Oceania Palau A historic $15 million financing agreement has been signed with Saudi Arabia, marking a shift in how Palua's National Development Bank will now operate, as the loan will be directly invested into building affordable housing
America Paraguay Paraguay has officially reopened its embassy in Jerusalem, a diplomatic victory for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the country becoming the first to move its embassy to the city since the October 2023 Hamas attack
Africa Sudan The World Food Programme stepped up its emergency response in Sudan, providing food assistance to more than 800.000 people in famine-affected and at-risk areas
Asia Uzbekistan Uzbek ambassador Ravshan Usmanov met with Vanessa Potter, vice-chancellor for international cooperation at the University of Essex, who may open a university campus in Tashkent
Europe Vatican City A new led illumination of the 140 Saint Statues on the Colonnade of St Peter's Square, 14 Water Houses for free drinking water and an app to locate the city's water sources are some of the initiatives to be launched for the upcoming Jubilee of Hope
Africa Tunisia The Tunisian Education and Family Organisation expressed its support for the decision to ban students from using smartphones in schools
Oceania Solomon Islands Solomon Islands National University will offer a new course on national security supported by the Australian Government to develop Solomon Islands' capacity to produce high-quality analytical texts and teaching on national security
Africa Uganda The UNESCO Office in Uganda will be upgraded from its current status as a Project Office to an Antennae Office, following a Host Country Agreement signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for Eastern Africa
Europe Netherlands Resident Netherlands citizens - now around 18 million - will be 19 million in 2037 and 20 million in 2058, according to new Statistics Netherlands forecasts
Oceania Marshall Islands Majuro recorded its second busiest month of the year in November, thanks to the resumption of tuna transshipment activities, with 23 transshipments, the highest since January
Asia Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Football Federation President and FFT Secretary General Serdar Geldiyev held a video conference with football club "Villarreal" to discuss cooperation in youth soccer development
America Mexico Over 11 million pilgrims visited Mexico City's Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the Virgin of Guadalupe celebration (9-13 December); many traveled from across Mexico and abroad, on foot or crawling, to honor the 493rd anniversary of her apparition
Africa Libya A new political initiative aimed at resolving the political crisis has been announced by the UN Support Mission in Libya; with a technical committee of Libyan experts, it will identify steps and priorities for establishing a consensus-based government
Asia Palestine Palestinians have sued the State Department over US assistance to the Israeli military, accusing the Biden administration of violating US law prohibiting aid to military units involved in rights abuses