds for the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation
Africa Mauritania 15 Christians were arrested in response to Muslim outrage; there is no law against evangelisation in the country, but officials prohibit non-Muslims from 'proselytising' and forbid any public expression of faith
Asia Malaysia Malaysia Airlines has launched its New Year promotional fare for flights from London Heathrow to more than 40 destinations in Southeast Asia and Australasia
Asia Palestine Former Palestinian MP, 60, a long-standing women's rights activist and leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, was taken from her home in Ramallah, West Bank, by the Israeli army
Africa Mauritius President Prithvirajsing Roopu hosted a Christmas gathering for needy and disabled children at the State House in Réduit
Europe Monaco Union of Merchants and Artisans of Monaco took part in the centenary celebrations of the birth of Prince Rainier III and the competition held by the Commemoration Committee chaired by Princess Stéphanie decreed the best store window decorations
Oceania Australia A carpet of rubbish was left on Sydney's Bronte Beach after some 10.000 people crowded the shores of the Australian resort for Christmas Day celebrations
Asia Lebanon The historic Deir Mimas monastery, a revered site dating back to 1404 A.D., has been attacked by Israeli forces a day before Christmas Eve; many read the action as a signal of a broader pattern of aggression targeting religious sites and civil shrines
Asia Laos In response to a video uploaded on a Thai YouTube channel, the government denied claims that Luang Prabang is at risk of losing its World Heritage status, even though a UNESCO report in March raised concerns about the Luang Prabang hydroelectric project
Asia Yemen The UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced that he is working towards an agreement between the Yemeni parties, developing a roadmap to support the peace process, expressing hope that it will be reached and signed soon