Asia South Korea Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison, charged with leading an insurrection as he imposed martial law for a few tumultuous hours on 3 December 2024; some argue it is a sign of a healthy democracy
America Antigua and Barbuda The Supervisor of Elections at the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission, has been appointed as Chief of Mission for the CARICOM Election Observation Mission to Saint Lucia, bringing the country to a leading role in regional election oversight
Africa Madagascar The new urban train officially departed Soarano station on Monday 15 December at 7:30 a.m. with guests on board and opened to the public yesterday, with the first departure from Soarano to Ambohimanambola starting with two daily round trips for commuters
Asia Iraq The first European commercial flight landed in Baghdad after a suspension of over 35 years, a recognition of sustained efforts to upgrade operational, technical, and security requirements at Iraqi airports in line with international aviation standards
Africa Gabon An intensive training in environmental and investigative journalism started in Libreville; organized by NGO WildAid with the Ministry of Communication, it aims to improve media coverage of nature conservation, environmental governance, eco-crimes
Europe Romania Two cases of leprosy, the first in Romania since 1981, have been confirmed and two suspected cases more are under investigation according to local press; all four individuals are women from Indonesia employed as masseuses at a spa salon in Cluj-Napoca
Oceania Australia At least 15 people have been killed and 27 are in hospitals after a shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, the country’s worst in 30 years; attackers targeting Jewish Australians were “driven” by extreme ideology, but “weren’t part of a wider cell”
Europe Sweden The Administrative Court has stopped all planned licensed wolf hunting in 2026 in all five counties where hunting was supposed to begin on January 2; hunters associations oppose the decision and Minister for Rural Affairs doubts about its application
America Peru The presence of US military personnel has been authorized by Peru's authorities throughout 2026 for joint training exercises involving heavy weaponry, raising concerns amid a tense electoral year and growing social polarization
Europe Switzerland Swiss public transport is undergoing a historic reorganisation: timetables changes, four-track extension on the Basel-Olten line will be operative, new night trains between Bern and Winterthur will run at weekends and Zurich's tram network will evolve
Europe France Following the vaccination of a herd of Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle in Haute-Garonne against lump-shaped dermatosis, the Minister of Agriculture defended her strategy in a crisis meeting and called for a "sanitary barrier" to be erected against the disease
America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Over 97 farmers and other stakeholder representatives operating in the Richmond area in Agricultural Region 1, participated in a stakeholder consultation on irrigation infrastructure development
Asia Taiwan The Museumbrary opened in Taichung, a 5.000-square-meter library-museum hybrid funded by a US$15 million municipal grant and private donations; targeting a 15% drop in youth readership, it expects 500.000 visitors in the first year with free admission
America Cuba Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, grandson of Cuban general Raul Castro, has become a frequent visitor to Panama, using private planes for his travels; it has been confirmed that he has visited the country many times in recent years, at least ten in 2025