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
Asia Uzbekistan Visa rules approved in late 2025 are applied in 2026: business visa process simplified for 15 countries, visa-free stay for up to 30 days introduced for Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and stay period extended for China except Hong Kong
Africa Tanzania Serengeti is preparing to set a record by receiving over 600.000 tourists before June 2026, as latest figure from Park Management confirm 491.000 arrivals within mid-December; calving season will begin in February, with 500k newborn gnus expected
Europe Russia Russia's main stock market index, the MOEX, rose to 2765 points on yesterday 30 December 2025; over the past month the index has climbed 2,92%, though it remains 2,23% lower than a year ago, according to benchmark index trackings from Russia
Africa Ethiopia With five months to go before 7th general elections on 1 June 2026, Ethiopia stands at a critical democratic crossroads; transparency looks critical for elections legitimacy and National Election Board is called to regularly and clearly update the public
America Nicaragua Despite monitoring and warnings from Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies for the current activity of the Masaya volcano, Tourism Institute celebrates the influx of visitors and continues to promote the site as a Christmas vacation destination
America United States The atomic clocks at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, some of the most accurate in the world, fell out of sync of 5-millionths of a second earlier this month because of a power outage
Europe San Marino The Italian-San Marino Cross-Border Workers Association obtained the inclusion in the 2026 budget of a motion addressing the issue of double taxation that has penalized retired workers in the border area for years
America Panama Over 700 Panama Metro Buses have been vandalized in two years, 359 cases reported in 2025, notwithstanding calls from Mi Bus authorities and user leaders to put an end to the defacing; this year, Mi Bus has spent $65.000 just on glass repairs
Asia Vietnam All 361 houses damaged by natural disasters in Đà Nẵng have been completed repaired one month from the start of “Quang Trung Campaign"; among them, 144 houses were completely destroyed by floods and required full rebuilding
Asia Turkey Turkish civil society organizations affiliated with the National Will Platform have urged citizens to gather on Istanbul’s Galata Bridge on 1 January 2026 for a rally protesting the violence in Palestine and calling for an end to the raids
America Peru 157 beaches were declared "unhealthy" nationwide on the threshold of summer 2026; the General Directorate of Environmental Health warned that several touristic coastal stretch in Peru are unsuitable for recreation and pose a risk to public health
Europe Monaco Two ministerial decrees foster safety and order during the busiest nights of the festive season: limits on fireworks possession leave room only to official pyrotechnical shows and security obligations for nightlife venues are strengthened
America Venezuela The increase in Caracas bus fares has been formalized; adjustments follow requests from the transportation sector, asking to adhere to official exchange rates of the Central Bank, citing rising operating costs, shortage of spare parts and inflation