Oceania Australia While up to a dozen major bushfire ravaged towns, leaving one dead, 300 structures destroyed and 350.000 hectares burned in Victoria, Pro-Palestine protesters have defied police calls to cancel their Melbourne rally
Oceania Palau Scholarship awards from the Palau National Scholarship Board are set to increase by 26% in 2026 after Congress approved a major budget boost, bringing more financial relief for tuition, books and living expenses
Asia Armenia Yerevan will begin construction of an animal shelter for stray dogs this year; following international best practices, the shelter will accommodate 300 dogs, featuring cages and open-air areas so that the animals can feel safe and secure
Oceania Nauru ODA graduation to high-income country is postponed until 2027; previously set to 1 January 2026, the one-year deferral recognizes UN’s new MVI ranking Nauru as the most vulnerable in the Pacific, 5th globally, and that GDP figures don't reflect reality
Africa Ethiopia With five months to go before 7th general elections on 1 June 2026, Ethiopia stands at a critical democratic crossroads; transparency looks critical for elections legitimacy and National Election Board is called to regularly and clearly update the public
Europe Russia Russia's main stock market index, the MOEX, rose to 2765 points on yesterday 30 December 2025; over the past month the index has climbed 2,92%, though it remains 2,23% lower than a year ago, according to benchmark index trackings from Russia
Asia Turkey Turkish civil society organizations affiliated with the National Will Platform have urged citizens to gather on Istanbul’s Galata Bridge on 1 January 2026 for a rally protesting the violence in Palestine and calling for an end to the raids
Asia India A contract worth over 440 million euros has been signed to purchase 425.000 close-quarter battle carbines and 48 heavyweight torpedos for submarines; they will be mostly manufactured in India in agreement with international companies
America Panama Over 700 Panama Metro Buses have been vandalized in two years, 359 cases reported in 2025, notwithstanding calls from Mi Bus authorities and user leaders to put an end to the defacing; this year, Mi Bus has spent $65.000 just on glass repairs
America Venezuela The increase in Caracas bus fares has been formalized; adjustments follow requests from the transportation sector, asking to adhere to official exchange rates of the Central Bank, citing rising operating costs, shortage of spare parts and inflation
Africa Guinea General Mamadi Doumbouya has been declared the winner of the presidential elections by the Electoral Commission after obtaining in the first round over 86% of the vote; the opposition questioned the turnout and fairness of the elections
Europe San Marino The Italian-San Marino Cross-Border Workers Association obtained the inclusion in the 2026 budget of a motion addressing the issue of double taxation that has penalized retired workers in the border area for years
Asia Vietnam All 361 houses damaged by natural disasters in Đà Nẵng have been completed repaired one month from the start of “Quang Trung Campaign"; among them, 144 houses were completely destroyed by floods and required full rebuilding
America United States The atomic clocks at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, some of the most accurate in the world, fell out of sync of 5-millionths of a second earlier this month because of a power outage