Europe Norway Following ongoing reduction of sealife in the Oslo Fjord, extensive bans on fishing in three key areas will come into force from January 1. Critics and fishing firms claim farming, development and other sources of pollution should be addressed first
Europe Denmark Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, candidate for mayor of Copenhagen, has made public her plan over Airbnb's rules in Copenhagen: one would only be allowed to rent the house of the address registered as usual living
Europe Kosovo Extremism in Kosovo remains limited, but conditions for its spread persist, according to a report by the Pristina-based think tank Sbunker
Europe Croatia Croatia's first satellite, CroCube, launched on 21 December 2024, successfully captured and transmitted its first images of Croatia from space
Africa Sao Tome and Principe Dozens of tourists gathered to watch over 400 baby sea turtles being released into the sea at Vila Maria beach on the island of São Tomé; the release is overseen as an initiative of the Tatô programme, an international NGO based locally
Africa Ethiopia Ethiopia's ruling Prosperity Party re-elected Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as its president during the party's second congress
Europe Iceland Iceland Foods is reintroducing plastic trays in response to consumer dissatisfaction with vacuum-packed minced meat; vacuum-sealed packages were designed to contain 50% less plastic and reduce the retailer's annual consumption by 35 tonnes
Asia Bahrain The country's first café run by autistic people, Halla by Alia cafe, was recently opened at the Alia Rehabilitation and Early Intervention Centre in A'ali
Europe Lithuania The Lithuanian National Library Martynas Mažvydas has discovered an incunabulum dating back to the 15th century, a rare book published before printing presses proliferated in Europe
Europe Andorra The 3rd Volunteer Fair, held at the Congress Centre, was attended by 28 associations; conceived and implemented by the Ministry of Youth, the Volunteer Fair aims to create a meeting space for associations and volunteers
Africa South Africa A gigantic new radio galaxy, over 32 times the size of the Milky Way, has been discovered by the South African MeerKAT telescope revealed Jacinta Delhaize, lecturer at the University of Cape Town and one of the lead researchers who made the discovery
Africa Cape Verde $770.000 in humanitarian aid have been allocated by the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS to support 560 vulnerable families in Cape Verde to enhance the livelihoods of those affected by the 2023 floods
Europe Finland The unemployment among Finland's highly educated workforce has risen to unprecedented levels, with over 52.000 graduates out of work at the end of 2024, according to Akava, the labour confederation representing professionals and managers
Europe Belarus The government has commissioned the drafting of a new aquaculture law; the new legal framework is expected to foster the growth of this promising sector