Asia Myanmar Construction of China–Myanmar railway, high-speed passenger and freight corridor linking Yunnan to Kyaukphyu deep-sea port on the Bay of Bengal, is being accelerated; the line will give China direct access to the Indian Ocean, bypassing the Malacca Strait
Oceania Australia Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School, the first Aboriginal bilingual school in New South Wales, is pioneering a model of success judged by happiness and is spearheading an Indigenous language revival
Asia Jordan The number of companies registered in the first 11 months of 2025 has grown at an "unprecedented" rate since 2014, rising by about 46 per cent, while total registered capital reached its highest level ever, according to Companies Controller Wael Armouti
Europe Malta A constitutional amendment to formally recognise Valletta as Malta's capital and introduce a new National Anthem Day on 27 December is being discussed in Parliament; the proposal prompted reflection on national identity and Valletta as a living city
Europe Estonia Ingka Investments, IKEA Group, has received permission to acquire 18.000 hectares of forest in Estonia from the Swedish-owned Södra Forest Estonia; Competition Authority approved the €720 million acquisition; most of Södra, 135.000 hectares, is in Latvia
Europe Serbia Pancevo refinery of NIS Serbian Oil Industry, mainly Russian-owned, is suspending production due to a lack of crude oil as a result of US sanctions imposed over Russia for the war with Ukraine; NIS will continue to supply domestic market
Africa Kenya Mara Sports Festival will bring together over 15.000 young athletes and 19 sporting disciplines at the Ulinzi Sports Complex and Nyayo Stadium from December 6 to 11; themed “Forging Champions, Building Futures”, the event involves schools and communities
Asia Cyprus Police has called to make football violence ‘a thing of the past’, implementing security inside and outside the stadium and neighbouring areas and inviting teams to tone down the rhetoric; measures are taken after recent episodes of inconsiderate behavior
Africa Guinea-Bissau On 26 November president Embaló was arrested in a coup d'état carried out by the Presidency Brigadier General Dinis Incanha, who established the High Military Command for Restoration of National Security and Public Order led by General Horta Inta-A Na Man
Asia Kyrgyzstan 36,90% turnout was registered in snap elections in 30 districts nationwide, each electing three members to the Jogorku Kenesh, at least one woman, for a total of 90 deputies entering parliament; 26.066 citizens voted at polling stations abroad
America Grenada Food and Nutrition Council has warned parents to rise alert during festivities as many Christmas must-haves in Grenadian households contain alcohol, like black cake and sorrel; GFNC cautions that consumption at child age can increase risk of dependency
America Antigua and Barbuda Annual Christmas Barrel Initiative has begun and will run to 15 January 2026: households can import personal-use essentials at reduced cost during the peak shipping period; the concession applies to clothing, food items and toiletries, not electronics
Africa Mauritania Foundation stone for the development of the Taazour lakes in Tevragh Zeina and Tarhil has been laid; the project will transform the two lakes into modern tourist hubs of rest and recreation, improving Nouakchott's quality of life with a major urban change
Asia Japan Portable power banks catching fire in Japan have more than doubled between 2020 and 2024; public and private sectors have begun strengthening safety measures and efforts to raise public awareness amid a series of incidents in public spaces this year