Bulgaria readies to adopt the euro, nearly 20 years after joining EU

SOFIA, Dec 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Bulgaria was preparing to switch to the euro on Wednesday night to become the 21st eurozone member, amid concerns the move could usher in higher prices and add to political instability rattling the Balkan country. At midnight (2200 GMT Wednesday), Bulgaria will wave goodbye to…

Somalis rally nationwide against Israel’s recognition of self-declared breakaway Somaliland

MOGADISHU, Dec 31 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Tens of thousands of Somalis took to the streets across the country to protest Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, a self-declared breakaway region that Somalia considers part of its sovereign territory. Large crowds gathered in the capital Mogadishu at the national stadium, where religious leaders led…

France pushes back plastic cup ban by four years

The ban on disposable plastic cups, which was due to come into force on Jan 1, 2026 has been postponed until 2030 by the French government PARIS, Dec 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The French government on Tuesday postponed a ban on plastic throwaway cups by four years to 2030 because of…

Sweden: 16 injured as bus crashes into building in Stockholm

HELSINKI, Dec 31 (NNN-XINHUA) — A total of 16 people were injured after a bus crashed into the facade of a building in Liljeholmen, a district in southern Stockholm, on Tuesday afternoon, local authorities said. Region Stockholm said seven people were taken to hospital, including two who were seriously injured,…

Germany: Thieves use drill to steal €30m in “very professionally executed” bank heist

Police say the thieves used a parking garage to gain access to the branch GELSENKIRCHEN (Germany), Dec 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thieves used a large drill to break into a safe at a high street bank branch in western Germany and steal an estimated €30m in cash and valuables, police have…

World bids farewell to 2025, a year of Trump, truces and turmoil

SYDNEY, Dec 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — New Year’s Eve revellers toasted the end of 2025 on Wednesday, waving goodbye to 12 months packed with Trump tariffs, a Gaza truce and vain hopes for peace in Ukraine. It was one of the warmest years on record, the stifling heat stoking wildfires in…

Italy: Four hurt, 100 stranded after cable car accident

ROME, Dec 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four people were injured and around 100 were stranded atop a mountain in northwest Italy on Tuesday after a cable car accident, authorities said. No one was seriously injured following the incident on the Macugnaga cable car, which travels up to the Moro Pass at…

More than 3,000 migrants die on route to Spain in 2025 as borders tighten

MADRID, Dec 30 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Fresh figures show more than 3,000 people died trying to reach Spain by sea over the past year, a sharp drop from the previous 12 months. But migrant rights groups warn the decline does not mean safer journeys. According to the NGO Caminando Fronteras, 3,090…

Finland: Winter storm grounds flights, strands hundreds in northern Lapland region

HELSINKI, Dec 30 (NNN-XINHUA) — A winter storm disrupted travel in Finland’s northern region of Lapland over the weekend, stranding hundreds of passengers and forcing emergency arrangements at airports as flight cancellations and delays extended into Monday. Finavia, Finland’s state-owned airport operator, said about 20 flights to and from Rovaniemi,…

US pledges $2 bn for UN aid, with ‘adapt, shrink or die’ warning

GENEVA, Dec 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Washington on Monday pledged an initial $2 billion for United Nations humanitarian aid in 2026 — far less than it has provided in recent years — warning UN agencies to “adapt, shrink or die”. With its pledge, announced at the US mission in Geneva alongside…
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