As clocks struck midnight on January 1, cities around the world welcomed the New Year with concerts, fireworks, light displays, and moments of reflection, with celebrations varying widely depending on local circumstances.

In Sydney and Dubai, thousands of people gathered to watch elaborate fireworks shows illuminating the skyline. In Paris, hundreds of thousands filled the Champs-Élysées, taking in the countdown projected onto the Arc de Triomphe. Among them, 27-year-old tourist Taissiya Girda expressed a wish for global peace. “I would like to see happy people around me, no war anywhere,” she said, referencing conflicts in Russia, Ukraine, Palestine, and Israel.

At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV ended the year with a call for Rome to be welcoming to foreigners and vulnerable people, as crowds enjoyed a concert at Circus Maximus and fireworks over the Colosseum. In Scotland, First Minister John Swinney urged residents to embrace small acts of kindness, echoing the message of the national poet Robert Burns through the traditional Hogmanay celebrations.

Some European cities opted for quieter festivities. Athens and Nicosia replaced fireworks with drone shows, low-noise pyrotechnics, and light installations to make celebrations more suitable for children and pets, according to local officials.

In New York City, thousands braved cold temperatures to watch the traditional Times Square ball drop. The 5,602-kilogram crystal-covered ball descended as Australian artist Tones and I performed John Lennon’s Imagine for a crowd that included visitors from across the United States, Mexico, and South Korea. Just after midnight, newly elected mayor Zohran Mamdani was sworn in at a private ceremony in a decommissioned metro station nearby.

Heightened security was evident in Australia following the Bondi Beach terror attack on December 14, which left 15 people dead. Police openly carried automatic rifles during New Year’s Eve celebrations, and at 11 p.m., crowds observed a minute of silence for the country’s Jewish community. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns encouraged Australians to attend festivities, saying that extremists would view smaller crowds as a victory.

In Indonesia, celebrations were scaled back in solidarity with communities affected by recent floods and landslides in Sumatra, which killed over 1,100 people. On Bali, traditional dancers replaced fireworks as the main attraction.

Hong Kong also opted for subdued celebrations following a major November fire that killed 160 people. In Gaza, residents expressed hope for peace. “The war humiliated us,” said Mirvat Abed Al-Aal, displaced from Rafah, reflecting the ongoing impact of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Across the globe, the first hours of 2026 blended joy, resilience, and reflection, as communities celebrated with local traditions while acknowledging recent tragedies and the continuing desire for peace.

The US Coast Guard’s operation to seize the sanctioned oil tanker Bella 1 has grown more complex after the vessel’s crew painted a Russian flag on its hull, claiming Moscow’s protection during a 10-day pursuit in the Atlantic. Officials said the ship, linked to the Iranian oil trade, is now reportedly empty.

Washington obtained a court order authorizing the seizure based on Bella 1’s history of transporting Iranian crude. However, the crew’s display of the Russian tricolour complicates enforcement under maritime law. US authorities have been tracking the tanker at roughly 800 meters distance while determining its legal status through diplomatic channels.

The Bella 1 initially resisted interception near Venezuela on December 21. Instead of stopping, it reversed course and entered open waters. Maritime tracking data show that the tanker had loaded Iranian crude at Kharg Island in September before disabling its location transponder near the Strait of Hormuz. After two months of being untracked, the ship resumed signals while empty, suggesting an at-sea cargo transfer.

Initially, Bella 1 declared Curaçao as its destination but abruptly changed course after US forces seized another tanker on December 10. Since December 17, the vessel’s transponder has been off, and officials estimate it may be heading toward Iceland or Greenland.

The US Treasury sanctioned Bella 1 in 2024 for allegedly transporting Iranian oil on behalf of Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. The vessel is owned by Turkey-based Louis Marine Shipholding Enterprises, and its crew primarily comes from Russia, India, and Ukraine.

The pursuit marks the third US interception operation this month. The Coast Guard successfully seized two other tankers carrying Venezuelan crude, escorting both to Texas. President Donald Trump said authorities will capture Bella 1, stating, “We’ll end up getting it.”

The US has deployed its largest military presence in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific in decades, targeting both sanctioned tankers and suspected narcotics vessels. On December 17, Trump ordered a blockade of tankers trading with Venezuela to cut off President Nicolás Maduro’s primary revenue source. Maduro’s government called the operations acts of piracy, with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez saying Caracas would report the seizures to the UN Security Council.

Russia has increasingly relied on a shadow fleet of vessels with opaque ownership, flags of convenience, and irregular shipping practices to transport oil while circumventing Western sanctions imposed after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The fleet, composed of hundreds of aging ships, has been essential for maintaining oil exports and funding Russia’s war effort.

Experts note that if Russia formally registers Bella 1, forcibly boarding the tanker could trigger diplomatic tensions, even under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which allows authorities to act against vessels flying false flags or operating without valid registration. For now, the Bella 1 continues to evade capture while US officials monitor its movements.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States conducted a strike on a shore facility used for loading boats with drugs, marking an escalation beyond previous operations targeting vessels in international waters. The president declined to specify the location or which agency carried out the strike.

“There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” Trump said while meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida. “They load the boats up with drugs, so we hit all the boats and now we hit the area. It’s the implementation area. There’s where they implement. And that is no longer around.”

Trump offered few details about the strike, including whether it was conducted by the US military or the CIA. “I know exactly who it was, but I don’t want to say who it was. But you know it was along the shore,” he added.

The operation represents a shift in Trump administration tactics, which have previously focused on striking suspected drug-smuggling boats in international waters of the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. According to administration figures, at least 107 people have been killed across 30 strikes since early September. On Monday, the US conducted another strike against an alleged narcoboat in the eastern Pacific, resulting in two fatalities.

Trump initially referenced the strike during a call with WABC radio host John Catsimatidis on Friday. “I don’t know if you read or saw, they have a big plant or a big facility where they send the, you know, where the ships come from,” he said. “Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So, we hit them very hard.”

Unlike previous maritime operations, which were often announced by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth or military social media accounts, no formal announcement was made regarding the facility strike. The Pentagon referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately provide additional information. Venezuela’s government also declined to comment.

Trump has long indicated that US operations could move beyond boat strikes to land-based missions in South America, including Venezuela. Recent weeks have seen the deployment of US warships to the region, increased military presence, and the seizure of two oil tankers, with a third vessel pursued. The administration has characterized the campaign as part of an “armed conflict” against drug cartels to stop narcotics flowing into the United States.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has dismissed the US actions, insisting that the real aim of American operations is to pressure him from office rather than target drug trafficking.

The facility strike signals a new phase in US operations in the region, demonstrating a willingness to extend military actions onto land, raising questions about potential further escalation in South America.