Panama Disease Scientists warn a new strain of the Panama Disease fungus, which in the 1950s nearly wiped out the most popular banana in the world, the Gros Michel, is threatening today's favorite, the Cavendish, according to a new study published in "PLOS Pathogens". This untreatable fungal disease, called Tropical Race 4, has been active for decades in Southeast Asia. It recently has spread to other parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Australia, and is expected to make its way to Latin America, where the vast majority of the world's exported bananas are grown.
Orbital Sciences Following the previous explosion of Orbital Sciences' Cygnus CRS Orb-3 on October 28, 2014, an unmanned Atlas V 401 rocket carrying Orbital ATK's Cygnus CRS Orb-4 resupply mission to NASA's International Space Station launches from Cape Canaveral in the U.S. state of Florida. The mission includes 7,380 pounds of cargo.
Libyan Civil War Rival governments in eastern and western Libya reach the initial phase of an agreement designed to foster elections that would bring about a single ruling entity in the North African country. The deal must be endorsed by the internationally-recognized government in Tobruk and the General National Congress in Tripoli.
French regional elections, 2015 Voters in France begin voting in the first round of regional elections just three weeks after the deadly Islamic State militant attacks in Paris. Exit polls show strong gains for the far-right National Front which is leading in six regions and reshape the political landscape after decades of domination by the centre-left and the centre-right coalitions. Midday voter participation is 16.27 percent, marginally higher than five years ago. There are 44.6 million eligible voters.
Referendum Voters in Armenia go to the polls to vote in a referendum to change from a presidential to a parliamentary form of government.
Landslide victory in the December 6 election Venezuelan opposition leaders say their Democratic Unity Roundtable has won control of the 167-seat legislature from the ruling Socialists for the first time since 1998. There is no confirmation on Sunday's election from the national electoral board. An opposition victory would be a major setback for the socialist revolution started 17 years ago by the late Hugo Chávez.
A 2015 terror attack President Barack Obama called the San Bernardino shootings "an act of terrorism designed to kill innocent people".
Athens Clashes erupt in Athens between left-wing demonstrators and Greek police with at least eighteen people arrested.
Germany Germany's vice-chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, accuses Saudi Arabia of financing Islamic extremism in the West and warns that it must stop. He tells German media, “We have to make clear to the Saudis that the time of looking away is over, Wahhabi mosques all over the world are financed by Saudi Arabia. Many Islamists who are a threat to public safety come from these communities in Germany". His comments come days after Germany's Federal Intelligence Service released a report saying Saudi Arabia was "destabilizing" the Arab world.
Turkey–Ukraine relations Turkish and Ukrainian firms talk out a cooperation deal to help modernize their country's militaries in the wake of military actions by Russia.
U.S. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that his latest medical tests show he is cancer-free. Carter, 91, announced in August that a melanoma for which he had been treated had returned.
Pollution in China Elementary and middle schools in the Chinese capital Beijing suspend outdoor activities due to heavy smog.
Storm Desmond Flooding and landslides on the West Coast Main Line between Preston and Carlisle result in the suspension of all services between northern England and Scotland via the West Coast.
The strongest windstorm of the season so far continues to bring flooding and high winds to the United Kingdom.
2015 South Indian floods Chennai International Airport is set to reopen as flood waters recede. The death toll currently stands at at least 280 people.
Basic income Finland's government plans to give all its citizens, rich or poor, a monthly payment of €800, with no strings attached. The Finnish government says it wants to launch a “universal basic income experiment” in 2017 to test the feasibility of this program, which would replace the country’s current benefits system.
Bank for International Settlements The Bank for International Settlements, in Basel, cautions that the regulatory push to get all derivatives trading into central clearing systems may be creating a new group of Too Big to Fail financial institutions. This time, however, they will be international.
Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) Iraq's government gives Turkey 48 hours to withdraw its forces from northern Iraq or face "all available options", including recourse to the UN Security Council.
Syrian civil war A series of air strikes in Syria's Raqqa province, believed to be carried out by U.S.-led coalition warplanes, leaves at least 32 Islamic State fighters killed and 40 more wounded. The final toll could rise as casualty figures were collected from a single hospital. The jets hit IS headquarters and bases to the north, east, and southeast of provincial capital Raqqa city.
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Jaafar Mohammed Saad, the governor of Yemen's southern Aden Governorate, along with six guards, are killed by a suicide bomber in the port city of Aden. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for the attack.