Europe Serbia Chinese and Russian companies have contributed in drafting Serbia’s mining regulations, now adopted by Parliament, raising concerns among non-governmental organizations, citizens and experts that say the practice could hide concessions
Africa Lesotho Government ordered the Independent Electoral Commission to sell its newly-acquired M77million building and relocate to a vacant, undeveloped site in Masowe as the current structure is “too tall” for the comfort of National Security Service and PM’s office
Asia Bhutan Liquor shops in Phuentsholing face severe shortages ahead of Bhutan’s upcoming alcohol tax hike; Suppliers are unable to meet demand, pushing retailers to the brink as prices rise and stock dwindles, with businesses warning of mounting financial strain
Asia Singapore Over 2.700 people have been fined for vape-related offences since tougher penalties took effect on Sept 1; Authorities report higher enforcement action as part of efforts to curb vaping, especially among youths, amid growing public health concerns
Asia Indonesia The new history textbook allegedly presents a political bias, downplaying human-rights abuses and favoring pro-government military-friendly narratives; Scholars warn it distorts key events, noting it's not the first state attempt at historical revisionism
Europe Denmark A group of 237 women has completed training in AI, JavaScript, Python, cybersecurity, and cloud computing through a school that helps women and non-binary people with international backgrounds gain digital skills and enter the Danish labor market
Africa Togo Lomé will expand its addressing system, updating street names and the numbering of land parcels and buildings, including residential properties, businesses, and public services, and incorporating newly developed areas across the metropolitan region
Africa Republic of the Congo To raise students' awareness of the ancestral heritage of the country, the National Museum held a workshop at the Marien Ngouabi University in Brazzaville, showcasing cultural artifacts under the theme "The National Museum Meets its University Audience"
Oceania New Zealand A judge voided a South Auckland election result over voter fraud claims and the private company running the polls has admitted to a separate privacy breach; the Electoral Services MD released to councillor election results with confidential information
Africa Ivory Coast Measures to upgrade farming while maintaining sustainability and expanding domestic agro-processing are a priority of 2026-2030 budget; Agricultural Commodities Exchange, a market platform bringing more structure to how produce is priced, was set in 2025
Africa Morocco Recent rainfall has boosted the national water supply: between 15 and 17 December, dam reserves increased by 119 million cubic meters, bringing the overall filling rate to 32.2%
Africa Gambia BSIC, Banque Sahélo-Saharienne pour l’Investissement et le Commerce, has donated essential sanitary and personal care items to female inmates at the Mile II Central Prison, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives
Europe Serbia In a year marked by anti-government protests in Serbia, there have been multiple reports of police taking phones from people detained or even questioned, with or without consent, though police need a court order to confiscate someone’s phone without
Africa Senegal Senegal will assume the presidency of the Economic Community of West African States Commission for 2026-2030; decisione was made in the 68th ordinary session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS held in Abuja, Nigeria