Oceania Solomon Islands With newly improved roads in Auki, provincial police appealed to drivers in Malaita to use responsibility and greater care in driving; reckless driving had reportedly increased since works began, forcing to monitor underage drivers and speeding vehicles
Europe Austria The government has initiated an economic support programme for Syrian nationals in Austria who want to return to their country, which mainly consists in the delivery of 1000 euros in cash and practical advice and assistance
Europe Ukraine Energy infrastructure has been attacked with missiles and drones, with Russia saying it considers them military targets; millions of civilians, who are left without electricity or heating, are however consequently affected
Asia Iran President Massoud Pezeshkian, who has a reformist orientation, is explicitly criticising a law that tightens controls and penalties for women who do not wear the veil properly, supported by parliament and the Guardian Council
Europe Bulgaria In the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union the last vote took place for Bulgaria's full entry into the Schengen area; the vote established the abolition of land controls as of 1 January 2025
Africa Zimbabwe The Senate has approved a bill to abolish the death penalty; all that is missing for it to enter into force is the signature of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was sentenced to death in the past and has since said he is against this practice
Africa Botswana Only 28 women stood for Parliament out of 258 contestants, or 10,85%, and only three women won their seats, 4,92% of the 61 seats; on the other hand, women represent 54% of those eligible to vote
Africa Comoros A court in the Comoros released two women, aged 22 and 25, after convicting them of same-sex sexual activity; the two women had been arrested in June after attempting to enter into marriage with the assistance of an Islamic preacher
America Cuba The Museum of the Cuban Revolution, once the residence of the President of the Republic, is now 65 years old, having been established on 12 December 1959 by a decree of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces
Europe United Kingdom So-called puberty-blocking drugs will be banned indefinitely in the country, whereas until a few months ago they were prescribed to trans children and adolescents to delay the puberty period and to orientate their sexual development differently
Africa Ethiopia Turkish President Erdoğan announced that Addis Ababa and Mogadishu had reached an agreement, mediated by Turkey, to end tensions over the issue of Ethiopia's access to the sea
America Canada Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador reached an agreement on a new contract for the massive Churchill Falls hydroelectric project, after secret months-long negotiations; current deal that ruled power supply for Newfoundland was signed in 1969
Africa Sierra Leone An 11-year-old girl from Sierra Leone was rescued after three days at sea as the sole survivor of a shipwreck off the Italian island of Lampedusa, found clinging to a pair of tyre tubes
Africa Mauritius The second licensing examination of the year for undergraduates called Medical Registration Examination was held on 10 December; it is held twice yearly prior to registration as general practitioner