America Colombia Abelardo De La Espriella has become the new president-elect of Colombia in a tight run-off; the far-right lawyer was openly backed by US President Trump
Europe Finland Tax and price changes that came into force in 2026 affecting consumers, income taxation and social support include a rise in prices of tobacco, nicotine products, and alcohol, while minor relief is expected in food, fuel and medical costs
Oceania Samoa Young girls are increasingly turning to prostitution to buy meth, as the narcotic has taken a grip over the young; light on the new social plague has been shed by the team leader of Addiction Services with the Salvation Army
Asia Maldives The Maldives is facing a shortage of medicines, with many essential drugs unavailable and challenges in accessing doctors, so that even basic treatments can be difficult to obtain; public complaints about healthcare quality reflect structural problems
Africa Guinea-Bissau A power outage struck a large part of Malabo, affecting the city in the hours before New Year's Eve; it took some time to the electricity distribution company SEGESA to assess the cause and estimate time for its restoration
America Nicaragua The National Assembly has approved the creation of the International Mangrove Center in Nicaragua to restore coastal ecosystems, enhance environmental cooperation, and support climate resilience through research and sustainable management
Asia Cyprus After 14 years, Cyprus has taken over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union yesterday 1 January; it will lead during a politically sensitive moment, and aims to shape the EU's role on the global stage
America United States Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor of New York in a private ceremony at an abandoned subway station before the public inauguration event outside City Hall; 34, a democratic socialist, he is the first Muslim and South Asian to govern US’s largest city
Asia Iraq For the Baghdad Metro project and for the development of a new Iraq's investment portfolio international institutions such as the IFC and the European Investment Bank will be involved in collaboration with relevant Iraqi institutions
Oceania Fiji Random Fiji Police sweeps in hotspot areas across urban centres are address the growing number of beggars and street children proving food rations; the operation begun weeks ago is continuing during the festive season
America Panama A Chinese monument at the Panama Canal has been demolished by local authorities amid Trump’s threats to retake control, prompting outrage from Panama’s government and calls for its immediate restoration
Asia Israel For Israeli tech firms 2025 has been a record year, with unprecedented gains even amid war; despite optimism, the future of many business will be outside Israel due to exodus of talent and taxes: the country would then loose its main economic driver
America Guatemala A bus accident on the Interamerican Road has left 15 people dead and at least 15 injured in Guatemala, prompting the government to declare a 3-day national mourning period amid ongoing concerns over road safety
Europe Iceland The Order of the Falcon, Iceland's highest national honor established in 1921 and awarded twice a year, has been confered on fourteen Icelanders on New Year’s Day; for the first time the Office of the President announced number of recipients in advance