U.S.-Russian author Masha Gessen received the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought in the German city of Bremen on December 16, a day later than scheduled due to criticism of Gessen's remarks on the Gaza conflict.
The Indian Navy on December 16 said it is shadowing a Bulgarian-managed bulk carrier that was boarded by unknown attackers likely Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea.
Ukraine, with the help of Qatar, has been able to gain the return of three more children who had been abducted and taken into Russian hands, according to Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office.
Artificial rain was used for the first time in Pakistan on December 16 in a bid to combat hazardous levels of smog in the megacity of Lahore, the government said.
The Netherlands has agreed to Bulgaria joining Europe's passport-free Schengen zone, the Dutch Justice Ministry said on December 15, ending its long-held opposition to the move.