President The President of São Tomé and Príncipe, Carlos Vila Nova, dismisses the Government of Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada.
Pope Francis Pope Francis appoints Sister Simona Brambilla as Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, becoming the Vatican's first female prefect of the Roman Curia.
Second presidential transition of Donald Trump The U.S. Congress certifies the results of the 2024 presidential election. U.S. Vice President and Democratic Party candidate in the 2024 presidential election. Kamala Harris presides over the ceremony and certifies her defeat, officially making Donald Trump the President-elect and JD Vance the Vice President-elect. Trump and Vance are expected to be sworn-in on January 20.
Resignation of Justin Trudeau Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party and also announces that he will resign as Prime Minister once a new Liberal Party leader is chosen.
Proposals for the United States to purchase Greenland The King of Denmark officially changes the Danish coat of arms to feature Greenland and the Faroe Islands more prominently, following suggestions from United States president-elect Donald Trump about the nation purchasing Greenland.
Conscription in Israel More than 50 Haredi Jews join the Israel Defense Forces for the first time since the start of the Israel–Hamas war, forming the Haredi Hasmonean Brigade, after repeated protests against the conscription of yeshiva students.
Austrian People's Party After the Austrian People's Party fails to form a government, President of Austria Alexander van der Bellen gives the mandate to form a post-election government to the Freedom Party's leader Herbert Kickl, who is expected to rule within a coalition of the two parties.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello says that 125 foreign citizens have been arrested on suspicion of serving as United States mercenaries in order to cause a coup in Venezuela.
Court of Appeal of Malaysia The Court of Appeal of Malaysia orders a lower court to reconsider former Prime Minister Najib Razak's claim of a royal order granting him home detention, which he alleges was issued alongside his reduced prison sentence for his involvement in the 1MDB corruption scandal. The ruling follows the disclosure of a letter confirming the existence of such an order, which the government asserts they have not received.
Volksverhetzung Germany reports a significant increase in far-right crime, primarily from increasing online expression offenses and hate speech, as well as an increase in Israel–Hamas war-related resentment.
International reactions to the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election The Venezuelan government suspends diplomatic relations with Paraguay, after Paraguayan President Santiago Peña recognized Edmundo González as president-elect of Venezuela.
Syrian civil war The International Committee of the Red Cross announces plans to expand its operations in Syria beyond an initial US$100 million program, citing urgent needs in the health, water, and power sectors.
2020–2025 H5N1 outbreak The United States reports its first death from H5N1 bird flu after a man died in the hospital in Louisiana.
Coal mine Several miners are trapped in a coal mine in Dima Hasao, Assam, India, with rescue efforts underway involving the State Disaster Response Force, the National Disaster Response Force, and the Indian Army. Local authorities state that flooding may have caused the incident.
Davivienda Davivienda, of Colombia, and Scotiabank, of Canada, announced a merger where Davivienda absorbs Scotiabank operations in Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama, and, in turn, Scotiabank acquires 20% of the stakes in Davivienda.
Brazilian government The Brazilian government announces that Indonesia has joined the BRICS trade bloc as a full member.
2022–2023 Russia–European Union gas dispute According to Slovakia, a planned meeting between Slovak, Ukrainian, and European Commission officials over gas supplies scheduled for Tuesday has been cancelled due to Ukraine's refusal to participate in the meeting.
IED Two people are killed and two others are injured in an IED attack at a school near Abuja, Nigeria, with police identifying three men as suspects in bringing the device to the site.
Mexican drug war At least eight gunmen were killed and three policemen wounded, after security agents repelled an attack near the community of Buenavista, municipality of Yuriria, Guanajuato. Members of security forces seized four vehicles, balistic vests and 12 firearms. In the same area, another encounter had been reported two months ago, leaving three officers wounded
North Korean missile tests The South Korean military reports that North Korea has fired what appears to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, in what would be the country's first missile launch in two months. The launch comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Seoul, South Korea, for talks with South Korean leaders.
2024 Magdeburg car attack The death toll in the vehicle-ramming attack at the Magdeburg Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on December 20, increases to six after a 52-year-old woman dies from injuries sustained in the attack.
Russian invasion of Ukraine A Russian drone attacks a civilian passenger bus in Kherson, Ukraine, reportedly killing at least one person and injuring at least nine others.
Naxalite–Maoist insurgency A bomb blast attributed to Maoist rebels in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, India, kills eight police officers and a driver traveling in a police vehicle.
Israeli–Palestinian conflict Three Israelis are killed and eight others are injured in a mass shooting by Palestinian gunmen firing at a bus and two vehicles on Highway 55 in Al-Funduq in the West Bank.
Islamist insurgency in the Sahel French President Emmanuel Macron says France was right to intervene militarily in the African Sahel against the mujahideen, that he is still waiting for the Sahel states to thank France and that the French Armed Forces were not forced out.