Fireworks, drums and light shows: How the world is welcoming 2026

Countries around the world celebrated the new year with colourful shows and long-held traditions.

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Finnish police seize ship suspected of sabotaging undersea cable

Police arrested 14 crew members on the ship sailing from the St Petersburg to the Israeli port of Haifa.

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Huge crowds mourn Bangladesh's first female PM at state funeral

A sea of mourners have gathered in Dhaka to pay final respects to Khaleda Zia, who died on Tuesday aged 80.

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Mali and Burkina Faso impose travel ban on US citizens in tit-for-tat move

The two states say they are taking reciprocal measures after the US announced full-entry restrictions on their citizens.

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Saudi Arabia backs call for UAE to leave Yemen after strike on separatist-held port

The UAE denies Saudi claims it sent a shipment of weapons to separatists and pushed them to launch offensives against the Yemeni government.

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'There are many challenges': Syrians in Turkey consider return after fall of Assad

Syrians in Turkey are weighing up whether it is the right time to return to their homeland.

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China holds military drills around Taiwan as warning to 'separatist forces'

The drills come days after the US announced the sale of one of its largest weapons packages to Taiwan.

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Brazil's Bolsonaro undergoes medical treatment for hiccups

The 70-year-old had suffered with the spasms for nine months, his wife says, and was already in hospital for hernia surgery.

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Spaniards hurl flour, eggs and fireworks in mock battle

The annual food fight festival ''Els Enfarinats'' has left the Spanish town of Ibi covered in flour and egg shells.

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Spaniards hurl flour, eggs and fireworks in mock battle

The annual food fight festival ''Els Enfarinats'' has left the Spanish town of Ibi covered in flour and egg shells.

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Snow-capped Mount Etna erupts as skiers use its slopes

Volcanic activity at the mountain intensified on 27 December, according to Italian scientists.

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Her husband's kidnapping became Malaysia's biggest mystery. Then came a stunning confession

Nine years after her husband disappeared, Susanna Liew had a stunning legal win in one of Malaysia's biggest mysteries.

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Israel recognises Somaliland as independent state, Netanyahu says

The decision has been condemned by Somalia, Egypt, Turkey and Djibouti, who call it a dangerous precedent.

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Heavy rain storms in California leave three dead

A state of emergency is declared in Los Angeles and other southern counties after flash floods and mudslides.

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Zelensky hails 'new ideas' on peace after talks with US envoys

Ukraine's leader gives an upbeat assessment after discussing the plan with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

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Brazil ex-President Jair Bolsonaro's surgery for hernia 'successful'

The former leader is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election.

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Officials discover a million more documents potentially related to Epstein case

The US Department of Justice says reviewing the material could delay the full release of Epstein documents by a "few more weeks".

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Watch: Pope Leo's plea for peace in Christmas message

Pope Leo calls for an end to conflicts around the world in Christmas speech.

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Two dead after Pennsylvania nursing home explosions

Authorities are investigating whether a gas leak was to blame for the twin blasts and fire, which caused a partial collapse.

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Algerian law declares France's colonisation a crime

Lawmakers unanimously approve a law, which demands an apology and reparations from the former colonial power.

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Australia to deport British man charged with displaying Nazi symbols

The immigration minister said the man is an unwelcome "guest" in Australia.

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US economy grows at fastest pace in two years

Strong consumer spending helps the US economy grow at a faster rate than expected.

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Gunmen abduct 28 Muslim travellers in central Nigeria

The victims, including women and children, were ambushed on their way to a religious festival.

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Five dead after plane carrying child burns victim crashes in Texas

The Mexican Navy plane was transporting a child to the US on behalf of a charity which cares for burns victims.

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Screams for help and panic as tourists rescued from fatal Laos ferry disaster

People scrambled to safety as the ferry sank on the Mekong River, with a local woman and two children feared dead.

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Trump's appointment of Greenland envoy sparks fresh row with Denmark

The BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Landale explains how Trump's appoinment of a special envoy to Greenland has shaken diplomatic with Denmark.

