Europe Hungary Hungary has become the only country in Europe without a printed political daily as Magyar Nemzet switched to a weekly publication yesterday 1 August; smaller European media markets are likely to follow
Asia Saudi Arabia Binding “Rules and standards for naming public facilities" have been issued; introducing unified standards, governance frameworks, clear religious and administrative restrictions they will come into force 120 days from publication on Umm Al-Qura Gazette
Africa Democratic Republic of the Congo The DRC returned to the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member for the 2026-2027 term for the first time in over 35 years, hoping to keep the armed crisis in its eastern provinces high on the council's agenda
Europe North Macedonia Dozens of patients were treated on New Year's Eve in Skopje for injuries sustained from accidents, falls, fireworks, alcohol and firearms, but no traffic accidents were recorded in town probably thanks to the Safe City system
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 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
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
America Venezuela The US has carried out a CIA drone strike on a port in Venezuela to hit Tren de Aragua drug logistics, marking an escalation of pressure on Maduro, with no casualties
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 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
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
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
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