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 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
Europe Andorra "BULLYING PURSUIT", a video game born in Andorra to curb bullying, has been presented with David Aguilar aka "Hand Solo", experts and academics; it is meant to create links between players and raise awareness on the incidence of bullying at school
Europe Finland The Director General of Finland’s Social Insurance Institution Kela has taken extended medical leave until the end of May 2026 after being diagnosed with a serious illness while on a work trip to Brussels
Europe Iceland Federation of fishers disagrees with new mackerel agreement that reduces Iceland’s share, pointing out that the agreement does not constitute a comprehensive coastal states agreement, as both Greenland and the European Union are excluded
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 United Kingdom The number of flu cases in the UK reached a record high for this time of year: they rose by 55% last week, with an average of 2.660 patients per day ending up in hospital
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
Europe San Marino Strategic Survey on Training and Employment Needs is a key tool for outlining San Marino's development strategies by providing an updated picture of the needs of the productive sector: Ministry of Labor urges businesses to participate
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
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
Asia Sri Lanka Colombo Public Library celebrated its centenary: the institution is praised for rendering a dynamic role in the educational, cultural and information fields; dating back to 1925, it started with only a Lending Library and a Reading Room
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”
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