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
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”
Europe San Marino Strategic Survey on Training and Employment Needs is a key tool for outlining San Marino's development strategies by providing an updated picture of the needs of the productive sector: Ministry of Labor urges businesses to participate
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
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
Africa Mauritius The World Sustainability Congress and the Africa Leadership Awards brought together professionals and leaders from several African countries to highlight those who have distinguished themselves through their achievements in complex and demanding contexts
America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Over 97 farmers and other stakeholder representatives operating in the Richmond area in Agricultural Region 1, participated in a stakeholder consultation on irrigation infrastructure development
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 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
Africa Mauritius The protection of agricultural land is a major focus of the Minister of Agriculture, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, as agricultural land has been diverted to non-agricultural activities, creating increasing pressure on local food production
America Panama A 2025–2030 trade facilitation plan with five strategic pillars has been launched to modernize foreign trade, enhance digitalization, and strengthen Panama's position as a competitive regional logistics hub
America Venezuela A Venezuelan-linked oil tanker has been seized by US forces near the Caribbean coast, claiming it supported terrorist networks, prompting Venezuela to denounce the act as piracy and vow to defend its sovereignty internationally
Asia China China’s top leadership convened in Beijing from 10 to 11 December for the Central Economic Work Conference to determine the country’s economic direction for 2026, the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan
Africa Sierra Leone Africa No Filter awards celebrated African films that challenge stereotypes and reshape how global audiences understand the continent; this year the public was invited to nominate films and 300 submissions came from across the continent and its diaspora