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
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
Africa Madagascar The annual revision of the electoral register RALE, scheduled to begin on 1 December, will not take place as the transitional government suspended the operation considered the basic step in electoral process, in contrast with preparations already underway
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
Europe Bulgaria Crowds took to the streets in Sofia and other cities on Monday night to protest against centre-right populists governing coalition GERB; the largest protests since the 1990s saw a major presence of young people who organized themselves via TikTok and IG
Africa eSwatini Eswatini Events Managers and Promoters Association EEMPA has warned scammers from releasing fake posters as the festive seasons approaches; to detect false advertisement EEMPA will be working with authorities to prevent misleading advertising
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
America Cuba Havana authorities have measured in cubic meters the volume of garbage in the streets, with people hoping they would collect it, as data was used for a study to "plan better" that would involve support from the private sector
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
Europe Austria A roundtable on humanitarian consequences of nuclear testing was held in Vienna; community leaders, researchers and practitioners discussed what steps can secure justice for affected communities in line with Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
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
Africa Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadéra will bid for a third term in this month's elections; he is now hailing Russian and Emirati support, rejecting criticism over Wagner and Neptune Oil and calls on outsiders to let Africans choose their leaders
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
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