Europe Czech Republic The proposed law on public service media would change the funding model of Czech Television and Radio from licence fees to state budget financing and has become a highly debated issue from all sides over concerns over a potential loss of independence
Asia Palestine Gaza's population decreased by 6% since the start of Israel's war, reports Anadolu Agency citing official data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
Africa Ivory Coast French troops will leave the country after a decades-long military presence,The country has announced, thus becoming the last African nation to cut military ties with its former colonial power
Asia Maldives The National Disaster Management Council has approved the 'Maldives Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy 2024-2030', which focuses primarily on protecting the environment and safeguarding against natural and other disasters
Asia Taiwan Free single-use toiletries are banned in hotels from today 1 January 2025, for obvious environmental reasons; the move is expected to impact over 14.000 hotel operators on top of the relative supply chain
Asia Japan Emperor Naruhito, first emperor born after the war, and Empress Masako will visit Hiroshima and war-related sites in 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and pass on the tragic memories to young generations in the pursuit of peace
Africa Ethiopia Malaria continues to pose a public health risk in Ethiopia, reaching 'epidemic proportions' with an average of 'over 300.000 cases' reported weekly across the country, the WHO stated
Oceania Kiribati Like every year, Kiribati has been the first country to celebrate New Year's Eve; neighbouring island of Baker, separated by a stretch of sea of just 1179 km, will be the last
Europe Romania In connection to full accession to the Schengen area, Romania will close over 30 checkpoints on its borders with Hungary and Bulgaria following last vote of EU Justice and Home Affairs Council that ruled the abolition of land controls as of 1 January 2025
Africa Zambia Mining operations at the Kagem emerald mine will be suspended from today 1 January 2025 due to the disrupted dynamics in the emerald market, which have been triggered by an oversupply of Zambian emeralds at discounted prices during the latter half of 2024
Europe Albania Durazzo-Tirana on 9 May 2025 will be the first of three Albanian stages that will kick off the 108th edition of the Giro d'Italia - an iconic annual multiple-stage bicycle race; the Giro will start abroad for the 15th time in its century long history
Africa Uganda The foundation stone of what will become the most important temple of the Russian Orthodox Church in Africa was consecrated in the city of Kiboga; the Russian Orthodox Church is seeing a rapid expansion in Uganda
Asia China Sales of electric vehicles in China are set to overtake those of conventional cars for the first time in 2025, with sales of electric vehicles expected to rise 20% this year to over 12 million units, more than double the 5,9 million of 2022
Europe Germany The state music councils in Germany choose an instrument of the year every year, and in 2025 it is the human voice: from singing to speaking, from whispering to shouting, these sounds can also be used musically and creativity can be expressed through them