Politics

Nearly 60 female lawmakers, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, submitted a petition for more women's toilets in the Diet building; reporters noted one lavatory with two cubicles near the lower house plenary for about 73 women.

Queen Camilla praised the Hunt family's courage on BBC Radio 4 and, for the first time publicly, described an attempted indecent assault she experienced as a teenager.

Guinea's electoral commission announced Mamady Doumbouya won 86.72% of the vote, and main opposition leaders had been barred and urged a boycott of the election.

Australia said it is deeply concerned about large Chinese military exercises near Taiwan and has raised the matter with Chinese officials; Taiwan reported missiles, military aircraft and ships were detected near its waters.

The head of Britain's Equality and Human Rights Commission said gender recognition certificates remain important after the Supreme Court's ruling on the definition of sex; official data show a record 1,987 applications in the year to September.

A patient at M Health Fairview Lakes Hospital in Wyoming, Minnesota, allegedly assaulted security guard Andrea Merrell on Christmas Day; she later died and the suspect has been charged with second-degree murder and is jailed awaiting further court action.

US executions reached 47 in 2025, the most in 16 years; the rise followed a presidential executive order on the death penalty and a pattern of the Supreme Court denying requests to stay executions.

Russia released night footage of a damaged drone it says was launched at President Putin's Valdai residence; Kyiv denies the claim and Russian officials say there were no injuries or damage.

Russia reopened the Mariupol Drama Theatre this week; Ukrainian officials and international groups criticised the move because the building was bombed in March 2022 while civilians were sheltering there.