Indonesia has been ranked the world's friendliest country for local friendliness, according to the Expat Insider 2026 survey by InterNations, with Colombia and Mexico completing the top three, as expatriates highlighted warm welcomes and the ease of building relationships with residents.

The annual survey, one of the world's largest studies of expatriate experiences, asked thousands of people living abroad to rate various aspects of life in their host countries, including how friendly local people are, how easy it is to make local friends and whether expats feel welcome.

Indonesia claimed the top position in the Local Friendliness category, ahead of Colombia, Mexico, the Philippines and Brazil. Completing the top ten were Panama, Oman, Thailand, Kenya and Vietnam, reflecting strong performances across Southeast Asia, Latin America , the Middle East and parts of Africa.

According to InterNations, the Local Friendliness ranking measures expatriates' perceptions of how welcoming residents are toward foreigners and how comfortable newcomers feel interacting with local communities. The rankings are based on personal experiences rather than tourism reviews or public opinion polls.

Indonesia has consistently performed well in recent editions of Expat Insider. Respondents frequently cite the country's welcoming culture, community-oriented society and everyday hospitality as reasons they feel accepted. Many also report that locals are approachable and willing to help newcomers adjust to daily life.

Latin America also stood out in the 2026 results. Colombia ranked second, while Mexico and Brazil placed third and fifth, respectively. Panama finished sixth, reinforcing the region's reputation for openness and strong social connections between expatriates and residents.

Southeast Asia dominated the upper end of the rankings, with Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam all securing places in the top ten. InterNations has previously noted that countries in the region often receive high scores for friendliness, personal interactions and the ease with which expatriates integrate into local communities.

Outside Asia and Latin America, Oman ranked seventh and Kenya ninth. Oman has regularly been recognised by InterNations for its welcoming atmosphere and high quality of life for expatriates, while Kenya's appearance in the top ten highlights positive experiences reported by foreign residents living in East Africa.

InterNations conducts its Expat Insider survey annually, drawing on responses from thousands of expatriates representing numerous nationalities and destinations worldwide. The rankings evaluate countries across multiple dimensions, including quality of life, working abroad, personal finance, ease of settling in and local friendliness.

The Local Friendliness ranking focuses specifically on expatriates' day-to-day interactions with residents rather than broader measures such as safety, infrastructure or economic performance, making it a snapshot of where newcomers feel most welcomed by local communities.

“The agreement signed yesterday between the United States , Israel and Lebanon is a historic event and an important diplomatic and security achievement for the State of Israel,” Katz said.

He stated that Israel would maintain its military positions in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is fully disarmed and security is guaranteed for communities in northern Israel.

“The key principle established by the agreement is that there will be no Israeli redeployment in southern Lebanon, no withdrawal whatsoever, for as long as the Hezbollah terrorist organisation has not been disarmed throughout Lebanon and the security of northern residents is guaranteed,” he said.

Katz also described the agreement as a setback for Iran , accusing Tehran of attempting to pressure both Israel and the United States into securing an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

“Iran attempted to force Israel to withdraw from Lebanon through threats and pressure on the United States, and it failed. Lebanon's future will not be dictated by Iran and Hezbollah,” he said.

He warned that Israel would respond militarily if Iran sought to prevent the agreement from being implemented.

“Should Iran attempt to attack Israel in order to prevent the implementation of the agreement, we will respond with overwhelming force,” Katz added.

The agreement was signed in Washington on Friday and is intended to stabilise the Israel-Lebanon border following months of hostilities. Under the framework, Hezbollah is expected to be disarmed throughout Lebanon, while Israel says it will retain its security zone in southern Lebanon until those commitments are fulfilled and the safety of northern Israeli communities is assured.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the US-brokered agreement after it was announced, describing the 14-point proposal as “humiliating” and accusing the Lebanese government of “destroying” the country.

A series of strong earthquakes struck multiple regions across the globe within 12 hours, with the strongest a magnitude 6.5 earthquake off the coast of the southern Philippines.

The USGS recorded 11 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or higher during the period, affecting countries across Asia, Oceania, Central America and the Caribbean. The events ranged from magnitude 4.6 to 6.5, highlighting the concentration of seismic activity along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where tectonic plates frequently interact.

The largest event was a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that struck 34 kilometres west-southwest of Sarangani, Philippines, at a depth of 42 kilometres.

The quake occurred in a region that is among the world's most seismically active due to the interaction of the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The USGS assigned the event a Green PAGER alert, indicating that widespread fatalities or major economic losses were unlikely.

The tremor came less than three weeks after a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Mindanao on June 8, underscoring the region's continued seismic activity.

Japan recorded two earthquakes exceeding magnitude 5 during the same period.

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck near Yokoshiba at a depth of 43 kilometres, followed later by a magnitude 5.7 event near Oshino at 50.9 kilometres depth, according to the USGS.

Japan sits atop the convergence of four major tectonic plates and experiences thousands of earthquakes each year, making it one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.

Elsewhere, the USGS recorded:

Most of these earthquakes occurred along active plate boundaries, particularly around the Pacific Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped belt that accounts for roughly 90% of the world's earthquakes and about 75% of active volcanoes, according to the USGS.

Why earthquakes cluster along the Ring of Fire

The Ring of Fire stretches around the Pacific Ocean through the Americas, East Asia and Oceania. Continuous movement of tectonic plates causes frequent earthquakes as plates collide, separate or slide past one another.

Countries such as Japan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand routinely experience significant seismic activity because they lie directly on these plate boundaries.