Asia Nepal New members of Nepal’s National Assembly were sworn in following upper-house elections, where the Balendra Shah’s reformist Rastriya Swatantra Party won by a landslide, reshaping Nepal’s political landscape
Africa Nigeria Christmas is one of the busiest travel periods in Nigeria: millions journey across the country to reunite with family and loved ones; this year, many met the same challenges: overcrowded stations, limited transport options, inflated fares, endless delays
Asia United Arab Emirates As Christmas approaches offices across the UAE enter the year-end slowdown, although Christmas Day is not listed among the official public holidays issued under the Cabinet resolution regulating holidays which came into force on 1 January 2025
Europe Russia In Tiksi, Yakutia, the thermometer dropped to -56°C, the lowest temperature currently recorded in a populated area, and it could drop further as a snowstorm has paralyzed the village for three days burying streets and house entrances
Europe Lithuania A man in Vilnius is imparting a life lesson to his children choosing the 'ugliest' Christmas tree from the market on Žirmūnų Street, wanting his sons to see that it is not always necessary to pick the shiniest or seemingly perfect option
America Belize A $500.000 fast-track residency program for foreign investors has been approved to attract capital and simplify bureaucracy, while maintaining its retirement visa scheme for older individuals with foreign income
Europe Luxembourg Grand Duke Guillaume urges solidarity in his first Christmas address, paying tribute to Ukrainians, volunteers and frontline workers, calling for compassion amid rising living costs and global instability
America Bolivia Bolivia has authorized Starlink, OneWeb, and Kuiper to operate after years of restrictions, aiming to improve digital access and replace its outdated Chinese satellite amid efforts to attract tech investment and recover from an economic crisis
Asia Palestine Members of the clergy participated in the Christmas procession outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, West Bank, and people paraded through the streets of the city at the rhythm of drums to begin the first festive Christmas after two years
Asia Turkmenistan Turkmenistan and Spain have discussed closer cooperation to address desertification in Central Asia, including the possible creation of a regional center focused on land degradation; the talks took place in Ashgabat following UN hints to such initiative
Europe Spain Small firms and self-employed workers will have additional time to adjust to the new Treasury-designed invoicing system Verifactu; under the revised timetable companies will have until 1 January 2027 to comply, while freelancers' deadline would be July
Africa Guinea Following decreasing international financing, the fight against HIV in Guinea is rethinking funding mechanisms; REGAP+ and MSF organized a conference-debate on resilience strategies for HIV programs in Africa at Gamal Abdel Nasser University in Conakry
Africa Algeria Children’s Parliament was officially established for the first time at the People’s National Assembly session, marking a vital political moment as Algeria will see its first-ever election of a Children’s Parliament speaker through secret individual ballot
America Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association has expressed approval behind the Government prompt and proactive engagement with officials of the United States on the recent travel restriction for Dominica visa holders