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
Africa Gabon An intensive training in environmental and investigative journalism started in Libreville; organized by NGO WildAid with the Ministry of Communication, it aims to improve media coverage of nature conservation, environmental governance, eco-crimes
Oceania Samoa Aviation safety in Samoa and across the Pacific has improved with a new Automated Weather Observing Station AWOS at Fagali’i Airport; supported by continuous StarLink connectivity, it will provide real-time aviation weather information across the country
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 Iceland Federation of fishers disagrees with new mackerel agreement that reduces Iceland’s share, pointing out that the agreement does not constitute a comprehensive coastal states agreement, as both Greenland and the European Union are excluded
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
Asia Iraq The first European commercial flight landed in Baghdad after a suspension of over 35 years, a recognition of sustained efforts to upgrade operational, technical, and security requirements at Iraqi airports in line with international aviation standards
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
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
America Peru The presence of US military personnel has been authorized by Peru's authorities throughout 2026 for joint training exercises involving heavy weaponry, raising concerns amid a tense electoral year and growing social polarization
Europe France A national plan to combat infertility will be launched soon, announced Health Minister before a National Assembly fact-finding mission on the declining birth rate; starting in 2026, French citizens aged 29 will receive a message on reproductive health
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”
Asia Taiwan The Museumbrary opened in Taichung, a 5.000-square-meter library-museum hybrid funded by a US$15 million municipal grant and private donations; targeting a 15% drop in youth readership, it expects 500.000 visitors in the first year with free admission
Asia Sri Lanka Colombo Public Library celebrated its centenary: the institution is praised for rendering a dynamic role in the educational, cultural and information fields; dating back to 1925, it started with only a Lending Library and a Reading Room