The Fire Station will be welcome addition. I have wondered about the lack of fires in Tropico in the past, but just imagined that Tropican humidity was really high

Europe and China also make sense as additional powers (especially later in the game), Europe having some of the old superpowers, as well as being a economic powerhouse, and China as a grand export nation and an emerging superpower.
I feel on the other hand that the Middle East don't really fit into the powerhouse category. I guess if Tropico need's to import oil it might be good to have good relations with the Middle East :-/

The ability to use ministers as scapegoats also sounds good