America Venezuela Flight connections with the Dutch island of Aruba, less than 30km off Venezuela's coat, will be resumed for the first time since 2019; Maduro had suspended them after humanitarian aid was flown in, judging the move as international interference
Africa Mali United Nations Mission in Mali will receive a $1.5 million grant to foster "a more inclusive environment for blue helmeted women serving in the country, while improving their living conditions"
Asia United Arab Emirates Some companies are allowing employees to work from home during unstable weather conditions after heavy rains hit the country
Asia Philippines Over 7.800 Filipinos were repatriated from overseas this year in an effort to ensure their welfare and safety, part of the Marcos administration’s efforts to boost government response to the needs of Filipinos abroad
Europe Norway Norway's central bank raised its key interest rate by another quarter of a point and warned that it could rise again in the new year to reduce inflation
Europe Montenegro The parliamentary majority in Montenegro would consider accepting early parliamentary elections if it fails to gain the support of its allies to elect a new head of government and reshuffle it by the end of January
Oceania Australia A leading supermarket chain has pulled a popular cheese product from its shelves and urged anyone who has bought it not to eat it after quality testing revealed microbial contamination of E.Coli in small batches of the product
America Costa Rica The government has launched a new initiative to promote sustainable livestock farming, aimed at incentivising farms to continue their activities without deforesting by issuing fiscal rewards and certificates of sustainable practices
Asia Mongolia In the first 10 months of this year, Mongolia exported 500 tonnes of meat and by-products to Uzbekistan; in December, permission had been granted to 9 new Mongolian enterprises to enter the Uzbek market with meat and meat products
Europe Monaco Among the issues presented at the recent meeting of the International Maritime Organisation was the protection of the Mediterranean as a 'particularly sensitive maritime area' and the reduction of sulphur dioxide emissions from ships in its waters
America Brazil The World Bank has approved a US$500 million sustainability-linked loan, meaning that the country in order to pay back the loan, will have to meet climate-friendly criteria, such as planting forests or decreasing carbon emissions
Asia Afghanistan After Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council and CARE, International Rescue Committee announced the suspension of operations in Afghanistan following the ruling Taliban's decision to ban women from working in non-governmental organisations
Asia Laos An EU-funded ITC project teaches Laotian chilli and basil farmers how to eliminate pests safely, earning stable incomes and supporting their families
Europe Austria The 10 skiers buried by an avalanche were rescued after the last two missing, injured but alive, were pulled out of the snow