Asia Bahrain 128 competitors, 59 male and 69 female, took part in this year's Mutun competition; the event awards the three best in seven categories, each focusing on the memorization and comprehension of foundation texts related to Quranic sciences
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
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 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
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
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
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
Europe Portugal Local businessman reportedly diverted tens of millions of euros from ‘golden visa' investors, selling apartments that didn't exist and promising sky-high return; among those defrauded is a company owned by Howard Lutnik, US secretary of state for commerce
Europe Sweden 54 children under 15 have been suspected of bombings in Jan-Nov 2025, tripled compared to 2024; according to the Swedish Prosecution Authority, in 2024, the figure was 21, in 2023 17 and before only one child per year, a worrying development
America Saint Kitts and Nevis The island of Nevis is beginning to enjoy the benefits of a decision taken during COVID-19 pandemic: diversification through the creation of a film industry; “proud that we have created something from nothing in relation to film,” Premier Brantley said
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina Hague Court rejected early release plea of former Bosnian Serb commander Dragomir Milosevic as he lacked proven compelling humanitarian reasons; he had been sentenced to 29 years in jail for terrorising civilians during the siege of Sarajevo
Asia United Arab Emirates A new ant has been discovered in Wadi Shees and registered under the scientific name Carebara Sharjahensis, or Sharjah Ant; efforts to monitor local wildlife and study endemic species are ongoing within the Hajar Mountains, ecologically reach UAE region
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