Asia South Korea A traditional rainmaking ritual called giuje was performed by the Gangneung Danoje Preservation Committee as severe drought is gripping the coastal city of Gangneung; water at Obong Reservoir stood at 18,3% and is projected to last other 22 days
Europe Czech Republic The fruit harvest dropped by 65% in 2024 to 48.058 tonnes, the lowest in 100 years according to a number of sources, after heavy frosts in April damaged flowering crops; frost-related losses are estimated at CZK 1,3 billion, or € 51.382.500
Europe Estonia Funding for extracurricular education has decreased by a third in the last five years, and most hobby schools are now concentrated in larger municipalities; the Saare County has seen a 60% decline
Africa Burkina Faso Burkina Faso's military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has attended Ghana's presidential inauguration armed with a visible pistol in his holster, sparking controversy over security protocols and trust in Ghanaian agreements
Africa Equatorial Guinea The Republic of Angola was the first international destination on the agenda of 2025 for the Presidential Couple, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and Doña Constancia Mangue de Obiang
Africa Chad A ceremony on 11 January 2025 in Abéché, in the east of the country, marked the handover of French influence, in the context of the breakdown of military agreements between N'Djamena and Paris at the end of November
Asia Azerbaijan An Azerbaijan Trade Centre in Lahore,Pakistan and a Pakistani-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce will soon be established to bring business communities of both countries closer together and open new avenues for cooperation, said the Azerbaijani ambassador
America Jamaica The Amity Hall Agro Park coconut growers group received essential material, such as seedlings, fertiliser and spraying trays, delivered by the Agro-Investment Corporation, in collaboration with the Coconut Industry Board
Europe Malta The free ferry service between Valletta, Sliema and Cottonera attracted over 440.000 Tallinja cardholders last year, along with another 1,2 million passengers who bought tickets for the service
Africa Madagascar 2024 was a particularly difficult year for the fire brigade in the capital: the number of building fires increased from 303 in 2023 to 352 in 2024
Europe Portugal LusoSpace, a pioneering national company, will launch its first satellite, PoSat 2, via SpaceX, to join the ATON constellation, focused on mapping oceans with crucial data on maritime traffic, illegal activities, spills, and drifting icebergs
Asia Kyrgyzstan The Kyrgyz Parliament's Committee on Budget, Economic and Fiscal Policy adopted at first reading amendments that will allow the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan to launch a pilot project on the prototype of the national digital currency 'digital som'
Africa Niger A woman of Austrian nationality has been kidnapped in Agadez, information confirmed by the Austrian Foreign Ministry; it is not yet known who are the perpetrators of the kidnapping, as it hasn't been claimed by any local group
Africa Angola Angolan writer Atanagildo Paulo, with his work 'A Morte da Dor' (The Death of Pain), will represent Africa in Latin America's biggest literary competition the World Book Review Award, in the category of best book of chronicles and short stories 2024