Oceania Marshall Islands The Marshallese Christmas is celebrated with Jepta, or 'group', dancing and signing competitions, Wojke - a handmade container filled with small gifts and Biit Dancing - an energetic, modern church dancing, often loud and with amplified music
Africa Togo Seed cotton season has been launched in northern Savanes, the Kara region will follow on 15 December and Plateaux region on 10 January; farmers sell their harvests with the New Cotton Company of Togo which will endure logistics for efficient collection
Europe Slovenia Cyclist Tadej Pogačar won the men's Velo d'Or for the third time in his career after claiming a fourth Tour de France title this summer; he also received the Eddy Merckx award for the top classics rider winning three of the sport's five Monuments in 2025
Africa Zimbabwe Tourists will have a smoother drive this festive season on the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway, as multiple contractors working at the same time on different sections of the road are guaranteeing significant improvements
Asia Turkmenistan The existence of the Turkestan long-eared bat has been confirmed in Turkmenistan for the first time since 1970; the dedicated expedition led by the Museum of Natural History of Berlin, Germany, visited possible bat habitats in the Karakum Desert
Asia North Korea To expand crop variety and yield, North Korea’s top farming experts discussed boosting domestic harvests with leading Russian agricultural research hubs during a week-long visit to Russia, deepening food security links between the two countries
America Trinidad and Tobago The Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange has unveiled TOBI, a new AI-powered chatbot aimed at making stock market and depository information instantly accessible to investors, brokers, and the public
America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines A High Surf Advisory has been issued, with breaking waves forecast to pose a threat to life and property within the surf zone; dangerous rip-currents will create unsafe conditions for small-craft operators, particularly on northern and eastern coastlines
Oceania Samoa Veteran journalist and JAWS member Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia has raised concerns over the contents of a leaked 19-page draft of the government’s proposed media protocol, saying several measures could undermine press freedom in Samoa
Africa Tunisia Three prominent opposition figures and activists have been arrest in just over a week: Chaima Issa during a protest, Ayachi Hammami and Nejib Chebbi in a widening crackdown on opposition
Africa Burkina Faso Military-led government has taken a step toward reinstating the death penalty, adopting a new penal code that once again allows capital punishment for crimes including treason, terrorism and espionage
Oceania New Zealand Jono Ridler, in partnership with Live Ocean, will attempt a word record for 'unassisted staged swim' swimming from North Cape to Wellington to raise awareness for healthy oceans and call for an end to bottom trawling as part of Swim4theOcean initiative
Asia Syria Syrians have taken to the streets to celebrate the first anniversary of the removal of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad amid renewed optimism that conditions will continue to improve as the country recovers from the effects of nearly 14 years of war
Europe Lithuania The Government plans to declare an emergency over threats to civil security posed by repeated incursions of smuggling balloons into Lithuanian airspace, which have continued to disrupt operations at Vilnius Airport