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Ghana official rejects 'Detty December' label

The term is widely used to describe Ghana and Nigeria's wild, end-of-year party seasons.

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Baby followed by BBC back in Gaza hospital after treatment abroad

The BBC revisits one-year-old Siwar Ashour who was temporarily evacuated to Jordan for medical treatment during the Gaza war.

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US lawmakers threaten legal action against Attorney General over Epstein files

On Monday, Senator Schumer said he would introduce a resolution to take legal action over the failure to release the full files.

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Survivors 'nervous and sceptical' about release of remaining Epstein files

US lawmakers who pushed for the documents to be made public have criticised the initial release as incomplete.

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Imran Khan and wife given further jail terms after state gift fraud case

Pakistan's former PM, who is already serving time in prison, plans to challenge the verdict.

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Australian state plans to ban intifada chants after Bondi shooting

New South Wales will look at passing hate speech laws after Australia's deadliest shooting in almost 30 years.

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Putin tells BBC Western leaders deceived Russia

BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg had the opportunity to ask Vladimir Putin about his plans for the future of the country.

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French court rejects Shein website suspension over childlike sex dolls

The fast-fashion giant welcomed the judgement and said its priority remains protecting French consumers.

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Australia announces gun buyback scheme in wake of Bondi attack

It is the largest scheme since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, which prompted massive gun law reform.

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Brown University and MIT professor shooting suspect found dead, police say

Claudio Neves Valente is believed to have shot dead two students on Saturday, and an academic in Massachusetts two days later.

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Trump Media to merge with fusion energy firm in $6bn deal

The company behind President Trump's Truth Social platform makes a surprising move into the energy sector.

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'She's a superhero': The acts of bravery as Bondi horror unfolded

A father tells the BBC he owes the life of his child to a stranger forced into an impossible decision.

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Trump expected to expand access to cannabis in a major shift in drug policy

The order to place cannabis in the same category as Tylenol with codeine would mark the most significant change in US drug policy since 1971.

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Miss Finland's viral 'slanted-eyes' photo stirs racism firestorm

Ex- Miss Universe contestant Sarah Dzafce has drawn backlash in East Asia and in her own country.

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Polar bear mother adopts cub in rarely documented case

It's only the 13th known case of adoption out of the 4,600 bears studied for nearly five decades in the northern Canadian area.

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Spain to open network of climate shelters

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says the shelters will be in public buildings across the country.

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EU waters down plans to end petrol and diesel car sales by 2035

Carmakers, particularly in Germany, have lobbied heavily for concessions to the planned rules.

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Rebels say they will withdraw from key DR Congo city at US request

The US accuses Rwanda of backing the rebel advance in breach of a deal brokered by President Trump.

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Lizzo celebrates as fat-shaming claims dismissed

The star says the allegations "haunted" her, but she still faces allegations of sexual harassment.

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Eight killed in latest strikes on alleged drug boats, US military says

The US has carried out more than 20 strikes in international waters on alleged drug vessels since September.

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Smooth end to Messi India tour after Kolkata chaos

Messi's India tour had a chaotic start after angry fans in Kolkata damaged a stadium after failing to catch a glimpse of him.

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Eyewitness captures moment man tackles and disarms Bondi shooter

New South Wales Police say that 11 people were killed, plus one gunman, in a shooting at Bondi Beach targeting the Jewish community.

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Cambodia shuts border crossings with Thailand as fighting continues

It comes despite US President Donald Trump saying both sides had agreed to a ceasefire deal.

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BBC captures celebrations as Belarus frees political prisoners

Southern & Eastern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford reports from Lithuania, where some of the released prisoners were taken.

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New photos from Epstein estate show Trump, Andrew and Bill Clinton

The photos, which do not imply wrongdoing, are part of a trove of images the House Oversight Committee received from Epstein's estate.

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Inside the Colombian cathedral built 180m underground

The idea came from the miners building makeshift altars in the mine in the 1930s, to pray for their safety before starting their shifts.

