Continuing in the tradition of making a selection of calls aimed at provoking conversation on what might surprise or shock the investment returns in the year ahead this year’s predictions cover a range of scenarios, including a Chinese growth rebound, an Italian bank rally, Brexit giving way to Bremain and the EU’s willingness to change in the face of populist backlash, among others. The Outrageous Predictions should not be considered Saxo’s official market outlook, it is instead the events and market moves deemed outliers with huge potentials for upsetting consensus views.

Iraqi Yazidi Islamic State survivors and activists Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar receive Parliament’s 2016 Sakharov Prize during a ceremony in Strasbourg on Tuesday 13 December. After escaping sexual enslavement by Islamic State they both became spokespeople for women affected by the terrorist group's campaign of sexual violence and for the persecuted Yazidi minority. Find out more about their fight by watching our video and follow the ceremony live online.

Units of the Lithuanian Land Force will receive upgraded and well-equipped M577 armoured personnel carriers Lithuania is buying from the German Armed Forces. Representatives of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence of Germany signed a contract on acquiring 168 M577s on November 30 in Vilnius. Total value of the procurement is roughly EUR 1.6 m.

Almost one-tenth of the Lithuanian population say they would like to leave the country for good and nearly one-third want to emigrate temporarily.

The average share of smokers of cigarettes in Lithuania is higher than that in the rest of the European Union, Eurostat said on Wednesday.

On 5-9 December, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is holding an International Conference on Nuclear Security: Commitments and Actions in Vienna. The event continues the Nuclear Security Summit process, in which Lithuania actively participated and supported its objectives. The conference also adopted the Ministerial Declaration.

Lithuania has registered this year's second death from sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).

Stasys Dailydka, long-standing CEO of Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, or LG), has turned in his resignation to the state-run company's board on Friday.

A Vilnius City transport entity “Susiekimo paslaugos” informs that as from December 1, Route 88 Airport–centre–Europe square buses will be operating round the clock, seven days per week. The name of the route will be changed – from now on the Route 88 bus will be called ‘Airport–Station–Old Town–Independence square’.