Africa Uganda Over 21 million ballot papers have been received by the Electoral Commission, that cleared public concerns explaining that the number exceeds the 21,6 million citizens currently on the national voters’ register and surplus is a legal requirement
Europe Andorra "BULLYING PURSUIT", a video game born in Andorra to curb bullying, has been presented with David Aguilar aka "Hand Solo", experts and academics; it is meant to create links between players and raise awareness on the incidence of bullying at school
Europe United Kingdom The number of flu cases in the UK reached a record high for this time of year: they rose by 55% last week, with an average of 2.660 patients per day ending up in hospital
Africa Niger Niger will host 10th edition of African Exhibition of Invention and Innovative Enterprise SAIIT in 2026; the designation was voted at the 65th board session of the OAPI African Intellectual Property Organization, on entrepreneurship and innovative economy
Europe Romania Two cases of leprosy, the first in Romania since 1981, have been confirmed and two suspected cases more are under investigation according to local press; all four individuals are women from Indonesia employed as masseuses at a spa salon in Cluj-Napoca
Europe Finland The Director General of Finland’s Social Insurance Institution Kela has taken extended medical leave until the end of May 2026 after being diagnosed with a serious illness while on a work trip to Brussels
Europe Albania Judges could raise their retirement age to 75 to help reduce the backlog of court cases; the proposal has been discussed by the parliament commission working on a series of technical amendments to justice reform laws, in the absence of opposition
Africa Madagascar The new urban train officially departed Soarano station on Monday 15 December at 7:30 a.m. with guests on board and opened to the public yesterday, with the first departure from Soarano to Ambohimanambola starting with two daily round trips for commuters
America Haiti Newly published electoral decree has drawn strong reactions at home and abroad: internationally welcomed as a necessary step to restart democratic processed after four years without elections, locally criticized as the adoption process looks idealistic
Europe Switzerland Swiss public transport is undergoing a historic reorganisation: timetables changes, four-track extension on the Basel-Olten line will be operative, in Zurich the tram network is changing; new night trains between Bern and Winterthur will run at weekends
America Guatemala Remittances from the US have boosted colorful housing and commerce in Guatemala, transforming towns like San Martín Sacatepéquez, with a 19,8% rise in 2025 possibly driven by migrant fears of Trump’s stricter deportation policies
America Cuba Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, grandson of Cuban general Raul Castro, has become a frequent visitor to Panama, using private planes for his travels; it has been confirmed that he has visited the country many times in recent years, at least ten in 2025
Europe Sweden The Administrative Court has stopped all planned licensed wolf hunting in 2026 in all five counties where hunting was supposed to begin on January 2; hunters associations oppose the decision and Minister for Rural Affairs doubts about its application
Oceania Australia At least 15 people have been killed and 27 are in hospitals after a shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, the country’s worst in 30 years; attackers targeting Jewish Australians were “driven” by extreme ideology, but “weren’t part of a wider cell”