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From Iran to China to Venezuela - how tanker seized by US hid true location

A seized tanker accused of smuggling sanctioned oil has long hidden its true location. BBC Verify examines how.

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Ethiopia arrests 'indecently' dressed TikTok stars after awards ceremony

Adonay Berhane, Wongelawit Gebre Endrias and four others are accused by police of undermining public morality.

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Sarkozy releases prison diaries about his 20 days behind bars

The former French president was jailed for taking part in an election campaign funding conspiracy.

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Ukraine at critical moment, European leaders say after Trump call

"Intensive work" is continuing, the leaders of Britain, France and Germany say after a joint call with Donald Trump.

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Benin coup plot leader hiding in Togo, official tells BBC

The coup was thwarted after Nigeria sent warplanes to dislodge the mutineers from the offices of state TV.

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These young Australians grew up with social media - what do they think of the ban?

The BBC took to the streets of Sydney to find out what young people aged between 18 and 20 think of Australia’s under-16s social media ban.

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Why are Thailand and Cambodia fighting at the border?

The roots of the South East Asian neighbours' dispute go back more than a century.

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Jeremy Bowen: Syria feels lighter without the Assads' crushing weight - but now there are new problems

One year into his rule Syria's leader has won over Trump and much of the West, but at home people know his weaknesses.

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White South Africans divided on US refugee offer

Donald Trump says white South Africans are being persecuted and so qualify for asylum but black farmers are also being killed.

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Death of Venezuelan opposition figure in custody 'vile', US says

Alfredo Díaz, 56, died in prison cell on Saturday, human rights groups say, prompting opposition outcry.

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Trump criticises Democrat he pardoned over not switching political parties

Texas Representative Henry Cuellar is running for re-election as a Democrat after Trump pardoned him.

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North American leaders take stage together for the first time

The World Cup draw marked the first time that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has met Trump, and the trio briefly discussed trade.

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US Supreme Court agrees to hear case challenging birthright citizenship

Donald Trump's controversial executive order to end birthright citizenship had been rejected by lower courts.

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Boycotts and arguments - can the Eurovision Song Contest survive its biggest crisis?

The biggest crisis in the Eurovision Song Contest's history raises major questions about its future.

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Which European countries have mandatory or voluntary military service

The issue of forcing citizens to serve in the military is back as the war between Russia and Ukraine grinds on.

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Suspect arrested in pipe bomb incident on eve of Jan 6, ending years-long manhunt

The bombs were placed the night before the 6 January riots, and were discovered as rioters began to storm the Capitol.

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Tanzanian activist blocked from Instagram after mobilising election protests

Meta confirms it removed Mange Kimambi's social media accounts for violating their policy.

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Previously unseen images of Epstein's island released

The new images come as a deadline for the broader release of documents held by the US government looms.

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Singapore court upholds guilty verdict for opposition leader Pritam Singh

Singh had appealed against a guilty verdict of lying to a parliamentary committee in 2021.

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Israel receives coffin that Palestinian groups say contains Gaza hostage's body

The remains, which Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad say were found in northern Gaza, will be taken to Tel Aviv for forensic tests.

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Trump says he does not want Somalis in US as ICE plans Minnesota operation

The president says the US will "go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country".

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Drunk raccoon found passed out on liquor store floor after breaking in

The intoxicated animal suffered no injuries and was released back into the wild by animal protection once sober.

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Trump says he is pardoning Democratic congressman in bribery case

Trump says he will issue a "full and unconditional" pardon of the Texas representative and his wife.

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What is Honduras ex-president accused of and why has Trump pardoned him?

Juan Orlando Hernández, once called the key figure in a drug trafficking scheme that flooded America with over 400 tonnes of cocaine, walks free after the pardon.

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Hong Kong leader orders investigation into deadly fire that killed 151

The fire is the deadliest the city has seen in more than 70 years.

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'I saw them driving over injured people' - the terrifying escape from war in Sudan

The BBC visits a camp where people are taking refuge after the fall of el-Fasher city.

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