Europe Spain A political and cultural dispute erupted over Basque regional government's formal request to host Pablo Picasso’s anti-war painting Guernica for 9 months; 2027 marks 90th anniversary of the first Basque government and of the bombing of the town Guernica
Europe Serbia Students and their supporters, including teachers' unions, blocked a major junction and part of the Belgrade-Zagreb motorway, as protests continue, sparked by the deaths caused by an infrastructure collapse at the Novi Sad railway station on 1 November
Europe Sweden In 2024, Sweden granted the lowest number of residence permits to asylum seekers and their relatives ever recorded; the right-wing government pledged to continue with the reduction policy
Africa Sudan There are 3,2 million children under 5 years of age who suffer from hunger in the country, of whom about 772.000 are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, said Eva Hinds, Unicef Sudan's Protection and Communications Officer
Africa Ivory Coast The Hôpital Mère-Enfant in Bingerville, near Abidjan, has confirmed the success of the country's very first operation to separate Siamese twins
Asia Palestine The number of victims of the war in the Gaza Strip as reported by Ministry of Health may be underestimated by at least 40%: the actual death toll may have already exceeded 70.000, according to analyses by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Africa Sao Tome and Principe The Basta Movement, one of the opposition parties in Sao Tome and Principe, called for the resignation of the government as a 'necessary and long overdue measure' and awaits a new prime minister 'who is up to the country's challenges'
Europe Slovenia Slovenians voted genocide (genocid) as the word that most marked 2024, while the sign language gesture of the year is peace and preturizem (overtourism) became the new word of the year 2024
Oceania Australia The UN Human Rights Committee has ruled that Australia has violated the rights of asylum seekers held in migrant centres set up by its government in neighbouring countries, in breach of its international treaty obligations
Africa Ghana Major General Anita Asmah has been appointed as Head of Mission and Force Commander for the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force UNDOF, making her the first African woman to hold this position
Africa Gabon Four political leaders opposed to the military's transitional management called for the publication of a clear timetable for elections scheduled by August 2025; "failure to publish it immediately will be considered a major obstacle to democratic process"
Africa South Africa The South African Communist Party will participate in local elections as an independent formation; it is the first time in the history of democratic South Africa
Europe Italy The cathedral of Monreale, built in the 12th century under Norman rule, is now fully open after over one year of experts' restoration; it boasts Italy's largest Byzantine-style mosaics, second in the world only to those of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey
Europe Latvia The supervision committee of the Bank of Latvia issued an electronic money institution operating license to company Paytegra, granting the operator the right to issue electronic money and offer payment instruments