Africa Somalia New EU VISA restrictions make it more difficult for Somalis to travel to the bloc; the recently approved measures intensify an ongoing dispute with Mogadishu over the return of Somalis living irregularly in the EU
Europe Albania The elderly population is growing at an unprecedented rate, putting pressure on the national health system to adapt and provide adequate care; almost half of Albanians over the age of 65 present multiple health conditions
Africa Guinea A committee of opposition groups, civil society organisations and activists in Guinea, known as Forces vives, called for the composition of a civil government by 1 January, announcing a new series of demonstrations and civil society mobilisations
Asia East Timor The national parliament approved the State Budget 2025, with has strategic infrastructure, economic growth and social welfare as priorities
Africa Djibouti Speaking at the COP29 summit in Baku, Dini Abdallah Omar, the Secretary General of the Djibouti Ministry of Environment, urged industrialised countries to drastically reduce emissions
Asia Kazakhstan Aktau, a coastal city on the Caspian Sea, was named 'Cultural Capital of the Turkish World 2025' at the 41st meeting of the Permanent Council of the International Cultural Organisation of Turkey
Europe Ukraine The Ukrainian army used US-made ATACMS missiles for the first time since the start of the war against Russia; they were employed during an attack on Russian territory
Oceania Nauru The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre has spoken to almost all the people currently detained on Nauru and, according to its data, almost a quarter of them suffer from serious mental health conditions and one in ten have suicidal ideation
Oceania Australia For a study on the gut health of the population, the Australian government agency responsible for scientific research asked citizens aged 14 and over to collect data on their flatulence via an app called Chart Your Fart
America Uruguay Anti-waste sanctions have been imposed on Argentine soybean imports aiming to restore fair competition after an investigation found significant Argentinian soybean waste harming local producers
Europe France 40 members of Académie Française, one of oldest and major cultural institutions, presented to President Macron the 9th complete edition of the reference dictionary of the French language: work began in 1986 and critics say it's out of step with the times
Africa Sao Tome and Principe The government has decided to increase airport taxes to €220 from December, with exemptions for categories such as children under 2 and transit passengers
Europe Serbia Nineteen days after the fatal train station infrastructure disaster in Novi Sad, Tomislav Momirovic, who was construction minister when the station was being revamped, submitted his resignation; he is the second minister offering to quit over the tragedy
Europe Slovenia Triglav National Park, the oldest and largest nature park in Slovenia and one of the largest in Europe, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year