• Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017), Battle of Ramadi
  • The Iraqi Army advances into the center of Ramadi, the latest development in the effort, which began in November, to regain the city from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. (Reuters)
• Islamist insurgency in Nigeria
  • More than 1 million children have been forced out of school as a result of Boko Haram terrorism in northeastern Nigeria and its neighboring countries, which leaves the children more susceptible to violence, poverty and child marriage, Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF’s West and Central Africa regional director, said in a statement. (Huffington Post) (Reuters)
• Mali declares a 10-day state of emergency effective at midnight, following a series of threats from unnamed jihadist groups, and last month's siege at a Bamako hotel, where 20 people were killed. (DW) (TV360Nigeria) (NDTV)

• Turing Pharmaceuticals says that it is looking for a new CEO in the aftermath of the indictment of its old boss, Martin Shkreli, on securities fraud charges. Turing and Shkreli became infamous together in September 2015, when they hiked the price of an AIDS drug by 5000%. (Reuters)

• An Indian Border Security Force plane headed to Ranchi crashes just outside New Delhi, killing all 10 on board. The Super King Air turboprop aircraft hit an airport wall and landed in a small body of water. (Reuters) (AP via Fox News)
• At least 30 people are injured from an explosion at a gas pipeline near Villahermosa, Mexico. (CNN)
• European migrant crisis
  • Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reports 11 migrants, including three children, drowned, and the Turkish coast guard rescued seven Syrians from a capsized boat headed to the Greek island of Samos. (AP via The Washington Post)

• The Philippines becomes the first country in Asia, and second in the world (after Mexico), to approve use of the dengue vaccine. (Rappler) (CNN)
• According to industry sources, the Indian health ministry is considering Sanofi Pasteur's dengue fever vaccine for large-scale clinical trial exemption which would accelerate approval for marketing. India reported a record number of dengue fever cases this year. (The Economic Times)
• Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos signs a decree fully legalizing medical marijuana. Growers must apply to the National Narcotics Council for a license. Earlier, Colombia decriminalized personal possession of up to 20 grams. (BBC) (VICE News)

• Philippine presidential election, 2016
  • The Philippine Commission on Elections disqualifies presidential frontrunner Grace Poe, who is a rival of Mar Roxas, the candidate favored by President Benigno Aquino III. The move is widely believed to be politically motivated. (Inquirer), (GMA News),
  • Petitioners alleged Poe doesn't meet the residency and citizenship requirements. The actual decision is still to be released. (CNN)
• Central African constitutional referendum, 2015
  • Central African Republic's National Election Authority announces voters approved (93%) the new constitution in the December 13 referendum. Amid sporadic violence, 39 percent of registered citizens voted in the two-day poll. The first round of the presidential elections and Parliamentary elections now can be held on December 27, 2015. Acting President Catherine Samba-Panza and current members of the legislature cannot participate. (Deutsche Welle) (Toronto Metro News)
• Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announces, effective February 1, 2016, that Virginia will no longer recognize concealed carry handgun permits from 25 (of the 30) states with reciprocity agreements with the commonwealth whose concealed handgun regulations are weaker than Virginia's. The state agreements with the other five states will not change. Virginia’s concealed carry permits will not be recognized by at least six states because they require mutual recognition of permits. (The Washington Post) (AP via Chicago Tribune)
• Haitian presidential election, 2015, Haitian parliamentary election, 2015
  • Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council postpones presidential and legislative runoff elections scheduled for Sunday, December 27, 2015. Authorities are waiting for findings from the not-yet-installed special commission evaluating the widely criticized first round of elections before determining how to proceed. (AP via The Washington Post) (Haitian-Caribbean News Network)

• American actor Nicolas Cage agrees to return to Mongolia a stolen dinosaur skull he bought in 2007 for $276,000. Cage says he was unaware the skull had entered the country illegally. (Reuters) (USA Today)
• Falcon 9 Flight 20
  • American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company SpaceX makes history by sending the first orbital rocket into space and landing the first stage back on the ground at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. (NBC News)