Asia Indonesia At least 22 villages in Indonesia’s Aceh province were wiped out after Cyclone Senyar triggered floods and landslides; Dozens of communities remain isolated as authorities race to restore access, assess damage and deliver aid amid disrupted communications
Europe Italy The COSMO-SkyMed CSG-FM3 satellite was successfully launched on 3 January 2026 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, USA; fully built in Italy, it is a milestone for the Italian space industry and consolidates the country's leading role in Earth observation
Europe Ireland Authorities are monitoring the passage of a Very Large Crude Carrier VLCC through Irish waters or EEZ; the ship, on its way to a Russian North Sea port, is being pursued by the US military as part of its crackdown on Venezuelan oil
Africa Malawi 6% decline in criminal activity has been registered in 2025, with 2.247 fewer cases reported nationwide, Inspector General of Police announced; official figures also show measurable improvement in road traffic accidents, -11%, with 3.527 cases in 2025
Africa Gambia West Africa Livestock Innovation Center WALIC under the Ministry of Agriculture handed over 30 high-quality breeding bulls to livestock registered associations for multipliers; a tour of the facility and outreach center was organized on the occasion
Europe United Kingdom UK's Stock Exchange index FTSE 100 on the first trading session of 2026 ended higher than the 10.000 points mark for the first time, on a wave of optimism driven by AI boom lifting sentiment and global markets
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
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
Europe Norway Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 52, who in 2018 made public she’d been diagnosed with chronic pulmonary fibrosis, may need to undergo a lung transplant, for which the national hospital is preparing
America Paraguay Paraguay has condemned China’s large-scale live-fire military drills near Taiwan, calling them a threat to Indo-Pacific stability and expressing solidarity with the Taiwanese people
Africa Seychelles The new director general of the Seychelles Intelligence Services, Sabry Khan, was sworn in in a ceremony presided by President Herminie following Khan's oath of allegiance and the signing of the official instrument of appointment
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
Europe Sweden According to Ticket – the largest private travel agency in the Nordics – the US is the only top-ten country where travel bookings are declining for 2026, -21% on 2025; figures could change ahead of this summer's planned World Cup in the country
Europe Portugal Asterion Industrial Partners, a European investment firm for infrastructure, has informed Portugal’s Competition Authority of its acquisition plans for the PT Data Centre in Covilhã, belonging to Altice Portugal, at an expected price of €120 million