Europe Ireland 1926 census records have been released; searchable online for the first time, they show Ireland 100 years ago, detailing ages, occupations, status (including "orphanhood"), religions and genders of citizens of newly established Irish Free State
Africa Guinea The Transitional Government decreed a halt to industrial fishing in waters under Guinea's national jurisdiction for January 2026, under the motto “Nó djunta mon, pa nó pis kirci”, or "Together to make our fish grow"
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 Albania Despite political tensions sparked by corruption cases involving high profile personalities, the new chief of anti-graft prosecution in Albania announces a tough approach to guarantee that “no one is above the law”
Africa Central African Republic Voting proceeded as planned in Central African Republic’s first-ever combined presidential, legislative, regional and municipal elections; ballot counting is complete, with results expected for 5 January, according to the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSCA
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 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
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
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
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 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
America Uruguay Wildfires have ravaged over 2.000 hectares in Uruguay amid extreme heat and drought, prompting a large-scale emergency response involving military helicopters and local authorities to contain the flames
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