Europe Spain A massive counterfeit perfume factory has been dismantled; the plant produced tens of thousands of liters of counterfeit fragrances, imitations of around fifty luxury brands, to be marketed to the rest of Europe via France
America Costa Rica A new call for the 2026 Trans-fórmate program has been launched; the initiative has provided free digital training to over 1.550 entrepreneurs and has aimed to boost 135 more small businesses through personalized support and certified courses
Europe Germany Regional rail traffic was heavily disrupted in northern Germany and long-distance rail services fully suspended due to severe weather; services resumed about 24 hours later after trains were repositioned to their operating locations
Asia Syria A Syrian tycoon linked to former regime has reportedly signed an agreement with the new government; al-Hal news outlet writes that the accord is a key test for the narrative of a "new phase"
Oceania Kiribati Concrete foundation for the Tarawa Kiribati Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was completed before the end of the year, and the work of installing the prefabricated modules is expected to begin in the next few weeks
Asia South Korea 2026 economic master plan aims at a “great economic leap,” forecasting 2% GDP growth; government plans substantial investments in semiconductors, AI, defense and biotech, new fiscal policy, price stabilization and measures to boost consumption
Asia Kyrgyzstan 23 tons of dried apricots were shipped to China for the first time in 2025; consolidation of export is a key focus of Kyrgyzstan both in terms of range of agro-industrial products sold and in terms of geographical expansion of the market
Asia Kazakhstan Amendments to legislation on the protection of medical workers introduce separate criminal liability for violence against medical staff and ambulance drivers during performing their duties and enhance professional liability insurance for medical personnel
Africa Sao Tome and Principe The energy crisis in São Tomé and Príncipe, over five months marked by successive power cuts, affected daily life and family gatherings during Christmas and New Year's festivities; new generators expected for the beginning of December haven't arrived yet
Europe Malta A series of consultation meetings have begun on proposed reforms to social media regulation aimed at increasing protection for children and vulnerable people, following the launch of a public consultation earlier this year
Europe Romania Bucharest Stock Exchange has begun the trading year confirming the mood of 2025, that closed with its best performance since 2009; the main BET index reached a historic 24.439 points, marking +46% since January with a +55% return dividends included
Africa Togo With 2026 finance law several fiscal innovations have been introduced, signaling a shift toward more targeted economic and social tax objectives; to strengthen compliance and revenue collection certified electronic invoicing has been implemented
Africa Comoros A number of M-pox cases confirmed in Madagascar prompted Comoros authorities to step up vigilance and alert professionals and residents in order to prevent any possibile spread in the archipelago
Africa Mauritius Primary education has been marked by three changes this year: Modular Assessments in science and history-geography has ended, impacting grade 6 students; the possibility to take PSAC resit exam in three subjects; the possibility to repeat grade 6