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
Asia Israel Christians in Jerusalem celebrate Christmas facing discrimination and economic burdens, including exorbitant taxes like the “Arnona”, on churches, freezing of bank accounts, seizure of properties and holy sites, and activities by settlement associations
America Trinidad and Tobago A parallel black market for foreign exchange has developed as a result of Trinidad and Tobago official system's inability to supply US dollars, according to the President of Downtown Owners and Merchants Association
Asia Bhutan Liquor shops in Phuentsholing face severe shortages ahead of Bhutan’s upcoming alcohol tax hike; Suppliers are unable to meet demand, pushing retailers to the brink as prices rise and stock dwindles, with businesses warning of mounting financial strain
Africa Lesotho Government ordered the Independent Electoral Commission to sell its newly-acquired M77million building and relocate to a vacant, undeveloped site in Masowe as the current structure is “too tall” for the comfort of National Security Service and PM’s office
Africa Togo Lomé will expand its addressing system, updating street names and the numbering of land parcels and buildings, including residential properties, businesses, and public services, and incorporating newly developed areas across the metropolitan region
Asia Indonesia The new history textbook allegedly presents a political bias, downplaying human-rights abuses and favoring pro-government military-friendly narratives; Scholars warn it distorts key events, noting it's not the first state attempt at historical revisionism
Asia Myanmar Junta is pushing to revive the long-stalled, China-backed Myitsone Dam, despite public opposition over environmental and cultural risks; The move signals growing reliance on Beijing for political and economic support amid escalating domestic conflict
Asia Turkey Dyslexia affects around 10% of children in Türkiye, as in global averages, according to president of the Dyslexia Learning Disability Association; field studies show that at least one student with dyslexia can be found in every primary school classroom
Europe Ukraine During the visit of Portugal PM Montenegro, the two countries have agreed on the joint production of underwater drones, planned to hold a joint ‘economic forum’ next year and called the meeting “a turning point” in economic relations
Europe Croatia Members of the opposition party met with the My Voice My Choice movement, which has collected 1,2 million signatures in EU, prompting to vote on a resolution that would guarantee the right of every woman in member states to accessible and safe abortion
Asia Singapore Over 2.700 people have been fined for vape-related offences since tougher penalties took effect on Sept 1; Authorities report higher enforcement action as part of efforts to curb vaping, especially among youths, amid growing public health concerns
Europe Denmark A group of 237 women has completed training in AI, JavaScript, Python, cybersecurity, and cloud computing through a school that helps women and non-binary people with international backgrounds gain digital skills and enter the Danish labor market
America Dominican Republic The newly introduced Dominican Republic’s e-passport features a secure microchip that stores biometric data such as fingerprints and facial recognition and 70 security elements integrated into a durable polycarbonate data page to prevent tampering