Europe Spain A massive counterfeit perfume factory has been dismantled; the plant produced tens of thousands of liters of counterfeit fragrances, imitations of around fifty luxury brands, to be marketed to the rest of Europe via France
Asia Kyrgyzstan 23 tons of dried apricots were shipped to China for the first time in 2025; consolidation of export is a key focus of Kyrgyzstan both in terms of range of agro-industrial products sold and in terms of geographical expansion of the market
Africa Comoros A number of M-pox cases confirmed in Madagascar prompted Comoros authorities to step up vigilance and alert professionals and residents in order to prevent any possibile spread in the archipelago
America Bolivia Campesino groups in Bolivia have blocked major roads to protest the removal of long-standing fuel subsidies, which has sharply raised prices and sparked nationwide unrest led by the Central Obrera Boliviana
Europe Romania Bucharest Stock Exchange has begun the trading year confirming the mood of 2025, that closed with its best performance since 2009; the main BET index reached a historic 24.439 points, marking +46% since January with a +55% return dividends included
Africa Sao Tome and Principe The energy crisis in São Tomé and Príncipe, over five months marked by successive power cuts, affected daily life and family gatherings during Christmas and New Year's festivities; new generators expected for the beginning of December haven't arrived yet
Oceania Tonga Tonga's Prime Minister, Lord Fakafanua, has announced an 11 member Cabinet on 5 January 2026 after the appointments were made by King Tupou VI as stipulated by the Constitution
Asia Kuwait Paris Saint-Germain won the French Super Cup yesterday at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City, defeating Marseille on penalties in front of 60.000 spectators
Europe Lithuania A municipal campaign led to about 9.700 residents to declare Vilnius as their residence, adding over EUR 12,5 million to the 2026 city budget, Mayor confirmed, as the city's house prices increased by 10,8% in Q3 2025 compared to Q3 2024
Asia China Rules regulating competition among e-commerce operators have been tightened starting 7 January 7; a series of measures enhance rigor for sales platforms following the use of practices deemed excessive to attract sellers in a context of intense competition
Africa Senegal A two-year prison sentence was inflicted by Pikine-Guédiawaye Magistrates' Court to two men found guilty of producing and distributing pornographic videos filmed in Senegal and broadcast on online platforms
Europe Estonia As ice edge in Pärnu Bay lies about two nautical miles from the breakwaters, 10 centimeters thick, icebreaking activities have started to guarantee the smooth transit of ships while cold weather is forecasted to continue
Asia Laos Funding to restore degraded forests in Xe Bang Nouan National Protected Area was approved by ADB; The project will reforest damaged land, improve watershed management and support local communities with sustainable forestry, climate-resilient activities
Europe Slovenia Rok Gašparič has become the first Slovenian to receive the Mary Anning Medal for outstanding contribution to paleontology by researches not professionally dedicated to the subject; he has been awarded for his contributions on decapod crustaceans fossils