America Guatemala Indigenous communities in Guatemala are facing a high 18% illiteracy rate and have launched initiatives like floating schools—classrooms on boats reaching remote areas—but struggle as many children are pulled from school to work in agriculture
Oceania Kiribati The 2nd Teriaki Canoe Paddling Competition showed both Kiribati’s maritime heritage and community spirit; hosted by the Ministry of Ocean Resources Development, it saw participants from ministries, companies and diplomatic partners together
Oceania Australia Labor Party has announced plans to cap donations to prevent billionaires from buying elections; no draft legislation has been made public, but plans would limit donor spending to AUS$20.000, or USD12.500 per candidate/year and cap campaign budget
Africa Namibia Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, leader of the ruling South West Africa People's Organisation party SWAPO, was elected as president of Namibia, garnering 57% of the vote and becoming the country's first female head of state
Asia Azerbaijan Another 48 families were relocated to the country’s liberated Shusha city as part of the Great Return State Program; around 30.000 people now live in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, mainly former internally displaced persons and workers in various sectors
Asia Israel Netanyahu, indicted in 2019, is Israel’s first sitting prime minister to be charged with a crime and must testify three times a week; he took the witness stand for the first time on 10 December 2024 in his long-running corruption trial, denying charges
Africa Ghana The 97,6km Tema - Mpakadan standard-gauge railway (SGR) was officially inaugurated, the first phase of the 1000km Ghana - Burkina Faso Railway Interconnectivity Project, and Ghana's first SGR
Europe Italy Trenitalia is ranked as the best overall performer rail operator in Europe according to a new study published by the European NGO Transport & Environment
Europe France World leaders gathered for the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris making the event an unofficial, key international meeting; President Emmanuel Macron thanked all who ‘saved, helped, rebuilt’ the beloved cathedral after the devastating 2019 fire
Africa Burundi Under the theme "Development of Domestic Tourism", Burundi Tourism Week at Zion Beach, in Bujumbura, will open today 11 presided by the chairman of the African Tourism Board and will run until 14 December
Asia Saudi Arabia Over 75% of the world's landmass is drying up permanently, according to a report released at the UN summit in Riyadh on combating desertification
Asia Malaysia Severe monsoon floods hit Malaysia and southern Thailand, with over 30 casualties and 150.000 displaced; hardest-hit areas include Kelantan and Terengganu, with entire towns submerged and thousands missing as six months’ worth of rain fell in five days
Asia India Dockworkers have called for an indefinite strike starting on 17 December if the government fails to implement wage revisions and productivity schemes before 15; approximately 18.000 workers could potentially paralyse operations at the 12 state-owned ports
Europe Croatia The pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Chapel, a symbol of faith and unity for the inhabitants of Rogoznica for 300 years, has been included in the Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Croatia as part of the Adriatic Sea pilgrimages