Carcavelos (AFP) – Swimmers across Europe mark the start of 2026 by braving the cold water for a New Year’s Day dip. “It’s time to have fun and be happy,” says Maria Antonia Silva, a fishmonger in Lisbon.
Istanbul (AFP) – The first snowfall of the new year in Turkey’s Istanbul has the old and young enjoying themselves with snowball fights. Some hardy fisherman refuse to let the wintery weather stop them from casting their lines.
Kiew (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says in his New Year’s Eve address that his country is “10 percent” away from an agreement to end the war with Russia. “The peace agreement is 90 percent ready. Ten percent remains. And that is far more than just numbers,” Zelensky says in a video message posted on his Telegram account. “That is the ten percent that will determine the fate of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe,” he adds.
Vatikanstadt (AFP) – Pope Leo XIV holds the first Angelus of 2026 on World Day of Peace, appealing to people to “disarm our hearts” and “abstain from all violence”.
Sofia (AFP) – Bulgaria becomes the 21st country to switch to the euro as it enters the New Year, a milestone met with both cheers and fears, nearly 20 years after the Balkan nation joined the European Union. Successive governments have advocated joining the euro, hoping that it will boost the economy of the bloc’s poorest member. But Bulgarians have long been divided over the switch, with many worrying the introduction could usher in higher prices and add to the political instability rattling the country.
Édimbourg (AFP) – Fireworks light up the sky above Edinburgh Castle at midnight as tens of thousands of revellers pack to the city centre for Hogmanay, joining together to sing Auld Lang Syne and welcoming the start of 2026. An estimated 100,000 people from dozens of countries were expected in Edinburgh for the celebrations. IMAGES
Munich (Allemagne) (AFP) – A sea of lasers and projected lights flood Munich’s Ludwigstraße on New Year’s Eve, transforming the historic boulevard as thousands gather to welcome 2026 — marking the first ever edition of the city’s new “Silvestermeile” celebration. IMAGES
Rio de Janeiro (Brésil) (AFP) – Lifeguards at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro carry out helicopter-assisted rescues in rough seas as preparations for the New Year’s fireworks show get underway and crowds gather on the iconic beach to ring in the new year. IMAGES
Damas (AFP) – Syrians flock to the Old City of Damascus to ring in the New Year with hope, a year after the dramatic rebel-ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. IMAGES
Berlin (AFP) – In his New Year’s address, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says that his country’s “freedom” and “way of life are worth defending”. He adds that Europe, faced with a “changing” relationship with the US, must defend its interests “much more strongly” on its own.
Al-Zawayda (AFP) – The sun sets over the waters of the Mediterranean Sea on New Year’s Eve as Gazans walk by a displaced people camp on Al-Rashid Street, one of two main roads through the Strip. A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since October, following a deadly war waged by Israel in response to Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023.
Tripolis (AFP) – In Libya’s recently reopened national museum in central Tripoli, visitors wander past ancient statues and artefacts, rediscovering a heritage that transcends political divides. In the historic waterfront building known as the red citadel — once the seat of power — visitors journey through a history that includes ancient art, Greek and Roman antiquities and Ottoman-era weapons and jewellery for the first time since 2011.
