America Canada Northern Shield Energy Corridor has been unveiled, a 3.300-km crude oil pipeline project for 5-800.000 barrels/day and running entirely through Canada; Premiers of Alberta and Ontario said it's designed for energy security by bypassing US transit routes
Europe Ireland The Greater Dublin Drainage project, seen as a key piece of infrastructure enabling house building and growth in the capital, is to move forward after a judicial review was settled; due to be completed this year, it will serve up to 500.000 people
Europe Hungary Oscar-winning Director László Nemes Jeles has been shooting his new film at Budapest’s Nyugati Station; travellers were met with an unexpected setting as part of the station was transformed into wartime France
Asia Iraq Iraq has become the champion in the Worldwide Mental Arithmetic Competition WAMAS—Dubai 2025, held in the UAE; students of the Iraqi team outperformed over 500 opponents from 27 countries
Africa Lesotho Bishop of Lesotho, Anglican Reverend Dr Vincentia Kgabe, who ended her mandate on 30 November and now serves in Pretoria, has been accused of mismanaging and bringing the church into disrepute by a priest of the Church of Southern Africa- Lesotho chapter
Asia Armenia The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund and local partners has launched the 33rd “Homeland and Eternity” fundraising campaign for Armenians across the world; 2025 donations will fund reconstruction of the damaged sections of the Spandaryan Canal in Syunik province
Asia Bangladesh Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter has urged stakeholders to halt the clearing of mangrove forests to make way for shrimp farms, warning that the destruction of these vital ecosystems would undermine coastal protection
Asia Uzbekistan Tandoors used for baking samsa were demolished during air pollution raids in Shakhrikhan district of Andijan province; the district mayor’s office posted photo and video footages of demolishings but later deleted them
Europe Slovakia A Bratislava court has barred former Slovak National Theatre director Matej Drlička from making any public statements about Culture Minister Šimkovičová from 6 December, granting her request for an emergency injunction following a defamation complaint
America Saint Lucia Police have confirmed that United Workers Party candidate for Castries South was taken into custody and later released the same day on Election Day, 1st December, after officers acted on reports of alleged vote buying; $30.000 was recovered on his person
Asia Afghanistan Torkham and Chaman crossings have been reopened to allow Afghanistan-bound UN aid shipments to proceed; a two-month shutdown caused by border tensions with Pakistan froze all aids on the road
Europe Kosovo Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state has been officially recognized by Syria, the 120th country to do so; announcement was made in Riyadh during President Vjosa Osmani’s visit, one of the most significant moments in Kosovo’s diplomatic history
Asia Brunei 1.361 citizenship certificates have been granted this year thanks to an update of guidelines and eligibility that came into effect on 31 December 2024 and helped reduce the backlog in applications
Africa Benin During the ongoing first edition of the Cotonou Comedy Festival, Roukiata Ouédraogo - actress, novelist, and columnist - led a 2-day masterclass with a roundtable bringing together women artists, stakeholders and enthusiasts of public speaking